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Ghoulishly Good Halloween-Themed Desserts

September 23, 2016 by

Whether you’re planning a costume party or simply looking for tasty treats to give out throughout the Halloween season, there are a number of spooky recipes that people of all ages will love. Here are just three fun, creative Halloween-themed desserts that are just as scary as they are delicious.

Chocolate Orange Spider Cupcakes [parenting.com]
This is a slightly advanced recipe that any avid baker will have fun experimenting with right before Halloween. It involves making your own chocolate cupcakes from scratch and jazzing them up with an orange zest, but the real finishing touches are the cookie sticks and round candies that you’ll use to transform each cupcake into a cute and crawly spider.

Giant Candy Corn Cookies [food.com]
While not everyone is a fan of candy corn, you can guarantee that almost anyone will love this candy corn-inspired cookie. By dying boxed sugar cookie mix with three different colors of food coloring, you can create pretty simple cookies that look just like the popular Halloween candy.

Spooky Witches' Fingers [allrecipes.com/]
For a treat that’s much scarier than most, this recipe is a great pick. While the actual recipe is fairly traditional, molding these cookies into the shape of severed fingers certainly isn’t. Top them off with half an almond to create the “fingernail.”

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Just Add Candlelight: Romantic Valentine’s Dinner Ideas for Two

February 13, 2015 by

Whether you’re on a budget or you simply want to plan a more personalized Valentine’s Day date than dinner at a crowded restaurant, preparing a home-cooked meal for that special someone is a wonderful way to celebrate the holiday. Here are three romantic dinner ideas that are made for two—just be sure not to forget the candlelight!

Surf-and-Turf for Two [coastalliving.com]
This is normally one of the priciest dishes on the menu at an upscale restaurant, so preparing it at home is a more affordable way to enjoy an indulgent Valentine’s Day meal. With tender, juicy steak and plump scallops cooked in a champagne-butter sauce, this meal will surely elicit a thank-you kiss.

Creamy Tomato Soup [myrecipes.com]
Valentine’s Day falls at the tail end of the winter in most parts of the country, so snuggle up with your better half over a bowl of steaming hot tomato soup. Gain a few extra romance points by pairing it with grilled cheese sandwiches cut into festive heart shapes.

Mini Heart Pizzas [thenerdswife.com]
Pizza is the fastest route to just about anyone’s heart, as you’ll quickly learn when you present your special someone with these adorable (and delicious) mini pizzas. They’re baked in the shape of hearts for a more festive flair, and they’re so easy to make that even the most novice home chef can prepare them with ease.

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Healthy Poultry Recipes to Keep Your Diet on Track

January 30, 2015 by

Poultry is such a versatile meat, you could eat it every day of the week and never have the same dish twice. If you’re looking for new and exciting ways to prepare chicken or turkey, here are some delightful recipes from the National Institutes of Health:

"Fried" Rice and Chicken
Okay, so fried rice isn’t the healthiest food in the world. But in this recipe, it takes on a much healthier role with the addition of brown rice, light soy sauce, and a few assorted vegetables. By using boneless, skinless chicken breast and a low-calorie Hawaiian sauce, this dish becomes a healthy replacement for your favorite takeout food.

Crunchy Chicken Fingers With Tangy Dipping Sauce
A healthier take on the beloved children’s food, this chicken fingers recipe uses whole-wheat flour and corn cereal to achieve the same delicious crunch as the more fattening original. Make a tangy dipping sauce out of ketchup, orange juice, and a few other zesty ingredients for a light lunch that even the kids will love.

Make-Your-Own Turkey Burger
Turkey burgers are becoming increasingly popular alternatives to high-fat beef burgers, and it’s just as easy to make your own at home. This simple recipe uses 99 percent lean ground turkey and a few common spices to create a juicy burger with a whole 33 grams of protein.

For more healthy chicken, turkey and other poultry recipes, visit the NIH website here.

