Limeade with a Touch of Mint

we’re gearing up for heat waves !!
chill chill chill

Limeade with a Touch of Mint Recipe

Infusing the sugar syrup with lime zest is a great way to bring extra lime flavor to your limeade.

INGREDIENTS

• Grated zest of one lime (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1 cup lime juice (from about 4-6 Persian limes)
• 3/4 cup to 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 cups water
• Several sprigs of fresh mint

METHOD

1 In a small saucepan bring to a boil the sugar, one cup of water, and the lime zest. Once the sugar is dissolved (which it should be by the time the water boils), remove from heat and let cool for for a few minutes. The amount of sugar is a guideline, it depends on how sweet you like your limeade and how tart your particular limes are.

2 Place a strainer over a bowl, or wide-mouthed serving container, and pour the sugar syrup through it, straining out the lime zest. Add the lime juice and 2 cups of water. Taste for sour/sweet balance. If too sweet, add a little more lime juice. Add several sprigs of fresh mint.

Chill, or serve immediately over ice.

Makes about 1 quart.

MAA NANTE KOTO NANDA, OMG I MISSED SUMMER!!

 watashi wa natsu ga- daisekedsu … <3

banana bread

Banana Bread Recipe

Print Options

• Print (no photos)
• Print (with photos)

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

Method

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.
Yield: Makes one loaf.

Perfect cheesecake recipe

NEVER MISS A RECIPE!

Yesterday, our lovely English teacher surprised us with a yummy cheesecake she had made. When I came back home, I tried to make one but I failed, it wasn’t like the one she made.

anyways, later on I have found an amazing, easy recipe..

so, I decided to share it with you, from simplyrecipes.com

————————————————————————–

Cook time: 3 hours

Ingredients

Crust

• 2 cups (475 ml) of Graham cracker crumbs (from a little less than 2 packages Graham crackers
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• Pinch salt
• 5 Tbsp (70 g) unsalted butter (if using salted butter, omit the pinch of salt), melted

Filling

• 2 pounds cream cheese (900 g), room temperature
• 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar (270 g)
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup sour cream (160 ml)
• 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream (160 ml)

Toppings

• 2 cups sour cream (475 ml)
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar (35 g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 12 ounces (340 g) fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 g)
• 1/2 cup water (120 ml)

Special equipment needed

• 9-inch, 2 3/4-inch high springform pan
• Heavy-duty, 18-inch wide aluminum foil
• A large, high-sided roasting pan

Method

Prepare the crust

1 Prepare the springform pan so that no water leaks into it while cooking.* Place a large 18-inch by 18-inch square of aluminum foil on a flat surface. Place the springform pan in the middle of the foil. Gently fold up the sides of the foil around the pan. Make sure to do this gently so that you don’t create any holes in the foil. If there are any holes, water will get into the pan and ruin the crust. Press the foil around the edges of the pan. Place a second large square of foil underneath the pan, and repeat, gently folding up the sides of the foil around the pan and pressing the foil against the pan. Gently crimp the top of the foil sheets around the top edge of the pan.

2 Preheat oven to 350°F, with rack in lower third of oven. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Put in a large bowl, and stir in the sugar and salt. Use your (clean) hands to stir in the melted butter.

3 Put all but 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of the springform pan. (Save the remaining 1/4 cup for if you happen to have any holes that need to be filled in, either while you are making the crust, or after the cake has cooked and you’ve unmolded it.) Gently press down on the crumbs using your fingers, until the crumbs are a nice even layer at the bottom of the pan, with maybe just a slight rise along the inside edges of the pan. Be careful as you do this, as not to tear the aluminum foil. Place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling

4 Cut the cream cheese into chunks and place in the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for 4 minutes until smooth, soft and creamy. Add the sugar, beat for 4 minutes more. Add the salt and vanilla, beating after each addition. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for one minute after each addition. Add the sour cream, beat until incorporated. Add the heavy cream, beat until incorporated. Remember to scrape down the sides of the mixer bowl, and scrape up any thicker bits of cream cheese that have stuck to the bottom of the mixer that paddle attachment has failed to incorporate.
Cook the cheesecake

