Summer may have come and gone but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy food that would remind us of the picnics, barbeques, and fun-beach adventures we’ve had. It may be drab, chilly and colorless outside in winter, but we can always add color and summer flavors to the food we prepare to keep us warm during the cold winter days. So what’s the trick? Whip up recipes that use ingredients that are green or brightly colored and would easily remind you of summer. Make sure to incorporate some zest by adding citrus flavors to your dishes. You can also grill…
Recipes
Recipes
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Creamy Orange Bars
Recipe Type: Desserts and SweetsContinue ReadingI am a big orange fruit fanatic and I just can’t seem to start my day right without getting my daily dose of freshly squeezed orange juice or a sweet slice of orange fruit to munch on. But then summer is over, does that mean I must give up my oranges? Of course not! In summer we have good-old-classic Valencia oranges, but in winter we can get to enjoy sweet, seedless Navels. Orange Navel is currently the most popular and common orange sold at the grocer’s and they play a big role in the citrus fruit industry because of their…
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Continue ReadingTea time isn’t complete without dessert, and today I want to share a treat that goes perfectly with your afternoon tea. The nice contrast between the sweet and the spice is delightful and you’d be surprised how simple it is to make. I present to you, our version of the spiced apple cake. The apple cake is a popular dessert and there are many variations. The basic idea in making this dessert is adding apple slices between layers and as toppings of a moist cake. The traditional preparation is slightly more elaborate, using spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, as well…
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Pear Honey Recipe
Recipe Type: Dips and CondimentsContinue ReadingPears are considered to be one of the world’s oldest cultivated fruits. Pears are versatile and have a long storage life. This allowed them to be traded as a valuable and much-desired commodity in ancient times. They are so beloved that even the Greek poet Homer paid homage to pears and lauded them as a “gift of Gods.” Today, the pears grown in the United States are very similar to the pears cultivated in France and Belgium, which are prized for their delicate flavor and buttery texture. They are mostly eaten fresh or used in salads or desserts. However, they…
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Pear Cobbler Recipe
Recipe Type: Desserts and SweetsContinue ReadingFall is quickly approaching, and that gives us the perfect opportunity to make something with seasonal fruits. Of course, you can make do with the canned variety, but working with fresh ingredients almost always gives better results. Among the various fall fruits, one of the easiest to work with are pears. Bosc and Anjou pears, in particular, are really good for baking since they can hold their shape and texture really well. One of my favorite desserts to make for its taste and simplicity is the cobbler. This traditional baked dessert is made with fruits, filling a crust made with…
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Baked Apples Recipe
Recipe Type: Desserts and SweetsContinue ReadingWorldwide, apples are considered an important fruit and are loved by many due to their crispy texture, sweet flavor, and nutritional content. They have been cultivated since ancient times and their ancestors can be traced back to the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and China. Although apple trees have been grown in Asia and Europe for thousands of years, those apples brought to North America by European colonists in the 1600s have adapted well to many US soils and climates. Unlike the sweet varieties we like to munch on today, the apples harvested by early settlers…
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Continue ReadingSummer is peach season and there are endless ways you can enjoy those peaches from the south. If you want to try your hand in making “Peach Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze” with your excess luscious peaches, then read on and take your sweet rolls and peaches to the next level. Peach and Cinnamon Roll Trivia Cinnamon rolls are sweet rolls of yeast-leavened dough commonly served in Northern Europe and around the world. They are shaped like the shell of a snail with main ingredients consisting of flour, cinnamon, butter and sugar. The origin of cinnamon buns is a…
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Cherry Bounce Recipe
Recipe Type: Drinks and CocktailsContinue ReadingAn interesting party deserves an interesting drink, but there are many options from which to choose. Most would be satisfied with beer, but sometimes you just want to spice things up a bit. With that in mind, liqueur is a good alternative to serve at your party. But which liqueur exactly? If you have time to plan ahead, say for the coming holidays, we recommend you try making Cherry Bounce, a brandy and rum-based cherry infusion that has a rich history. It is one of George Washington’s favored tipples. In fact, he brought a canteen of it along with Madeira…
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Continue ReadingSucculent, juicy, and sweet, blood-red cherries are one of nature’s heavenly gifts to mankind. From May to August sweet cherries like Bing and Rainier are ready to be picked and enjoyed. But did you know that we have been eating cherries since the Stone Age? We have been enjoying those glistening, tiny jewels for ages. Cherry pits were found during excavations of Stone Age caves in Europe’s lakeside settlements in what is now known as Switzerland. Fun Facts There are more than 1000 types of cherries. More than 500 varieties are sweet cherries and the rest are tart or sour…
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Nectarine Salsa Recipe
Recipe Type: Dips and CondimentsContinue ReadingSummertime should be fun, exciting, and filled with memories you can take with you. It is a time for being out and about having thrilling adventures and learning something new with family and friends. When I was young, my mom taught me how to bake cakes and pastries, make dips and cook different dishes during summer since that was the when I had the time to sit down and watch her do her thing in the kitchen. One of the dips I really like making, since then until now, is the Nectarine Salsa. It is sweet, tangy and a tad…