The Camp Cook
Camp eBook's spot for Food, News, Tips, Ideas and Recipes

If your mother is an absolute foodie then giving her a gift of food will both warm her heart and fill her stomach with yummy goodness this Mother’s Day. Here is a short list of ideas to get your imagination flowing.

• For The Chocolate Lover – If your mother has a sweet tooth and completely adores chocolate or other types of candy then a basket (or other useful container) full of her favorite chocolates or candy from when she was a little girl – you know the one she gushes about every time she sees it? – should hit the spot. You could do a chocolate around the world themed basket with bars of chocolate, hot chocolate or cocoa from different regions or places famous for their chocolate. Places that come to mind include Mexico, Switzerland, England, Belgium, France as well as the United States.

• For The Wine Lover – Is mom a wine aficionado? A thoughtful gift for the mom who loves her wine might be to give her a gift of wine tasting at a local winery. You could also take a trip to a local wine shop and purchase a selection of wines so she could have a private tasting at home. Perhaps you could choose some artisanal cheeses and an assortment of crackers to go along with the wines you have picked for her. Package it all up in a basket with appropriate accoutrements and you have a lovely gift.

• For The Regional Cuisine Lover – If your mom is a lover of a specific cuisine such as Italian, French, Mexican, etc. Then head off to the store and put together the ingredients for a delicious meal from appetizers to desert and then include the recipes. Using Italian as an example your menu could include a bread salad, her favorite pasta & sauce, complementary wine, and tiramisu for desert. Include some Italian themed items like napkins and you are set.

• For The Tea/Coffee Lover – A thoughtful yet easy gift for your mother might include a pretty tea cup and saucer or a coffee mug with meaningful images or inspirational words. Add an assortment of tea bags or one pot coffee bags of different verities, flavored creamers or special sugars along with a new tea or coffee pot and maybe even a tea strainer for loose leaves or a special coffee scoop. A favorite book included in the package will make your gift extra special.

• For The Fresh Fruit Lover – Does your mom love Georgia peaches but you live in where Washington apples grow? Does she crave Florida or California citrus but you live in Michigan where cherries are plentiful but citrus is sparse? If your bank account isn’t rich enough to send her where her favorite fruit grows then think about “ordering in.” You could have her favorite fruit shipped to her (within agricultural guidelines) or even make a gift of fruit trees or plants for her ongoing pleasure.

• For The Food Lover – Another great idea is gifting a membership to a food of the month club. There are as many clubs as there are foods. Deserts, soups, steaks, cheese, hot sauce, salsas, barbeque sauce, pasta and pizza. Why, there’s even a bacon of the month club. Would you rather send a full meal instead of just one type of food? Then a dinner of the month club might be your answer.

So, give your mother the gift of food this Mother’s Day and she will think of you fondly all year long.

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Labels: Holidays

We love this for breakfast. This is so simple my grandchildren make it.

What You Need:

1/2 C canned peaches in light syrup, drained
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/2 C vanilla yogurt, frozen
1/4 C honey oats and almond cereal

How to Make It:

Place the peaches into a microwave safe bowl.
Sprinkle the cinnamon over the peaches covering them well.
Place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds on high or until the peaches are warmed through.
Place the yogurt into a serving dish.
Add the warmed peaches to the dish.
Sprinkle the top with the cereal.

Makes 1 serving

This makes a great breakfast for Mom on her special day. Serve it to her in bed with a nice hot cup of tea, flowers and her special card.

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Labels: Breakfast, Fruit, Holidays

Mother’s Day is a day to show your mother your love and appreciation. One way you can show your mother how much you care about her is by presenting her with a thoughtful gift. Think of the things your mom has talked about over the past year and take steps to make her cooking thoughts become culinary reality.

• If your mom is a gourmet cook then perhaps you could select an item that she has been dying to get her hands on. Chances are you have heard about this item over and over but if you do not have any idea where to begin looking rest assured there are many, many choices to be found for the cooking connoisseur. Some ideas might be: a gourmet knife set; those new pots and pans she has had her eye on; a new set of spices or unusual spices she has in mind for a special recipe; a gift certificate for companies like Pampered Chef, Taste of Home or other direct sales food company fan so she can get her favorite new product

• You say your mom doesn’t cook or she has been wanting to learn something new? Well, then the perfect gift might just cooking lessons and that is something you could even take together. There are all sorts of cooking lessons from learning the most basic to more advanced or specific culinary techniques. Choose something she would love and you are sure to make your mom happy this Mother’s Day.

• Is your mom a fanatic for a Italian, German, or French food? Perhaps a cook book with mom’s favorite cuisine or by her favorite chef would be an ideal gift.

• How about an evening of mother-daughter cooking? Put together the ingredients for your mother’s favorite meal and spend time together making memories.

• A basket filled with kitchen gadgets is a useful idea for any mom. Think of things that your mom does over and over in the kitchen. Is there a doodad that would help her save some time in meal preparation? What about a tool that she might only use a few times a year but she would love to have for those special recipes.

• Mom’s favorite desert is always the right way to go. You can make it for her and deliver it in a nicely decorated box or have her favorite local bakery make her favorite confection and surprise her.

• If your mom’s sweet tooth bends more toward chocolate or candy then get a bunch of her favorites and give it to her in a multi-purpose container. Every time she takes a bite she will think of you and your kindheartedness.

The trick to finding the perfect Mother’s Day gift for the cooking enthusiast is to pay attention. Watch her when you are shopping together, listen to her when she is talking with you and then take that information and create the perfect gift for your mother this year.

