Biscuit & Cookie: July 2012

Names For Black and White Dogs

Several pure breeds only grow black with white markings fur or vice versa. We will look at the breeds to find the most appropriate dog names. Here are some ideas for the remarkable and beautiful breeds.

The breeds that may grow only black and white fur are Bearded Collie, Border Collie, Boston Terrier, Bull Terrier, Dalmatian, Karelian Bear Dog, Polish Lowland Sheepdog, Polish Owczarek Nizinny, and Portuguese Water Dog.

Cookie

Bandit, Batman, Butler, Checkers, Dominos, Ninja, Oreo, Panda, Punisher, Superman, Tux, Tuxedo, Zebra, Zorro are possible best dog names which relates to black and white dog.

Panda and Zebra may also be good dog names, because the breed mimics the black and white markings of Panda and Zebra. The names may sound a little strange to call the dog as Panda and Zebra at first, because a dog is also another kind of animal.

Bandit is perfect name for predominant white face with black marks. It is like the breed is wearing a black mask. For example, Border Collie and Bull Terrier may have white face with black marks.

Checkers and Dominos are one of the classic games. Since the tiles or boards of the game are black and white, several owners use Checkers and Dominos as cute dog names. Traditionally, the Checkers are played in black and white checker board.

In Dominos, the players use rectangle tiles in white or black. If the tile is white, black spots appear on tile. If the tile is black, white spot appears on the tile.

Like the domino set, the Dalmatian grows majority white with black spots fur all over. That is why owners like the name to relate to spot. For example, Spot, Spotty, and Spot Fletcher are excellent English dog names for Dalmatian breed. The Former President George W. Bush named his English Springer Spaniel as Spot Fletcher. He coined the name from Scott Fletcher who was a professional baseball player.

A Ninja wears black or white suit. Therefore, Ninja can be an excellent name. Ninjas are expert in Ninjitsu which is Japanese martial arts. Often, Ninjas were paid to sabotage and espionage.

In formal event, men usually wears black suit called Tux or Tuxedo. Behind the Tuxedo, the men usually wear a white shirt. Thus, Tux and Tuxedo are options for names.

Butler often wears black Tuxedo and white shirt as a uniform. Butler is a male servant of a house. He may be in charge of several servants.

Hancock, Punisher, and Zorro are brave dog names which are the names of superheroes. They were black and white suit to hide their identities. Sometimes, Batman, Spiderman, and Superman wears black and white suit as well. Hancock is a superhero who possesses a super strength, immortal life, and flying ability. He losses his powers when he gets too close to his immortal wife.

Punisher is a vigilante superhero who kills, kidnaps, extorts, forces, and tortures as a tactics to fight crime. He became vigilante when gangs killed his family. With martial arts, sneaky tactics, guerrilla warfare, and strong firearms, he single-handedly fights the mobs and criminals.

Zorro is an outlaw who uses the sword to depend the people from abusive officials and villains. Zorro wears mostly black except for white long sleeve shirt. The hat, mask, pants, belt, boots, gloves, and cape are black. Nowadays, he wears black long sleeve shirt instead of white long sleeve shirt. He rides a black horse named Tornado.

Finally, Oreo is delicious snack which is a two black cookie with white cream in the middle. By dipping the snack in milk, the cookie softens, dissolves, and melts faster in your mouth.

These are great name ideas for black and white dog. We continue to gather and create name ideas for the breed. If you have name ideas, feel free to suggest. We will try our best to add in our database.

Names For Black and White Dogs

Dennis Estrada owns and operates good dog names and brave dog names website as a hobby.

The Good, the Bad, the Biscuit

The humble dog biscuit has been around forever in various shapes and sizes. This small treat has been responsible for training dogs almost as long as man has had that special relationship with his dog.

But what do you as a dog owner know about the humble dog biscuit?

Biscuit

How many should you give your dog during the course of an average day?

What ingredients area mixed into the treats we give our best friend every day?

Are the biscuits we give our dogs packed with Vitamins and minerals that will enhance our dogs health, or are full fat, sodium and sugar the unholy trinity?

Quality biscuits can be fed to your dog as a reward or treat a snack, or can simply be mixed with his meat as his main meal.

Most dog biscuits manufacturers will provide a FEEDING GUIDE such as follows;

Size of Dog Weight of Dog Daily Amount
Toy Up to 5 kg Up to 3 Biscuits
Small 6-10kg Up to 7 Biscuits
Medium 11- 22kg Up to 14 Biscuits
Large 23-35kg Up to 21 Biscuits
Very Large 36kg Plus Up to 24 Biscuits

You must remember that these figures are only a guide to consumption, an individual dogs requirements may vary depending on size, age and condition.

It is very important to always have fresh drinking water available for your dog 24/7.

Typical dog biscuit ingredients include, cereals, oils & fats, meat & animal derivatives, minerals, vegetable derivatives, some colorants and antioxidants.

If the dogs biscuits you buy do not show the ingredients, or worse still do not show oils, minerals or antioxidants then you should steer clear

When buying dog biscuits for your dog always read the food ingredients label. Quality dog biscuits manufacturers will show the Typical Analysis of the vitamins and minerals in the biscuit, such as follows.

Protein 10%
Oils & Fats 5.0%
Fibre 2.0%
Ash 4.5%
Vitamin A 4,500iu/kg
Vitamin D 450 iu/kg
Vitamin E 45mg/kg
Copper as copper sulphate 10mg/kg

It is important to point out that these vitamin levels start to reduce if the biscuits go past the Best Before date.

So you can see the humble dog biscuit can form an important part of any dogs diet, and it is important to be sure this food source is wholesome, nutritious and above all healthy.

