Take Advantage of Summer’s Bounty.

Summer is a great time of year for baking and cooking because there are many possible activities available. Barbecues, family reunions, block parties, pool parties, and summer weddings are all possible summer activities where you can bring your own baked foods. What better time is there to show off your baking skills with some light summertime recipes that are the perfect ending for any festive celebration from a backyard cookout to a beach blowout?

Of course, summertime baking calls for a lighter hand with the sugars and fats, and if you are planning a day outside, food safety considerations are an absolute must. For more resources login on to www.300-chicken-recipe.com. Here are some of the things that you should consider when baking in the summertime.

Summer is not the time for elaborate cakes and recipes. Heat and humidity are the enemy for most kinds of frosting and glazes, and can make ruin most baked goods. Keep summertime baking on the light side too, sponge cakes and meringues are great summer dessert bases.

Whipped cream frostings and custard fillings are usually a poor idea for any outdoor event in the summertime. If you are unable to keep éclairs and cream puffs on ice for the duration of the event, save them for another time of year.

Instead of sweetening fruits with sugar, try adding spices and flavor enhancers like vanilla, cinnamon or lemon zest.

Fresh peaches, berries and melons are perfect desserts all by themselves, but if you want to go a little fancier, here are some tips for using fresh fruits in your summer baking. Riper fruits are juicier and sweeter, so you use less sugar to get the sweetness you want. Instead of sprinkling berries with sugar to ‘bring out the juice’, try macerating them in orange juice or a few tablespoons of liqueur. Mix berries or sliced peaches with a little bit of lemon juice, add water and cornstarch and boil until the fruit is soft and pulpy. You can also visit us at www.tailgatting-recipe.com. Strain off the liquid to use as glaze in fruit desserts, and puree the fruit to use in place of fat and sugar in cake recipes. Top meringue cakes or sponge cakes with fresh fruit and a spoonful of freshly whipped cream for the perfect summer dessert. There are a number of sugar substitutes on the market that have versions made expressly for baking, such as Splendid Sugar Blend, a natural sugar substitute. Any of these can be substituted for sugar in recipes on a one for one basis.

What would the 4th of July be without strawberry shortcake? This delicious item is a perfect dessert after a big meal of chicken, hot dogs and hamburgers. Can you imagine the family reunion without your family’s famous refrigerator cake? Some desserts are so associated with summer that it is hard to imagine having to give them up. Guess what? You don’t have to! These light summer recipes are reduced sugar versions of some favorite summertime classics. Sponge Cake is a perfect substitute for shortcake in strawberry or peach shortcake. The texture is light and airy, and the open grain lets it soak up juices and syrups.
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The Amazing Versatality of Wine

Want your dinner to be supremely festive? Then, instead of the still wines, offer a choice of Champagne and Sparkling Burgundy. An extra fillip, to backtrack a course or two, is to serve a special wine with the soup. This presents no problem: the wine that goes with any soup—so well, indeed, that the best canned soups already contain some—is Sherry.

When it comes to dessert, the choice is also easy, because most desserts are sweet, and so are dessert wines such as Port, Tokay, Muscatel, Cream Sherry, and the various berry wines. If you happen to encounter an especially delicious, extra-sweet Sauterne, you will enjoy that with dessert, too.

The members of my family like assorted cheeses at the end of a meal. We find that some of our guests enjoy a hearty dry red wine such as Cabernet Franc (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Cabernet%20Franc/) as the accompaniment, while others prefer red Port. Moving on to the bridge table, which also gets exercise some afternoons, there are many wines to sip between bids.

Cool White Port, Cream Sherry, the sweet Concord and berry wines, and those flavored specialties already mentioned are all especially popular here. A mixture of Sauvignon Blanc (http://www.wineaccess.com/wine/grape/Sauvignon%20Blanc/) and lemon juice became the standard afternoon bridge drink in one California suburban community a few years back.

For guests who just drop in casually, afternoon or evening, the bridge-table beverages will also do. In hot, stuffy summer weather, however, serve them either chilled Rose or a Wine Cooler. The latter can be anything you feel like mixing, from the simple spritzer (white wine and seltzer) to wine lemonade (lemonade with red wine or Rose added), to the various wine punches that you usually can pick up at your beverage store.

In recent years many people have discovered that any wine can be mixed with any kind of sweet soda pop (especially the lemon-flavored ones) and served as a delicious light highball. Wine for the barbecue is easily chosen. Again it is Rose or any red dinner wine. If you prefer to serve white wine with those sizzling, charcoal-broiled chickens, bring out a tub of ice to keep the bottles well chilled in hot weather.