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Labels: Holidays

You think about doing it each year but you keep putting it off thinking it would be too much trouble. But now, you’ve made the decision to have guests over for Easter and now you need to decide whether to host a brunch, lunch or dinner? No matter which time of day you choose to host your gathering bring out your best dishes and show them off. Make sure to take it easy and have fun. The party won’t be fun for anyone if the hostess is stressed out.

Let’s take a look at some ideas for having a gathering for each time of day.

Brunch

If you’d like to have your crew over between 10 a.m. and noon then a brunch is what you should aim for. You’ll have to get up a little earlier in the day to host a brunch but you can prepare the dishes beforehand and warm them up just prior to your guests’ arrival. Think of serving the food buffet style. This works out easier for both the host and guests.

You can serve items like:
• Quiche
• Omelets
• Fruit
• Waffles or pancakes
• Ham or egg salad sandwiches
• Breakfast breads and cakes
• Assorted appetizers or finger foods

Add a beverage like juice, coffee, tea, milk, hot chocolate or soda and you have a simple, yet satisfying brunch.

Lunch

If you are planning to have friends and family over after church or so you can sleep in a bit then a lunch between noon and 3 p.m. is the thing for you to do. A lunch can be served either buffet style or as a sit down affair but whichever you choose your lunch menu will offer a little more than a brunch menu with additional hot dishes. You can still serve finger foods but adding more meat and vegetable dishes will make your lunch-time meal a hit.

Think of items like:
• Ham
• Potato salad
• Spinach salad
• Deviled eggs
• Green beans
• Corn
• Carrots
• Macaroni and cheese
• Biscuits

Add an Easter themed punch, tea, or soft drinks and your meal will be complete.

Dinner

If you’re hosting an even anytime after 5 p.m. then a more extensive menu is in order. A larger menu can still be simple yet elegant. If you can make a dish in advance, do it. Anything you can do prior to the day of the even will help keep you sane and stress-free.

For the main course think:
• Leg of Lamb
• Rib Roast
• Ham
• Salmon

Ideas for side dishes could include:
• New potatoes
• Roasted root vegetables
• Green Beans
• Rice Pilaf
• Pasta
• Sugar Peas
• Artichokes
• Asparagus

Don’t forget to include other items such as salads, various appetizers, fruits, cakes, and breads. Complement your meal with a nice beverage and your elegant dinner is complete.

Once you’ve decided what time of day to hold your event, you’ll want to plan the decorations and come up with any games you might play. Don’t forget desserts too.

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Labels: Holidays

Do you know there are many different ways to conduct an Easter Egg hunt? As a young child growing up, my parents used to add fun new twists to our Easter Egg hunt each year and some of them have become fond memories. Today, we often do the same with our children as well. If you’re looking for a fun twist for your Easter Egg hunt this year, here are a four great versions we have tried in the past.

The Easter Bible Verse Hunt:

This version works best with older children and teens who can read and decipher clues well. The year that we did this, the older teens were paired up with one of the smaller children. Then, each “team” was given an envelope with a Bible verse in it. The verse was a clue to the location of the first treat and the next clue. After 4-5 clues, the last clue took us to the biggest treat: a large Easter basket for each of us.

Putting together the clues may seem like a lot of work at first, but it’s actually fairly simple. A verse about rocks told us to look in the rock garden. A verse about sleeping would mean to look in your bedroom. If your children are a little younger, you could help by highlighting the portions of the verse that are most important to finding the location.

An Easter Treasure Trail:

This version is perfect for very small children/toddlers. When our eldest was 18 months old, we greeted her on Easter morning at her crib with a basket. Leading from her crib was a trail of mini Easter eggs. She took the basket and followed the trail, putting the eggs in her basket as she went. The trail led through the house and ended behind the couch where a bigger treat was waiting.

When laying out your treasure trail, keep your child’s attention span in mind. Some children will follow the trail for quite a while before getting bored, others may need something shorter or more broken up. Perhaps a series of smaller prizes along the path where they can stop and enjoy if they wish?

An Easter Scavenger Hunt:

A scavenger hunt is another fun variation and it can be modified to suit any age. For older children, a written list of items to collect will work. For younger children, a sheet with pictures of the different treats they need to find may be a better choice. A very simple version would have children look for specific colors: 1 red egg, 3 blue eggs, etc.

For those who, like us, add other items besides chocolate eggs, your list might include a chocolate Easter bunny, a skipping rope, a chocolate bar, a crème egg, a small toy, etc. Items are hidden at random throughout the specified area and make sure children understand not to remove items that are not on their own list.

The Easter Challenge:

The Easter challenge is a fun party game version of an Easter egg hunt that older children and adults will love. Instead of hiding candy eggs, you would hide small plastic eggs. Inside each egg would be a task that has to be completed. Sing a song, recite a verse from memory, jump on one foot for 10 seconds, draw a picture, etc. After each task is completed, the child receives another treat for their basket. Make sure to keep a camera on hand to capture all of the fun.

So, as you’re dyeing your Easter eggs and planning your egg hunt, take one of these suggestions – use as is or improve upon it – and make it a wonderful Easter egg hunt.

Visit Camp eBook to get your favorite recipes and cookbooks.
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Labels: Holidays

It never fails. Year after year the stores pack their shelves with various items mean to “decorate” an egg. All dressed up for Easter, the plain, white egg you normally have for breakfast or use in your baking becomes a multi-colored, glittery, or tie-dyed work of art.

If you celebrate Easter then you, too, probably purchase dozens of eggs to decorate but do you know why you do it? Is it simply because that’s what your mother did each year because that’s what her mother did? And why does a bunny deliver them?

