Food & Water Safety after a Flood

September 27, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as From the Heart at 11:38 am | (3) Comments »

Yesterday, floods in the Philippines killed dozens of people, and left even more without homes, food or water. Now that the storm has gone, disease prevention is of utmost importance- here are some tips for food and water safety after such a disaster:

Drink bottled water. Do not drink from the tap or other sources.

If you don’t have bottled water, boil water. Make sure you filter the water as much as you can, then boil it vigorously for ten minutes. The water will taste flat, but you can make it taste better by aerating it: pour it back and forth from one container to another.

If you can’t boil water, treat it chemically. See this chart on how to use household bleach to sanitize water.

Sanitize all pans, dishes and utensils that came into contact with flood water. Boil them in clean water.

Throw out food that came in contact with flood water. This includes foods packed in cardboard, foil, cellophane, fabric, or paper and canned foods as well. Cans that didn’t come into contact with flood waters are safe to keep.

Throw out all wooden spoons, chopping boards, and plastic utensils or bowls.

After a power outage, keep in mind that your refrigerator will keep food safely cold for about four hours unopened (24 hours for a freezer).

Simple Pleasure: Milk & Cookies

September 24, 2009 | Posted by Lorraine as Baking, From the Heart at 7:57 am | (2) Comments »

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The Urban Dictionary defines “milk and cookies” as:

the best medicine to be found in the kitchen

… and I have to agree. My mother-in-law is 82 and looks incredibly good for her age. Seriously, she looks at least twenty years younger (I’d post a photo here if she wasn’t so shy). One of her secrets? Milk and cookies for dinner.

Now, this might not seem like the healthiest of choices- but really, how can you go wrong? The milk gives you calcium and Vitamin D, the cookies give you chocolate (chock-full o’ antioxidants). And the combination of a chilled glass of creamy milk and some chocolate cookies gives you comfort- and a lot of pleasure. It is, after all, what you traditionally leave for Santa on Christmas Eve.

You can, of course, simply open a bag of Oreos, which are classic. But if you’d like to kick up your experience a notch, here are some of our recipes for cookies that go awesomely with milk:

Valentine’s School Party

February 6, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as Cookie Recipes, From the Heart, Gift Ideas at 12:41 am | (2) Comments »

Many schools throw Valentine’s parties — and who bakes the cookies? Mom, of course! Here is a simple recipe for iced cookies. Use your cookie cutter to make any shape you want… but include a few hearts to commemorate the day! Your child can also write his friends’ names in frosting for a personalized touch.

Ingredients
1 cup white sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

What’s Next

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, cream cheese, salt, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg yolk. Beat until smooth. Stir in flour until well blended. Chill the dough for 8 hours, or overnight. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough 1/3 at a time to 1/8 inch thickness, refrigerating remaining dough until ready to use. Cut into desired shapes with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Leave cookies plain for frosting, or brush with slightly beaten egg white and sprinkle with candy sprinkles or colored sugar.

Bake for 7 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until light and golden brown. Cool cookies completely before frosting.

Valentine’s Fondue Set

January 31, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as From the Heart, Gift Ideas at 12:53 pm | (1) Comment »

Planning a romantic dinner for two this Valentine’s? End the meal with a fondue — and this adorable Chantal heart-shaped set. Its non-porous glaze won’t react with flavors, and it’s dishwasher safe.

Included in Set:
2 cup ceramic pot
Stailess steel forks
Tealight candle
2 heart plates

Chips in a Jar

January 30, 2008 | Posted by Lorena as Cookie Recipes, From the Heart, Gift Ideas at 9:53 am | (2) Comments »

Here’s a nice Valentine’s Gift for a teacher, friend, or a neighbor: a Chocolate Chip Cookie Jar.
The mix makes four dozen cookies.

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix the salt and baking soda in with the flour, then layer the ingredients into the jar. Secure lid and tie on a raffia or ribbon bow.Punch a hole in a card with the following mixing and baking directions and secure using raffia or ribbon:

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift dry ingredients through a colander to separate the chocolate chips from other ingredients. Beat 1 cup of unsalted butter or margarine in a medium bowl. Beat sifted ingredients into butter until blended. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Mix beaten egg mixture into butter mixture until blended. Stir in
chocolate chips. Drop teaspoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart, onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes or until lightly browned.

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