The amazing versatility of wine extends to cold winter nights also. A traditional warmer-upper in the ski country is hot mulled wine: sweetened red wine such as Grenache or Pinot Noir spiced with cloves and lemon peel, warmed and served with cinnamon sticks. Also available are hot buttered wine, Sherry Tom and Jerry, and others for this purpose.

How about quantity punches for parties? The best known, of course, is Champagne Punch. But here we must protest; there can be no excuse for wasting good Champagne in a mixture where this effervescent wine loses its identity and where bubbles can be gotten much more cheaply from sparkling water.

Use still wines to mix the punch; then add club soda, and finally a single bottle of Champagne for the use of its glamorous name. Punch recipes, with ingredients such as sherbets, frozen concentrates, canned juices, and fresh fruits, are available by the score.

Superfood Menu Ideas: 2 Yummy Desserts

If you are planning a menu for a get-together, party, or just an upcoming family meal, you are faced with a lot of choices for what to serve. If you are like most people, preparation time, nutrition, budget, and taste are all factors to consider in your decision about what to prepare. And, choosing the right dessert can be even more of a challenge, since you would like to strike the right balance between calories and taste.

By choosing superfood-based desserts, you do not have to sacrifice taste for health. The term "superfoods" encompasses any number of super-nutrient-rich foods that treat the cells of your body well while going easy on your digestive system and at the same time bolstering your immune system. The class of foods known as superfoods includes certain types of greens (e.g., spirulina, algae, and chlorella), anti-oxidants, sea vegetables, probiotics, essential fatty acids, enzymes and herbs. All of these are excellent sources of healthy energy that your body craves. Eating superfoods regularly make you healthier by contributing to the creation of robust body tissues, better immunity against disease, and better cell regeneration.

Of course, what your dinner guests will mainly care about is the taste of the food you serve. That is why I have created the following two superfood-based desserts for you to try. The first is a raw chocolate pudding made with avocado (don't knock it until you've tried it!) that is very easy to make and is a real crowd pleaser. The second is a creamy banana-mint shake that will leave everyone feeling refreshed and energized. Here is how to add either of these delicious treats to your superfood menu:

Recipe #1: Raw Chocolate Pudding

Ingredients: Fresh Thai coconut, avocado, cacao powder, coconut oil, spirulina-based superfood powder, agave nectar. Equipment Needed: Vita-prep (or equivalent) blender.

Blend:
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1.5 cups of Thai coconut water (or substitute with purified water and add some extra agave)
- 1 avocado (make sure it is fully ripe)
- 2 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon cold-pressed coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon spirulina-based superfood powder

Chill before serving.

This dessert is a real treat for pudding lovers or anyone who likes chocolate but also appreciates a light treat that doesn't weigh one down after a large meal. Your guests will appreciate the great taste, and you can have fun revealing to them the healthy ingredients you used to make this sumptuous pudding. Totally smooth, creamy, fabulous!

Recipe #2: Banana-Mint Shake Paradise

Ingredients: Ripe banana, pure water, spirulina-based superfood powder, hemp seeds, herb-pharm peppermint extract. Equipment Needed: Blender.

Blend:
- 1 ripe banana peeled and frozen
- 1 cup pure water
- 2 tablespoons spirulina-based superfood powder
- 2 tablespoons hemp seeds
- 10 drops herb-pharm peppermint extract

Serves one, so multiply each quantity shown above by the number of people in your party. This is total body nutrition refreshment!

Nutrition starts at the family dinner table. Whether you are raising kids, living with your significant other, entertaining guests, or cooking for one, today you have more options than ever available to you concerning the food you serve. While cost is always a factor for most people when deciding what to serve, so are taste and speed of preparation. The next time you plan a healthy menu and are looking for a delicious dessert choice, try one of these superfood-based dessert recipes to round out your meal with a delightfully-sweet, nutritious taste that everyone will enjoy.

Alcohol The International Issue

The excessive use of alcohol is becoming a problem on a global scale, resulting in numerous social problems upsetting all walks of life. In northern Ireland the Chief Medical Officer – Dr Michael McBride has identified the extensive use of alcohol amid the younger generation. In Northern Ireland children as young as 11 are consuming alcohol and by the age of 16 it is believed four out of five teenagers will have had an alcoholic drink of some description. Dr McBride believes that the reason so many young people are turning to drink in Northern Ireland is to improve their social and sexual confidence and requests higher awareness of the damage that alcohol can do.