The Good, the Bad, the Biscuit

If this information has been of use to you Sam Carter has produced a Dog Obedience e-book that will help solve the most common dog behavior problems quickly & easily.

To download it instantly visit [http://www.dogobedienceexpert.com]

Aussie Passionfruit Cheesecake Delight

Alright. There are many sensational cheescake recipes from around the world. Connoisseurs will, no doubt have enjoyed baked versus cold, French versus New York cheesecakes and many more as well. Perhaps you are looking for a refreshing change. Why not try this traditional, sensational Aussie cheesecake!

Ingredients

Biscuit

Filling

250 grams of reduced fat cream cheese (room temperature)

1 cup of reduced fat condensed milk (room temperature)

juice of two lemons

lemon zest from one lemon

1 cup whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Base

2 cups of finely crushed plain sweet biscuit crumbs

2 rounded teaspoons of cocoa powder

2-3 oz of melted butter

Topping

1 cup passionfruit pulp

2 rounded teaspoons of gelatin

2 oz of hot water

Directions

Base
1. Thoroughly mix biscuit crumbs, sifted cocoa powder and melted butter.

2. Press firmly into the base of greased cheesecake pan.

3. Place in the refrigerator to set whilst preparing the filling.

Plain biscuits can vary in butter content. If you find the base does not form a ball when squeezed in your fist, add a little more melted butter to ensure the base will hold together when cold.

Filling
1. In an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until softened and fluffy.

2. Add condensed milk, lemon zest and vanilla essence until well combined.

3. In a separate container, with very clean beaters, whisk the cream until firm peaks form. Set aside.

4. Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese and condensed milk mixture. Beat well. The lemon juice will start to react and cause the mixture to thicken.

5. On a very slow speed beat in the whipped cream until just combined.

6. Pour mixture onto chilled biscuit base.

7. Place cheesecake into the refrigerator for 3 hours to firm up.

Topping

1. Dissolve the gelatin powder in the hot water according to manufacturer's directions.

2. Mix dissolved gelatin into passionfruit pulp and place in the refrigerator in a small bowl.

3. When nearly set, but still pourable, pour passionfruit and gelatin mixture over the chilled cheesecase.

4. Return to the refrigerator and chill several hours before serving.

Aussie Passionfruit Cheesecake Delight

Kim Beardsmore M.B.A., B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is a writer for the online weight loss, health & fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For free resources, tips and healthy recipes to help you lose weight and gain energy, visit http://weight-loss-health.com.au

Shortening, Butter or Margarine - What is Best for Baking Cookies?

There is so much controversy about what is best to use for baking cookies. You may find yourself scratching your head trying to figure out this dilemma. Which one is healthier to use than the other? With a little research we can solve this dilemma.

First, what is shortening? It is a semisolid fat and refers to a hydrogenated vegetable oil. There is so much controversy about what is best to use for baking cookies. You may find yourself scratching your head trying to figure out this dilemma.Hydrogenation is a process of bubbling hydrogen through vegetable oil, changing its chemical structure. This process turns the liquid to a solid at room temperature and below. Shortening is 100% fat. Butter and margarine contain 80% fat. Hydrogenation produces trans fats, which are the unhealthy fats known to cause heart disease. The advantage of shortening over butter or margarine is its smoke point (higher temperature before burning). Another advantage is its has a higher melting temperature. During the baking process of cookies it helps dough hold its shape longer. This allows the flour and eggs to set, keeping the dough from spreading too much. There are some new shortening products on the market that contain no trans fats or very little.

Cookie

Second, what is margarine? Margarine is again made from vegetable oils and contains no cholesterol. Margarine is high the in good fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated), but contains some saturated fats. Some margarine is worse than others. Hydrogenation solidifies the margarine. The harder the margarine the more trans fats it contains. Trans fat raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower the levels of good cholesterols, which makes it worse than saturated fat. Tub margarine is lower in trans fats than stick margarine.

Third, we all know that butter is created from a dairy cow's milk cream fat. Being that, it is animal fat, which is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol. Butter and margarine are equal in calories and fat. Each contains about 35 calories and 4 grams of fat per teaspoon. Butter is believed to contain traces of hormones and antibodies fed to the dairy cows. On the bright side butter contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.

OK, now that you are confused now more than ever let's compare. Margarine is better than butter when it comes to our heart, but falls flat in the flavor department. Butter also adds a creamy texture. Shortening helps to keep your cookies from deflating or spreading out, but again it does not enhance the flavor. In fact shortening has no flavor. If you are a fluffy cookie fanatic use half shortening and half butter. You get the raised cookie with the buttery flavor.

Finally, what should you use, salted butter or unsalted butter. Salt in butter acts as a preservative, so butter won't turn rancid when left out at room temperature. The down side is you are adding extra salt to your recipe. The problem with reducing salt in a recipe to substitute for salted butter is different brands of butter has different salt contents. The rule of thumb is when using salted butter reduce the salt added ½ teaspoon per cup of salted butter. The purist baker will always use unsalted butter. That way they can be in control of the salt being added to the recipe. Salt in butter is also believed to add flavor, overpowering the sweet butter taste, and mask butter odor.

When it comes right down to the decisions between shortening, margarine, salted butter or unsalted butter is a personal preference. But at least with information we can make an informed decision. The best way to decide what is best for you is experiment. Try different ways to bake cookies and have fun. As they say, "The journey is the best part of the trip."

Shortening, Butter or Margarine - What is Best for Baking Cookies?

Our web site is all about baking delicious cookies, like the peanut butter cookie recipe [http://www.herecookiecookie.com] and her list of baking supply products. We give you all the kitchen utensils and recipes you will need to be a successful baker.