Though-out history, eggs have been a part of many spring celebrations. Eggs are generally thought of as a symbol of life and Easter is in Spring when new life abounds in the world. The Romans, who believe that “All life comes from an egg” used eggs in their spring festivals and feasts and salted hardboiled eggs were part of Jewish traditions as well.

Pagan beliefs viewed the egg as a sacred symbol and an old fable told of an egg that fell from heaven and hatched the goddess of Fertility, Astarte (Easter) Since then eggs have been found as symbols of new life and fertility in Rome, Northern Europe, China and Japan.

Christians later adopted the use of eggs into their Easter celebrations as the “seed of life” symbolizing Christ’s resurrection. Many different beliefs have been held about the actual use of eggs. It was once believed that eggs laid on Good Friday and cooked on Easter would promote fertility of the trees and crops will protecting against sudden deaths.

Today Easter Eggs have become a central part of Christian Easter celebrations in North America with chocolate Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts and decorating Easter eggs. It is unclear as to the specific reason for decorating eggs, but painted eggs have been part of spring celebrations in many cultures for centuries, each with their own styles and color traditions. Red and version of red have been the most common color in many cultures, symbolizing the blood of Christ.

The most famous Easter egg to date is the first Faberge egg. This small gold egg encased in platinum and enamel was created by Peter Carl Faberge in 1883 as an Easter gift for the Empress Marie of Russia from her husband Tsar Alexander. The egg was gorgeous, and a tradition began with a new egg being designed each Easter. Nicholas II, Alexander’s son, continued this tradition with a total of 57 eggs designed in total.

Today, Easter eggs are generally connected with the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts. The Easter bunny came to be part of Easter tradition because rabbits and hares are known for their ability to produce multiple births and that made them a natural choice for the celebration of spring and new life. For many decades, young children have taken part in Easter egg hunts, searching for colorful eggs laid by the Easter bunny in the grass. Easter egg hunts have become a traditional part of American Easter celebrations, with the Whitehouse and many community churches hosting annual Easter egg hunts each year.

Visit Camp eBook to get your favorite recipes and cookbooks.
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Labels: Holidays

Every candy lover has a favorite. It could be a yummy chocolate anything or maybe even a fruit flavored something but one thing is for sure: If you are giving an Easter basket this year then you probably have an idea of what favorite candies you will be searching for up and down the aisles at your local store.

However, if you haven’t yet thought about what to put in your Easter baskets (and even if you have) then we’ve compiled a list of 10 all time favorites for your consideration.

Jelly Beans – Whether or not you actually eat them, with approximately 14 billion sold each year, you probably expect them in your Easter basket. An Easter candy staple since the 1930’s, these fruit flavored sugary beans now come in almost any flavor imaginable thanks to the Jelly Belly Company.

Chocolate Bunnies – If you love chocolate, then you love your chocolate bunnies. Solid, hollow, milk or dark – ears or feet first – all that matters to you is there is one located somewhere in your Easter basket. A chocolate bunny is chocolate –‘nough said.

Peeps – A marshmallow confection in a rainbow of pastel colors for spring, Peeps is an Easter basket mainstay. Take your pick – yellow, pink, lavender, blue & green ; bunnies, chicks, tulips, eggs in orange cream or you can decorate your own and a personal favorite –a yellow chick inside a chocolate egg (yep, I said chocolate).

Chocolate Candy Bars – Your favorite every day candy bar just became your favorite Easter candy bar all dressed up for the holiday. Virtually anything the Nestle, Mars or Cadbury companies make is put on offer for Easter. Kit Kat does bunny ears while Snickers, Almond Joy & Milky Way all offer egg shaped confections.

Cadbury Crème Eggs – Hershey’s manufactures & sells Cadbury in the US but reserves sales of the Crème & Caramel Eggs only for the Easter season. If you’re not familiar with the crème eggs, they are a yummy concoction of a thick milk chocolate shell with white & yellow fondant cream inside mimicking the egg white & yolk. They are a sticky sweet treat for the season.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg – What more do you have to say. There’s peanut butter in the chocolate and chocolate in the peanut butter – like the old advertisement says. Made by the Hershey company and slightly larger than a regular peanut butter cup the Reese’s peanut butter egg never fails to impress. Make sure to put in more than one.

Robin Eggs –Tasty, egg shaped, malted milk candy in a pastel colored candy coating Robin Eggs are a nifty treat for your taste buds. Several companies make similar candies and some even have great flavors like strawberry milkshake. They are sometimes packed in tiny egg cartons to add to the Easter theme.

Pez – Each year Pez comes out with a new Easter themed dispenser for their timeless candy. This would be a perfect addition the your favorite collector’s Easter basket.

M & Ms – Along with themed dispensers, M & M candies put on their Easter best for the season. They even offer personalized candy if you order from their website so put on your favorite bunny suit and upload that photo to create your Easter candy surprise.

SweeTart Eggs – Shaped like chicks, ducks, bunnies & eggs, SweeTarts are just like you remember from your childhood. Slightly sweet – a little tart and if you eat too many you just might get sick. They haven’t forgotten chocolate lovers either. If you look really hard you just might be able to find a hollow chocolate egg with SweeTart candy inside.

Now that you have a few ideas of what to put inside your Easter basket you just have to decide what shape your basket will take and if you’ll use plastic or edible Easter grass. Yep, there is such a thing.

Visit Camp eBook to get your favorite recipes and cookbooks.
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Labels: Holidays

Do you know there are many different ways to conduct an Easter Egg hunt? As a young child growing up, my parents used to add fun new twists to our Easter Egg hunt each year and some of them have become fond memories. Today, we often do the same with our children as well. If you’re looking for a fun twist for your Easter Egg hunt this year, here are a four great versions we have tried in the past.

