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Well, some of you Bed & Breakfast innkeepers missed a golden opportunity. I went to websites of inns best known for their food, but no entrees were even mentioned. How can it be that an award-winning inn for their breakfast doesn’t describe any breakfast? So I went to websites that proudly described their dishes. Here are a few of them.

The Buttonwood Inn is in a small New Hampshire town called North Conway, but nothing about their breakfast is small. They may begin with some Pumpkin-Walnut bread or Apricot-Orange scones, Maple Cinnamon rolls, Blueberry-Walnut Crumb Coffee Cake, or warm Fruit Crisp with granola, accompanied by cool, fresh fruit topped with raspberry sauce . That would be enough breakfast for me, but the chef is just getting warmed up. Next comes a savory dish like Mushroom-Sausage and Cheddar Cheese Strata, Scrambled Eggs with Goat Cheese and Chives and a side of roasted Red Bliss Rosemary potatoes. Then comes the sweet entrée: Baked French Toast Casserole with Pecan and Wild Maine Blueberry topping. Or Light Yeasted Belgian waffles under fresh blueberry sauce. Hail to Buttonwood.

Mission Oak Inn of Henry, Illinois offers some wonderful breakfast dishes like French Banana Crepes and fabulous Blueberry Pancakes, but it was their dinners that snapped me to attention. How about a Pizza of roasted chicken, onion, and cheese atop a dreamy creamy sun-dried tomato sauce? Or tender meat medallions served in a cream, brandy, maple and mustard reduction? Or grilled salmon on fresh greens with original sauce and topped by bacon, green onions, parmesan cheese, and walnuts? Or pork tenderloin marinated in apple cider, grilled, then smothered with homemade apple/peach chutney?

Then I happened to catch Jane of the Hawk Valley Retreat on the phone. When I asked about her most popular dishes, her voice became secretive and sultry and she led me lovingly down the list: German Baked Apple Pancakes, Baked Peach French Toast, pancakes with a brown sugar/strawberry compote, Green Onion and Spinach Cheese Quiche with hash brown crust, and Eggs Benedict with her own secret Hollandaise sauce recipe. The names of her entrees didn’t bowl me over. But as she described every detail, every ingredient and spice, I knew cooking isn’t just fun for her, it is a luscious adventure. There’s a difference. Jane is a master of simple baking.

Like many of these top inns, the chefs at the Bloomsbury Inn use only fresh local farm products. I never expected a South Carolina inn to be full of such scientifically talented people. But they’ve experimented with hundreds of dishes, and the creativity of their top picks boggles the imagination: hot apple soup, poached pears and baked peaches with toasted peanut butter rolls, creamed eggs in a puff pastry, baked cinnamon-raisin French toast, toasted bacon-pecan bread, homemade biscuits with chocolate gravy, peppered praline bacon, and their own version of Eggs Benedict: a delicate crème sauce over croissant, wilted spinach, peppered ham, avocado, and poached egg. Exquisite.

Sue of the Harbour Ridge Inn in Osage was not about to be outdone. She emailed me with her choices, and I appreciated the personal attention. Sue serves fruitinis in martini glasses with a white chocolate mousse base on which she slices banana. Then she pours in Chambord-soaked strawberries with a dollop of whipping cream and a mint leaf for garnish. She does the

Bloomsbury Inn one better by nesting her Cinnamon-Raisin French toast atop a whipping cream custard base accompanied by sausage loaf and delicate poached pears in red wine and orange juice. Another popular French toast starts with fresh grilled pineapple slices, country ham, sliced cheese. Add sourdough bread soaked in French toast batter, grilled and served with a strawberry-jalapeno pepper jam. She also makes egg casserole to order with choices of fresh stuff like roasted red peppers, leeks, mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, spinach, diced ham, cheeses and fresh basil and dill. I was impressed. Nice email.

