Chicken Coop Roosts – What is the Best Size?

If you think about this, virtually no component of a new hen house is unimportant, and that goes for the chicken coop roosts as well. That’s where ones chickens rest, and designing a chicken coop roost that fits the requirements of a person’s birds is important.

Those that may be a new comer to raising chickens would possibly not realise that chickens dislike to fall asleep on the floor. They don’t like sleeping in nesting boxes as well. What they actually do prefer are well-built roosting bars or platforms.

Most experts acknowledge that the reason chickens prefer to snooze on a roost is actually because it makes them feel safer. Chickens will regularly huddle as a group on a single roost, hence providing them with the feeling of staying safer at night time.

The best roost is positioned above the floor. This, also, adds to the flock’s sense of protection. Some of the predators that hunt chickens are not able to get up upon a roost-or at a minimum definitely not very easily. Continue reading “Chicken Coop Roosts – What is the Best Size?”

Chinese Cooking Techniques

The variety of Chinese food dishes and Chinese food recipes available today is wider than in any previous decade. One can easily find Chinese food recipes for Chop Suey, which is not an authentic Chinese dish, along side of Hunan Beef. It is interesting to note that what many refer to as Chow Mein noodles is really a simpler crunchy version of the real thing.

In centuries past when the Chinese still used forks and knives is when the foundation for modern day Chinese cooking was formed. This is back when the cutting techniques and delicate flavors came together to form healthy hearty meals.

This is also when the three primary Chinese cooking techniques were formed.

The first Chinese cooking technique is stewing. Stewing can be either red or clear and is the simplest of the three methods. In clear stewing the clear liquid is brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until the food is just tender. In red stewing a small amount of sugar and soy sauce is added which gives the stewed food a reddish tinge. Continue reading “Chinese Cooking Techniques”

Grandma’s Banana Spice Cake With Sea-Foam Frosting

Back in the early 1980’s my grandmother spent a Saturday afternoon teaching me how to make her banana spice cake. I am not sure why they call it sea-foam frosting, but I can tell you…it does taste delicious!

What I really enjoy about this recipe is the right combination of sweet buttermilk, ripe bananas, along with the spices. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can substitute with regular milk.

Banana Spice Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda Continue reading “Grandma’s Banana Spice Cake With Sea-Foam Frosting”

Practice Your Baking Skills With Cake Baking Games!

Cake baking games have recently become very popular and are being played by both children and adults. Cake baking games are games that allow you to bake virtual cakes (and other pastries) without demolishing the kitchen and its surroundings, which can be a great idea if you’re just starting your baking career.

Children find cake baking games not only fun, but also useful – they can learn all the basics of baking and enjoy the experience of baking without wrecking their parents’ kitchen (and let’s be honest, parents don’t usually allow their children to step into the kitchen and start baking).

Adults can also enjoy cake making games and learn some new things about baking. They might not need their parents’ permission to go in the kitchen, but they do need the confidence and knowledge that is required for baking, and they can definitely get them by playing these games!

Best Cake Baking Games For Mobile Devices Continue reading “Practice Your Baking Skills With Cake Baking Games!”

A Guide to Wedding Cake Frosting

Next to the bridal gown, the wedding cake is perhaps the most detail intensive element of planning your event. It will take days if not weeks before the future bride can choose the exact design and color of her cake. On top of this, it may take her forever to decide the cake frosting to be used by her baker.

This is the reason why you need to get a reputable baker so they can make intelligent suggestions as to which frosting would be best for the chosen cake design. You may know a thing or two about cakes but only those who have experienced in decorating them can tell you the pros and cons of using a specific frosting. Here are some of the types of cake frosting commonly used today.

Butter cream

Butter cream is a very versatile ingredient because it can be used both as a filling and a frosting. Bakers prefer this frosting because it is easy to color depending on the motif of the wedding. It is also easy to come up with various designs using this frosting. The only problem is that it can easily melt especially if the temperature is not controlled so watch out for butter cream if you are holding an outdoor reception. Continue reading “A Guide to Wedding Cake Frosting”

Tres Leches Cake Recipe

If you are looking to make an authentic and tasty Mexican dessert, this tres leches cake recipe is what you are looking for. It makes an excellent dessert after a great Mexican dinner or on its own anytime of the day. It is based on authentic Mexican cooking and is fun to make.