Frank H. Carter, [http://www.herecookiecookie.com]

Welding Pot Metal - Tips For How to Tig Weld it With HTS-2000, Aladdin 3 in 1, Or Durafix

Welding pot metal is not as hard as people say, but it is not as easy as you might think...unless you know the tricks.

Pot metal is used for all kinds of cheap trinkets like figurines, cookie cutters, hole punch handles and especially old automotive window crank handles. The problem with welding this kind of stuff is that sometimes the effort that goes into welding it is just not worth it. But there are some things made from pot metal that are worth fixing. Some of the ones that come to mind are antiques, old classic car parts like trim and ornaments, and grandmas old cookie cutter that is not worth anything but has sentimental value.

Cookie

Pot metal is made from aluminum, zinc, copper and possibly a few other low melting point metals in various combinations. It's also referred to as Die Cast metal.

It's the zinc that makes it a pain to weld because zinc has such a low melting point and also tries to out-gas when tig welded. But It can be welded with few problems if you know how.

The 3 main welding rods are :

HTS-2000
Durafix
Alladin 3 in 1

These rods are advertised to be able to weld using only a small hand held propane torch. That is actually brazing, not welding, but the sales guys at boat shows are really impressive when they braze repair big holes in beer cans.

But these Zinc aluminum brazing rods can also be used to Tig Weld Pot Metal.

If you are pretty decent at tig welding aluminum, you can surely read this article and do OK tig welding this stuff too.

Generally, pot metal parts are pretty clean so only a minor bit of grinding is required before welding. Usually the problem is that something just broken off clean. If that's the case, a little grooving out of the crack will permit enough penetration for a strong joint. Remember, if it's an ornamental piece, and its broken because someone dropped it, Its going to break again if its dropped again no matter how deep you penetrate the weld, so take it easy on the penetration.

You need an A/C tig welding machine with high frequency start. Most jobs can be welded with a small 1/16 inch tungsten electrode with a blunt taper on the tip. Set the amperage to only about 80 amps and you probably wont even need near that much.

Tig weld it just like you would aluminum except that you will only weld for about 5 or 10 seconds at a time before stopping to let it cool. Just when it gets to flowing good. STOP! Its about to melt and fall in your lap. That is the best tip around for welding this stuff.

Stop often and let cool.

Welding Pot Metal - Tips For How to Tig Weld it With HTS-2000, Aladdin 3 in 1, Or Durafix

Jody Collier's web articles on subjects like welding pot metal are full of Down and Dirty welding tips. For TIG, MIG, STICK welding tips along with a buttload of other welding information, visit http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/
And while you are soaking in some welding tips, take a minute and sign up for "Welding Videos Reviewed" a weekly video newsletter.

Key to Starting Your Own Clothing Company

Starting your own private label clothing company is not as difficult as you may think. I assure you that the founding members of Volcom, Paul Frank, Hurley and Von Dutch, are not mad geniuses of fashion. You can duplicate their rise to brand stardom provided that you have the following:

1. A decent logo

Biscuit

2. Creative concepts and graphics - Design Talent

3. A unique, blank apparel supplier

4. A decent screen printer

5. A Line Sheet to show potential buyers

6. Sales and promotional talent.

Which do you think is most important? Its obviously design talent you say? Are you Joking? You must be joking. Have you stepped out of the house recently? Have you seen Von Dutch clothing? Crayon weilding Chimpanzes produce better designs. Furthermore, I imagine the monkeys are more sanitary, but I digress.

#6 is clearly the most important element. You can create an entire line of fashion forward, beautiful clothing but if you can't pitch it - no one will ever see it (excluding your mom of course). So, unless you want a closet full of your fantastic designs, ask yourself the following two questions:

Can I sell?

In other words......can I hit the pavement with my line sheet and walk into every boutique clothing store I can find? Then will I harass the hell out of retail clothing store buyers so that they'll try to squeeze 5 minutes of time in for me at Magic 06' (Clothing Convention) ?

Will I be able to make a professional presentation to a Nordstroms buyer?

Can I promote?

Do I have and creative viral or gureilla marketing ideas to get this label kickstarted?

If the answer to both of these questions is No - you better get some help. Namely, find someone passionate for fashion who also happens to be ridiculously outgoing, great on the phone and aggressive as hell. Lastly, (and superficially) it would help if your sales rep is hot.

I know, how horrible.....so sorry, buy I didn't say anything about this being an equal opportunity blog :)

That being said, let me welcome you the shallow end of the pool..... i.e. the fashion world.

Good luck with your label!

Key to Starting Your Own Clothing Company

Bradley J

Fashionable Wholesale Clothing

Terrier Mix Dogs - Treats For Training

Terrier mix dogs are filled with tremendous energy. They're smart, fun and can be a little cheeky at times. Just watching them play in the backyard or in the park is a joy in itself. There is a time to let loose, play and release the abundant energy. There is also a time to be well mannered and your furry friends should understand that. No jumping all over you when they're about to get their favorite treat. No running circles around your legs while you're walking down the sidewalk. No chewing the furniture, your best shoes and ripping the trash apart. So, how do you accomplish all this? By using the worst kept secret, **treats.**

You see terrier mix dogs thrive in a well structured environment. Meaning, the use of treats should only be as a reward for a job well done. I know I know, everyone loves giving treats to their furry family members. Just the reactions and the look in their eyes when your furry friends are about to receive a treat is enough to break the rules from time to time. However. you need to resist that temptation. Why? Dogs that get treats for free are prone to behavioral challenges in the future because they are more likely to misinterpret their rank in the home and become disobedient. Now that is clearly not what you want, right? Of course not...