Regrettably excessive consumption of alcohol among teenagers is having a harmful impact on communities across Northern Ireland predominantly within urban areas. Within 2 years child crime has risen by approximately 20% mainly fueled by alcoholic consumption amid children as young as seven. In contrast, burglary, vehicle crime and criminal damage have seen little or no rise whereas alcohol-related offences have grown by as much as a third.

In Northern Ireland The Garda youth diversion programme has been put in place to try and curb this anti social behavior with some positive results. Children suspected of crimes under this system are given the chance to redeem themselves by compensating or saying sorry to victims. Around 60-70% of the children have not re-offended within the first year after being submitted into this venture.

Obviously these problems are not limited to Northern Ireland and across the globe countries are taking their own steps to combat the social impact of alcohol-related incidents.

In recent years millions have been invested on an annual basis by drink companies in Kenya on measures to tackle alcohol abuse, underage drinking and drink driving. Purchases of alcoholic beverages have increased rapidly and these companies have invested a lot in projects to try and decrease the sometimes negative impact. Advertising, warnings on bottle labels and bartender training are just some of the ideas that have been applied.

The National Alcohol Beverages Association of Kenya (Nabak) working alongside The Pubs Entertainment Restaurants Association of Kenya (Perak) have been guiding the drinking habits of Kenyans by persuading alcohol selling outlets to endorse sensible drinking. The result has been very positive seeing in a significant downward trend in underage drinking following recent campaigns.

Other countries are using other techniques in their fight to combat alcohol abuse. Australia has brought in restrictions in its Northern Territory, and in some towns photo identification must be shown when obtaining alcoholic drinks. These new measures have not gone down well with everyone and some publicans have been subject to abuse, but on the whole the general belief among retailers is that this is a positive step in the right direction in the battle against the increasing social problems related to alcohol.

5 Tips To Drinking Beer Responsibly

TDrink minimal quantities. If you find yourself drinking more than would be used in a social situation, alcoholism may be a lurking illness. The best way to avoid addiction is to drink minimal quantities and know when to stop.

TDrink beer at home. The best way to drink beer responsibly is to simply drink it at home. This will eliminate the danger associated with driving or getting into a confrontation with others.

TDo not drive. If you have consumed beer, it is best not to drive. Not only may it be illegal, but also dangerous. If you need to go somewhere, walk or have someone to take you.

TIf you are away from home and have been drinking, give your keys to a friend, designated driver or call someone to pick you up. If you need a ride home, you can call a friend, family member of even a taxi. Anytime that you are under the influence of alcohol, it is pertinent that you not attempt to operate an automobile. This could not only endanger your life, but those of others as well.

TNever leave your drink unattended in a public place. This is especially true of restaurants, bars and/or anywhere that alcohol is served. Leaving your drink unattended may leave you susceptible to someone placing a substance in your drink. If you get up to dance or go to the restroom, order a new glass of beer when you return. If you are just mingling, take your drink with you.

In the United States, an individual must be 21 years of age to purchase and/or legally consume beer. When purchasing alcohol, photo identification is required. This can be in the form of a driver’s license or other similar form of identification, which features a photo and birth date of the customer. A number of retail grocers, in the United States, prohibit the sale of beer before 12 . in the afternoon.

If you, or someone that you know, is believed to have a drinking problem, consult a local treatment center for diagnosis and therapy to help overcome the illness. Alcoholism is a disease that often requires professional medical care, which is why proper treatment is critical to its cure.

Soup's On!

Frigid winter nights call for the hot, steaming comfort afforded by a bowl of soup. The appeal of this entrée reaches as far back as the 16th Century, where there are recorded recipes from the American Colonies. A woman named Eliza Smith had written a book of recipes called "The Complete Housewife", and it was published by William Parks in Williamsburg, VA, in 1742. It had several recipes for soups and bisques.

Soup for sale was originated in Paris, France. It was an inexpensive meal sold by street vendors, called "restaure", and advertised as a remedy to combat physical exhaustion. An enterprising Parisian opened up a shop that specialized in these "restaures" in 1765, and were furthermore referred to as what we commonly call today, restaurants.

