Double Chocolate Crumble Bars

"These top-rated
bars are reminiscent of rocky road candy." Original
recipe yield: 2 1/2 dozen.


INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups
miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cups crisp
rice cereal

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease
a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a small mixing
bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking
powder and salt.
In a large bowl
cream butter and sugar; beat
in eggs
and vanilla. Stir flour mixture
into the creamed egg
mixture. Spread batter into the
greased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Sprinkle marshmallows over top
of the
baked bars; bake 3 minutes more.
Cool.
Place chocolate chips and
peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Melt chocolate
chips
and peanut butter
in a microwave on high until
melted together. Cook one minute
at a time, stirring after each
minute.
Stir cereal into the
chocolate mixture. Spread the chocolate
mixture over the cooled bars. Chill, cut into bars
and refrigerate.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Appetizer Recipes

Let’s say you have a get together at your place. This means that you have to prepare some food to feed to the guests. If you want to impress them during their visit, here are some quick and easy appetizer recipes that you can use.

The first is tortilla chips. To do that, you will need some corn tortillas, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder and salt. Since you will be baking this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you cut the tortilla into 8 wedges similar to what you would do for a pie or pizza and then arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet. If you have mister, good because this will make it a lot easier to mix the oil and lime juice. If you don’t, you will have to work with a spray bottle. When the mixture is ready, spray this over each chip wedge until it is moist.

Next, combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips by hand. Bake the chips for about 7 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Make sure this is not too brown and then serve this with your choice of garnishes, guacamole or salsas.

For those that have done this before and want something different, they can try and serve buffalo or chicken wings. The ingredients you will be needing for this include a few pounds of chicken wings, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, Tabasco sauce and white wine vinegar. First, chop off the tip of each chicken wings and get rid of it. Then chop the wing in half so you have 2 pieces.

Next, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired. Since this is not yet cooked, put these into the deep fryer until it is golden and crisp while you are stirring or shaking occasionally. When ready, remove and drain using paper towels. Now melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. When ready, put the chicken on a warm serving platter and pour the sauce on top. If you want to keep things simple, you don’t have to bake or cook anything. The only thing you have to do is bring out different kinds of cheese so everyone can try them out. Such an activity is known as a cheese tasting party.

To make it interesting, put the cheese varieties with some crackers but be sure that it does not dominate the flavor. The cheeses that are ideal for such an activity include Bel Paese, Boursin, Abbaye de Belloc (a rich French cheese), Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Port du Salut, Scamorze, and Swiss. Of course, there are others out there you can try if these are not available so have fun buying different kinds from the store and serving this to your guests. These are just a few of the quick and easy appetizer recipes you can serve to your guests when they come over so read up on new ones and then experiment a little so it is not the same each time.

If you enjoyed the appetizer during your visit in another house, get the recipe and learn how it was done.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Appetizer Recipes

Let’s say you have a get together at your place. This means that you have to prepare some food to feed to the guests. If you want to impress them during their visit, here are some quick and easy appetizer recipes that you can use.

The first is tortilla chips. To do that, you will need some corn tortillas, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder and salt. Since you will be baking this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you cut the tortilla into 8 wedges similar to what you would do for a pie or pizza and then arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet. If you have mister, good because this will make it a lot easier to mix the oil and lime juice. If you don’t, you will have to work with a spray bottle. When the mixture is ready, spray this over each chip wedge until it is moist.

Next, combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips by hand. Bake the chips for about 7 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Make sure this is not too brown and then serve this with your choice of garnishes, guacamole or salsas.

For those that have done this before and want something different, they can try and serve buffalo or chicken wings. The ingredients you will be needing for this include a few pounds of chicken wings, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, Tabasco sauce and white wine vinegar. First, chop off the tip of each chicken wings and get rid of it. Then chop the wing in half so you have 2 pieces.

Next, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired. Since this is not yet cooked, put these into the deep fryer until it is golden and crisp while you are stirring or shaking occasionally. When ready, remove and drain using paper towels. Now melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. When ready, put the chicken on a warm serving platter and pour the sauce on top. If you want to keep things simple, you don’t have to bake or cook anything. The only thing you have to do is bring out different kinds of cheese so everyone can try them out. Such an activity is known as a cheese tasting party.