Biscuit

Ok, so let's start with the different kinds of treats. Some of the more common treats are biscuits, cookies, greenies, and meaty treats. Terrier mix dogs see treats in varying levels of appeal, just as we do. A biscuit is an all right treat but a piece of meat or cheese is next to heaven. The command that you're giving should support the treat and its level of appeal.

There are studies to show that the size of the treats holds little relevance in how quickly terrier mix dogs learn. So, make the treats small so you can get more time out of training and hold your furry friends' attention that much longer. Remember, you didn't learn how to walk and talk over night. Training your pets will take repetition, understanding and lots of love.

Terrier Mix Dogs - Treats For Training

Jay F. Sabree loves his dogs and enjoys sharing what he's leaned over 25 years of caring and training his pets. Visit Terrier Mix Dogs Click Here [http://terriermixdogs.pictureshosted.com] for some excellent tips.

Cake and Cookie Baking Tips for Beginners

Are you new to baking cakes and cookies? Not sure how to read and follow recipes? Here are some baking tips to get you started.

All ingredients should be at cool room temperature.

Cookie

Unless the recipe states otherwise, use unsalted butter. If you have only salted butter on hand, reduce the amount of salt in the recipe by 1/4 teaspoon per stick of butter. Use regular butter, not whipped, and don't substitute margarine unless the recipe gives it as an alternative.

Unless otherwise stated, eggs used in baking recipes should be the large size.

Use dry measures for dry ingredients and wet measures for liquid ingredients. Measuring cups for dry ingredients come in individual sizes (1/4 cup, 1/3 cup, 1/2 cup, 1 cup). You fill the cup completely with the flour or other dry ingredient and level it off. Liquid measures are marked with lines for various amounts (1/3 cup, 4 ounces, etc.), with some space at the top so the liquid doesn't spill. You pour the liquid in up to the desired line.

To measure flour, stir up the flour, then swoop the measuring cup into the flour, and level the flour even with the top of the cup using a knife or the side of your hand. To measure sugar or cocoa, spoon it into the cup. To measure brown sugar, spoon it into the cup and pack it down with the back of the spoon. When measuring sticky ingredients such as molasses or honey, lightly oil the inside of the cup first.

You must sift flour for cakes and confectioners' sugar when you're using it in icing. For cakes, sift the flour, measure it, then sift it again with the dry ingredients. You don't need to sift flour for pies or most cookies.

Chocolate must be melted over low heat or it will burn. You can melt it in the top of a double boiler (a pan with two parts; the top sits in the bottom pan, which contains boiling water). You can also put it in a microwave-proof container and heat on 80 percent power for 1 minute. It should still be lumpy when you remove it; keep stirring until it is smooth. If it is still lumpy, return it to the microwave and heat in 10-second increments on 80 percent power until smooth.

To cream butter (with or without the sugar), beat it at high speed on an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until it is fluffy.

If a recipe tells you to fold in egg whites or cream, it means to spoon the egg whites or cream over the batter, then move a rubber spatula in a circular motion from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the batter, "folding" in the whites or cream. You can also use a wire whisk to gently whisk in the eggs or cream.

Use the size of pans indicated in the recipe.

Always turn the oven on for at least 15 minutes before you will be using it, so it has time to reach the proper temperature.

Baking (cookie) sheets come with and without sides. Some recipes refer to a baking sheet with sides as a jelly-roll pan. Cookies bake the most evenly on a cookie sheet without sides, but it's OK to use one with sides.

Space drop cookies at least 1 1/2 inches apart on the baking sheet so they have room to spread.

Most cookies should cool on the baking sheets for a minute or two to "set" before they're removed to wire racks to cool completely. Cakes should cool completely in the pan before being inverted onto a plate or cardboard round. Run a knife between the cake and the sides of the pan first to loosen it.

Cake and Cookie Baking Tips for Beginners

Virginia (Ginger) Van Vynckt is a longtime food writer, cookbook author, and webmaster of MakeGreatCookies.com, a site devoted to cookie baking and decorating.

Easy Dutch Oven Recipes - Getting Started Cooking With Your Dutch Oven

Dutch Oven cooking is fun and easy. Dutch oven recipes are abundant and adapting them from your favorite home recipes is easy. With a little experience you'll find that it is fairly simple to cook with your Dutch oven. Here are some easy Dutch oven recipes to try:

Easy Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash

Biscuit

1 lb. Bacon or sausage

2 lbs frozen potatoes (shredded or southern style)

1 dozen eggs

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Cut bacon/sausage into smaller pieces (about 1"). Cook the bacon or sausage in the Dutch oven. Add potatoes, cover with lid with coals on top. Cook until potatoes are done, stirring occasionally. Mix eggs together in a bowl and pour on top of potatoes. Replace lid with coals on top and cook until eggs are done (shouldn't need a long time if the lid is hot). When eggs are done, sprinkle cheese on top, replace lid and bake until cheese is melted. Serve as is, or wrap spoonfuls in warmed flour tortillas to make breakfast burritos (provide salsa).

Easy Dutch Oven Taco Pie

1 ½ lbs. Ground beef

1 medium jar of taco sauce

6 large corn tortillas

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz can of tomato sauce

Brown the ground beef and drain it. Mix the taco sauce and tomato sauce. Line the Dutch oven with tin foil and put 3 tortillas in the bottom. Put ½ of the ground beef on the tortillas and cover with ½ of the sauce. Put 3 more tortilla shells on top, and put the remaining ground beef and sauce on top of those tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the Dutch oven, place a few coals on top, and bake until the cheese is melted. You could also add onions, olives, mushrooms for some variety.

