Candy and Fudge for the Sweet Tooth

Candy and Fudge for the Sweet Tooth
Something I have grown to love and that is making my own
fudge and candy. I never used to be very good at fudge
making but now I have found some recipes that I like and I
have to stop myself from pulling out the pots every night -
well nearly every night!

I love nestling down at night and being able to watch a bit
of TV and nibble on some of my favorite flavors. To be
honest the TV doesn't excite me too much but if I means an
excuse to satisfy the sweet tooth so be it. The other TV
watchers in the family don't seem to mind because they also
get the benefit from my having a sweet tooth.

If I am feeling guilty I make honeycomb because by
comparison it has so little sugar. But if I am feeling
only a little bit guilty I stick with the fudge.

Peanut brittle is a constant favorite and the beauty of
this candy is that you can change the type of nuts you use
and hence change the flavors if you are making it on a
regular basis.

If you have to take a little something to a party or a
gathering of some sort there is absolutely nothing like a
platter of homemade chocolates, candies and fudges. They
are everybody's favourites.

Homemade candy and fudge is also the most fantastic gift
for Christmas, but throughout the year it is a really
touching gift to give to older folk, because often they
can't get out to shop or their money is so limited that
they don't allow themselves these sorts of treats.

Another benefit of perfecting candy and fudge is that you
don't have to keep many items in the cupboard. I find with
cookie making you always seem to have to keep so many
different ingredients that I tend to fall back into making
the same old ones all the time so that I know I have the
ingredients available.

AND, WHAT A GREAT FAMILY PROJECT If you have a gathering
coming up that would be suitable to take a lolly platter
to, then making all the goodies the week before would be a
project to involve the kids in and have a treat at the same
time. By choosing the right items you can make them well
in advance of the big day. OF COURSE, you may have to hide
them but I am sure you would find a spot that only you
would know!!

Often when we are entertaining we get a bit hung up about
the fact that we should provide a dessert but if you have a
nice selection of candies and fudges on hand then you wont
need to bother with fussing about with a dessert and your
guests will love it just the same. They are just the
answer to have with a coffee. Obviously if you have a
selection of these available you can offer different taste
sensations and this often pleases guests because not
everybody likes the same types of dessert.

School holidays often bring certain dramas and if you are
prepared with items in the cupboard you can always divert
attention to making candies and fudges which I am sure will
'sweeten' the atmosphere!

So, get out those pots and pans and start sharpening up
your cooking skills.

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I have been involved with the catering industry for many
years - probably because I have a sweet tooth! But
certainly I have always had an interest in entertaining and
cooking for the family. Holiday Candy and Fudge recipes
can be instantly downloaded from
http://ebooksnowonline.com/christmas/fudge/

Single Cup Coffee Makers and One Simple Solution

Single Cup Coffee Makers and One Simple Solution
Wasting these days is something we all avoid doing, time
and money are two very important things that we take extra
care not to waste. Coffee may not appear to most as
something we waste but think about it. That extra four
cups of coffee, you brew just to get your morning cup of
coffee, what happens to those extra cups of coffee, well
they go down the drain. To buy a container of coffee that
makes 270 cups of coffee costs between $6 - $12 dollars.
If you are wasting 3 - 5 cups of coffee a day you average a
waste of $1 a week! With 56 weeks in a year that is $56
down the drain. Is there a solution to this waste? Yes
there is single cup coffee makes is 1 simple solution.

In regards to your morning cup of coffee how can that be a
waste of time, most of us my not just need that first cup
but we enjoy that first cup. Brewing a whole pot of coffee
just to get that first cup takes a whole lot longer, most
are doing other things while it is brewing but think
wouldn't your morning go a whole lot smoother if you could
have morning cup of coffee a whole lot sooner. The simple
solution that single cup coffee makers offer allow us
starting of the day on the positive side of time rather
than the negative.

Some of us may think that stopping for that morning cup of
coffee is the answer, but is it? Stopping for that cup of
coffee not only wastes time but money also, more money that
wasting four cups a day at home. First, how much time do
we waste in the drive through and average of 3-5 minutes
for just a cup of coffee that we could have already had at
home if we knew about single cup coffee makers. Money how
is it a waste of money, well let's look at it. A medium
cup of coffee at a fast food restaurant, not a specialty
restaurant costs $1.10 if that is one cup of coffee a day
that is $7.70 a week when you can have a cup of coffee from
home for less than .10 cents a cup. So if we stopped
stopping we could save $432 a year. Wow, all that savings
through one product.

Talk about savings, not only time and money can be saved
but what about saving yourself some early morning hassles.
Single cup coffee makers can help you do just that. A
simple solution to wasting time and money when it comes to
our first cup of coffee for the day is simple.

A product that gives you what you need, for a reasonable
price that actually saves you money daily and may even
boost your day with some extra time. Wasting time and
money is not profitable for any of us at any time, but
there is a simple solution to this problem it is single cup
coffee makers.

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Michael Brown
http://free-coffee-maker.org/single-cup-coffee-makers.html
http://free-coffee-maker.org/free-coffee.html

Fun Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes

Fun Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipes
The emotional trigger that a smell can stir up is one of
the most powerful triggers that there is. If you live
anywhere in the United States, chances are that the smell
of chocolate chip cookies baking conjures up some kind of
emotional memory for you. Smells are part of how we
remember, part of how we define our memories, our stories,
our lives.

For me, the smells of baking were part of my childhood,
part of the fabric of how I define my childhood and part of
the fabric of how I define my life to this day. The smell
of a favorite baked treat can still bring a smile of
remembrance to my face. What kitchen smells define your
childhood memories? What smells do you want your children
to define as their childhood memories? Here a couple of
great variations on that old favorite, chocolate chip
cookies. I hope you use these baking recipes to make
wonderful memories with your children.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and
cinnamon. In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, brown
sugar, and peanut butter. Mix together until creamy. Add in
the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture. Add in
the chocolate chips and peanuts. Drop the dough by
teaspoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a 375 degree oven for
7 to 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are set
but the centers are soft. After removing the cookies from
the oven, leave them on the baking sheets for 4 minutes
before removing them.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt.
In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, butter and
regular sugar. Add in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract.
Slowly add the flour mixture. Add the oats, chocolate chips
and nuts. Drop by tablespoons onto baking sheets. Bake in a
375 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes for soft cookies and 12
to 13 for crispy ones.

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Jill Borash loves to share her passion for baking and story
telling at her website, http://www.YourBakingStory.com . If
you're looking for a tasty baking recipe or just a good
story, stop by and browse awhile. Happy Baking!