To make it interesting, put the cheese varieties with some crackers but be sure that it does not dominate the flavor. The cheeses that are ideal for such an activity include Bel Paese, Boursin, Abbaye de Belloc (a rich French cheese), Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Port du Salut, Scamorze, and Swiss. Of course, there are others out there you can try if these are not available so have fun buying different kinds from the store and serving this to your guests. These are just a few of the quick and easy appetizer recipes you can serve to your guests when they come over so read up on new ones and then experiment a little so it is not the same each time.

If you enjoyed the appetizer during your visit in another house, get the recipe and learn how it was done.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Appetizer Recipes

Let’s say you have a get together at your place. This means that you have to prepare some food to feed to the guests. If you want to impress them during their visit, here are some quick and easy appetizer recipes that you can use.

The first is tortilla chips. To do that, you will need some corn tortillas, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder and salt. Since you will be baking this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you cut the tortilla into 8 wedges similar to what you would do for a pie or pizza and then arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet. If you have mister, good because this will make it a lot easier to mix the oil and lime juice. If you don’t, you will have to work with a spray bottle. When the mixture is ready, spray this over each chip wedge until it is moist.

Next, combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips by hand. Bake the chips for about 7 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Make sure this is not too brown and then serve this with your choice of garnishes, guacamole or salsas.

For those that have done this before and want something different, they can try and serve buffalo or chicken wings. The ingredients you will be needing for this include a few pounds of chicken wings, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, Tabasco sauce and white wine vinegar. First, chop off the tip of each chicken wings and get rid of it. Then chop the wing in half so you have 2 pieces.

Next, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired. Since this is not yet cooked, put these into the deep fryer until it is golden and crisp while you are stirring or shaking occasionally. When ready, remove and drain using paper towels. Now melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. When ready, put the chicken on a warm serving platter and pour the sauce on top. If you want to keep things simple, you don’t have to bake or cook anything. The only thing you have to do is bring out different kinds of cheese so everyone can try them out. Such an activity is known as a cheese tasting party.

To make it interesting, put the cheese varieties with some crackers but be sure that it does not dominate the flavor. The cheeses that are ideal for such an activity include Bel Paese, Boursin, Abbaye de Belloc (a rich French cheese), Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Port du Salut, Scamorze, and Swiss. Of course, there are others out there you can try if these are not available so have fun buying different kinds from the store and serving this to your guests. These are just a few of the quick and easy appetizer recipes you can serve to your guests when they come over so read up on new ones and then experiment a little so it is not the same each time.

If you enjoyed the appetizer during your visit in another house, get the recipe and learn how it was done.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Appetizer Recipes

Let’s say you have a get together at your place. This means that you have to prepare some food to feed to the guests. If you want to impress them during their visit, here are some quick and easy appetizer recipes that you can use.

The first is tortilla chips. To do that, you will need some corn tortillas, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder and salt. Since you will be baking this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you cut the tortilla into 8 wedges similar to what you would do for a pie or pizza and then arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet. If you have mister, good because this will make it a lot easier to mix the oil and lime juice. If you don’t, you will have to work with a spray bottle. When the mixture is ready, spray this over each chip wedge until it is moist.

Next, combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips by hand. Bake the chips for about 7 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Make sure this is not too brown and then serve this with your choice of garnishes, guacamole or salsas.

For those that have done this before and want something different, they can try and serve buffalo or chicken wings. The ingredients you will be needing for this include a few pounds of chicken wings, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, Tabasco sauce and white wine vinegar. First, chop off the tip of each chicken wings and get rid of it. Then chop the wing in half so you have 2 pieces.

Next, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired. Since this is not yet cooked, put these into the deep fryer until it is golden and crisp while you are stirring or shaking occasionally. When ready, remove and drain using paper towels. Now melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. When ready, put the chicken on a warm serving platter and pour the sauce on top. If you want to keep things simple, you don’t have to bake or cook anything. The only thing you have to do is bring out different kinds of cheese so everyone can try them out. Such an activity is known as a cheese tasting party.

To make it interesting, put the cheese varieties with some crackers but be sure that it does not dominate the flavor. The cheeses that are ideal for such an activity include Bel Paese, Boursin, Abbaye de Belloc (a rich French cheese), Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Port du Salut, Scamorze, and Swiss. Of course, there are others out there you can try if these are not available so have fun buying different kinds from the store and serving this to your guests. These are just a few of the quick and easy appetizer recipes you can serve to your guests when they come over so read up on new ones and then experiment a little so it is not the same each time.

If you enjoyed the appetizer during your visit in another house, get the recipe and learn how it was done.