Easy Dutch Oven Au Gratin Potatoes

8-10 potatoes, sliced thin

2-3 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine

2-3 medium onions, sliced thin

15 oz can of cheese soup

¼ cup milk

½ cup cracker or bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheese

Put a little oil in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Put a layer of potatoes in the bottom and brush with the melted butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Add a layer of sliced onions. Continue the layering with potatoes and onions as described until all have been used. Mix the soup with the milk and pour over the top. Sprinkle the top with the bread or cracker crumbs. Add any additional desired seasonings. Put Dutch oven over 6-8 briquets and 16-18 briquets on top. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the top with the shredded cheese. Replace lid and let the cheese melt-shouldn't take long.

Easy Dutch Oven Cowboy Stew

4 potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 can of corn

1 can of peas

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 can of green beans

1 can of baked beans

1 can of tomato soup

Bay leaf

Brown ground beef and onions. Add all other ingredients (don't drain the cans). Add bay leaf and any other desired seasonings, such as salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done.

Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Bread

4 cans of refrigerated tube biscuits

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup of sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

Cut each biscuit into 4 pieces. Mix the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a zip-lock bag. Put the biscuit quarters in the bag and shake until they are all well-coated. Place the biscuit pieces in the bottom of the Dutch oven. Melt the butter and then pour over the biscuit quarters (you can do this with another pan, or you can use the inverted lid of the Dutch oven to melt the butter). Put 6-8 coals underneath Dutch oven and 14-15 on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

Each of these is a quick and easy Dutch oven recipe and will help you get started with Dutch oven cooking. Have fun!

Easy Dutch Oven Recipes - Getting Started Cooking With Your Dutch Oven

Scott Carey enjoys all types of outdoor cooking, including Dutch oven cooking. See http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com for more Dutch oven cooking tips.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe - How to Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar

Cream of tartar is an age old ingredient, found in just about any Snickerdoodle recipe. The common household baker rarely knows what cream of tartar is, let alone has this acidic based salt in their spice cupboard. Suffice it to say you can still enjoy delicious Snickerdoodles even though you may not have any on hand. You may even find you like the end results better with a simple common substitution.

Cream of tartar is commonly used in conjunction with baking soda when making Snickerdoodle cookies. Baking soda is the leavening agent while cream of tartar has no leavening qualities at all. It is the acidic counterpart that allows the baking soda to react and not leave a bitter taste in the cookie after it is baked. Baking soda must always be used with an acid based food such as buttermilk, yogurt, fruits, and cream of tartar. A Snickerdoodle recipe usually calls for two parts cream of tartar to one part baking soda. However, in the absence of cream of tartar you can replace this two to one formula with baking powder.

Cookie

Baking powder is also a leavening agent. It produces a gas during the baking process that raises the baked good in the oven. Baking powder makes a good substitution in this recipe because it is conveniently made of baking soda, cornstarch, and cream of tartar. If you have baking powder in your cupboard, then you have the cream of tartar necessary to make Snickerdoodles. However, although you can substitute baking powder in your Snickerdoodle recipe, you may arrive at a different finished result. It will taste every bit as good as you want it too, you will find that it is a thicker cookie that has spread less in the oven during the baking period. Since most people find this favorable in a cookie then it should not be a problem. If you have always enjoyed thinner, crispier Snickerdoodles, then stick with the original formula that uses cream of tartar. Whether you are using the baking soda cream of tartar combination or the baking powder alone, you will make a crackled, spicy, sweet treat enjoyed by all.

Try these Snickerdoodle cookie recipes: one with cream of tartar and one without to see which one you prefer the most.

Snickerdoodle Cookie Recipe - How to Make Snickerdoodles Without Cream of Tartar

Try these Snickerdoodle cookie recipes: one with cream of tartar and one without to see which one you prefer the most.

Fur Real Friends - Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup Reviews

Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup is one of the best selling toys this holiday season. It's a gift that the whole family will enjoy. It's cute and cuddly and every bit as adorable as a real puppy. It has all of the cool things you like about having a pet with none of the hard work associated with cleaning up after your pet.

This holiday season kids and their parents will enjoy playing with the oversized Biscuit My Lovin Pup. This toy will surely bring the family together for many hours of fun.

Biscuit

Is it expensive? Not really, some stores sell it for close to 0.00, but many have it on sale for under 0.00. I believe it's worth every dime. This is really a lovable toy that is almost life-like. It listens to your commands with it's voice recognition feature.

This adorable plush puppy has a soft coat and glossy, pleading eyes and looks just like a real dog. You better get used to his three different barks and a whole range of movements that are playful and affectionate. Fur Real Friends Biscuit My Lovin Pup comes with a real collar, a bone-shaped treat to share, and a brush for smoothing out his silky fur, Fur Real Friends Biscuit is ready to be part of the family. When you play with him, he will quickly start wagging his tail and making happy puppy noises. He has all of the qualities of a real puppy with none of the training work required.

You will soon fall in love with this new pet toy and if you feel so inclined you can even adopt him. Biscuit comes with an adoption certificate to make kids feel like real pet owners.

Some of the Unique Features of Biscuit this fun-filled holiday toy are:

* This lovable mutt has voice recognition, and obeys six commands, including, "Sit", "Speak", and "Lie down"

* Ask your furry friend to give you his paw and he'll raise his right or left paw.

* Ask him if he wants a treat, and he'll nod and whimper to let you know he's ready for his dog "bone"

* Biscuit my lovin' pup pet will even "shake" at your command, lifting his paw to your hand or sit up and beg, just like a real puppy would.

