So much to do in this busy holiday season, it’s good to know the best foods to beat stress and reduce stress naturally.
According to health gurus, these foods are tops:
Top Foods to Beat Stress
Leafy green veggies like arugula, spinach and chard are packed with B-Vitamins, which produce feel-good hormones in the brain.
Studies show that a lack of Vitamin B6 may lead to nervousness, irritability, and depression.
Reducing Stress Naturally
Almonds relieve stress in your jaw when you crunch on them, but that’s not their only benefit. Almonds are rich in Vitamins B and E, as well as magnesium, zinc, and the hormone serotonin.
Stress hormones deplete the supply of magnesium in your body, which may cause difficulties in dealing with everyday pressure. Almonds help to settle your nerves.
Try this simple recipe for a Stress Fighting Snack for Colds:
Combine berries with a 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese.
The protein and calcium in the cottage cheese will keep you feeling full, and the Vitamin C in the berries contains antioxidants.
So, simply keep your kitchen filled with the best food for stress, and you’ll be able to reduce your stress naturally!
We’ve been cooking and cooking. Can’t wait to dig into our Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings, and especially Grandma’s Apple Pie! Here’s the recipe. You still have time to make one yourself! It’s really easy to make America’s Favorite Thanksgiving Pie, the Apple Pie!
America’s Favorite Thanksgiving Pie – Apple
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Grandma’s Apple Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
6 – 8 large tart apples
Pastry for 2-crust pie
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tbs grated lemon peel
2 tbs butter
Directions:
Core and pare apples; cut in quarters, then slice thin. Line 9-inch pie pan with pastry. Mix sugars, flour and spices. Rub a little sugar mixture into pastry in pan. Arrange apple slices in pan, heaping slightly in center. Sprinkle evenly with remaining sugar mixture. Scatter lemon peel over surface, Dot with butter. Adjust top crust; trim edges, flute. Cut slits in center to allow steam to escape/. bake at 425 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until apples are tender and pastry golden brown.
Stay tuned for the recipes for the Mince pie, Pumpkin pie, Pecan Pie Bars, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Macadamia Nut cookies…yum!
Happy Thanksgiving and Bon Appetite!
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We got together with a few of our favorite family recipes (and favorite family members!) and made some delicious Thanksgiving pies and other delectable delights for Thanksgiving desserts. (Check out Grandma’s Apple Pie!)
Instead of baking one of our favorites pies (Pecan) for Thanksgiving Dinner this year, I’m opting to bake Pecan Pie Bars instead. This will allow everyone to enjoy this rich, delicious holiday treat in an individual serving that they can hold in their hands. (And pretend that it doesn’t have the same amount of calories as a slice of pie) I’m even thinking about making Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars!
I often look to Martha Stewart for recipes, and I’m including one of her recipes for Pecan Pie Bars here. I hope you enjoy it! Keep reading for the Chocolate Pecan Pie Bar Recipe. It’s fabulous!
Pecan Pie Bars Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes, plus cooling Yield: Makes 24
Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour(spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark corn syrup
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt until light.
Beat in 2 cups flour until it forms a mass.
Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch pan. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the dough and use it to press the dough into the pan (this will make it easier and will prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers).
Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until edges are golden.
Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons flour, remaining teaspoon salt, and baking powder.
Using an electric mixer, beat eggs, brown sugar, and corn syrup until light.
Fold flour mixture into egg mixture, then pecans and coconut.
Pour over crust and bake 20 to 25 minutes until set. Run a metal spatula around the edges
while still warm, then transfer to a wire rack and cool in pan before cutting into 24 bars.
For Easier Handling of the Pecan Pie Bars
Tips:
Line the pan with aluminum foil or parchment paper and butter it. This will make it so much easier to transfer the Pecan Pie Bars out of the pan.
Halloween Cupcake Designs | How to Frost a Cupcake | Candy Corn Cupcake RecipeÂ
OK, it‘s time to think about making great-looking Halloween Cupcake Designs! You can learn how to frost a Cupcake in no time at all! Keep scrolling and you’ll find directions and also our cute Candy Corn Cupcake Recipe!
I just got a call from my cousin who needs some cupcakes for a Halloween party, and she has no power because of the storm, Hurricane Sandy. So I’m making her some cupcakes.
Look at these cute ideas for Halloween Cupcake Designs!!
Cute Pumpkin Halloween Cupcake Designs
And these…
Scary Spacey Halloween Cupcake Designs
How To Create A Cute ‘Swirly’ Top Of Frosting
Many people ask me how to create a cute ‘swirly’ top of frosting on some of my cupcakes, like this Apple Spice Cupcake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting….
The Cupcake Design is all in the Piping Tips!
 Professional Sized Piping Tips
Professional sized piping tips make all the difference in the world when creating your little ‘Masterpiece‘ – frosting each individual fabulous cupcake in a unique and special way! And it’s always great to get a little help from your friends!
How to Frost A Cupcake
This is what you’ll need:
A Wilton 1M Star tip…
– This Star tip is significantly larger than the standard decorating tip size.
– Disposable decorating bags are a great invention. Just use, then toss. (Not a total necessity, you may use a heavy duty Zip Lock plastic bag if wish.)
– You will need a couple of great Halloween cupcake recipes like this delicious recipe for Halloween Candy Corn Cupcakes and the Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling to compliment them!
Plus, there’s instructions below in the video on How To Frost A Cupcake! (Scroll down)
Halloween Candy Corn Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1 18.25-oz. white cake mix
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 tsp. almond extract
Yellow and orange Wilton food gel (about a heaping 1/2 tsp. of each)
A double batch of Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling (see recipe below)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2, 24-cup muffin tins with white paper liners (although you may not make it to 24 cupcakes). Combine all ingredients except for food coloring in a large bowl and beat on low speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat on medium for 2 additional minutes.
Divide batter equally into two bowls; you should have about 2 1/4-2 1/2 c. of batter in each bowl.
Mix about 1/2 heaping tsp. of yellow coloring into one bowl of batter and 1/2 heaping tsp. of orange coloring into the other bowl.
Divide the yellow batter evenly among the muffin tins.
Holding the edges of each pan firmly, bang the pan a few times on the counter to level out the batter. Repeat the process with the orange batter.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
When ready, frost the cupcakes and garnish with a candy corn. When you cut them open, they look like this:
Ta Da!
Inside a Candy Corn Cupcake!
Next, top the cupcakes with this…
Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
3 T Flour
1/2 C milk (whole milk is best, but I use non-fat when it’s all I have and it’s actually fine)
1/2 C real butter (I prefer salted, but you can use also unsalted and add salt to taste)
1/2 C sugar (that’s granulated sugar, not powdered sugar)
1 t vanilla extract, or other flavor if you wish.
Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat on the stove.
Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring with a rubber spatula, until you can start to see the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until mixture has the consistency of thick pudding or paste.
Put mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely, it’s fine if it stays in there long enough to get chilly, you just don’t want it warm at all. As it’s cooling, feel free to stir it occasionally to speed up the process and keep it from forming a crust on top.
In an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You’ll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer if you have one, instead of the flat paddle.
Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat to combine and then scrape down the sides. Mixture will separate and look messy, keep beating!
Continue beating until mixture comes together and is light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes, but time varies. Take a sample of frosting between your fingers; frosting is done when light and fluffy and sugar granules are dissolved.