Read more »

Quick, Painless and Easy Camping Recipes

Camping now and then is good for you. The fresh air, the sky, the stars, and the trees are great breaks from the urban jungle that we live in. However, even though camping is a great activity it does pull you away with the technology that makes life a little convenient. The heater, the air-conditioning, the stove, etc. cannot be carried in a backpack. And as a result, you will have to contend with what you have with regards various activities like sleeping and cooking. However, camping does not mean you have to be tied with bland dishes. You can have a scrumptious meal with a few quick, painless camping recipes. Some of the basic meals you can prepare during a camping trip include hard boiled eggs and bacons for breakfast. Fish or chicken partnered with some boiled potatoes for lunch or dinner would be a nice treat as well.

The key for camping recipes is simplification. You can get your favorite meal then get the core ingredients, think of how you can transport the ingredients in the smallest available storage space and you’re ready to go. Camp meals are all about how much you can carry comfortably in your backpack.. You’re not going to cook inside the convenience of your kitchen. But rather, you will be working outside, on the grass and using firewood or charcoal. With this in mind it would be best to keep your recipes simple. Make something that you will just have to place on a skillet or frying pan all the necessary ingredients and let it cook. For example, you can add some flavor and zing to your bacon if you add some onions, salt and pepper and add milk and eggs. That may sound a bit weird but it tastes pretty good. Add potatoes or mushrooms (or both) for a fuller meal and you’ll have a hearty breakfast that will keep you pumped up until lunch.

When you plan to cook fish over an open camp fire, you might want to remember packing aluminum foil with you. The foil will help protect the fish from being burned. Camp fires, when you’re not used to it are not as easy to control as a burner stove where high, medium, and low heat can be set with a dial of a knob. Before you wrap your fish in foil, you can add some onions, pepper, and even garlic inside it to add flavor. If you have some lemon with you squeeze some on the fish. Remember to pack the aluminum foil and other non-biodegradable trash for that matter back with you if you don’t see any trash cans at your camp site.

Grilling is a good way to cook over a camp fire and a good way to interact with your family as well. It is a social activity during a camping trip that both the kids and adults seem to enjoy. You can grill hotdogs or roast marshmallows over the camp fire. But what you can also do is pack some sausages with you and grill them for dinner. Pack some buns and ketchup and mustard as well. Go with pre-cooked sausages. You will spend less time cooking them on the grill, since you’re basically just heating them.

A quick, painless camping recipe involves being prepared beforehand. When you bring your food with you during a camping trip, it is best, of course, to prepare them before hand for faster cooking. For example, if you are bringing vegetables make sure they have been cleaned and cut to the desired sizes. This way you will have more time enjoying the food rather than preparing and cooking them.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Ways of Preparing Healthy Snacks

Today, people are more accustomed to having snacks due mainly to a fast living lifestyle. People just don’t have the time to sit down for a full and healthy meal so they try to get as much food as they can during meal time and try to cover all the gaps during snack time. So biscuits, fudge bars, candy bars, chips, and all sorts of unhealthy food gets through. Combined with an already stressful lifestyle, a poor diet can really takes it toll on your health. To avoid getting sick, why not substitute your snacks with healthy ones.

There are a number of quick and easy ways to prepare healthy snacks which you can do given that you have such a tight schedule. And even if you it appears that you have an uncompromising schedule, it would be best to slip in a few minutes each day to consider your health.

Now if you’re an adult you take responsibility for your own state of health, but if you’re kids are snacking as well, then the more you should be responsible for their health relies on your hands as well. In order for your kids to eat healthier snacks, what you should try to do first off is prepare something interesting.

Keep your kids and your self interested. If you find a banana ordinary, serve it with peanut butter or jelly. Make sure to keep colorful foods like apples, orange, and carrots part of your snack time. Search for healthy dips or fillings for sandwiches and even for rice cakes, carrot and celery sticks. Be inventive and look for other combinations that can spice up your healthy snack time.

Those packed of potato chips can be quite unhealthy so why not go with tortilla chips and a homemade salsa. By just combining tomato, and chili you can create a pretty awesome salsa. This beats the processed, too salty chips you buy off the supermarket shelf.

Fruit smoothies are pretty good snacks as well. You will have to prepare the fruits in advance. Place the fruits inside your freezer. When you crave for a snack, get a frozen banana, for example, and pour in milk and just blend. You can produce a really creamy drink.