* Biscuit my lovin' pup pet also wags his tail and barks, too, to let you know he's ready to play

* With the special adoption certificate you can register your pet online and ensure that you and this adorable pup will be friends forever

Just think of all the wonderful memories to be had this holiday season. This is a toy buying decision you will be happy you made, especially because your kids will have a very memorable holiday experience.

Fur Real Friends - Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup Reviews

For more information on where to buy FurReal Friends [http://www.holidaytoygiftguide.info/FurRealBiscuit] Biscuit My Lovin' Pup click here.

Old-Fashioned Biscuit Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make

Do you remember those big, fluffy, delicious biscuits that you enjoyed eating at grandma's house? I sure do. I remember the big old wood cookstove in my grandma's kitchen and the delicious biscuits that were always sitting in the "warmer" area. No matter the time of day, there were always biscuits at the ready in grandma's kitchen! I grew up in the midwest where we had some mighty cold winters. One of the best things to do was to sit in grandma's kitchen where the heat from the big old cookstove made it the warmest room in the house. So if you are like me and have wonderful memories of sitting in grandma's kitchen eating a homemade biscuit slathered with hand-churned butter and homemade jam, you might want to try one of these old-fashioned biscuit recipes.

BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Biscuit

5 cups flour

3/4 cup shortening or lard

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp sugar

1 pkg yeast

1/3 cup warm water

2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift dry ingredients together into large bowl. Cut shortening into flour mixture. Add buttermilk and yeast that's been dissolved in the warm water. Mix with a spoon until all the flour is moistened. Cover and set in refrigerator till ready to use. Take out as much dough as needed. Roll out on a floured board to 1/2" to 3/4" thick. Cut using a biscuit cutter or small glass. Bake 12 minutes until browned. Keep unused dough in refrigerator for use the next day.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS

2 cups flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

2 tsp sugar

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Using two knives, cut in shortening until crumbly. Add milk and mix in well. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut with a biscuit cutter. Bake at 400 degrees for fifteen to twenty minutes.

Enjoy!

Old-Fashioned Biscuit Recipes Like Grandma Used to Make

Linda collects vintage recipes and enjoys sharing them with others. You can visit her vintage recipe blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information visit her website at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com

Easy Dutch Oven Recipes - Getting Started Cooking With Your Dutch Oven

Easy Dutch Oven Mountain Man Hash

Biscuit

1 lb. Bacon or sausage

2 lbs frozen potatoes (shredded or southern style)

1 dozen eggs

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Easy Dutch Oven Taco Pie

1 ½ lbs. Ground beef

1 medium jar of taco sauce

6 large corn tortillas

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese

8 oz can of tomato sauce

Easy Dutch Oven Au Gratin Potatoes

8-10 potatoes, sliced thin

2-3 Tbsp. Melted butter or margarine

2-3 medium onions, sliced thin

15 oz can of cheese soup

¼ cup milk

½ cup cracker or bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheese

Easy Dutch Oven Cowboy Stew

4 potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 can of corn

1 can of peas

1 can of stewed tomatoes

1 can of green beans

1 can of baked beans

1 can of tomato soup

Bay leaf

Brown ground beef and onions. Add all other ingredients (don't drain the cans). Add bay leaf and any other desired seasonings, such as salt and pepper. Cook until the potatoes are done.

Easy Dutch Oven Cinnamon Bread

4 cans of refrigerated tube biscuits

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 cup of sugar

4 tsp cinnamon

Each of these is a quick and easy Dutch oven recipe and will help you get started with Dutch oven cooking. Have fun!

Easy Dutch Oven Recipes - Getting Started Cooking With Your Dutch Oven

Scott Carey enjoys all types of outdoor cooking, including Dutch oven cooking. See http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com for more Dutch oven cooking tips.

Homemade Biscuit Recipe

The following recipe is what is called making biscuit's from scratch - My Grandmother made them like this, but mother was lazy and opted for the canned variety - that we all know taste, well not that great.

Making biscuits from scratch is not hard at all - it takes us about 20 minutes from beginning to out of the oven and ready to eat. They taste so much better and you can have quality time with the kids making them - Why? Because there is a cookie cutter involved and it's like working with Play-Doh!

Biscuit

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups of all-purpose flour (never really tried anything else)

3 teaspoons of baking powder

½-teaspoon salt

½ cup of shortening (Crisco)

1-cup milk (we use buttermilk)

Cooking Directions:

Preheat Oven to 450 F. degrees

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using blender, cut shortening into flour until consistency of course meal. Pour in milk; stir with fork until mixture leaves sides of bowl and forms a soft moist dough, toss lightly until no longer stocky, Roll out to ½ inch thick, and cut with 2-inch floured cookie cutter. Place on un-greased cookie sheet. Bake biscuits in oven on middle or top rack at 450 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Serve hot with butter and favorite jams and jelly or honey. Makes about 12-15 biscuits.

For snacks throughout the morning leave the left over biscuits plated on the top of the stove, and they can ad peanut butter, or their favorite spreads for a mid morning treat.

Homemade Biscuit Recipe

Jon and his wife Rena write for many ezines but share a passion for recipes. There website for free recipes is called Spring Texas Recipes and we invite you to come and see all the wonderful and free ideas for making great family meals. Also explore the rest of what Spring TX has to offer.

How to Plan a Terrific Train Themed Birthday Party

So your kids love trains huh? There are lots of wonderful decorating ideas for your train themed party that will keep your party on the right track (pun intended). Most times on of the first things that you would consider is where you would love to host the train party. Well, hosting the part at your home is a very good option because you will have a little more freedom with the decorating and food choices. Although a lot of parents usually prefer to host the part at another venue, so you may consider these two options for your train theme party:

i. Park

Cookie

ii. Playground

So What Do I Need in Order to Host a Successful Train Theme Party?

