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Monthly Archives: August 2009

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by Hanna Trafford

Make-Ahead Pizza Casserole

August 14, 2009 in Recipes by Hanna Trafford

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pizza-casseroleThis is a great recipe for delicious pizza casserole you can literally throw together in the morning for an easy dinner.

Make-Ahead Pizza Casserole:

1/2 lb. of shredded Mozzarella cheese

1/4 lb. of chopped prosciutto

2 medium tomatoes, cored and diced

6 cups of cubed Italian or French bread (about 1 medium loaf)

5 eggs

1-1/4 cup of skim milk

1/2 cup of reduced-fat sour cream

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

Grated Parmesan cheese

  • Spray a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray
  • In a large bowl, toss together the mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, tomatoes and bread.
  • Arrange the bread mixture evenly in the baking pan.
  • Using the same bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk.
  • Add the milk, sour cream, oregano, basil and garlic powder. Beat well.
  • Pour the egg mixture over the bread, tilting the baking pan from side to side to soak all the bread cubes evenly.
  • Cover the pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  • Remove from refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
  • Heat oven to 350F, uncover the casserole and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp on top.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese before serving if desired.
  • If you like really cheesy pizza, add more shredded mozzarella cheese all over the top right after baking.

Hope you enjoy this recipe – please send in your comments of suggestions – your input is always welcomed!

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by Hanna Trafford

Top 5 Tips on Doing Disney Right

August 14, 2009 in Featured Articles by Hanna Trafford

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disneworldIf you haven’t visited Disney World yet, chances are that one day – sooner or later – you will. The visit can be a total blast, full of fantastic experiences that everyone will remember or it can be aching feet, throbbing headache and empty wallet.

There is a lot to know before you visit the park – correction – parks. The Walt Disney World Resort includes Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios. Plus all the shopping, eating, entertainment and water parks.

Here are top 5 tips on how to survive all of that and enjoy the visit:

Top 5 Tips on Doing Disney Right:

1. Deal Hunt: It used to be that you couldn’t really save much on Disney packages, but now, mainly due to the economy, they are bundling all kinds of deals. Check out www.MouseSavers.com – you will find official Disney offers and be able to get to other great discount deals like codes for saving on rental cars.

2. Be Realistic: Chances are that you will be excited about the pending vacation and buying your package ahead of time, you may be tempted to buy the package that includes too much, thinking you can do more than you actually can. Understand that you will not be able to do it all, so rank your priorities and check out TouringPlans.com. Answer some questions and you will get an advice on what package will best suit your needs. There is also a crowd tracker that will show you continuously updated prediction on waiting times for rides.

3. Think Timing: Give the off-season (late fall, early spring) serious thought – you will be able to get lower rates on just about anything. Apparently the best weeks to go are are in early November – crowd-wise and weather-wise. And when you get there, go early. It is a good idea to show up 30 minutes before the park opens – you will be one of the first in and you will have a free rein.

4. Plan it Out: Once you are in the park, head to the rides and attractions that you have put on your “must see” list. The beauty of an early start is that you can take a midday siesta or go back to your hotel for a refreshing swim and return to the park when the temperatures cool down a bit. It is estimated that you will walk 7 to 11 miles a day so be ready for it!

5. If You Have a Toddler, Get the 411: The official Disney site, Disneyworld.disney.go.com, has a planning guide for the little ones. You will know things like – if you are going to rent a stroller, bring a coloured ribbon to tie on yours not to mix it up with all identical others you will see parked at attractions., All the theme parks also have a ride swap program, in which one parent waits with a child who is too young to ride, then gets to hop right on after handing the baby off to the parent who just rode. There are also Baby Care Centres – and they are not for emergencies only. You can think of them as “cool down” rooms, where a family can take a break. You can sit down in a comfortable chair watch Disney movie and relax. Make sure you pick up a “Magical Beginnings” map at any theme park for clearly marked locations of these centres and other targeted information.

Hope you will enjoy your trip to Disney – it is truly an experience to be remembered  and  doing it the easiest way possible will make your memories last forever!

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Top 10 Kitchen Hints

August 7, 2009 in Household Hints by Hanna Trafford

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clip_cookingI always said that we can all use all the help we can get in the kitchen. And as it happens to everyone, there are things that you can be missing just when you need them, other things that need fixing when they are not what they should be… you name it. Here are a few hints to make your kitchen adventures a little bit easier!

Top 10 Kitchen Hints:

1. To Sour Milk:

Combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice of white vinegar with fresh milk to make 1 cup

2. To Keep Scalding Milk from Scorching:

Rinse the pot or pan with hot water before using

3. To Prevent Deep Dish fruit Pies From Bubbling Over:

Place a pyrex custard cup upside down in centre of the dish. Add fruit and top with crust. Cup also lifts pastry so that it won’t get soggy.