If you want something heavy to match your smoothie, then why not prepare several pieces of ham, cream cheese and bell pepper slices. What you do is spread the cream cheese, this should be the fat free one, on top of the ham. Put a bell pepper slice on it and roll the ham. Or if you’re not a ham person, try baby carrots with hummus. Actually, you can dip other vegetables in your hummus as well. Cherry tomatoes and sliced red bell peppers are quite good when dipped into hummus.

A fresh salad is also a refreshing and very healthy snack. All you need is some romaine lettuce, slices of carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, a little bit of salt and pepper to taste or better yet just use vinaigrette. You might want to prepare the vegetables in advance if you want to have your salad faster. There are salad ready vegetable packs available in your neighborhood supermarket but can be quite pricy. It would be better if you prepare the vegetables yourself.

Now the key in this healthy snack routine is to keep your health snack near your reach at all times. When you begin to feel the urge to snack, you take your snack pack and start munching. This way you will not have the urge to buy that chocolate bar or a bag of chips from the vending machine. With the quick and easy ways of preparing healthy snacks, I don’t see why you have to resort to the unhealthy ones.

Read more »

Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Mango Salsa

Ingredients
Tip Place the uncooked coconut-crusted chicken on a baking sheet and freeze until solid, then store in a resealable plastic bag. Thaw in the refrigerator and cook as directed.

1/2 pound mango, thawed and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 egg
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
4 6 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees . In a small bowl, combine the mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and vinegar; season with salt and pepper.
2. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place the coconut in another shallow bowl. Dip the chicken in the egg, then in the coconut. Press to coat.
3. In large, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once, until golden, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Serve the chicken with the mango salsa.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes

Quick and Easy Breakfast Recipes

Breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day. Since you are still sleepy from a good night’s rest, it is only right that you should know some quick and easy recipes that you can come up with in a few minutes.

If your kids love milk, then offer them something by combining milk with some cereals and fruit. To do that, you pour cornflakes from the box and into the bowl. Add milk and then slice into small pieces a banana or some strawberries and then serve.

For adults, you can substitute cereal with oatmeal which is quite healthy since it has been proven to lower your cholesterol. You can add with your bowl of oatmeal some fruits as well which are also good for you.

You can’t have cereal or oatmeal everyday so why don’t you try something else like an omelet. There are different ways to make it and the simplest one is to cook 2 eggs and add margarine into a frying pan. You can add flavor to it by also putting in some sliced mushrooms, onion and sliced sausages.

Once the omelet begins to set, use a spatula to push the edges of the egg mixture in. Keep doing this until you can flip one side of the omelet over the other one and then serve on a plate.

Do you want some bread for breakfast? Well you can by making blueberry French toast. To do that, you will need some eggs, milk, cream cheese, blueberries, vanilla and cinnamon.

Using a blender, beat together the milk, cream cheese, and blueberries until smooth then set aside. Using a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs then add vanilla, and cinnamon. When you are done, add the blueberry mixture.

The last thing to do before serving is to dip the bread in the batter, and fry in a pan or griddle until slightly browned.

Another all time favorite is the waffle and if you want to add some spice to it, don’t just make any and go for the German waffle.

The ingredients for the German waffle include half a cup of butter, some sugar, egg yolk, milk, flour, baking powder, salt and gratings of lemon.

Now cream the butter and add the sugar until this turns into a cream then add the egg yolks and beat thoroughly. Next, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together and add this to the creamed mixture alternating with the milk. Add the lemon peel and blend thoroughly then cook using a hot waffle iron and serve.

Pancakes anyone? Well try out the French Jelly Pancake. If you know how to make pancakes, we can already skip forward and move on to the best part which is adding the jelly. You have to do this while it is still hot and spread this evenly to keep it from spreading.

Next, dredge this with sugar and to make it look attractive, burn some lines around it using your toaster before serving.

Breakfast is important and fortunately, there are a lot of great quick and easy recipes that you can serve when you get up in the morning. As refreshments, always serve it with a cup of coffee or tea for the grownups and milk or juice for the kids.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Appetizer Recipes

Let’s say you have a get together at your place. This means that you have to prepare some food to feed to the guests. If you want to impress them during their visit, here are some quick and easy appetizer recipes that you can use.

The first is tortilla chips. To do that, you will need some corn tortillas, lime juice, ground cumin, chili powder and salt.

Since you will be baking this, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit while you cut the tortilla into 8 wedges similar to what you would do for a pie or pizza and then arrange the wedges in a single layer on a cookie sheet.

