Christmas Breads and Cakes

This week on my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner gig, I've been posting recipes for Christmas breads and cakes. If you're still looking for some holiday breads or cakes to bake, look no further. I'm so full of baked goods right now I could burst. So far this week I've made:

German stollen
You've got to watch the video of the chef making stollen.

Apple kuchen
My husband adores anything apple, so this received a seal of approval.

Pineapple cranberry bread in the bread machine
I converted a recipe for pineapple cranberry bread for the machine, and WOW it turned out tasty!

Pumped up on pumpkin
I went on a hunt for new and interesting pumpkin recipes. These are the best. Alton Brown shows how to make pumpkin bread and muffins in a video. I can't wait to have the Pumpking Gingerbread Pudding on Christmas Eve. Christmas Day is reserved for Red Velvet cake, straight out of the Betty Crocker box. :-) I haven't found a recipe that beats that one.

Last of all, holiday breads and cakes wouldn't be complete without some Hot Holiday Drinks to go along with them.

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Keep Holiday Weight Gain from Spiraling Out of Control

Holiday weight gain can be sneaky, even though you know it may happen to you. You're having a good time, enjoying good food, and the next morning you can't get into those jeans you love. Oops! Here are some ideas from the Egg Farmers of Ontario for keeping the pounds off during the holiday season.


Eating Healthy During Holiday Get-Togethers
By Adriana Noton

The holidays are a joyous time that involves celebrating with loved ones. Part of the celebrations often includes eating foods that are high in fat and calories which make the holidays a difficult time to stick to a healthy diet. However, with a little planning, you can eat healthy and not experience a drastic increase in weight gain. Consider the following tips to eating healthy during holiday get-togethers.

1. Avoid Unhealthy Foods: Make a list of foods you want to avoid over the holidays. This can include rich and creamy sauces and soups, sweet desserts, fried foods, and processed meats. Purchase healthy alternatives such as fruit and veggie plates, lean meat, grains, healthy cereals, and other calorie and fat-reduced foods.

2. Reduce Dairy Intake: Some dairy foods are known to be high in calories and fat. Whenever possible, try to substitute high-fat dairy ingredients with other more suitable ingredients in your recipes and in your meals. For example, use low fat cheese products, fat free milk, and use plain yogurt instead of sour cream in your recipes.

3. Healthy Turkey: Turkey is a much healthier meat than red meat. When cooking your turkey, consider healthy cooking methods such as baking and broiling. As well, use a rack to collect the fat. A healthy tip: eat the white meat instead of the dark meat.

4. Healthy Snacks before Big Meals: It is important not to let yourself go hungry before a large meal. You can snack on healthy foods such as carrot sticks and fruit. As well, drink a large glass of water before you eat. This will help prevent you from overeating. Overeating on junk food is a big cause of holiday weight gain. As well, the fiber in healthy foods such as vegetables will help fill you up. Consider salads as a side dish with your main meal. As well, if you are attending restaurants and parties, eat smaller portions.

5. Eat a Healthy Breakfast: A healthy breakfast not only gives you energy for the day, but also controls hunger. Such breakfast foods as eggs, whole wheat toast, fruit, and whole grain cereal will provide much needed energy and you will burn any calories throughout the day. Stay away from the sugar, fried foods, and fat. Foods should be high in protein and nutrient-rich. A healthy tip: Do not skip any meals and practice food serving portion control. Skipping meals will only increase your hunger and cause you to eat more food.

Nearly everyone finds it difficult to eat healthy during the holidays. Trying to follow a specific diet plan is often impossible so it is important to make healthy choices and try to get some exercise daily. Utilizing a plan of moderation and substituting unhealthy foods with healthier foods can make a big difference. Once the holidays are over, you may find a weight gain of only one or two pounds or no weight gain at all. You will definitely look and feel good.



About the author

Egg Farmers of Ontario are trying to provide consumers with safe and delicious eggs for your breakfasts. Furthermore, we research to provide our customers with easy recipes for breakfast. from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com




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Holiday Foods: Party Appetizers with Chocolate Fountains

A chocolate fountain is a dramatic addition to any holiday party table. Guests love to dip tidbits in the warm chocolate. Ideas for dipping items for a chocolate fountain are:

Angelfood cake squares
Poundcake squares
Shortbread cookies
Strawberries
Banana slices
Dried pineapple and mango slices
Caramel squares
Rice Krispie treats cut into squares

Provide plenty of skewers for guests to use while dipping their food so they won't get their fingers in the chocolate. For safety reasons, place the Chocolate Fondue Fountain on a sturdy table near a wall outlet.


What is a Chocolate Fountain?

A chocolate fountain is usually made of stainless steel and serves melted chocolate. A motor at the base heats the chocolate placed in the heating tray. The heated chocolate then goes up through a column and when it gets to the top, flows down over multiple tiers. This chocolate flows over each tray until it reaches the base.

Couverture chocolate, which contains at least 32 percent cocoa butter, works great in a chocolate fountain. You get this in light milk chocolate or dark chocolate. You can use other chocolate but must add vegetable oil, which hampers the taste and smoothness.

At one time chocolate fountains were commercial units, which cost thousands of dollars and used by professional party planners at catering events. You can still rent larger fountains from party stores and catering services that come with an attendant to made sure the fountain runs properly.


Home Chocolate Fountains

Now chocolate fountains are available for home use so people can host their own events. A home fountain is great for a party of around 20 or 25 people.
For someone thinking of purchasing a chocolate fountain for his or her home, there are a large number of budget friendly chocolate fountains on the market. Many of the very inexpensive models are not worth buying because of their cheap construction.


Purchasing a Chocolate Fountain

When purchasing a chocolate fountain for home use, look for the following:
• A good warranty is very important.
• It should be easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
• You want a machine that is easy to assemble.
• Make sure the construction quality is excellent.
• Nothing is worse than a loud machine so quiet operation is important.
• Auger pumping mechanism

To have the chocolate flow smoothly, you need to add oil. Many companies make chocolate for chocolate fountains that you do not add oil so you can set them up faster and more conveniently.

Most people are chocolate lovers. Just seeing rich chocolate, cascading down each layer on a chocolate fountain, makes our mouths water. There are many types of chocolate available to use. Some of these are:
• Milk chocolate – creamy and smooth
• Dark chocolate – some people call this bitter chocolate
• Unsweetened chocolate – no sweeteners added


Chocolate Facts

Less than 2 percent of fat in American diets come from chocolate. The main sources are fried foods, meat and full fat dairy products. Experts and research show that most headaches are not related to chocolate intake. Studies show that stress, hunger, irregular sleep patterns and hormone changes can cause headaches.



About the author
The article What is a Chocolate Fountain? is written by Joseph Then.
Learn more about Chocolate Fountains and the various information about this delicious food from Joseph Then at http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com.

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More great recipes are at my Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner website.