Eatables

Menu for Hope 4, started by Chez Pim three years ago, is a fundraiser to support the UN World Food Programme. For every $10 you donate, you receive a raffle ticket towards a prize of your choice. There are some nifty prizes like books, cooking equipment, and delicious wines!

Last year, foodies across the world and the Menu for Hope raised over $60,000 to help feed the hungry. This year the money is going to a school lunch program in Lethoso, Africa, which helps support the local economy by purchasing food from local farmers. This holiday season, let us stop and think about those less fortunate than ourselves. If you feel inspired, find out more info at Chez Pim.

Check out this article Fifteen foods that burn more calories than they contain. It provides an interesting list of good foods to snack on. No chips allowed here! Some of my favourite choices on the list are:

• Celery
• Oranges
• Carrots
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers
• Watermelon

Original article from Bootstrapper.

What are holiday meals without stuffing/dressing? I have to say, for my first time making homemade stuffing, this particular recipe came out great! The flavours mixed well together and was quite moist but not mushy. Since my turkey was in the oven all day I wanted to make this on the stove top so I could make it while the turkey was roasting. It only took about an hour and half to make total so it worked out well. Feel free to leave your comments/suggestions in the comments.

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: approx. 1 hour
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• Approximately 8-10 cups french bread, cubed
• 1-1 1/2 cups sausage meat (I used Little Smokies, but turkey or pork work well here)
• 3/4 cup dried sweetened cranberries or raisins
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cubed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1-1 1/2 cups turkey or chicken stock
• 2 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
• 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Cubed and chop all ingredients.
2. Toast walnuts in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes (or until you can smell them).
3. In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 3 Tbsp butter in the pan and add cubed bread, coating in the butter. Brown them on each side, but make sure not to burn them. The bread should preferably be at least a day old to dry the bread out; this will help them to toast better and keep from becoming mushy.
4. In a stock pot, saute onions and celery on medium high heat with 3 Tbsp butter. Saute for around five minutes or until onions are translucent.
5. In separate pan, brown sausage. Once onions are cooked through, add sausage to the stock pot.
6. Add bread cubes, pieces, walnuts, cranberries (or raisins), and apples cubes. Once mixed, add the stock. You want to keep the stuffing moist but not too mushy. Mix in spices and seasonings.
7. Cover with a lid and turn down the heat to low. Let the stuffing simmer for an hour or so. Continually check to see if it needs more stock, and stir to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Change it up! This recipe is highly flexible. Add, subtract, or substitute to your likely. Try out different breads, such as wheat, sourdough, or potato bread. You can also add a splash of Chardonnay or other wines to add a little extra flavour. Another way to change up the flavour is with a squeeze of lemon or orange juice. You can also add rosemary or garlic. The list goes on for how to change the flavourings in the recipe.

How about you? What’s your favourite ingredient in your holiday stuffing/dressing? What kind of stuffing does your family make? Share your thoughts in the comments.

With the holiday season just around the corner, I figured I would update this recipe. These soft cookies are always a fun, sugary hit! I whipped up a batch while some of our friends were over. Not only are they tasty, but also fun to decorate and pretty to look at. Enjoy :)

Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 8-10 minutes
Makes: 2-3 dozen

Ingredients

Cookie Dough
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Frosting

• 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 tablespoons hot water
• Food colouring (optional)
• Sprinkles (optional)

Steps
Cookie Dough

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla and almost extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture.
4. Roll into two inch balls and put unto lightly greased baking sheets. Or you can always use a Christmasy cookie cutter.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light brown.

Frosting

1. In medium mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, almond extract and enough water to achieve desired consistency.
2. I put about four drops of red food colouring in the frosting mix. I also added some festive red coloured sugar on top. You could mix and match colours, like a combination of red, green, and white to add a more Christmasy touch. Have fun with it!

Credit! This recipe is adapted from The Taste of Home Cookbook.

Head to the Well Fed Network for the 2007 Food Blog Awards, the time to cast a light on some of your favorite food and drink blogs. With new blogs cropping up every day, this is a great opportunity to discover new finds as well as recognize blogs that everyone seems to know about.

Nominations end tomorrow so you better get your votes in quick. You can find some great new food blogs here, the best of the best. Enjoy :)