The Easter Bible Verse Hunt:

This version works best with older children and teens who can read and decipher clues well. The year that we did this, the older teens were paired up with one of the smaller children. Then, each “team” was given an envelope with a Bible verse in it. The verse was a clue to the location of the first treat and the next clue. After 4-5 clues, the last clue took us to the biggest treat: a large Easter basket for each of us.

Putting together the clues may seem like a lot of work at first, but it’s actually fairly simple. A verse about rocks told us to look in the rock garden. A verse about sleeping would mean to look in your bedroom. If your children are a little younger, you could help by highlighting the portions of the verse that are most important to finding the location.

An Easter Treasure Trail:

This version is perfect for very small children/toddlers. When our eldest was 18 months old, we greeted her on Easter morning at her crib with a basket. Leading from her crib was a trail of mini Easter eggs. She took the basket and followed the trail, putting the eggs in her basket as she went. The trail led through the house and ended behind the couch where a bigger treat was waiting.

When laying out your treasure trail, keep your child’s attention span in mind. Some children will follow the trail for quite a while before getting bored, others may need something shorter or more broken up. Perhaps a series of smaller prizes along the path where they can stop and enjoy if they wish?

An Easter Scavenger Hunt:

A scavenger hunt is another fun variation and it can be modified to suit any age. For older children, a written list of items to collect will work. For younger children, a sheet with pictures of the different treats they need to find may be a better choice. A very simple version would have children look for specific colors: 1 red egg, 3 blue eggs, etc.

For those who, like us, add other items besides chocolate eggs, your list might include a chocolate Easter bunny, a skipping rope, a chocolate bar, a crème egg, a small toy, etc. Items are hidden at random throughout the specified area and make sure children understand not to remove items that are not on their own list.

The Easter Challenge:

The Easter challenge is a fun party game version of an Easter egg hunt that older children and adults will love. Instead of hiding candy eggs, you would hide small plastic eggs. Inside each egg would be a task that has to be completed. Sing a song, recite a verse from memory, jump on one foot for 10 seconds, draw a picture, etc. After each task is completed, the child receives another treat for their basket. Make sure to keep a camera on hand to capture all of the fun.

So, as you’re dyeing your Easter eggs and planning your egg hunt, take one of these suggestions – use as is or improve upon it – and make it a wonderful Easter egg hunt.

Kids Fun Recipes, Creating Fun Foods that Kids will Love.

Labels: Chicken, Holidays

Nothing says Easter like a fabulous Easter dinner with friends and family. What do you serve for Easter dinner with your family? Every year there are a few traditional Easter dishes that make their way onto dinner tables across America and many of them have interesting symbolism behind them that you may not even be aware of.

Hot Cross Buns
These currant or raisin filled yeast bun is a traditional favorite in England. Usually eaten on Good Friday they also have a “cross” on top of the bun. Mostly thought of as a Christian symbol it the hot cross bun finds its roots in pagan tradition. There is some disagreement with the symbolism of the cross from the pagan custom. Some thoughts are that the cross represents the sun wheel while others believe the cross might symbolized the four quarters of the moon.

When the Christian Church attempted to ban the buns the people balked so the church did the next best thing and "Christianized" the bread. Queen Elizabeth I passed a law that only allowed the bun to be eaten during Christmas, Easter or funerals.

Pretzels
Originally created by monks with leftover scraps of dough and given to students as rewards, pretzels became a popular part of Lent celebration during the Middle Ages. Pretzels do not contain eggs, milk, butter or lard, ingredients which are avoided during lent. Pretzels are said to represent praying arms and the three holes represent the trinity. In some countries, pretzels used to hidden together with eggs at Easter as well.

Greek Easter Bread
Greek Easter bread, or tsoureki, is a sweet dessert bread traditionally served as part of the Greek Orthodox Easter feast. Tsoureki was also traditionally given as an Easter gift from children to their godparents. Different versions many include a citrus flavor, topped with nuts. A red egg is traditionally cooked with the bread as well.

This Easter treat is traditional shaped into a braid with a red egg tucked into the braids of dough. The bread is said to represent the light given to us by Christ’s resurrection and the red egg represents Christ’s blood. Another version of Greek Easter bread is cooked as a circle with red eggs forming a cross across the top of the bread.

Ham
Ham is a traditional part of the Easter feast in many American homes, and it’s origin is more practical rather then symbolic. In early years, before refrigeration, fresh pork slaughtered in the fall that hadn’t been consumed before Lent had to be cured for preservation. Curing was a slow process and the first hams were generally ready around Easter time, making it a common choice for Easter feasting. Today, many American families still serve ham as part of their Easter celebrations.

Lamb
Another meat commonly served at Easter time is Lamb. This tradition is actually a combination of two symbolisms. The original use of lamb dates back before Easter as part of the Jewish Passover where a sacrificial lamb is roasted and eaten as a reminder of the angel of God passing over their homes in Egypt.

Later, Jesus was often referred to by Christians as The Lamb of God. As Christianity grew, Hebrews converting to Christianity brought their traditions with and the combination resulted in the use of lamb as part of many Easter dinners.

As you plan your Easter meal think about incorporating some of these traditional foods. When you gather around your table this Easter season you’ll be able to share good food and interesting information. Your guests will be impressed by your cooking skills and your smarts.

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Labels: Holidays

In many households, crafts are part of holiday celebrations. They are a great way to teach children about the holiday and keep them occupied as well. Putting together an Easter themed craft kit will keep you prepared for those moments where something is needed to keep small hands busy.