Ingredients for Tres Leches Cake Recipe:

o 1 1/4 cups of flour

o 1 teaspoon baking powder

o 1 cup white sugar

o 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

o 5 eggs -large

o 1 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

o 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of milk Continue reading “Tres Leches Cake Recipe”

Too Much Chocolate Cake

“Eating breakfast with desserts fights obesity”

Scientists have found that people who eat their largest daily meal at breakfast are far more likely to lose weight and waistline circumference than those who eat a large dinner. They also had significantly lower levels of insulin, glucose, and triglycerides throughout the day, translating into a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol.

Morning is the best time to devour desserts since that is the point at which the body’s digestion system is most dynamic – and we have whatever remains of the day to work off the calories, another study appears.

Eating treats or chocolate as a major aspect of breakfast that incorporates proteins and carbs likewise stems the longing for desserts later.

Scientists split 193 clinically obese, non-diabetic adults into two gatherings who devoured either a low-carb diet that included a 300-calorie breakfast or a balanced 600-calorie breakfast that included a chocolate cake dessert. Continue reading “Too Much Chocolate Cake”

Best Ever Homemade Lemon Cheesecake

For some reason the humble cheesecake is something that every aspiring home chef seems to have troubles with at one point or another. Common problems include large cracks, burned top, lumpy filling, collapsed centers and the amazing shrinking cheesecake (cake shrinks around the outside).

All of these problems tend to go away when the cheesecake is prepared and cooked properly. Here then is how to prepare and cook what is sure to be a family favorite, Homemade Lemon Cheesecake.

Before we get cooking, a little science if you please. Most of the problems mentioned above all stem from an improper cooking process. That usually is because people treat the recipe as if it was for a cake. But the truth is, cheesecake is a lot more similar to a custard pie than it is to a regular cake recipe. So, that means we need to work and cook the ingredients differently.

First is the pan. Some people recommend using a spring form pan but I don’t like them. The reason will become apparent when we get into the cooking process. For now locate a 9 inch round cake pan with nice high sides (at least 2 inches). We first need to treat the pan so we can get the cooked cheesecake out later. For that, melt some butter and using a brush, coat the entire inside of the pan. Next, using parchment paper, cut out a circle for the bottom of the pan and a long rectangle for the side. Once the parchment has been added to the pan, we can focus on the crust. Continue reading “Best Ever Homemade Lemon Cheesecake”

Baking Bread – Cuban Pan De Ajo (Cuban Garlic Bread)

Last week I went down to Miami for the first time to sample and report on the vibrant Miami food community. What I found was a food community full of amazing exile stories, dangerous ocean crossing adventures, and wonderful snapshots of great Miami food fare, especially Cuban food. Along with my staffer Emily, we were especially smitten with the smell, taste,texture and serving methods of Cuban bread.

Cuban sandwiches are world renowned and a staple at any Cuban restaurant. Emily thinks it is the bread that makes the sandwich. That debate can rage on forever. The actual Cuban white bread is not at all complex, but actually quite simple. It has a different baking method and is made with different ingredients than French or Italian bread. The bread is baked in a cold oven over boiling water before it reaches its desired baking temperature. Cuban bread is then baked with a dab of lard or vegetable shortening. Real Cuban bread is baked in long, baguette-style loaves. It has no preservatives so it will not keep long. After a few days, the bread becomes extremely hard. This bread is made to be enjoyed right away. The best way to use it besides in a sandwich, is to have it served at breakfast. In Cuban households, the bread is toasted with butter and served with a hot mug of cafe con leche for breakfast. Continue reading “Baking Bread – Cuban Pan De Ajo (Cuban Garlic Bread)”

Webkinz Recipes

Webkinz recipes are a great way to enhance the fun of the online Webkinz experience. Pet owners must provide great food and interesting recipes to keep their new pets happy. Just like real pets, these stuffed animals need a good home, a friendly and helpful owner and above all this, delicious food. Owners are always on the lookout for new delightful food creations; these virtual pets, and their real world counterparts, are voracious and finicky eaters. Making your pet happy takes more and more creative ingredients and there are many great online resources.

Sorting out all the available recipes can at first be challenging. With dozens of these online toys available, all having their own favorite food, it can sometimes be hard to find the perfect one. These virtual pets are just like real pets; they like variety in their food, and they don’t all necessarily like to eat the same things. Finding the perfect recipe for your picky toy can be as simple as browsing the internet and looking around for that special ingredient that your animal will be crazy about. Continue reading “Webkinz Recipes”