Soups vary by region, with what is available, and with the imagination of the chef who creates it. There are soups that can be used for either an entrée or appetizer, which are traditionally saltier and consist of either meat and vegetables, and perhaps rice or pasta, such as the ever popular Chicken Noodle or Vegetable Beef Barley, or just vegetables, such as in Minestrone. There are also dessert soups, such as Ginataan, which is a Filipino creation consisting of coconut milk, milk, fruit, and tapioca pearls. The French also have a creation called a Citrus Fruit Soup with Orange Crisps, created with Oranges, Clementines, Pear Syrup and Grand Marnier, among other ingredients.

Whatever your preference, winter is most definitely the time to curl up with a comforting bowl of soup, and enjoy the season.

The Wine Guild

The Guild was governed by a council of six: two ecclesiastics, two municipal representatives, and two wine-growers. These met before and after the vintage to fix the price of grapes and that of the new must; as far as it is possible to calculate such things, based on the relative cost of living then and now, these prices were more than double those of today. When the West Indies fleet was provisioned with wine, this was arranged by a quota system, rather than by free competition.

Worst of all, merchants were forbidden to accumulate large stocks; wine was therefore not matured long enough, and trade was lost because lack of stock caused delay in preparing the blends and drink coasters for shipment. The idea behind this extraordinary regulation was that such wine stores would divert profits from the hands of the growers into those of merchants, and that it would encourage speculation. The only large stores of old wine were in the possession of the Church and in a few private cellars.

These restrictions aimed at making the trade easy and profitable with a minimum of effort and competition, but in fact they had the opposite effect, and sherry shippers were unable to compete with wines grown elsewhere. Malaga, for instance, exported a rich, dessert wine not unlike sherry, and it became popular in Britain under the name of Mountain. This captured much of the available market for Spanish wines, and exports from Malaga were greater than those from either Cadiz or Sanlucar.

The restrictions of the Gremio were opposed by a number of merchants, notably by Juan Haurie. There was a lawsuit, and much acrimonious wrangling, not all of which was concerned with wine: the deputies were accused of spending too much on fireworks for the annual feast of San Gines, and on presents of chocolate and cocktails. But despite all the efforts of its opponents, the Guild continued until it was dissolved by Royal proclamation in 1834, after 101 years of disastrous existence.

By 1754, owing to the poor state of trade, there were only nine sherry shippers left in Jerez, and it is doubtful whether more than one of them was English. The solitary Englishman was John Brickdale, who was said to be a Freemason, in spite of which he was apparently on good terms with the local ecclesiastics. He was also a supporter of the church of St George at Sanlucar, though this does not necessarily mean he was a Catholic: perhaps he supported it simply because he was English.

Other English merchants, however, were trading in Cadiz and one of them at least--Henry Pickering--was also interested in exporting wine. In 1785, a Catholic family of Gordons arrived from Scotland and, by the turn of the century, they had become prominent in the wine frade. Haurie accumulated a number of British assistants at about the same time.

Haurie himself was a refugee from France, and he was joined by kinsmen and fellow-countrymen such as Pemartin, Domecq, and Lacoste, whose work was to do much to revive the sherry and table coaster trade. Other families of French origin still active in the Sherry trade include Lustau, Lacave and Delage. There was also an influx of capital from the Indies, brought back to Andalusia owing to political turmoil in the colonies.

Such English merchants as there were lived at Sanlucar, and the most prominent of these was Henry Stonor. As a younger son, he could expect no inheritance and, as a Catholic, no great career lay open to him in Britain. Like many other cadets of his family he chose to seek his fortune in a Catholic country. After finishing his schooling at Douai in 1760, he settled in Cadiz, carrying with him an official copy of his pedigree and arms, obtained from the College of Heralds.

After a few years, he married an English wife, Elizabeth Gardiner-Brown, and they settled in Sanlucar where Stonor built up an extensive business as a general merchant. He exported orange and lemon trees to stock the fashionable orangeries, together with broods of Spanish partridges and, of course, sherry. In return, he imported British saddlery and sporting dogs, specializing in greyhounds. One of his four sons took a temporary commission in the Spanish army and created a sensation by visiting his English relations resplendent in his striking uniform.

Other English residents in Sanlucar at that time included a Captain David Ferrier, whose precise occupation (if any) is uncertain, but he had a clerk named Gaspar Muclek and a butler named Joseph Colisons. In 1754, thirty-two English residents signed a petition to the Pope, concerning the appointment of a visitor to the church of St George. Probably only a few of these were connected with the wine trade.