CRAZY CANDY CANE CAKE

Ready to make a cake that will have your friends and family racing back for more? Totally Instagram ready, the Crazy Candy Cane Cake from the HOLIDAY JUBILEE retro cookbook will have everyone smiling. And eating. 

holiday cake

GET THIS

 

3 boxes white cake mix, mixed according to box instructions

 

1 large bottle red food coloring

 

1 large bottle white food coloring

 

1 large bottle turquoise food coloring

 

Peppermint extract to taste

 

5 tubs white frosting

 

Small and large candy canes

 

Red, white, and green spice drops

 

Peppermint candies

 

GET BUSY

Divide batter into two bowls and stir in peppermint extract to taste. Generously add red food coloring to one and white food coloring to the other. (Using red velvet cake batter just won’t do, it’s simply not bright enough.) Fill plastic squeeze bottles with batter. Spray 3 cake pans with PAM. Line bottom of cake pans with no-stick baking paper. Flour sides of pans.

To create the candy cane effect, squeeze in the red and white batter, alternating in concentric circles until pan is about 3/4 full. Bake cakes according to box instructions.  

FROSTING and FILLING

Stir turquoise food coloring into frosting until color is consistent. Put several candy canes in a double-zip plastic bag and gently crack with a mallet until they are broken into small pieces and all your holiday aggressions are out. Sift to get rid of the teeny-tiny broken bits. Stack each layer with a generous spread of frosting sprinkled and topped with candy cane bits. Frost and refrigerate.

SHOWTIME

To increase the chances that your candy cane cake will collapse during the party, decorate with candy canes, peppermints, and spice drops just before your guests arrive. Let them oooh and aaah over it. Then let gravity do its thing—hopefully within an hour or so, much to their devilish delight, they’ll witness the cake crack, fail, and fall. Serve the collapsed cake right away with holiday cheer and watch it get gobbled up like it was the last cake on the planet! By the way, it’s totally fine if your crazy candy cane cake doesn’t collapse—it’ll still be the life of the party.  

RECIPE FROM HOLIDAY JUBILEE

BY CHARLES PHOENIX

How Your Productivity is Determined by What You Eat

In the hustle and bustle of the modern world, one thing has started to become more important than anything else when it comes to the kind of lifestyle that you are living, and this most important thing that we are talking about is your productivity.

The thing about productivity is that a lot of it depends on the activities you take part in on a day to day basis. What this means is that the more active you are, the higher your levels of productivity are going to be, but this doesn’t mean that your activeness is the only factor that you need to concern yourself with when you are attempting to become as productive as possible over the course of your day.

The fact of the matter is that the things that you consume on a day to day basis matter quite a bit as well, so much so that you would be surprised at just how much of an impact the foods you eat have on your productivity all in all. We are here to tell you how you can maximize your productivity by changing the way you eat, and the original source can tell you more.

Tip #1: Always Eat Breakfast

We all know how stressful it is to have to get up in the morning and try to make it so that you are genuinely able to acquire the maximum amount of energy possible. We are living in a day and age where everyone is so busy that most people just skip breakfast since they simply do not have the time for anything like this so early in the morning, especially when they have a set time that they need to get to work at which is going to lead to a lot of problems if they get to work after the time that they were supposed to.

While it is entirely understandable that you might want to skip breakfast early in the morning in order to save time and potentially get to work earlier than would have been the case otherwise, what you need to understand is that skipping breakfast is going to wreck your productivity to the point where it might just end up becoming more or less unsalvageable. There is a very good reason for this, and you need to understand this reason in order to understand why eating breakfast is so important.

You see, when you wake up early in the morning your body is usually craving some kind of nutritional intake. This is because of the fact that it has spent so many hours asleep and this usually means that your last meal was anywhere between 10-12 hours ago since most people eat a few hours before they go to sleep. If you don’t eat at this point during the day, your body might just end up going into starvation mode and you will find yourself without enough energy and therefore unable to get your work done.

Tip #2: Drink Coffee Carefully

A lot of people make up for this by drinking coffee early in the morning assuming that this would give them some kind of a jump start. While the jump start that you are looking for is going to come from the caffeine that you have consumed, caffeine doesn’t keep you up for very long before making you crash if you have not had other nutritional foods along with the required dose of caffeine. Therefore you need to have a good breakfast with your coffee otherwise productivity is going to be nearly impossible for you to actually end up achieving at the end of the day.