The Judge Porter House in Natchitoches (where?), Louisiana it not to be missed. The first course at the judge’s might be peach or apple dumplings, bread pudding with warm maple sauce, Peach Crisp baked with a coconut-pecan topping, Apple Brown Betty topped with vanilla yogurt, pecans, and cinnamon, or Berry Puff Pastry stuffed with fresh berries, drizzled with raspberry sauce, and topped with whipped cream. The second course may include delicious pancakes, waffles or French toast, but I featured those things in other reviews so let me emphasize the egg dishes. One baked egg dish features eggs with savory mushrooms and crème Francais cradled in Black Forest ham crisps. Another favorite is Southwestern egg mixture baked in individual ramekins and topped with hearty salsa. Then there’s the Queen Anne Quiche, but the chef was very hush-hush about it. Guess you’ll have to visit the judge’s to check it out.

The two most attractive things Bed & Breakfasts offer are cozy, top rate lodging and the best breakfast ever. Check out these terrific inns.

Debra Fortosis

Therefore, it is time to go out and buy that perfect gift, but do you really want to face the hustle and bustle of all the other shoppers. There are good things to be said about traversing to the local mall, or department store. There they have holiday decorations everywhere, carols playing over the speakers, even the smells of the holidays are in the air thanks to cookies for sale, and candles scented like your favorite tree.

However much all of this sounds like fun, some people just do not want to deal with it, and so they shop early or maybe even shop at home online. Shopping online, can it really be as much fun as going to the local store; can you really find that perfect gift you are looking for? Well knowing what you are going to buy is half the battle.

Therefore, you have decided to try the internet, and you have not waited until the last minute to buy either. Ok, now what? First off get out the cocoa, light a couple of candles, my favorite is vanilla, slip on your house shoes, get out your favorite Christmas cd’s and turn on the christmas tree. Wait you do not have the Christmas tree out yet, your cd’s are buried along with all of the other decorations, and your candles are all burned out. Well all of this is all right the internet has you covered.

First of search for free internet radio, there you will find a holiday section just for you. Now for the lights, well that is easy too just look up holiday light displays and I am sure you will find the right picture for you. Now the candles can set a mood but the smell is what we are going for, so go into the kitchen get out the imitation vanilla, a coffee cup of hot water, add a tablespoon of vanilla, and let the steam relax you.

Therefore, the mood is set, the internet is buzzing and that gift you were looking for is right in front of you, and all you have to do now is hit click and pay. Are we done, just about, there is one other thing to consider, do you ship it to you, or do you ship to the person you are giving it to. Well on this one, I am afraid I cannot help. I like to have everything shipped to me first so I can make sure it is what I ordered, wrap it personally and hopefully be there to see the look of surprise when they open what is inside.

Now what does the hustle and bustle have above all of this? last minute shopping procrastinators, the ones who left everything to the thrill of doing it all in one day, or maybe you are like me and just enjoy getting out and facing the crowds as well as shopping from the comfort of home.

Dee Owens
http://www.articlesbase.com/internet-articles/online-shopping-compared-to-the-hustle-and-bustles-of-store-88397.html

Kitchen is one of the busiest parts of our household. We daily cook so many things in kitchen but if kitchen is not cleaned properly it can give rise to germs and harmful microorganisms which ultimately get into our food. Cockroaches love an unclean kitchen. Thus if we have a desire to be healthy then the first step is make our kitchen clean.

The first step in kitchen cleaning is to make a list of all the utensils and appliances that are used for cooking for example oven, dish washer, tea maker etc. After you are done with the first step, please make sure that you decide a suitable place for each appliance in the kitchen. The place should be best suited as per the appliance. For example, wash basin should be just next to dish cleaner and oven should be near to the cooking area. Correct placement of utensils in kitchen is very important as it makes them easily accessible and cleanable.

While working in kitchen it is always advisable to keep a dry cloth handy. Whenever anything is spilled over any area, with that cloth you can temporarily clear the spillover quickly without stopping your work in between. And after you are finished with your cooking, you should clean the whole kitchen then and there as unclean kitchen can become source of bad odor very quickly.

For removing spilled over water or any other liquid, it is advisable to use paper towels rather then a sponge as sponge can really be way to spread germs. In kitchen germs usually reside in corners and hidden places. We should identify those places especially and should clean them with extra care.

We should make sure that we keep a scrubber and dish soap near our wash basin and dish washer. I case of burned food on utensils, boiled water with dish soap really helps. Lemon Juice and Vinegar has always been helpful in kitchen cleaning. Lemon also helps in keeping a fresh odor in our kitchen. Ammonia and bleach should be used separately as they together can create fumes which are toxic in nature.

