Birthday Cake

Birthday cakes make a birthday by Ben Stalker

Birthday cakes makes a birthday

The celebration of the day that a mother gives birth to her child is usually marked by holding a party in that person's honour. Birthday parties usually consist, age depending, of various party games, perhaps going to the cinema, interacting with your group of friends and family and indeed, munching on birthday cake. The blowing out of the candles are considered the highlight of a birthday. It is at this point that the child (or indeed adult) makes a birthday wish. This tradition as a whole is said to bring good luck to the recipient and overall, is a fun activity for a birthday. This is not for all birthdays of course; this type of birthday party is most enjoyed by kids. They wholeheartedly believe in wishes and love the fun they have with all their friends. Getting to eat mountains of sugary sweeties and cake is just an added bonus to all the gifts that they receive too.

The cutting of the cake is also a significant point in the birthday, and this is usually carried out with the assistance of an adult if it is a child's birthday. The cake is also accompanied by the singing of the "happy birthday to you" song. Whether embarrassing or not, you cannot escape this part of your birthday. The lights dim, every one goes quite then when the cake comes in, the whole room bursts into song, wishing the recipient well.

For young children's parties, the cakes are often either decorated on made entirely along a certain theme. Whilst boys may like a pirate themed party, with a desert island cake, or perhaps a foot ball party with a football cake. Girls may prefer a princess party with a pink castle cake, or maybe a sleeping beauty story, with a complicated cottage for a cake, with little dwarf cake toppers for added detail. Almost anything can be used, and should be tailored to the taste of the recipient. Even if the recipient is older, it's both thoughtful and funny to find out what they are interested in and perhaps purchase or indeed bake a novelty cake along that theme.

You also need to consider the kind of cake. Perhaps for a teenage girls, a large chocolate cake. Girls, no matter what age all love chocolate. It's not often they will have an airtight excuse to gorge themselves on chocolate cake guilt free, but a birthday party, is one of those few times. Girls of all ages will appreciate a chocolate cake. Perhaps a sponge cake is more suited to what you need. If you are baking a themed cake with a somewhat complicated structure, a sponge cake with several layers may be the answer to allow you to get the base you require.

In the end, you want to make sure that the cake is a positive part of the special day. It's only fair to put a bit of thought into the birthday cake, for some this is the defining symbol of a birthday. If you are stuck on ideas for birthday cake designs please check this site out, I hope it can help you.

Salad Recipe

How to Make Healthy Homemade Fruit Salad by Blaine Johnston

No one can ignore the great taste of fruit salad since it can also make our body healthy. Making healthy fruit salad is one thing, as you should consider several aspects to make it really beneficial.

In a hot day, making a big bowl of fresh salad will be nice. Imagining fresh fruits mixed with mayonnaise probably makes you hungry now. You do not need to be an expert to make delicious and healthy fruit salad. You only have to be more creative, especially in choosing the fruits. Remember that you are going to make healthy food for your family, so you should choose the best ingredients.

A bowl of salad gives you nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, water content, and (of course) dietary fiber. Women like it because it helps lose weight, since it contains low fat and increases the quality of digestive system. In short, it fulfills hunger without making fat.

When choosing fruits, you should choose ones which are totally ripe and ready to consume. You better cook them with the outer skins since the skins contain rich nutrients that are good for diet. Of course, you cannot do the same to bananas or oranges.

Combine some fruits to get maximum nutrients! For example, oranges are high in vitamin C, but low in other nutrients. This will be good to add apples, grapes, or pears to complete the nutrients. As a suggestion, try to avoid tender fruit as it can get mashed easily by the time you mix your salad. Use this kind of fruit only as topping.

You may think that you will make a bowl of salad then keep it in fridge. It is not recommended! After fruits are cut, they tend to oxidize. To get the best beneficial, consume it right after you make it. Avoid making too much salad in order to prevent storing it in fridge.