If you have mister, good because this will make it a lot easier to mix the oil and lime juice. If you don’t, you will have to work with a spray bottle. When the mixture is ready, spray this over each chip wedge until it is moist. Next, combine the cumin, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and sprinkle on the chips by hand.

Bake the chips for about 7 minutes and then rotate the pan and bake for another 8 minutes. Make sure this is not too brown and then serve this with your choice of garnishes, guacamole or salsas.

For those that have done this before and want something different, they can try and serve buffalo or chicken wings. The ingredients you will be needing for this include a few pounds of chicken wings, black pepper, salt, vegetable oil, butter or margarine, Tabasco sauce and white wine vinegar.

First, chop off the tip of each chicken wings and get rid of it. Then chop the wing in half so you have 2 pieces. Next, grind on fresh black pepper and sprinkle with salt if desired.

Since this is not yet cooked, put these into the deep fryer until it is golden and crisp while you are stirring or shaking occasionally. When ready, remove and drain using paper towels.

Now melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a heavy saucepan, add the hot sauce and a tablespoon of wine vinegar. When ready, put the chicken on a warm serving platter and pour the sauce on top.

If you want to keep things simple, you don’t have to bake or cook anything. The only thing you have to do is bring out different kinds of cheese so everyone can try them out. Such an activity is known as a cheese tasting party. To make it interesting, put the cheese varieties with some crackers but be sure that it does not dominate the flavor.

The cheeses that are ideal for such an activity include Bel Paese, Boursin, Abbaye de Belloc (a rich French cheese), Fontina, Gouda, Havarti, Mozzarella, Port du Salut, Scamorze, and Swiss. Of course, there are others out there you can try if these are not available so have fun buying different kinds from the store and serving this to your guests.

These are just a few of the quick and easy appetizer recipes you can serve to your guests when they come over so read up on new ones and then experiment a little so it is not the same each time. If you enjoyed the appetizer during your visit in another house, get the recipe and learn how it was done.

Read more »

Double Salsa Burgers

Ingredients

1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped

½ cup finely chopped green sweet pepper

¼ cup finely chopped red onion

2 finely chopped, seeded jalapeno peppers

1 clove garlic, minced

1tablespoon snipped cilantro

¼ teaspoon salt

1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef

2 cups shredded lettuce

1/3 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

¼ cup dairy sour cream and/ or guacamole

Directions

1. For salsa, in a bowl combine with tomato, green sweet pepper, onion, jalapeno peppers, garlic, cilantro, and salt. Set aside tablespoons of the salsa. Cover and chill remaining salsa until serving time.
2. In another bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of the salsa; mix well. Shape mixture into six ½ inch-thick over patties. Grill patties in an uncovered grill directly over medium goals for 13 to 15 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in side of the patty registers 160 degrees F; turning patties once halfway through grilling time. Arrange shredded lettuce on individual plates. Top with burgers, remaining salsa and cheddar cheese. Serve with sour cream and/or guacamole. Makes 6 servings.

To grill by indirect heat: arrange the preheated coals around a drip pan in a covered grill. Test for medium heat above pan. Place patties on grill over drip pan. Cover and grill for 18 to 20 minutes or until no pink remains, turning patties once halfway through grilling time.

Make a-head tip: Prepare salsa; cover and chill up to 24 hours. Use 2 tablespoons salsa for burgers. Serve burgers with remaining salsa.

Read more »

Quick, Painless and Easy Camping Recipes

Camping now and then is good for you. The fresh air, the sky, the stars, and the trees are great breaks from the urban jungle that we live in. However, even though camping is a great activity it does pull you away with the technology that makes life a little convenient. The heater, the air-conditioning, the stove, etc. cannot be carried in a backpack. And as a result, you will have to contend with what you have with regards various activities like sleeping and cooking. However, camping does not mean you have to be tied with bland dishes. You can have a scrumptious meal with a few quick, painless camping recipes.

Some of the basic meals you can prepare during a camping trip include hard boiled eggs and bacons for breakfast. Fish or chicken partnered with some boiled potatoes for lunch or dinner would be a nice treat as well.

The key for camping recipes is simplification. You can get your favorite meal then get the core ingredients, think of how you can transport the ingredients in the smallest available storage space and you’re ready to go. Camp meals are all about how much you can carry comfortably in your backpack.. You’re not going to cook inside the convenience of your kitchen. But rather, you will be working outside, on the grass and using firewood or charcoal. With this in mind it would be best to keep your recipes simple. Make something that you will just have to place on a skillet or frying pan all the necessary ingredients and let it cook.