5 Place the foil-wrapped springform pan in a large, high-sided roasting pan. Prepare 2 quarts of boiling water. Pour the cream cheese filling into the springform pan, over the graham cracker bottom layer. Smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan with the springform pan in it, in the oven, on the lower rack. Carefully pour the hot water into the roasting pan (without touching the hot oven), to create a water bath for the cheesecake, pouring until the water reaches halfway up the side of the springform pan, about 1 1/4 inches. (Alternatively you can add the water before putting the pan in the oven, whichever is easier for you.) Cook at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours.
6 Turn off the heat of the oven. Crack open the oven door 1-inch, and let the cake cool in the oven, as the oven cools, for another hour. This gentle cooling will help prevent the cheesecake surface from cracking.
7 Cover the top of the cheesecake with foil, so that it doesn’t actually touch the cheesecake. Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, or overnight.
Prepare sour cream topping
8 Place sour cream in a medium sized bowl, stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, until smooth. Chill until you are ready to serve the cake.
Note that this recipe produces enough sour cream topping for a thick topping and some extra to spoon over individual pieces of cheesecake, if desired. If you would like a thinner layer of topping and no extra, reduce the sour cream topping ingredients in half.
Prepare the raspberry sauce

9 Place raspberries, sugar, and water in a small saucepan. Use a potato masher to mash the raspberries. Heat on medium, whisking, about 5 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Let cool.
Prepare the cake to serve

10 Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Remove the foil from the sides of the pan, and place the cake on your cake serving dish. Run the side of a blunt knife between the edge of the cake and the pan. Dorie recommends, and we’ve done with success, that you use a hair dryer to heat the sides of the pan to make it easier to remove. Open the springform latch and gently open the pan and lift up the sides. Spread the top with the sour cream mixture. Serve plain or drizzled with raspberry sauce.
Yield: Makes 16 servings.

OUR Eid’s treats :D

Here are some pictures of our Eid’s treats…

take a look,…

     want some ??

Super Easy, Super Moist Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe

The coffee (and the salt) help intensify the flavor of the chocolate. If you don’t have or don’t want to use coffee, just skip it and use water instead. If you do use coffee, just use what would be considered regular strength coffee (or slightly weak coffee) in America, not something super concentrated like espresso. If caffeine is an issue, use decaf. If you want to make a cake instead of cupcakes, double the recipe and use two 8-inch round cake pans and cook for 35-40 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

Cupcakes:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup brewed coffee (or 1 cup of warm water mixed with 1 1/2 teaspoons of espresso powder or instant coffee granules)
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 6 Tbsp (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp) olive oil

Frosting:

• 4 Tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

METHOD

Cupcakes:

1 Preheat oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners.

2 In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt until there are no visible clumps (cocoa tends to clump up).

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the coffee (or water plus coffee granules), vinegar, vanilla extract, and olive oil.

4 Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir only until they just come together. The mixture should be thin and rather lumpy.

5 Ladle the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about two-thirds of the way full. Place in oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

6 Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and let cool on a rack. Once cool, you can eat plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or drizzle or coat with frosting.

Frosting:

While the cupcakes are cooking, make the frosting. Melt butter in a small saucepan and remove from heat. Stir in the cocoa until smooth. Sprinkle in about a third of the powdered sugar, stir, then sprinkle in about a half of the milk. Keep alternating with the powdered sugar and either milk or vanilla, stirring after each addition, until the frosting is the consistency you want, and smooth. If it’s too runny, add more powdered sugar. If too stiff, add a little more milk or vanilla extract.

To pipe in a decorative pattern, scoop the frosting into the corner of a ziplock freezer bag. Use scissors to cut away 1/4-inch or so from the tip of the corner. Then just squeeze the frosting out of the bag onto the cupcakes in any design you like.

Yield: Makes 12 cupcakes.

wedding discovery:

 

 

 

 

That is a part of my sister’s wedding, I may upload the rest of the images later.

what do u think?