Try to use yogurt instead of mayonnaise to mix the fruits. Yogurt is much better, especially if you really need some foods to make your digestive system runs well.

Recipe of Pizza

Make Your Own Pizza Dough by Kathryn Steed

Next time you make your pizza from scratch (and we highly recommend you do!), try this delicious pizza dough recipe! It's not only tasty but it's good for you too!

The following pizza dough recipe is not only flavorful but with ingredients like whole wheat flour and olive oil, it's healthy too!

Homemade Pizza Dough

Makes three hearty pizza crusts. This dough can also be used to make calzones or can be frozen for later use. Freeze any dough just after dividing. This can be later thawed at room temperature, then it is ready to use.

Ingredients

* 1 packet active dry yeast * 1 Tbs. white sugar * 2 1/2 C. warm water (110 degrees) * 2 Tbs. olive oil * 1 Tbs. salt * 1/2 C. whole-wheat flour * 5 1/2 C. bread flour

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water. Let sit until creamy; about 10 minutes. Stir the olive oil, whole-wheat flour, salt and 4 C. of the bread flour into the yeast mixture. Mix in the remaining flour, 1/2 C. at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume; about 1 hour.Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into three equal pieces and form into rounds. Cover the rounds and let them rest for about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into the desired shape, cover it with your favorite toppings and bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the crust and cheese are golden brown.

Pizza Dough Recipe Tip:

Brick Oven It's easy to re-create a brick oven at home. The method of cooking directly on a heated ceramic-type surface is what gives classic pizza crusts and Old World breads their crunch. You can purchase a stone that fits in your home oven. Simply pre-heat the stone as your oven warms up and then bake on the hot surface.

Chocolate

The Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate by Kathryn Steed

Come to the Dark Side. It's healthier! Don't be fooled into thinking that all chocolate is bad for you. Numerous studies have shown that dark chocolate has many health benefits, especially for your heart.

Eating a small bar of dark chocolate everyday can help keep your heart and cardiovascular system running healthy. Studies have shown that other health benefits of dark chocolate include lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol.

Dark chocolate isn't only good for your heart. It stimulates production of endorphins which makes you feel better. It contains the anti-depressant serotonin and theobromine and caffeine, which are stimulants.

But that doesn't mean that you should eat loads of dark chocolate daily. Eating half a bar every day is more than enough to get the benefits. Just remember that you may have to cut back from other foods because chocolate is still a high-calorie food. Balance your calories appropriately.

Chocolate has a lot of fat, but some of the fats in dark chocolate won't impact your cholesterol. These include oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in olive oil, stearic acid, a saturated fat which doesn't affect cholesterol. But watch out for palmitic acid, a saturated fat that raises cholesterol and heart disease risk.

Quick Fact: How Chocolate Is Made Unlike many crops, the pods of the delicate cacao tree must be picked by hand, making the process of creating chocolate a laborious affair. The pods are opened one by one, and the pulp-covered seeds extracted. To reduce bitterness, cacao seeds are fermented for several days (like wine grapes), and then dried. At this point, farmers sell sacks of cacao seeds to corporate buyers, where industrial machines take over. On the factory floor, large machines roast the seeds to release the taste and aroma. The roasted seeds are cracked open to reach the nib or heart, which is then ground into chocolate liquor (not liqueur). This thick liquid, made of cocoa butter and cocoa solids, is manipulated to create the different kinds of chocolate

Ice Cream

Things To Consider When Designing An Ice Cream Or Gelato Store

by: Mariela Perez-Simons

A good deal of planning is required to successfully open a new ice cream or gelato shop. Follow these design guidelines, and you'll be set up to run an efficient and thriving frozen dessert business.
An efficient well thought out back of counter design for your ice cream or gelato shop is an extremely important element of a successful specialty dessert store. The ultimate goal when developing your back of counter area is to create an environment that offers functional efficiency, creates a desire to buy from your clients and supports your menu. Like all aspects of creating your dream frozen dessert shop, supporting your menu in the most effective manner must enter into your planning from the very beginning. Considering everything from placement of menu boards to storage of napkins, cups and spoons must be planned.