For example, you can add some flavor and zing to your bacon if you add some onions, salt and pepper and add milk and eggs. That may sound a bit weird but it tastes pretty good. Add potatoes or mushrooms (or both) for a fuller meal and you’ll have a hearty breakfast that will keep you pumped up until lunch.

When you plan to cook fish over an open camp fire, you might want to remember packing aluminum foil with you. The foil will help protect the fish from being burned. Camp fires, when you’re not used to it are not as easy to control as a burner stove where high, medium, and low heat can be set with a dial of a knob. Before you wrap your fish in foil, you can add some onions, pepper, and even garlic inside it to add flavor. If you have some lemon with you squeeze some on the fish. Remember to pack the aluminum foil and other non-biodegradable trash for that matter back with you if you don’t see any trash cans at your camp site.

Grilling is a good way to cook over a camp fire and a good way to interact with your family as well. It is a social activity during a camping trip that both the kids and adults seem to enjoy. You can grill hotdogs or roast marshmallows over the camp fire. But what you can also do is pack some sausages with you and grill them for dinner. Pack some buns and ketchup and mustard as well. Go with pre-cooked sausages. You will spend less time cooking them on the grill, since you’re basically just heating them.

A quick, painless camping recipe involves being prepared beforehand. When you bring your food with you during a camping trip, it is best, of course, to prepare them before hand for faster cooking. For example, if you are bringing vegetables make sure they have been cleaned and cut to the desired sizes.

This way you will have more time enjoying the food rather than preparing and cooking them.

Read more »

Quick and Easy Ways of Preparing Healthy Snacks

Today, people are more accustomed to having snacks due mainly to a fast living lifestyle. People just don’t have the time to sit down for a full and healthy meal so they try to get as much food as they can during meal time and try to cover all the gaps during snack time. So biscuits, fudge bars, candy bars, chips, and all sorts of unhealthy food gets through. Combined with an already stressful lifestyle, a poor diet can really takes it toll on your health. To avoid getting sick, why not substitute your snacks with healthy ones.

There are a number of quick and easy ways to prepare healthy snacks which you can do given that you have such a tight schedule. And even if you it appears that you have an uncompromising schedule, it would be best to slip in a few minutes each day to consider your health.

Now if you’re an adult you take responsibility for your own state of health, but if you’re kids are snacking as well, then the more you should be responsible for their health relies on your hands as well. In order for your kids to eat healthier snacks, what you should try to do first off is prepare something interesting.

Keep your kids and your self interested. If you find a banana ordinary, serve it with peanut butter or jelly. Make sure to keep colorful foods like apples, orange, and carrots part of your snack time. Search for healthy dips or fillings for sandwiches and even for rice cakes, carrot and celery sticks. Be inventive and look for other combinations that can spice up your healthy snack time.

Those packed of potato chips can be quite unhealthy so why not go with tortilla chips and a homemade salsa. By just combining tomato, and chili you can create a pretty awesome salsa. This beats the processed, too salty chips you buy off the supermarket shelf.

Fruit smoothies are pretty good snacks as well. You will have to prepare the fruits in advance. Place the fruits inside your freezer. When you crave for a snack, get a frozen banana, for example, and pour in milk and just blend. You can produce a really creamy drink.

If you want something heavy to match your smoothie, then why not prepare several pieces of ham, cream cheese and bell pepper slices. What you do is spread the cream cheese, this should be the fat free one, on top of the ham. Put a bell pepper slice on it and roll the ham. Or if you’re not a ham person, try baby carrots with hummus. Actually, you can dip other vegetables in your hummus as well. Cherry tomatoes and sliced red bell peppers are quite good when dipped into hummus.

A fresh salad is also a refreshing and very healthy snack. All you need is some romaine lettuce, slices of carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, a little bit of salt and pepper to taste or better yet just use vinaigrette. You might want to prepare the vegetables in advance if you want to have your salad faster. There are salad ready vegetable packs available in your neighborhood supermarket but can be quite pricy. It would be better if you prepare the vegetables yourself.

Now the key in this healthy snack routine is to keep your health snack near your reach at all times. When you begin to feel the urge to snack, you take your snack pack and start munching. This way you will not have the urge to buy that chocolate bar or a bag of chips from the vending machine. With the quick and easy ways of preparing healthy snacks, I don’t see why you have to resort to the unhealthy ones.

Read more »