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These Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipes Are Better Than Storebought

December 12, 2014 by

While making hot chocolate from a package is fast and easy, there’s just nothing that compares to the real deal on a cold winter afternoon. Here are three authentic hot cocoa recipes that take a bit longer to make, but are more than worth it once you take the first sip.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate [Bon Appetit]
There aren’t many ways to improve already-delicious hot chocolate, but incorporating peppermint is definitely one of them. This sweet and minty concoction uses bittersweet chocolate and peppermint extract to achieve its complex flavor, and it is topped with homemade whipped cream that will impress your holiday guests.

Homemade Hot Chocolate [Martha Stewart]
If you want to improve on the classic hot chocolate recipe, this all-natural recipe is the one to use. It calls for only four simple ingredients, and ordinary table salt acts as a secret ingredient that really makes all of the other flavors shine.

Naturally Sweetened Homemade Hot Chocolate [DIY Natural]
Cut down on the artificial sweeteners in your hot chocolate with this all-natural recipe that’s just as warm and delicious. It’s sweetened with pure maple syrup and pure vanilla extract for a rich flavor, and it doesn’t contain any of the harmful additives that store-bought hot chocolates might have.

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These Pumpkin Pie Recipes Will Have You Reaching for Seconds

November 20, 2014 by

Warm soups are great and Thanksgiving turkey is tasty, but when it comes to favorite fall foods, pumpkin pie is typically at the top of the list. There’s just nothing better than this rich, flavorful pie come autumn, whether you prefer to top it with whipped cream or to eat it warm out of the oven. Here are three of our favorite recipes for pumpkin pie.

Libby’s Famous Pumpkin Pie [verybestbaking.com]
Since it requires only 15 minutes of prep time, this pie will be emitting a delicious scent from the oven with plenty of time to spare before the arrival of your last-minute guests. Canned pumpkin, evaporated milk, and a pre-made pie crust make this one of the easiest pumpkin pie recipes you’ll find.

The Ultimate Pumpkin Pie [epicurious.com]
This elaborate recipe from Epicurious is ideal for the experienced baker who wants to add a bit more spice to the usual pumpkin pie. Whipping cream and sour cream make it extra thick and creamy, while the generous helpings of spices add major flavor in every bite.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie [pickyourown.org]
Pick Your Own’s homemade pumpkin pie uses real pumpkin instead of canned to offer the freshest taste possible in your seasonal dessert. Although it may seem intimidating, the results are more than worth it.

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Fete the Fall Season With These Cranberry Bread Recipes

October 3, 2014 by

It’s never too early to start incorporating cranberries into your baking, and these tart fruits taste just as delicious in the fall as they do during the cold winter months. Here are three recipes to motivate you to give your usual pumpkin a rest and mix things up with a sweet cranberry bread this autumn season.

Cranberry Orange Loaf [allrecipes.com]
Cranberry and orange flavors go together like a bit more sophisticated version of peanut butter and jelly. This zesty loaf is filled with holiday charm, and it even makes a deliciously sweet breakfast when paired with your morning coffee.

Classic Cranberry Nut Bread [oceanspray.com]
For a heartier take on cranberry bread, this recipe uses your choice of chopped nuts to add a delicious crunch to the flavorful cranberries. The taste is rustic and classic, and it’s sure to be a hit at your next family gathering.

Orange Glazed Cranberry Bread [sallysbakingaddiction.com]
Adding a sweet glaze to cranberry bread gives it a boost of flavor that feels a bit more like a dessert. This recipe involves making a simple, homemade orange glaze that has the added advantage of giving your bread a truly gourmet look. But that’s not all: It also includes a cinnamon streusel topping that makes it even more decadent and delicious.

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Bake Your Own Bread With These Recipe Sites

March 28, 2014 by

Who doesn’t love the taste of warm, crusty bread right out of the oven? Though homemade bread may seem intimidating to many at-home chefs, these simple websites offer bread recipes for cooks of all skill levels. Whether you’re looking for a sweet cinnamon raisin loaf for tomorrow’s breakfast or an elaborate multigrain baguette for a dinner party, these websites have recipes for every type of bread imaginable.