Tip #3: Choose Your Breakfast Foods Carefully

What you eat for breakfast matters quite a bit as well. The most important thing that you need to consume is protein, which you can get in the form of eggs or a variety of breakfast meats that are at your disposal. Having some carbs in the morning doesn’t hurt either because of the fact that it could actually help you keep your energy up throughout the day as long as you are consuming slow burning carbs such as those that come from whole wheat or brown rice rather than processed white bread and white rice.

Tip #4: What to Avoid

You should try to avoid fats as much as possible because of the fact that fats can make you feel sluggish later on during the day. Any food that you have should ideally be as low in fats as possible so that you can ensure that it will give you energy without taking the boost that you have gotten from your breakfast away from you in a manner that would leave you entirely unable to complete the tasks that you have been assigned for the day.

You should also avoid white rice as much as possible because it also has a tendency to make you feel sluggish. In fact, eating too much rice can actually lead to a strange headache like feeling as well as overall low energy levels because of the fact that rice gives you a sudden burst of energy which, when this burst ends, leaves you feeling very tired indeed, and such a thing is obviously not going to be very good for you if you are trying to maximize productivity in a manner that is actually sustainable.

Another thing that you should avoid, or at the very least cut down on, is coffee. Coffee does have a tendency to give you a sudden rush of energy which would help you get work done at a faster pace, but the fact of the matter is that until and unless you are drinking coffee all throughout the day, something that can adversely impact your sleep cycle, it is quite unlikely that the energy you are getting will last which is why you should be careful about this sort of thing and use other methods to keep your energy up and stay productive.

5 Cheap-Eat Places in Baltimore! Enjoy Your Meal!

Baltimore is a popular city for tourists. People come here in business as well as for pleasure. Have you ever been to Baltimore? If so, you should know that it is impossible to travel through the city without a car. Enterprise rental car on Security Blvd can help you with a car. The second thing you might know about Baltimore is their traditional cuisine. Of course, people in Baltimore eat American food. Locals go crazy about crab cakes. When the new restaurant opens, they include a crab cake in the menu. Otherwise, people will ignore this restaurant. Nevertheless, there are many more interesting dishes you should try and places to stop for dinner and eat something different than a crab cake.

What are they?

Want More Than Just a Crab Cake? 

Go to…

  1. Tortilleria Sinaloa

What do you think *tortilleria* mean? This means you should come here to learn everything about fresh tortillas prepared right here. They are soft, aromatic, and very thin. If you want to taste something more than just a polenta cake, you can try chorizo plate and pick tortillas based on your own preferences. There is one more thing…the restaurant is very small, no more than eight seats, so you will probably ask for a take-away dish.

  1. Helmand Kabobi

This restaurant is one of the most respectable places in the city. This is an island of Asian cuisine in the heart of Baltimore. You can eat in the restaurant or take some food with you to dine in the hotel room or somewhere in the park. What is the most popular dish here? It’s kabuli pallow from Afghan cooking. This is a unique combination of different tastes, sweet lamb meet, rice, raisins and carrots. Also, you should taste kaddo borani, a kind of light appetizer made of baby pumpkin drizzled with addition of piquant garlic-yogurt sauce. The name of the dish can tell you nothing. That’s why it is better to read the menu carefully. The restaurant is open till the late evening.

  1. Paulie Gee’s Hampden

The owner of the restaurant is a pizzaiolo with a world famous name. You can taste pizza of all sorts here. The fresh made pizza is baking in a wood-burning oven in open view. The menu is really impressive! You can see many sorts of pizza including a legendary margherita pizza, pies, and many other mouth-watering things with unknown names. How about the Ricotta Be Kiddin’ Me? This is a fresh ricotta baked with bacon and sausages.

  1. Samos Restaurant

This is one of the oldest restaurants in Baltimore. For now, the restaurant is situated in Greektown which is considered to be the part of the Old City. You should come here to try Mediterranean cuisine. First of all, you will be impressed by the surrounded stony villas, Greek restaurants, old architecture. Samos is a popular place here. What to try? You can try any sort of meat, including chicken or gyro meat, sliced or served in any other way you like. Pick salad or anchovies for garnish. How about the most popular Greek salad? This taste you will never forget.

  1. Chaps Pit Beef

Your cheap food tour in Baltimore is not complete without dining in Chaps. This is a restaurant of the best beef sandwiches in the city! The do real magic with meat! You will be amazed the taste of grilled beef, slow-smoked and served on a soft bun with onions, radishes. Also, you should try ribs, pork barbecue served with a hot sauce and vegetables. This eating place is very popular among tourists and locals that’s why it is always crowded here. Be ready to wait in the line before you come in.