كيك الجزر

المكونات

الكيك: 2 كوب سكر 1 كوب زيت 3 بيض 1 ملعقة صغيرة فانيليا 2 كوب دقيق 1 ملعقة صغيرة قرفة رشة جوزة الطيب رشة ملح 2 ملعقة صغيرة كربونات الصودا 3 كوب جزر مبشور التقديم: عجينة اللوز

طريقة التحضير

الكيك: يخفق السكر والزيت لمدة دقيقتين. يضاف البيض الواحدة تلو الأخرى مع الخفق بعد كل إضافة. تضاف الفانيليا وتخفق جيداً. يخلط الدقيق، القرفة، جوزة الطيب، الملح وكربونات الصودا ويقلب بلطف مع خليط البيض. يضاف الجزر ويقلب بلطف. يخبز الكيك في فرن بدرجة حرارة ١٧٠ درجة مئوية حوالي ٣٠ دقيقة أو ألى أن تنضج بحيث يخرج السكين منها بدون أن يلتصق به شيء. التقديم: يجمل الكيك بعجينة اللوز.

Civil War Macaroni and Cheese

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups whole milk
• 1/2 pound elbow macaroni pasta (2 to 2 1/2 cups)
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 2 cups, packed, grated cheddar cheese (about 1/2 pound)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Nutmeg
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup bread crumbs
• Cayenne (optional)

METHOD

1 Heat the milk in a large saucepan until steamy. Stir in the dry macaroni pasta. Let come to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer. Pay attention while the macaroni is cooking in the milk as the milk may foam up and boil over if the milk gets too hot. Cook the macaroni for 15 minutes or until done. The macaroni should absorb almost all of the milk.

2 Preheat oven to 400°F. As soon as the macaroni is close to being done, melt the butter in a separate saucepan, stir in the grated cheese, black pepper to taste and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Once the cheese has melted, pour the sauce into the macaroni and milk mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add salt if needed.

3 Place macaroni and cheese mixture into a baking dish. Sprinkle the top with breadcrumbs. Sprinkle lightly with cayenne (if using). Bake in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Yield: Serves 4.

Baked Ziti

Now here’s a classic midweek meal, or a hot dish to bring to a potluck. Baked ziti is a lot like American lasagna, but easier to make; it has practically the same ingredients but you don’t have to fuss with lots of layers or broken noodles. This recipe is a pretty basic version, but everyone who makes baked ziti has their own unique tricks and twists to it. Some vary the cheeses, some the meat, some make meatless versions, and some people leave out the tomato sauce for a truly cheese-tastic casserole.

==========================================================================

This version uses bulk Italian sausage, as well as a key fresh herb. I COPIED this recipe and tried it from >> http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/baked_ziti/

=====================================================================

• Cook time: 55 minutes

If you don’t have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ziti (can sub penne) pasta
• Olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef or pork
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary (or basil), minced
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large jar of marinara sauce (about 32 ounces) or make your owntomato sauce
• 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 heaping cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese

METHOD

1 Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Add the pasta and boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—edible but still a little firm. Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

2 Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a large sauté pan on medium-high to heat. When the oil is hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. Do not crowd the pan (work in batches if needed). Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well. Don’t stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, add a little salt.

3 When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

4 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9×13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle in some sauce with the pasta, mix it well and add the pasta into the casserole.

5 Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Yield: Serves at least 8

Blackberry Muffins

“I have the best blackberry muffin recipe!”

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 8 Tbsp warm melted butter (1 stick)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups (about 5-6 oz) of fresh blackberries, cut in half (often available at Trader Joe’s, you can use frozen blackberries if fresh are not available, defrost and drain them first.)

METHOD

1 Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a standard 12 muffin pan or line with paper muffin cups. (Actually, with the berries you’ll have more batter than just for 12 muffins. This batch made 18 muffins.)

2 Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl.

3 In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sour cream, milk, sugar, butter and vanilla.

4 Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and mix together with a few light strokes, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the berries. (If you are using frozen berries, defrost them first, then drain the excess liquid, then coat them lightly in flour.) Do not overmix! Overmixing will cause the muffins to be dense, not fluffy. The batter should not be smooth.

5 Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of 1 or 2 of the muffins comes out clean, 17-20 minutes (or longer). Let cool for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the pan. If not serving hot, let cool on a rack.

Serve as soon as possible, preferably within a few hours of baking.

Yield: Makes about 18 muffins.