You will need to get the basic party supplies such as:

Paper tableware such as plates, cups, cutlery and napkins

Table cloth

Balloons

Streamers

Please note that you can use themed tableware supplies in order to give your party a little something extra. There are lots of stores that sell train party supplies on the internet and in the local shopping malls.

You can also decide to stick with the basic or go on to add other things that would really go well for your theme. For instance, for a train themed party, you want to consider buying or renting the following items:

Toy trains on tracks

Colorful train pinata

Conductor bandannas and hats

Train themed movie

Train cake pan and or cookie cutters

As you are thinking of getting the party supplies for your kid's party, ensure that you also pay close attention to the invitations you are sending out. If you have time to make the invites yourself, here are a couple of ideas to help you. You can design the invites to look a lot like train tickets, you can even include seat assignments in order to make it a lot of fun. If your child is a great fan of a train cartoon character such as Thomas the Tank Engine, you can scan the picture of the character onto the invites and then add a bubble that reads Welcome aboard for (the name of your child)'s birthday party! Then write all the party details inside. You can also come up with creative wording for your party details.

Decorating Ideas

Make cardboard train tracks that lead to the party area

Make colorful cardboard train complete with wheels and set it in the front yard or in the middle of the party area.

You can hang a banner to in the main entrance that reads Welcome Aboard (your child's name)'s Party Train

You can also cut out various kinds of railroad crossing sign using poster boards or card boards. Use different colors and style and then hang the signs all around the party area.

Use train themed balloons to complete the decor.

Party Favors

You can easily save time by purchasing a complete train party favor sets or personalized train favors. However, creating your own is rather simple and can include the following items: Train stickers, Candy, Trained themed DVD, Train whistle, Toy train, etc

Remember that planning a party should not be a chore it should be fun. There is lots of information and ideas online to read through. Use that information and plan a great party!

How to Plan a Terrific Train Themed Birthday Party

Thor has created a website all about Train Party Supplies. His site includes everything from train decorations to party games. Check out his site for more help planning your train party!

Emotional Eating: You Can't Stop It, So Use It!

Did you have tuna, egg whites and spinach blended with flax oil for breakfast? No?

You're not alone. For those us living in the developed world where food is in plentiful supply, rarely do we eat for just nourishment and sustenance.

Biscuit

So if we're not eating for the logical reasons we should be, why are we eating?

If you've ever eaten something for the taste, as a celebration, as a commiseration, because you were angry, lonely, stressed or even just plain bored.... you are one of many people whose eating habits are ruled by their feelings and emotions. You are an Emotional Eater!

If you've ever avoided eating something and felt good about not eating it, you're ALSO an emotional eater.

You see, we should not view our food as a reward or punishment... and neither should we judge ourselves as good or bad for what we have or have not eaten.

How did you become an emotional eater?

You develop your relationship with food from the moment you start to eat and are able to 'ask' for food... and the people around you at this time in your life are a big influence too.

Were you ever rewarded for good behaviour by a biscuit?

Were you ever punished by not being allowed to have any sweets (or even dinner!)

Did you family celebrate successes with a big meal with all the trimmings?

No-one intends to do it, but very often our relationship with food is damaged when we are very young by those closest to us. We learn that food is a reward! We attach feelings of self-worth, success, comfort and achievement to eating, in particular, to eating 'treats'.

Unfortunately, like most quick fixes, the gratification derived from comfort eating is soon followed by a sense of guilt and feeling like a failure, which triggers low mood - which in turn triggers the need to comfort through eating.

There seem to be a lot of 'fixes' for emotional eating out there... but can they really work?

After all, emotions and food are inexorably linked in our everyday life, from when you feel good for NOT going into McDonalds for a big mac meal to how nice it is for your significant other to buy you chocolates or take you for a nice meal....

So if someone says they can get you to quit the emotional treadmill be very skeptical... chances are they're not just going to stop you eating, they're going to have stop you feeling too - and who wants that? Life is for living and enjoying, feeling the highs and the lows and connecting with people. Feelings and emotions are great!

We can, however, work on our emotional eating and fine tune it to our advantage... just like someone who loves dance goes and takes dancing lessons to become a better dancer, we can do some homework on our eating patterns and become better eaters!

Emotional Eating Re-work Step One: Spice up your life!

Make sure you have enough rewards, enjoyment and comfort in your life before you even think about food. Despite what you may think, we have a limit on how much comfort and reward we need in order to feel satisfied, and hey, you're not a BAD person, are you? Why not simply work some rewards into your life as a NORMAL thing to have... that way you won't be left with any food swallowing voids. If there is a void, it means you didn't get enough of what you needed and the person in control of that? YOU!

Here are some examples... have a weekly massage, try a new treatment every week at the beauty salon, go to the cinema, have a day out, get a taxi home, leave your washing at the launderette, see your friends, make something, get a hobby, get a pet, get a pen pal, buy some new makeup....

You'll be able to think of many more things that relate more closely to what is a treat FOR YOU. Make a list and take action now... from you list, how many of those things can you do: daily, once a week, once a month?

Now set to work and get them scheduled! Book appointments, write them in your diary, shop for anything you need, make the phone calls.

You must do this now, or straight after reading this article, or old habits will take over and you'll go and sit on the sofa with a tea and a biscuit. Believe me! Unless you do it now, you won't do it!

Emotional Eating Re-work Step Two: Plenty of fish in the sea!

Or plenty of other food that could go in the cupboard. Maybe you can't have the food you're currently in love with, but there are many others that are just as good... and good for you too!

The second thing you can is realize that it's ok to eat for pleasure, but it's not ok to fill your precious, only-get-one-so-must-look-after-it body, with junk.