As you can see, Baltimore is a city where you can try many places to eat for cheap. What is more, it’s not about orange juice and crab cakes only. You can try tacos, sandwiches, grilled and smoked meat with various garnishes and sauces. Actually, having a car, it is not a problem to get to any restaurant or cafe you picked from our list. Also, don’t forget to use modern technologies to make your choice faster and to the point. How? Simply, you can try to use different Food Apps, like Food Network and others to find a good place to eat in a new city. You can find the nearest restaurant, compare prices, read menu, and even book a table for your date!

It’s true that Baltimore is really good at crab cakes and playing football. But also, this is a city of different food cultures and traditions. You can try cuisine of any exotic or European cultures, find legendary restaurant chains and chefs. And it’s not that difficult to find cheap food here if you know where to go.

Belgian Beet Rock Sugar & Himalayan Salt Stone Set

all natural sugar

Belgian Beet Rock Sugar

Ideal for sweetening tea or coffee, The SugarLab’s Beet Sugar is authentic Belgian brown rock sugar made popular in tea shops by Teavana. Distinctively packaged in an apothecary jar, this all natural rock sugar is gluten-free, Kosher and non GMO.

Made from sugar beets instead of sugarcane,the rock crystals get their brown colors from the natural presence of molasses.

Himalayan salt

Himalayan Salt Stone Shaver Set

Large Himalayan Pink Salt stones are distinctively packaged with a stainless steel shaver, ideal for gourmet cooks to add just theperfect touch of salt with foodie flair. Includes three or more stones weighing approximately 24 ounces along with a sturdy, premium stainless steel grater.Learn more.

To see the full line of all natural seasonings, salts, sugars and gourmet gifts, check out www.spices.com

How to catch and cook scallops

 

The following is a guest post. The opinions and writing are those of the author.

If you live near coastal areas, fishing is not much more interesting for your own food and it enjoys skilling. Very rich in tryptophan and protein, sculptures you know you eat something that will give you a good amount of essential amino acids that your body needs. Scallops are very beautiful and pleasant and have fun and exciting experience in catching their hands.

Read and search learn the rules

Each state has its own governors for how many scallops you can take. In some states, you need a saltwater fishing license before going to Scooby. In some states, you can buy a fun fishing license, so it should not be a problem.

Next, you can take home how much scallops are available. Usually, each person is allowed to take only two gallons. If scripts are already cleaned or removed from the shell, each individual can only take one paint home. In some states, only 10 gallons or boat scales in every boat are half gallons.

Learn how to study before catching

Actually, you only need masks, diving, and net bags. The challenge comes with boat. You definitely need a boat to take a deep part of the ocean. You do not have to go away. Sculptures are generally found in areas where grass is. The best time for the skull is during the afternoon when the sun is up. You can also find scoops in potato water.

Actually you can find scallops in the area where you should not be arrows, just go. To make things easier for you, you can get a scroll “sign” to ride with you and your family or friends. These are “experts” where the scripts are and you will show the right direction in the ocean.

How to be safe

Since you are going underwater, you need to know how to stay safe. First of all, you have to be near the boat or near the beach if you are drunk in the potato water. Many people who reduce the current water power of drilling and wash away. Always make sure you get enough energy to return to the boat. Water has tiredness and can flow energy as soon as possible. You must be aware of yourself.

Melting medium flame

The first step is to melting medium flame on the stove and tosses it in garlic to melting butter in the butter. This butter is melted. So instead of using a traditional stuff filled with oil instead of giving it a rich taste, use butter. Use about 3-5 spoons of butter, depending on how much of your desired service will be reduced.

Change of flame when required

After garlic becomes a little bad, then the fields on shot can be put in scalp after reducing the heat and they can be cooked on one side, and soon after changing the scalps remembering a golden gray. Still in the pan, to squeeze some lions in the skins, it is to taste a trivial taste.

4 Fun & Creative Ways to Eat Beef Jerky

To most people, jerky is just a grab and go snack, something you eat quickly without much thought of presentation, plating or any of the fancy stuff. But what if I told you that you could elevate humble beef jerky. What if I told you that you can turn it into an ingredient worthy of gourmet meal, or at least something a lot more thought that you could whip up on date night perhaps?

 

It’s time to forget everything you know about jerky and start seeing it in a different light, start seeing it as an ingredient with a lot of potential. It can bring some much needed flavor to a meal, add a little crunch or just take an otherwise normal meal to a higher level. So if you want to take your meals up a notch with an ingredient that you might have been underestimating, this blog will give you some ideas you can add to your recipe list.

 

In Salads

 

Let’s face it, when you’re trying to eat more greens, salad can get really boring, really quickly. This is why we add things like feta cheese and croutons to it. Jerky is also another addition you can make to your salad. You can grate it into the leafy greens to add some salty flavour. It will elevate a boring old salad into a five-star dish.