Here are some items your craft kit should include:

Crayons or Markers
Easter stickers
Glue sticks
Cardstock and construction paper
Regular white paper
Craft scissors
Easter stencils
Easter stamps and ink
Foam shapes, small pompoms, googly eyes, etc.
Ribbon or yarn scraps

The craft kit is generally fairly easy to put together and can be done very affordably using times from your local dollar store and discount outlets. It helps to have a good idea of the age group that will be using the kit. Younger children will prefer crayons and stickers while older children may prefer glitter glue, markers and fancy edge scissors. Older children will be able to come up with dozens of craft ideas from this selection of craft times, but here are a few ideas to get you started.

Easter Bookmarks - Cut cardstock into 6x2” strips and use a hole punch to put a hole at the top of each bookmark. Your child can decorate their bookmarks using items from the kit and a ribbon or yarn scrap can be added through the hole at the top to finish it off. Help your child pick an appropriate verse to include on their bookmark in keeping with the Easter theme. These bookmarks can be for their own use, or given as gifts to friends or grandparents.

Easter Cards - Cards are another simple craft idea that can also be used to create gifts for grandparents or other family members. Younger children may need help cutting and folding the cardstock which can then be decorated using the items in the kit. For an extra touch, try other shapes: egg shaped cards, cross shaped cards, etc.

If your child is going to be giving their cards to friends and family, envelopes offer additional craft options. You may want to provide basic envelopes for younger children to decorate, or print out templates for older children to make their own envelopes. You can find envelope templates from many online scrapbook and craft sites.

Easter Journals - An Easter journal is really a craft within a craft. Children will enjoy creating their journals, and can later use them for entertainment as well. To start off, create a cover using folded cardstock and inside pages using regular white paper. Help your child staples the pages together. Your child can then decorate the cover of their journal using the items in the kit.

These journals can be used as coloring pages to keep your child busy during family gatherings or on long drives between gatherings. They can also serve as a place for your child to write about their Easter celebrations, making a great keepsake to look back at in years to come. Older teens may want to use their journals as a special place to journal during their devotional time over the Easter holiday.

Kids Fun Recipes, Creating Fun Foods that Kids will Love.

Labels: Children, Holidays

It never fails. Year after year the stores pack their shelves with various items mean to “decorate” an egg. All dressed up for Easter, the plain, white egg you normally have for breakfast or use in your baking becomes a multi-colored, glittery, or tie-dyed work of art.

If you celebrate Easter then you, too, probably purchase dozens of eggs to decorate but do you know why you do it? Is it simply because that’s what your mother did each year because that’s what her mother did? And why does a bunny deliver them?

Though-out history, eggs have been a part of many spring celebrations. Eggs are generally thought of as a symbol of life and Easter is in Spring when new life abounds in the world. The Romans, who believe that “All life comes from an egg” used eggs in their spring festivals and feasts and salted hardboiled eggs were part of Jewish traditions as well.

Pagan beliefs viewed the egg as a sacred symbol and an old fable told of an egg that fell from heaven and hatched the goddess of Fertility, Astarte (Easter) Since then eggs have been found as symbols of new life and fertility in Rome, Northern Europe, China and Japan.

Christians later adopted the use of eggs into their Easter celebrations as the “seed of life” symbolizing Christ’s resurrection. Many different beliefs have been held about the actual use of eggs. It was once believed that eggs laid on Good Friday and cooked on Easter would promote fertility of the trees and crops will protecting against sudden deaths.

Today Easter Eggs have become a central part of Christian Easter celebrations in North America with chocolate Easter eggs, Easter egg hunts and decorating Easter eggs. It is unclear as to the specific reason for decorating eggs, but painted eggs have been part of spring celebrations in many cultures for centuries, each with their own styles and color traditions. Red and version of red have been the most common color in many cultures, symbolizing the blood of Christ.

The most famous Easter egg to date is the first Faberge egg. This small gold egg encased in platinum and enamel was created by Peter Carl Faberge in 1883 as an Easter gift for the Empress Marie of Russia from her husband Tsar Alexander. The egg was gorgeous, and a tradition began with a new egg being designed each Easter. Nicholas II, Alexander’s son, continued this tradition with a total of 57 eggs designed in total.

Today, Easter eggs are generally connected with the Easter Bunny and Easter egg hunts. The Easter bunny came to be part of Easter tradition because rabbits and hares are known for their ability to produce multiple births and that made them a natural choice for the celebration of spring and new life. For many decades, young children have taken part in Easter egg hunts, searching for colorful eggs laid by the Easter bunny in the grass. Easter egg hunts have become a traditional part of American Easter celebrations, with the Whitehouse and many community churches hosting annual Easter egg hunts each year.

Visit Camp eBook to get your favorite recipes and cookbooks.
All Digital, Buy Now, Read Now!

Labels: Holidays

What You Need:

3 3/4 C of flour
1/4 C brown sugar
1 T baking powder
1 t baking soda
3/4 C golden raisins
2 C of buttermilk
1 egg

How to Make It:

Allow the oven to heat up to 375 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the flour into a large mixing bowl.
Dump in the brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda and toss to combine well.
Fold in the raisins until incorporated into the dry mixture well.
Pour the buttermilk into a separate small bowl.
Break the egg into the buttermilk and whisk until completely combined.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until all the ingredients are incorporated together and soft dough has formed.
Flour a flat surface lightly and transfer the dough to the surface.
Knead the dough 10 times or until the dough is pliable and smooth.
Form the dough into a large mounded round.
Place the dough on the prepared cookie sheet and use a sharp knife to cut a shallow X in the middle of the mound.
Bake the bread for 45 minutes or until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Serves: 10

Cutting the shallow X in the top of the dough before baking allows the bread to expand instead of cracking during the baking process. If you are not fond of raisins try dried currants or dried cranberries instead.