4. To Moisten Brown Sugar Which Has Already Hardened:

Place apple slices in container with sugar and cover tightly.

5. To Make Dishwashing Easier:

Rinse egg or flour coated utensils with cold water before washing.

6. To Tint Coconut:

Place a small amount of shredded coconut in a glass jar. Add a few drops of food colouring. Cover jar and shake until coconut is coloured.

7. To Whip Evaporated Milk:

Place a can of milk in your freezer until partially frozen. Pour contents into a very cold bowl, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to 2/3 cups of milk and whip as cream.

8. To Coat Chicken or Meat:

Measure flour and seasonings into paper or plastic bag. Add a few pieces at a time and shake to coat. Use remaining flour to thicken gravy.

9. To Divide an Egg:

Beat slightly and measure with a tablespoon

10. To Remove Odours from Jars and Bottles:

Pour a solution of water and baking soda into them and let stand for several hours.

Hope these tips will help you – please send in your comments and suggestions – your input is always welcomed!

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Top 10 Causes of Cake Failure

August 5, 2009 in Household Hints, Recipes by Hanna Trafford

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failure_cakeIt happens to everyone… You do everything right (or you think you did) and the cake still doesn’t turn out like the picture that was with the recipe! It really doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try that desired delicacy again – and I do hope that these explanations why it can happen will help you!

Top 10 Causes of Cake Failure:

1. Cake Falling:

  • Too much shortening or sugar
  • Too low an oven temperature
  • Insufficient baking
  • Too much batter in the pan
  • Moving cake during baking

2. Undersized Cake:

  • Too large a pan
  • Too hot na oven

3. Moist, Sticky Crust:

  • Too much sugar
  • Insufficient baking

4. Thick, Heavy Crust:

  • Over baking
  • Too hot an oven
  • Not enough shortening or sugar
  • Too much flour

5. Peaks or Cracks on Top:

  • Too hot an oven
  • Over mixing
  • Too much flour

6. Soggy Layer or Streak at Bottom:

  • Insufficient mixing
  • Too much sugar or baking powder

7. Heavy, Compact Texture:

  • Over mixing
  • Too much sugar, shortening or liquid
  • Too low an oven temperature
  • Insufficient baking

8. Dry Cake:

  • Not enough shortening, liquid or sugar
  • Too much flour
  • Overbeating egg whites
  • Over baking

9. Tunnels or Large Holes:

  • Over mixing
  • Uneven distribution

10. Uneven Shape:

  • Uneven heat of oven
  • Cake not level
  • Pan warped

Hope this helps you and please send in your comments and suggestions – your imput is always welcomed!

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Old Fashioned Upside Down Peach Cake

August 4, 2009 in Recipes by Hanna Trafford

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upside-down-peach-cakeThis cake is great when you can use fresh peaches – and this is the season to do that! If you are not able to use fresh ones, sliced canned peaches will do as well. For an interesting variation, try this recipes using pineapple – I am sure you will enjoy it as well!

Old Fashioned Upside Down Peach Cake:

2 cups of flour

3 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1/2 cup of butter

1-1/4 cups of sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 cup of milk

Stir together the flour with baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, cream the butter, add sugar gradually, beating between additions. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk ,beginning and ending with dry ingredients, blend well.

In a 10-inch spring form pan, melt 1/4 cup of butter, add 1 cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir well to cover the bottom of the pan. Arrange sliced peaches, slightly over-laying them to make circular pattern until you fill the pan bottom.

Pour prepared cake batter over and smooth with a spatula. Bake in a 350F over for 45 – 55 minutes or until tester inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before removing your cake from the pan. Loosen the sides, place a round tray or a large plate on top of the cake, turn upside down, run a knife around the edges of your cake and remove spring form bottom.

Tip #1: To prepare your peaches, you will need to slice them Lots of times, that is not an easy thing to do. If your peaches don’t peel easily, blanch them in boiling water for about 2 minutes, cool and you will have no problem peeling them.

Tip #2: Place your spring form pan on a cookie sheet before putting it in the oven. Fresh peaches have a tendency to give out quite a bit of juice and that would drip to the bottom of your oven.

For making a good Old Fashioned Pineapple Upside Down Cake, use pineapple rings to line the bottom of prepared pan (with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon) and place a marashino cherrie into the centre of each ring.

Hope you enjoy this recipe – please send in your comments or suggestions – your input is always welcomed and appreciated!

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