Refrigerator should be cleaned at least once a week. For this firstly, remove everything from refrigerator and then wipe every interior of refrigerator with warm soapy water. Let it dry for some time and then replace your food inside the refrigerator. It is advisable to keep baking soda in the back of the fridge in an open container. For removing any other odors from fridge we can use vanilla spilled over a small piece of cloth or cotton.

We should put all our used dishes in the dish washer daily before going to bed so that in the morning we find them washed and dried. For utensils like coffee maker, please put an equal mixture of lemon juice or vinegar and water in the water area of coffee and brew it. After that just brew it again with plain water and then leave it for drying. For better results we should brew the coffee maker at least twice with plain water after vinegar.

Happy Kitchen Cleaning!!!

Vernon Purcell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/kitchen-cleaning-738993.html

Kitchen is one of the busiest parts of our household. We daily cook so many things in kitchen but if kitchen is not cleaned properly it can give rise to germs and harmful microorganisms which ultimately get into our food. Cockroaches love an unclean kitchen. Thus if we have a desire to be healthy then the first step is make our kitchen clean.

The first step in kitchen cleaning is to make a list of all the utensils and appliances that are used for cooking for example oven, dish washer, tea maker etc. After you are done with the first step, please make sure that you decide a suitable place for each appliance in the kitchen. The place should be best suited as per the appliance. For example, wash basin should be just next to dish cleaner and oven should be near to the cooking area. Correct placement of utensils in kitchen is very important as it makes them easily accessible and cleanable.

While working in kitchen it is always advisable to keep a dry cloth handy. Whenever anything is spilled over any area, with that cloth you can temporarily clear the spillover quickly without stopping your work in between. And after you are finished with your cooking, you should clean the whole kitchen then and there as unclean kitchen can become source of bad odor very quickly.

For removing spilled over water or any other liquid, it is advisable to use paper towels rather then a sponge as sponge can really be way to spread germs. In kitchen germs usually reside in corners and hidden places. We should identify those places especially and should clean them with extra care.

We should make sure that we keep a scrubber and dish soap near our wash basin and dish washer. I case of burned food on utensils, boiled water with dish soap really helps. Lemon Juice and Vinegar has always been helpful in kitchen cleaning. Lemon also helps in keeping a fresh odor in our kitchen. Ammonia and bleach should be used separately as they together can create fumes which are toxic in nature.

Refrigerator should be cleaned at least once a week. For this firstly, remove everything from refrigerator and then wipe every interior of refrigerator with warm soapy water. Let it dry for some time and then replace your food inside the refrigerator. It is advisable to keep baking soda in the back of the fridge in an open container. For removing any other odors from fridge we can use vanilla spilled over a small piece of cloth or cotton.

We should put all our used dishes in the dish washer daily before going to bed so that in the morning we find them washed and dried. For utensils like coffee maker, please put an equal mixture of lemon juice or vinegar and water in the water area of coffee and brew it. After that just brew it again with plain water and then leave it for drying. For better results we should brew the coffee maker at least twice with plain water after vinegar.

Happy Kitchen Cleaning!!!

Vernon Purcell
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/kitchen-cleaning-738993.html

Kids love roller coasters. Moms don’t — well, at least not the ones that take place inside our homes! I’m talking about the “spike and crash” syndrome that describes the rapid ups and downs of children’s blood sugar levels when they eat too much sugar and overly processed carbs, especially on an empty stomach.

Foods that are especially high in sugar — even natural sugar and honey — are known to cause a very quick rise in blood-sugar levels. They are rated high on the “glycemic index” (GI) — a measurement of the effect a food has on one’s blood sugar level. The higher the rating on the index, the more rapid the increase in blood sugar level. The spike doesn’t last very long and is followed by a corresponding fast drop in blood-sugar level. (often it drops even lower than it was before we ate). This is commonly referred to as the “spike and crash syndrome.”