Yum!

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Labels: Breads, Holidays

Happy St. Patrick's Day. This is a Great Recipe.

Use up your leftovers, very easy to make this delicious soup.

What You Need:

2 T butter
1 1/2 C white onion, chopped
1 C celery, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 C chicken broth
1 1/2 C carrots, chopped
4 C cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
1 t parsley flakes
1/2 t thyme
1/4 t pepper
2 1/2 C cooked corned beef, chopped
1 (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 t salt

How to Make It:

Melt the butter in a kettle placed over medium heat.
Add the onion and celery and stir to coat with the butter.
Cook 8 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender, stiring often.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Pour the chicken broth into the kettle.
Carefully stir in the carrots and cabbage.
Add in the bay leaf, parsley, thyme and pepper and stir to incorporate.
Bring the soup to a steady boil.
Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low and cover the kettle.
Allow the soup to simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Up the heat to medium then stir in the corned beef.
As the soup begins to boil carefully add in the tomatoes.
When the soup has returned to a steady boil reduce the heat again to medium low.
Cook uncovered for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle in the salt and stir to combine.

Serves: 8

Corned beef was originally substituted by the Irish Americans for bacon in the late 1800's. Many believe that eating corned beef with cabbage on St. Patrick's Day brings good luck throughout the year.


Yum, Enjoy!
Dan

If your looking for more Soup Recipes See Our Soup Collection Cookbook.

Labels: Holidays, Soups

This is very Good and an Easy to make Soup Recipe for St Patrick's Day.

What You Need:

2 T butter
1 t garlic
1 C green onions, chopped
1/2 C celery, chopped
6 C white potatoes, peeled, quartered and boiled
3 (12 oz.) cans light beer
1 T sugar
1 chicken bullion cube
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
8 C chicken broths
4 C cream

How to Make It:

Place the butter in a soup kettle over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the onions, celery and potatoes and continue to cook for 5 minutes or until fork tender.
Pour the beer into the pot and bring the mixture to a brisk boil.
Once boiling carefully mash the potatoes against the side of the soup kettle then stir to combine.
Stir in the sugar until dissolved.
Add the bouillon cube and stir well so it will begin to dissolve.
Stir in the salt and pepper until well combined.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot and bring the mixture back to a brisk boil.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes or until heated through.
Stir in the cream just before serving.

Serves: 10

If your soup is not as thick as you like add a little arrow root to the boiling broth. Be sure to stir it well and only add a little at time until you have reached the desired thickness.

Yum, Enjoy!
Dan

If your looking for more Soup Recipes See Our Soup Collection Cookbook.

Labels: Holidays, Soups

This is a Great Recipe for for your St. Patrick's Day Party.

What You Need:

1 (15 oz.) jar Cheese Whiz
1/3 C beer
1/2 C onion, finely chopped

How to Make It:

Melt the Cheese Whiz in the microwave as directed on the jar label.
Place the melted cheese in a serving bowl.
Stir in the beer until well combined.
Fold the chopped onions into the cheese mixture.
Serve at room temperature or on a warming plate.

Serves: 16

Serve this dip with pretzels, cubes of bread or rye rounds and watch it disappear quickly.

Enjoy!

Dan

Remember that we have many different cookbooks. See our Book List

Labels: Appetizers, Holidays

It is that time of year, A Little Luck of the Irish. Here's a real nice treat for your St Patrick's Party.

What You Need:

1/2 C flour
1/2 C rye flour
2 t parsley flakes
1/4 t salt
1/2 t + 1/8 t garlic powder, divided
1 C of water
1/2 C butter
4 large eggs, well beaten
1/4 C caraway seeds
2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheesed softened
1/2 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
2 T chives, minced
1 t horseradish mustard
2 (2 ½ oz.) pkgs. deli styled corned beef, chopped
10 green olives, chopped

How to Make It:

Set the oven temperature to 400 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the puffs.
Place both types of flour in a mixing bowl.
Add the parsley flakes and salt.
Sprinkle in the 1/2 t of the garlic powder.
Toss to combine the ingredients together well then set aside.
Pour the water into a small saucepan.
Add the butter and place the saucepan over medium heat.
Bring the water to a brisk boil and allow the butter to melt.
Carefully add the flour mixture and stir until balls begin to form.
Remove the pan from the heat and carefully stir in the eggs until well combined.
Grease a large cookie sheet well.
Drop the dough mixture by a tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
Sprinkle the caraway seeds over the top of each dough mound.
Bake 18 minutes or until a nice golden brown.
Remove to wire racks and cut a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape.
Place the softened cream cheese into a medium size mixing bowl.
Fold in the mayonnaise and sour cream until well combined and the mixture is smooth.
Add the chives and mustard and blend the ingredients together well.
Fold the corned beef into the mixture until completely combined through the mixture.
Add the olives and blend in well.
Cut each puff in half with a sharp knife beginning where you made the original slit.
Spread the filling onto the bottom half of each puff.
Place the top half back on the bottom half of each puff.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Serves: 24

If you are cooking corned beef for your dinner use small portion to make this filling instead of the deli corned beef. It will take 1/2 to measure out the same amount. Onions can also be added in place of the olives if you prefer.


Enjoy!

Dan

Remember that we have many different cookbooks. See our Book List

Labels: Appetizers, Holidays

Kids love to cook. They especially love to cook sweet treats that they can gobble down later. Here are some ideas for Valentine’s Day desserts kids will enjoy making and eating.