It is important to plan your menu in as much as detail as possible before moving through evolutionary phases of your business development. The most successful shops have clearly defined profit centers including ice cream, coffee, baked goods, etc. The back of the counter environment must support the activities of each profit center and include important elements relating to product manufacturing, storage, and presentation. Be clear about items that will be presented on your menu board and clarify your plans relating to preparation and serving components. To make a milkshake, you must have ice cream, flavorings, and a blender. But you also need the cups, straws, napkins handy and preferably a sink in the vicinity as well. While planning the back side of your counter, consider every detail to be sure that you have a place for everything and that those items are in a logical position for efficiency. When there are long lines standing at the counter, you will look professional if your back of counter area is well planned.

Make sure your walls, counters and point of sale information presents your menu and your concept in a clear and simple manner. If your main product is ice cream, make sure that your customer understands what you are proposing for them to buy as quickly as possible. All of us have walked up to a counter with a clerk looking at us for a decision while we struggle with the menu. Your customer must be comfortable or they will not continue to come in. Of course, your personnel should be trained to greet and offer samples but the layout of your back area should be in a way to enhance clarity. Product companies offer point of sale material that is professionally designed. Check with your product suppliers during the planning phase.

After fully developing your ideas relating to space and organization of your back of counter, now is the time to choose the layout and design that will enable you to attain your goals. Starting with a simple line drawing can help you develop a preliminary layout that works within the space being developed and serve as a starting point for your architect and designer. Remember that there are codes and requirements that indicate isle width, ADA standards for bar height, electrical and plumbing codes that will need to be taken into account that may require some changes from your original ideas. But having a clear understanding of the desired outcome will enable these adjustments to be made a bit easier.

Now that there is clarity relating to the desire outcome, you reach the exciting part of choosing the final look of your store. By planning well, your final look can be developed in a way that pulls everything together so that the final package is presented in a professional and clear way. There are various options for building the front and back bar. Modular designed systems, for example, can be an option that allows for future flexibility and a professional, clean cut design. Modular systems are flexible and can be moved from one location to another if you choose to move your location. They also allow flexibility if you decide to add a new profit center like coffee or pastries later on. Custom designed built in place cabinetry is another option that allows less flexibility, but can be a great option that allows a great deal of customization.

So, from the very beginning of your planning, think about logistics, efficiency, clarity and of course your budget. Visit other ice cream and gelato stores and consider your overall goal for your business. Work with experienced specialty vendors that will offer assistance and training. If you plan to make your own ice cream or gelato on site, spend time making product with your chosen vendor and discuss back of counter requirements from the very beginning.