Children seem especially susceptible to this phenomenon. After they eat the kid-favorite jelly beans (the ultimate sugar spike), particularly when it’s on an empty stomach, parents notice them acting as if they’ve had four cups of coffee. They’re bouncing off the walls and then, in a predictable amount of time, they crash — growing sleepy, lethargic, and cranky. The reason is that refined sugars (or carbs) raise blood-glucose levels too quickly, causing a surge of insulin, which soon removes even more sugar than when the person started; the loss of sugar is what makes him feel lethargic. For people who are particularly sensitive, the crash may be accompanied by shakiness, irritability, fogginess, and a feeling of intense hunger even though they just ate an hour ago. Almost all packaged snack foods and cereals that are marketed to kids today have this effect on them.

Examples of slower-burning carbs (those with a low GI) are high-fiber foods such as whole grain breads and crackers, vegetables, beans, legumes, brown rice, oats, and whole grain pasta. These high-fiber foods not only add nutrients, but they also contribute to the feeling of being full, which prevents children from overeating. Including low-GI foods in recipes keeps the blood sugar levels balanced, reduces subsequent cravings for more sugar and the snacks that contain it, helps manage weight, and has a positive influence on moods and concentration, among other things.

We need to get kids to eat these low GI, slow-burning foods more often, and at the right times (along with the high GI snacks, for example). That’s just what the recipes below do, yet none of these sneaky additions are obvious. When your kids eat a Sneaky Chef Corn Muffin (below), all they know is that it’s delicious. They stay satisfied longer than if they’d eaten a donut or candy bar, have more sustained energy, feel happier overall, and don’t crave as much junk food. Your little muffins won’t realize that the muffins they ate had enough fiber from the hidden vegetables, wheat germ and stone ground flour to stabilize their blood-sugar levels. They have no idea why the Sneaky Chef Chocolate Chip Cookie was so gratifying to eat. After all, it tasted just like any other chocolate chip cookie, so they couldn’t possibly guess that it contained pureed white beans, whole grains, and half the sugar. The only one who knows these little secrets is you (and their healthier bodies).

As “The Sneaky Chef,” I’m known for coming up with simple solutions that we can use right now, without radically changing our lives, but that make families healthier without a struggle. I live in the real world where kids eat sugar, junk food, and pizza, but I’ve found ways to boost all their foods with extra nutrition and help offset any ill effects of a less-than-ideal diet.

So here are 7 simple ways to prevent the sugar “spike and crash” syndrome and give your child lasting energy:

1. Sneak vegetables into high-carb foods — these low-GI veggies add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed cauliflower and zucchini in corn muffins (see muffin recipe below).

2. Sneak whole grains into high-carb foods — the high fiber grains not only slow the sugar rush, but help make kids feel satisfied so they won’t be as likely to overeat. For example, mix wheat germ and whole wheat flour with white flour for homemade baked goods (see cookie recipes below).

3. Sneak beans into high-carb foods — low GI beans add not only important nutrients, but lots of fiber that helps slow down the sugar rush. For example, hide pureed white beans in homemade chocolate chip cookies (see recipe below).

4. Make snacks into “mini-meals” — instead of giving kids a “snack” of high-GI carbs alone (like potato chips, most cereal bars, even most fruits), make it a “mini-meal” and pair that fast-burning carb with some good fat and protein like a cheese stick, slice of turkey breast, or a handful of almonds to help slow the sugar rush.

5. Avoid high sugar foods before going to bed — this can cause the child to wake-up already in a sugar low and on the way to a downward spiral. If you’re going to have the classic bedtime cookies and milk, make it the Sneaky Chef’s high-fiber, low-sugar cookies below.

6. Start the day with fiber and protein — this is far more important than a glass of juice which has too high a sugar count. A whole grain breakfast of old-fashioned oatmeal with almonds (grind them up to hide them, if necessary) will hold a kid way longer than orange juice and a bagel. So will a slice of cheese melted on a whole grain English muffin. For a fast, “grab and go” breakfast loaded with whole grains and protein, try the recipe for Breakfast Cookies and Milk below.

7. Sprinkle cinnamon on cereal, desserts, and juice — One of the easiest ways to balance your blood sugar for the day is to add a sprinkling of cinnamon in oatmeal, hot cocoa, chocolate milk, apple juice, or cereal. Cinnamon has been found to be one of the most effective ways to balance blood sugar levels and prevent the “spike and crash.”