Everybody loves chocolate or at least they should. Recent research shows that eating a little chocolate is good for you. Don’t tell your kids though, or they’ll never let you forget it.

Valentine’s Day was made for chocolate. Let the kids make some chocolate cupcakes. For most cake and cupcake recipes, it is easy to throw in a bit of melted chocolate for an extra sweet tasting dessert. Top them with icing fit for the occasion—red or pink.

Jell-O has been a kid favorite since it was introduced to the world. Turn the popular treat into a Valentine’s Day treat with some cookie cutters. Cookie cutters shaped like hearts, kissing lips, cupid, or letters create holiday cut-outs for the kids. Let the kids cut the shapes after the gelatin has set.

Kids love to decorate with icing and sprinkles and candy. If you make cupcakes, brownies, or cake for them this Valentine’s Day, let them decide how the finished confections will look. Put the icing in a bag designed for that purpose so the kids can pipe the icing through to create words or pictures on the dessert. A plastic storage bag with a small hole cut into the corner works just as well as a cake decorating bag.

Cookies go well with any holiday. For Valentine’s Day, use sugar cookies. With sugar cookies, they can be topped with icing, sugar, and sprinkles. Try to get sprinkles shaped like hearts. Our tried and true cookie cutters can be used again to cut the chilled dough into the same shapes as the gelatin treats.

How about a dessert pizza? Using cookie dough, roll it out to the shape and diameter of a large pizza. Follow package instructions for baking the cookie. Once it’s done and cooled, top with icing. White or vanilla icing can be tinted pink or darker with some red food coloring. Then, let the kids top the dessert pizza with their favorite candies. Plain M&M’s, candy sprinkles, and other chewy sweets can top the pizza.

Try a new twist on some dessert favorites. Add large candy hearts to the top of cupcakes. Create a cake shaped like cupid. Use heart-shaped foil cups to bake brownies. All of these ideas are easy enough for your kids to help you create them.

Feed that sweet tooth with some great treat ideas this year. Your kids might have a few ideas of their own to add to the pot for more Valentine’s Day fun.


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Happy Valentine's Day.
Dan

Labels: Holidays

When Valentine’s Day rolls around, you want to make it a special day for your sweetheart. It is a time to celebrate your love for them. Whether you go out or stay at home, accompany dinner with a refreshing wine.

There is an art to wine and food. People spend lots of time learning about wines and tasting them. You don’t have to swish and spit to find out how a wine tastes. Just keep reading for some helpful tips on choosing the right wine for your delicious meal.

Champagnes

Let’s begin with the bubbly. Champagne and other sparkling wines are served for people to drink when they celebrate. And, when love is in the air, it is a cause for celebration. Champagnes are a lot sweeter than most wines and all those bubbles tickle the nose and the tongue.

If you are a person who wants to wow their sweetheart this hear, serve a little champagne and strawberries to get the evening started. There are a few choices for you:
• Brut
• Extra Dry
• Demi-Sec

There is a difference that can excite or dull the palate. Brut contains no sweetness at all. Drinking it with sweet strawberries can help.

Extra dry champagne has a hint of sweetness but not much. The strawberries may add a bit of sweetness to the flavor of the champagne. If you want more sweetness from that for your fruity mood maker, try a Demi-Sec. it also goes well with any dessert you serve.

White Wine

This wine goes well with several dishes. Your sweetie will be impressed that you know how to put wine together with food for the perfect complement to the Valentine’s Day meal.

If you like the taste of Chardonnay, they you have a tendency towards fruity flavors. There are many California chardonnays on the market if you prefer a U.S. wine. Choose from medium or full-bodied varieties.

White wine goes well with:
• Pasta dishes
• Chicken
• Fish
For a lighter bodied white wine that includes a nuttier flavor, opt for a Sauvignon blanc or a white Zinfandel.

Red Wine

Red wine is an acquired taste. Choose from Merlot, Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Port. Red wines have a variety of flavors that range from light to full-bodied. There is a hint of fruit combined with bolder flavors like licorice, spice, and woodsy flavors.

If you plan on serving red meat or a stew, consider serving a red wine with the meal. Pinot Noir is also an excellent choice for chicken dishes, salmon, and pork.

What are you serving for dinner this Valentine’s Day? If you are going for the romantic touch and an eventful evening, serve some wine with your meal.

"Celebrate Valentine's Day with these Special Recipes!" Click Here!

Happy Valentine's Day.
Dan

Labels: Beverages, Holidays

Everyone used to look forward to Valentine’s Day. They got to eat sweets from their sweetie. We are trying to be a bit more health conscious these days so that holidays won’t show in our bodies. If you want to indulge in a sweet treat on Valentine’s Day, make room for it with a healthier meal.

It is not too hard to sneak in a few healthy additions to the meal that your loved ones won’t mind at all. Whether it is a romantic dinner for two, family dinner, or a couples’ dinner party, employ some savvy to come up with a leaner meal.

Start off with a healthy snack that everyone can eat while dinner is baking. Instead of cookies and candies, put out a tray of veggies and fruit. The vegetables can be jazzed up with a vegetable cream cheese or Ranch dressing. For the fruit, use flavored fruit dip. Yogurt flavors like strawberry, peach, or blueberry work well also as a dip.

Get rid of the hot wings for appetizers and opt instead for chicken chunks breaded with Shake-n-Bake or regular breadcrumbs. Cubing boneless, skinless chicken breasts and rolling them in batter saves a lot of calories. Serve them with hot pepper sauce or regular hot sauce and your metabolism will rev up from the heat.