Coffee

Background And History of Coffee
by: Alison Benjamin

With all the drinks for sale to consumers at present, few are as well-liked as coffee. Probably the greatest source of caffeine short of the new energy products currently being marketed, coffee is definitely widespread in many different places, from the home to the office, from small coffee houses to swanky dining establishments. The history of coffee can be tracked for a little more than a thousand years, a somewhat short time period in comparison with alcohol based drinks, which have been consumed since prehistory, and tea, that goes back more than one thousand years BC. Not surprisingly, coffee has spread throughout the world as a popular drink. A look at the history associated with coffee will show the way it has gained its recognition. Ethiopian Origins A history of coffee as a drink began in Ethiopia some time around the 9th century. Legend has it that Ethiopian herders remarked that their goats became particularly perky after consuming the berries of a specific bush, and for that reason had the notion to eat it as a stimulant. The truth is that coffee probably had already been produced as a beverage by the 9th century as a natural result of cultivation associated with vegetation. From Ethiopia, the drink spread to North Africa, including Egypt. Middle Eastern Success The introduction of coffee to Egypt caused it to be readily available at ports with trade to the remainder of the Middle East, where coffee became a common drink by the 1500s. Shortly after its introduction, authorities put a ban on the drink because of its stimulant qualities. But like prohibition in the US, the ban on coffee didn’t survive and was later rescinded. At this time in history, though, tight controls on the commodity were in place. Although coffee in its roasted form began to be exported to Italy as well as other European nations, export of the unroasted coffee beans and plants was banned. Colonization And Coffee This restrictive control over the export of coffee plants could not survive. This period in the history of coffee ended when Dutch traders smuggled coffee seeds out of the Middle East during the 1600s, where it was planted on the island of Java, which is still a major exporter of coffee in the present day and also shares its name with the nickname for the particular beverage. Oddly enough, as coffee plants spread to other European colonies, another century into the history connected with coffee, in the 1700s, the plant was smuggled to Brazil, which is still the biggest exporter of coffee beans. Coffee in the US The history of coffee in US follows that of early wars. Introduced there during the 1700s, the popularity of coffee didn’t take off until the Revolutionary War, when tea became scarce and colonists looked to other drinks. Coffee again increased in popularity through the war of 1812 for similar reasons. However, the time when coffee drinking developed to where it was an American fixture appears to be during the time of the Civil War, when demand was high enough that it became a permanent fixture as a beverage in a great many American households. Through colonization and wars, the history of coffee appears to follow that of the history of people, and its widespread popularity all over the world demonstrates that it's genuinely a global experience.

Pengolahan Buah untuk Selai

Pengantar

Selai atau jam ialah terkenal sebagai bahan pengisi roti atau kue-kue. Pengawetan buah-buahan dalam bentuk selai tidak ada kesukaran karena cara membuatnya mudah dan sederhana.

Pada dasarnya selai itu dibuat dari daging buah-buahan, kemudian dicampur dengan gula pasir dan dipanaskan terus-menerus, hingga diperoleh kekentalan yang tertentu.

Untuk pengawetannya perlu ditambahkan asam benzoat. Dalam keadaan panas selai itu dimasukkan ke dalam stoples atau botol yang berleher lebar dan telah dibersihkan terlebih dahulu. Dengan demikian tidak perlu lagi diadakan pensterilan terhadap botolnya.

Ciri-ciri selai sudah masak :

Ambil piring kecil dan taruh sendok makan selai yang panas di atasnya. Miringkan sedikit dan bilamana selainya sukar mengalir ke bawah, berarti masaklah selai anda. Atau ambillah garpu dan masukkan ke dalam masakan selai. Angkat sendok garpu dan bilamana selai diantara gigi garpu tidak mengalir ke bawah maka masakklah sudah selai anda.

Selai Nanas

Nanas ialah buah-buahan yang paling banyak dan mudah untuk dibuat selai. Dan juga rasanya segar.

Cara Membuatnya :

- Kupaslah nanas tersebut, lalu dicuci dan diparut sampai halus.

- Kemudian air yang terkandung dalam nanas diperas hingga tinggal tiga perempat berat semula.

- Tambahkanlah tiap kg nanas ini dengan ¾ kg gula pasir.

- Sekarang selai mulai dimasak sambil diaduk terus-menerus, supaya hasilnya tidak hangus karena kadar gulanya.

- Pemanasan baru dihentikan bila kekentaan yang dikehendaki tercapai. Caranya dengan mengambil sedikit selai dengan sendok dan dilihat apakah masih dapat mengalir atau tidak bila selai telah dingin. Jika sudah tidak mengalir, maka berarti kekentalan selai telah cukup.

- Tambahkan asam benzoat ½ gram tiap 1 kg selai itu. Berarti untuk ukuran botol selai dari 0,4 liter ukup dengan kira-kira 1/5 gram.

- Masukkanlah selai yang masih panas itu ke dalam botol dan tutuplah rapat-rapat.