 

In Pasta

 

We put bacon in pasta and all sort of meat, so why not beef jerky too? You can cut it up into chunks and add it to your creamy pasta dish. It will give you a break from the standard pasta dishes you’re used to making every single day.

 

On Pizza

 

Now you don’t have to make the pizza to enjoy this little hack. Next time you order a pizza, whatever flavor you get, you can add a little more pizazz to it with some beef jerky. Sprinkle some chunks of jerky on your slices and even add a little extra cheese. Pizza night will be a whole lot more interesting, and next time you’re entertaining, you can just throw your secret ingredient on your regular pepperoni pizza.

 

As a Starter

A very popular starter is asparagus spears wrapped in bacon and grilled. Trade the asparagus for a stick of jerky, and instead of grilling the bacon with it, cook the bacon separately and then wrap it around the jerky. It’s a meaty starter that will definitely get people talking.

Before you look down on jerky as a snack for road trips, consider all the possibilities of this humble food. There are so many new combinations, dishes and treats you can come up with. From salads to pasta, there are so many ways to infuse jerky into your cooking and food prep, and introduce something new and fresh to your diet. Remember, jerky isn’t just tasty, if you buy the right kinds, it’s actually healthy. It’s also packed with protein, and many variations are low in fat. You can get it without any additives, in fact nitrate free jerky is a very popular snack you can easily find. The moral of the story is, don’t knock the jerky, it just might be the hero of your next meal!

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® and Gift Card #Giveaway

entenmanns

Entenmann’s® Little Bites® is celebrating its 20th birthday – and they want you to join in on the fun! To ring in its big 2-0, everyone’s favorite mini muffin brand is running the Entenmann’s® Little Bites® 20th Birthday Bash Sweepstakes! 20 lucky winners will receive the ultimate prize pack, including a $500 gift card towards throwing their child a birthday party bash- make sure you enter to win.

Information about Entenmann’s® Little Bites® 20th Birthday Bash Sweepstakes:

  • You can enter the Entenmann’s® Little Bites® 20th Birthday Bash sweepstakes between January 21, 2019, and March 29, 2019
  • Consumers can enter in two ways:
    • Text “LITTLEBITES20” to short code 555888 and send us your Happy Birthday Wish for Little Bites

OR

  • For each message submitted, Little Bites will donate $1 (up to $6,500) to The Birthday Party Project, a national organization that hosts birthday parties for kids who are residing in homeless or transitional living facilities.
  • 20 consumers will win an Ultimate Prize Pack featuring:
    • $500 donation in their name to a charity of their choice
    • $500 gift card toward an ultimate birthday party for their child and friends
    • One-year supply of Little Bites® muffins
  • You can download a free Little Bite Party Kit at www.littlebites.com/20Birthdaybash

That’s it! Make sure you enter to win, because who can’t use a few extra dollars to throw a party for their kid? Those things are not cheap.

Happy Birthday from Have Sippy Will Travel to Entenmanns, and to your kids. Hope the party (parties!) are amazing.

One of you can win three coupons, each valid for $5.00 off the purchase of Entenmann’s® Little Bites®, and a $25 gift card as well. Just use the RC code below to enter to win. Good luck! Ends Feb 22, 2019.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

RUMI’S JHAL GOSHT (BEEF OR LAMB CURRY)

home made indian food
Ingredients
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Curry spices (see below)
1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef stew meat
1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)
CURRY INGREDIENTS
1 to 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (depending on heat tolerance)
1 jalapeño pepper, chopped (seed and devein pepper to moderate heat)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 to 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon each kosher salt and sugar
2 bay leaves
2 to 3 green or black cardamom pods, cracked open
1 cinnamon stick
4 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
METHOD
1. Heat oil in a wok or deep skillet over medium heat; add onion and sauté until translucent to light brown. Add curry spices and stir well. Let spices cook, then add water sparingly to avoid sticking or burning—no more than 1 tablespoon at a time–throughout the cooking process, 6 to 8 minutes to develop flavor.
2. Add meat, stirring well to distribute; cook over medium to high heat until well seared.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add yogurt, tomato paste, and cilantro.
4. Cover and continue to braise for 40 to 50 minutes, until meat is tender.
5. Remove cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pods.
TRY THIS: Substitute 1 whole chicken cut into generous pieces; braise until golden brown, then cook for 30 minutes.
Recipe and photo with permission from The Urban Forager: Culinary Exploring & Cooking on L.A.’s Eastside
By Elisa Callow Photographs by Ann Elliott Cutting
Prospect Park Books/March 2019