Take a pen and make a list of your top 10 comfort foods, things you eat when bored, alone, tired or stressed, happy or sad. You know what they are!

(Only 10!)

Now write another list of 10 things, these items are to be foods that you like, AND that are good for you... for example, strawberries, dark chocolate, dried fruits, cashew nuts etc.

If you need to, imagine you are walking down the aisles of your local supermarket and use this to help jog your memory of the thousands of foods there are out there.

Keep going until you have 10. Really work on this list!

Once you have your ten, make sure that you have them available in your cupboards at all times. Never let them run out! Go shopping immediately or order them online!

The items on your first list, your top 10 junk items, are not allowed in your house. You may bump into them when you're out and about, but that's ok. Just not at home!

Now when you need a 'comfort treat', you'll need less of a boost because you're already treating yourself like the special person that you are with other non-food delights... and when you do go cupboard searching, you'll find foods that are GOOD for your body as well as good for your soul...

... and emotional eating has now become less of an enemy and food is once again something you can feel free to enjoy!

Emotional Eating: You Can't Stop It, So Use It!

Joanne Milsom is a leading Personal Trainer and Diet Coach who has helped thousands of people achieve their goals over the last decade. She is the author of the book Dumbells Are A Girl's Best Friend and creator of The 8 Week Diet Programme.

If you're looking to lose weight, you can find more information about The 8 Week Diet here: http://www.8weekdiet.co.uk or you can contact Joanne directly at info@8weekdiet.co.uk

Gourmet Gift Basket Idea

If you are running on a tight budget and are looking for gift ideas, then why don't you make up a gift basket? There are numerous occasions where we receive gifts that we either don't want or gifts that will be left in a cupboard for years. It is always nice to receive a useful gift that everyone can enjoy. A gift gourmet basket idea can be made up of many different items and here are just a few ideas to help you along. Here is a list of useful basket gift ideas:

• A rustic gift basket idea. Find a wooden wine case and varnish it with an oak varnish. Fill the case with fresh straw or silk or even crepe paper and fill the crate with two or three bottles of good red or white wine, a tub of liver pate, a tub of deer pate and wild boar pate, a smoked duck, a tub of onion pate and some jars of wine jelly. You can also add some savory crackers or fresh Italian bread rolls. Add a chocolate or two as well. Sprinkle some decorative confetti and wrap the box in cellophane wrapping.

Cookie

• Purchase a basket that can be used again for ornamental purposes and fill the basket with crepe paper or a silk cloth and add a bottle of liquor, Cote d' Or chocolates, some Swiss chocolates, dried fruits as well as citrus flavored sugar.

• Make up a beautiful Spanish gift gourmet basket. The basket can be lined with crepe or silk or even a small table cloth. Add a bottle of Sangre de Toro wine, a bottle of Ponche, and some sliced ham, a ham pate, some Manchego cheese, a chorizo, a small bottle of olive oil, some almond Turron and an assortment of crackers or cookies.

• Another ideal gift gourmet basket idea for men is a gift basket filled with nuts, dried fruit and Belgian Beer. You could also make up a gift basket with whiskey, cigars, books, CD's and DVD's. Just add an assortment of the person's favorite foods along with any of the above.

Gift baskets come in many different shapes and sizes and can be used for all ages. When it comes to the summer months, everyone usually loves to be out and about and there are some exceptional gift gourmet basket ideas which everyone will love. For instance a picnic gourmet gift basket idea is perfect as you can add all the essentials needed for a picnic. Wine, cheese, chocolates, cookies, cold meats, jellies, fresh rolls or bread, instant desserts can all be added to a picnic gift gourmet basket.

Another gourmet basket gift idea is a food basket or a beach gift basket or even a barbeque gift gourmet basket. You can include barbeque spices and sauces, a barbecue set, wines and beers as well as a variety of meats. For the beach you can add dry snacks, slip slops, sunscreen lotion, fruit juices as well as a beach towel.

Gourmet Gift Basket Idea

Michelle Reynolds has several gift baskets ideas. To learn more about unique gift giving ideas and themed gift baskets, visit http://www.affordablegourmetgiftbaskets.com/gourmet-gift-basket-idea/

Cookie Recipe Using Quinoa Flour

Why do bakers and homemakers alike love using quinoa flour? Well simply because it adds chewiness and nutty flavor to baked goodies and for some reason, the end product seems to be really moist. Now don't you love that as well? I do!

What I love about quinoa is its high-protein content and because of its gained popularity, people have come up with thousands of delicious recipes and quinoa-derived products like cereal and flour. It can either be made from milled or unmilled grains and the color is usually creamy yellow or ivory. Quinoa is gluten-free so this is perfect for people with gluten intolerance. If you are purchasing processed quinoa products make sure it has the "gluten-free" markings otherwise it can be contaminated.

Cookie

I like the quinoa crispy cookies and for this recipe you will need:

1 cup quinoa flour
¾ cup quinoa flakes
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey
½ cup butter
½ cup almond butter
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup chopped walnuts/pecans (or any nut that you prefer)

Mix together honey, brown sugar, butter, nut butter and vanilla. Make sure it turns out to be creamy. In a separate bowl, combine quinoa flour, quinoa flakes and baking soda. Add the dry mixture to the cream mixture and beat until everything is well blended. Add nuts and drop rounded teaspoons of the cookie mixture about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake it for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees F. Let the cookies cool for at least 2 minutes before removing them from the sheet. Makes about 3 dozen small cookies. Enjoy!

Cookie Recipe Using Quinoa Flour

For more recipes using quinoa flour, feel free to visit http://www.quinoakitchen.com/