Toss a salad to go with dinner. Instead of store bought croutons on the top, use cubed pieces of wheat bread. Wash them with a little butter or reduced fat margarine and pop them into the oven to bake. They still add crunch to the salad with less fat than regular croutons. Even better would be to sprinkle the salad with shelled sunflower seeds to add crunch.

Soups are a great way to hide lots of vegetables for those who don’t take a shine to them. for Valentine’s Day, serve a simple soup like potato, vegetable, chicken noodle, or tomato. What soup you serve will depend on the meal. The point is that soup helps to fill you up without eating a lot of it.

Now for the meal. It is hard to eat healthy sometimes, especially if there is a holiday celebration going on. Well, Valentine’s Day is no different. Stick with recipes that use lean cuts of beef, pork, or chicken. Seafood can also be used.

Opt for lower fat ingredients in your recipes. If the main course recipe calls for heavy cream, substitute with half and half or light cream. Substitute margarine with butter. Avoid using too much salt. Use saltless seasonings to add flavor to the meal.

Let your healthy meals extend to Valentine’s Day. After all, we are supposed to show love to those who mean the world to us. Keep their heart healthy.

"Celebrate Valentine's Day with these Special Recipes!" Click Here!

Happy Valentine's Day.
Dan

Labels: Holidays

Chocolate is one of our favorite treats. On Valentine’s Day, we are surrounded by chocolate. Instead of buying that box of chocolates, create some chocolate treats at home.

Chocolate is actually good for us. Let me rephrase that before you make a run on the store. Dark chocolate is actually full of good things like antioxidants that help to keep our bodies healthy. Consuming a little dark chocolate each day has a beneficial effect.

Remind your sweetie of that on Valentine’s Day. As long as you purchase dark chocolate, they don’t have to feel guilty about eating sweets. Use some dark chocolate to create homemade chocolate desserts to enjoy on Valentine’s Day.

A favorite chocolate dessert is lava cakes. Just like the name implies, once you cut into the cake, the gooey chocolate runs out of the center. Use a stencil to create a powdered sugar heart on top of each one.

When making chocolate desserts that call for melted chocolate it is important to do it right. We have all had those boo-boo’s in the kitchen with chocolate that we’d rather not mention. For instance, turning the burner on high will not melt the chocolate any faster—neither will adding water to the pan and swirling the chocolate around. All you’ll end up with is a very expensive mess.

Chocolate bricks are not cheap so use them sparingly and wisely. If you need to melt chocolate, do so in a non-stick saucepan. Chocolate melts best over low heat.

You don’t need to stir the chocolate for it to melt. Once the chocolate takes on a glassy appearance, it has melted. The chocolate can be removed from the heat and stirred into the recipe.

Even a hint of chocolate in the dessert can be tasted by us chocolate connoisseurs. If you are making a cake, add a bit of melted chocolate to turn it into a chocolate pound cake or a chocolate cheesecake.

For a sinful dessert create icing to top your chocolate creations. A chocolate cake, cupcake, or pie covered in chocolate icing or chocolate sauce makes it heavenly. Only those with a really sweet tooth can handle such a chocolate dessert. It is not for newbies.

There are tons of chocolate desserts you can create for Valentine’s Day to surprise your gal or guy. Try out some chocolate truffles or a chocolate trifle bowl dessert. Chocolate is also an aphrodisiac so watch out if you eat too much!

"Celebrate Valentine's Day with a romantic dinner for two!" Click Here!

Chocolate Recipes - The Perfect Cookbook for any Chocolate Fanatic.

Happy Valentines Day.
Dan

Labels: Desserts, Holidays

Kids like to celebrate Valentine’s Day just like adults. Even if you have ideas about romantic plans for the evening, consider having dinner with the kids. Here are some ideas for a great dinner with the entire family.

Kids love to cook. It is an opportunity for them to make a mess and not get in trouble for it. Let them help with the dinner on Valentine’s Day. They probably have a few ideas for the meal.

Don’t expect a full seven course meal. Besides the fact that it takes too long to prepare, kids have simpler tastes than that. And, if you want to get them to bed at a decent hour so you still have time to spend together, choose a dish with minimal preparation.

Italians are known for love. Try an Italian dish for Valentine’s Day. Instead of ordering from Domino’s, create a pizza at home. Using a store-bought crust, roll it out and cut it into the shape of a heart. The heart will have to be exaggerated because once the dough rises the pizza will spread out and not look like a heart anymore.

Italians are also big on spaghetti. It takes about thirty minutes at the most to put together a spaghetti dinner. Add a salad for a filling meal to celebrate the holiday.

Burgers and fries are a simple meal but one that kids and the entire family can enjoy. Get the grill going or a grill pan. After the burgers are done, place them on a bun and use a heart shaped cookie cutter to turn those ordinary burgers into lovin’ from the grill.

When it comes to family, the meal will be special because it involves everyone celebrating their love together. For parents, a dinner complete with some of your child’s favorite dishes will make them smile. Family dinners on Valentine’s Day can be eclectic-the meal doesn’t have to have one theme but can be a combination.

Allow each person in the family to make a dish for the dinner. They can come up with their own idea of what to surprise everyone with for dinner. The kids will need your help shopping for what they need and using the stove, but you can still act surprised when they bring their finished creation to the table.

Valentine’s Day dinner for the family offers an opportunity to express sentiments of love to each member of your family. With busy schedules, making time to celebrate love together is a rare treat.

"Celebrate Valentine's Day with a romantic dinner for two!" Click Here!

Happy Valentine's Day.
Dan

Labels: Dinners, Holidays