All Recipes
All Recipes is a go-to website for just about any recipe you can think of, and their bread section leaves nothing to be desired. It features recipes of the day with mouth-watering photos of breads, muffins, and biscuits, as well as a variety of staff picks that are tested by the site’s knowledgeable employees. If you have a specific bread in mind, All Recipes also offers a handy search bar that allows you to search by the name, ingredient, or purpose of the bread.

Food Network
If you’ve ever watched a show on the Food Network and wondered how to make the fresh, delicious breads from your favorite shows, the bread section of the network’s website is the place to go. This page offers simple, instructional recipes for the simplest no-knead breads to the most complex bread puddings, and they’re all ranked by level of difficulty.

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Three Heart-Healthy Soup Recipes

March 25, 2014 by

It’s one thing to count calories, but finding foods that are just as beneficial to your health as they are to your weight is another story. These delicious soup recipes provide beneficial vitamins and nutrients, keep your heart strong and help you take control of your weight as they warm you up during colder months.

Homemade Turkey Soup
Perfect for using up those turkey dinner leftovers, this hearty turkey soup is full of flavor from its variety of spices. Turkey is a lean meat that provides energizing protein without the extra fat, and the broth base keeps it from weighing you down. At under 250 calories, this makes a light meal that will still fill you up.

Mexican Pozole
If you love the spicy taste of authentic Mexican food, this traditional soup is for you. With lean beef and a large helping of tomatoes, it provides beneficial nutrients as well as exciting flavor.

Rockport Fish Chowder
While other chowders are high in calories due to their creamy base, this lighter version provides the same rich texture without the extra calories. By using low-fat milk and a variety of veggies, you can create a delicious fish chowder that will help keep your diet on track.

For more healthy soup recipes, visit the NIH website.

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Bake Bread at Home With these Recipe Sites

February 7, 2014 by

There’s something so satisfying about bread, whether it’s a crispy piece of toast with jam, a light, fluffy roll dipped in your favorite soup, or a crunchy crostini with goat cheese spread. If you want to make gourmet-quality breads from the comfort of your own kitchen, these step-by-step recipe websites will help you do just that.

Cooking Light
The Cooking Light website aims to make eating bread a bit more healthier, but just as delicious. Its Healthy Baking Guide features a list of the 30 Best Quick Bread Recipes, perfect for the busy home cook or the amateur chef. These breads are leavened with baking powder or baking soda instead of yeast, which makes their cooking times shorter and more manageable. From flaky buttermilk biscuits to zucchini-pineapple quick bread, you’ll find an abundance of fast and easy bread recipes on this unique list.

Better Homes and Gardens
Better Homes and Gardens magazine has published a lot of bread recipes over the years, but this is a list of their very favorite loaves. From Semolina and Rosemary Boule to Two-Tone Banana Bread to Whole Grain Sunflower Bread, these not-so-average breads are all delicious in their own unique ways.

Public Domain/Public Domain
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Learn to Cook Right from Your Phone with These 3 Apps

November 22, 2013 by

When you’re making something in the kitchen you need your recipe to be easily accessible, and there’s nothing more convenient than your smartphone. These helpful cooking apps will give you recipes, cooking techniques, and other necessary information right from your mobile device:

How to Cook Everything: Cooking Basics
This app, developed by New York Times cooking columnist Mark Bittman, includes an assortment of recipes and high-quality photos, video and audio to make your time in the kitchen easier and more hands-on. The recipes are simple and straightforward, and if you come across a technique that you don’t understand it even includes links to video tutorials to help you learn as you go.

Epicurious
The popular cooking website now has a helpful app for iPhone, iPad, Android, Nook, Windows and Kindle. The Epicurious app provides users with numerous recipes, and it has a printing feature that allows you to print your favorite recipes from anywhere. The shopping list feature even creates lists of ingredients that you can easily access at the grocery store.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Selected Recipes
The famous Julia Child book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is now available from your mobile device with this innovative app.  With real photos straight from the book, Child’s most beloved quotes, and even video tutorials for mastering some of her more complex dishes, this app is ideal for anyone who wants to learn the art of French cooking.
 

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