- Bila masih diragukan, maka botolnya dapat disterilkan lagi.

Selai Murbei

Pohon murbei atau besaran jika sedang berbuah, buahnya sangat lebat. Warna murbei ini merah kehitam-hitaman dan rasanya manis. Selain dimakan mentah, buah murbei dapat pula dijadikan selai.

Cara Membuatnya :

- Buah murbei dibersihkan dan dihaluskan dengan daging atau diremas-remas.

- Untuk tiap kg buah murbei diperlukan 1 kg gula pasir. Campuran buah murbei dengan gula pasir ini dapat dimasak langsung atau disimpan lebih dahulu selama 24 jam, kemudian baru dimasak. Pemanasan dihentikan apabila selai murbei telah cukup kental. Janganlah dilupakan pengadukan terus-menerus supaya selai tidak gosong.

- Setelah selesai pemanasan, kemudian ditambahkan asam benzoat sebanyak ½ gram tiap 1 kg murbei.

- Masih dalam keadaan panas selai murbei itu terus dimasukkan ke dalam botol dan ditutup rapat.

Selai Jambu

Bahan dan Alat

- Buah jambu yang masak yang masih baik

- Gula pasir

- Asam sitrun.

- Panci aluminium

- Alat pengaduk dibikin dari kayu

- Pisau stainles jika ada.

Proses pembuatan

- Bersihkan buah dari segala macam kotoran

- Kupas kulitnya

- Pisahkan biji dan potong dagingnya kecil-kecil

- Bubuhkan air 1 cangkir pada setiap 1 kg buah

- Masak di atas api yang sedang sampai mendidih, hingga daging buahnya lumat sama sekali.

- Bilamana biji sukar dipisahkan dari dagingnya seperti halnya buah jambu biji, bijinya dipisahkan dengan penapis.

- Masak terus hingga tinggal separoh

- Bubuhkan kemudian 1/3 kg gula untuk setiap kg daging buah. Sedikit banyaknya gula tergantung pada manis tidaknya buah.

- Masak terus sambil diaduk pelan-pelan hingga titik masaknya selai tercapai.

- Aduk pelan-pelan agar selai tidak gosong dan berbusah.

- Bilamana sudah masak angkat dari perapian dan aduk terus pelan-pelan untuk menghilangkan busah.

- Masukkan selai ke dalam botol selai, bilamana masih panas, hingga 2-3 cm dibawah mulut botol.

- Tuangkan parafine panas di atas selai, bilamana selai sudah agak dingin. Parafine sigra akan mengeras bila sudah dingin dan akan menutup rapat permukaan selai sehingga dapat disimpan agak lama.

- Untuk membikin selai agak kemasam-masaman rasanya agak sitrun secukupnya dapat dibubuhkan sesaat sebelum diangkat dari perapian.

Pembikinan selai buah jambu biji.

Ø Pisahkan daging luar dari daging dalam setelah dikupas kulitnya.

Ø Masak daging dalam yang masih berbiji dengan air secangkir untuk setiap 1 kg daging hingga lumat.

Ø Dengan tapisan pisahkan biji dari daging.

Ø Masak bersama daging luar dengan daging dalam yang bebas biji. Selanjutnya ikuti resep umum pembikinan selai buah.

Selai Belimbing

Bahan dan Alat

- 2 kg Buah belimbing masih hijau

- 1 kg Gula pasir

- ½ sndk teh Vanili

- Pisau

- Kompor

- Baskom plastik

Proses pembuatan :

- Buanglah bagian pinggir buah belimbing

- Cuci buah belimbing hingga bersih

- Parut buah belimbing hingga menjadi bubur

- Masak (panaskan) seluruh campuran di atas perapian sebelum mengaduk sampai rata tambahkan vanili.

- Angkat adonan yang telah masak untuk didinginkan. Hasil akhir olahan diperoleh selai belimbing.

- Masukkan selai belimbing ke dalam botol