Recipes:

Breakfast Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Corn Muffins

Sneaky Chef’s Breakfast Cookies:

Makes 16 to 18 large cookies

2 cups whole grain cereal flakes (such as Wheaties or Total)

¾ cup Flour Blend (¼ cup white flour, ¼ cup whole wheat flour, and ¼ cup wheat germ)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

½ cup brown sugar

¼ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

¾ cup low-fat ricotta cheese

Cinnamon sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (or spray with oil).

Using a rolling pin, gently crush the cereal (in a sealed plastic bag) into coarsely crushed flakes. Alternatively, you can quickly pulse the cereal in a food processor.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, crushed cereal, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, oil, vanilla, and ricotta cheese. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Drop single tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about an inch between cookies. Flatten cookies with the back of a fork and then sprinkle tops generously with cinnamon sugar (or just sugar if your kids don’t like the cinnamon flavor). Bake about 18 to 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and crispy around the edges.

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Sneaky Chef’s Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Makes about 50 two-bite cookies

1 cup Flour Blend (⅓ cup white flour, ⅓ cup whole wheat flour, and ⅓ cup wheat germ)

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup rolled oats, finely ground in a food processor

2 tablespoons blanched, slivered almonds, finely ground in a food processor (omit if allergic)

8 tablespoons unsalted butter

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼ cup White Bean Puree* (see Make-Ahead Recipe below)

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove butter from refrigerator to let soften.

In a large bowl, whisk together Flour Blend, baking soda, salt, ground oats, and ground almonds (optional). Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Beat in egg, vanilla, and White Bean Puree. Add dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Stir in chocolate chips. Make two-bite cookies by dropping rounded half-teaspoonfuls, spaced 2 inches apart, onto nonstick or parchment-lined baking sheets.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on a metal rack.

Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.

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*Sneaky Chef’s Make Ahead Recipe — White Bean Puree:

1 15-ounce can white beans (great northern, navy, butter or cannellini)

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Rinse and drain the beans and put in the bowl of your food processor. Pulsing in on/off turns, puree the drained beans with just 1 tablespoon of water in processor until smooth, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. The goal is a smooth, but not wet, puree. (You are aiming for the consistency of peanut butter.) If necessary, thin with a little more water by one teaspoonful at a time until there are no flecks of whole beans visible.

Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days, or freeze ¼ cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers. Makes about 1 cup of puree.

Double this recipe if you want to store another cup of puree.

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Sneaky Chef’s Corn Muffins:

Makes 6 large muffins (or 12 mini-muffins)

½ cup Flour Blend (3 tablespoons white flour, 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour, and 2 tablespoons wheat germ)

½ cup yellow cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup White Puree* (See Make-Ahead Recipe below)

½ cup fresh or frozen corn kernels, pureed

Optional toppings: ¼ cup chocolate chips or ¼ cup shredded low-fat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the Flour Blend, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well combined, then whisk in the oil, White Puree, and pureed corn. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until flour is just moistened (don’t over-mix or the muffins will be dense).

Scoop the batter into muffin tins, filling just over the top. If you’re using mini muffin cups, scale back quantities to fit into the smaller sized cups. Top with a few chocolate chips, or sprinkle with shredded cheese, and bake for 22 to 24 minutes until tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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*Sneaky Chef’s Make-Ahead Recipe — White Puree:

2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets

2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and rough chopped

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1-2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Steam cauliflower in a vegetable steamer over 2 inches of water, using a tightly-covered pot, for about 10 to 12 minutes until very tender. Alternatively, place cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes until very tender.

While waiting for the cauliflower to finish steaming, start to pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice only (no water at this point). Drain the cooked cauliflower. Working in batches if necessary, add it to the pulsed zucchini in the bowl of the food processor with one tablespoon of water. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally and push contents from the top to the bottom. If necessary, use the second tablespoon of water to make a smooth (but not wet) puree.

Makes about 2 cups of puree. Double recipe if you want to store even more, which can be done in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze ¼ cup portions in sealed plastic bags or the small plastic containers.

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© Missy Chase Lapine, all rights reserved.

Missy Chase Lapine
http://www.articlesbase.com/parenting-articles/how-to-avoid-kids-blood-sugar-spike-and-crash-130410.html