Fancy Gourmet Dessert Cakes

We are already nearing the end of another holiday year. It seems that Christmas week comes and everything is a blur until the 3^rd or 4^th of January. I wanted to pass on a few little tips for a quick holiday recovery. They are simple, but tried and true. 

3 – Try to take some extra cat naps whenever you can to make up for the extra merry making. 

4 – Take some extra vitamin C, it will help your immune system keep up its strength after expending the extra holiday energy.  

If you’re like me, you do not like the empty look around the house after taking down those cheerful decorations.

5 – Put up some new decorations for every day use, a couple of colorful prints and seasonal flowers will make the transition from holiday hype a little smoother.  

Remember the dreaded fruit cake, that tough old spice cake with the stale tasting glazed fruit? I do and try to forget. These past years gourmet celebration desserts have greatly improved. Chocolate cake has even been added to the seasonal sweet arsenal. When I was growing up, chocolate cake was not a very popular dessert for the holidays, not compared to carrot cake, which granted is still a very popular seasonal sweet.

I’ve also noticed gourmet chocolates and truffles are being put out for holiday snacking right next to the nuts and dried fruit. I do believe that chocolate has become much more popular after discovering its ability to increase the level of endorphins into the brain, creating an instant loving sensation. I say, every little bit of cheer enhances the spirit of the day, so rock on. I just prepare for the extra five pounds that I know I will put on during the holidays by dieting before hand, and celebrate victory over my weight loss in time for eating those fabulous desserts and confections. It’s a tradition for me.

Other newly added treats are festive candies like bark and chocolate covered toffee. A lot of these confections are originally from Europe but since we have become more culturally conscious these last years, many of these sweets have become popular at holiday time. I have just begun to appreciate these selections and like the increased variety of snacks. I can add all sorts of new noshables to the party table. It’s nice to see all of the progress we’ve made since the time of the fruit cake. Albeit, my weight loss target has increased from five pounds to seven and I have to start off a little earlier but if you’re like me, you know it’s worth the extra work. View this link for some tasty gift ideas. Happy snacking!

Written by Delightful Biteful 

Watching the news and hearing about stampedes for x-men and all of the high profile toys made me remember the truly wonderful holidays I was fortunate enough to enjoy. Presents like the Rocking Horse, Holly Hobby, the Doll House and Raggedy Anne were thoughtfully placed under the tree to remind us that we were children and that our innocence and imaginations were something to be protected and preserved for as long as possible. I remember feeling safe and happy, only concerned with arranging my new miniature house.

I try to recapture that spirit each year. I believe that the holiday spirit is attained by bringing out the child in me and everyone around me. I take what extra time I can for holiday celebrating and get-togethers. Spreading cheer is easy to do; I just buy some holiday greeting cards and hand them out with seasonal stickers enclosed as a little gift and tape a candy cane across the top of each card. I hand them out to as many people I can to try and include everyone around.

Some gourmet treats I like to bring to the holiday to keep the traditional spirit alive are Linzer Tarts and Holiday Cheesecake. For beverages, I enjoy a nice hot cider. I learned to mix about 1 tsp. of maple syrup per serving of apple cider and heat it with cloves, orange peels and cinnamon sticks and carefully strain after about 10 minutes. So here’s to holiday cheer.

Seasons Greetings to all!

Delightful Biteful

http://www.delightfulbiteful.com

Decorating is one of life’s hidden pleasures. I love to take on the challenge of coordinating colors to create a striking and tasteful effect. Sometimes “simple”, is the most effective method of successful decorating. For instance, last year’s Christmas tree adorned red velvet ribbons with white luminescent decorative balls hung alternately and evenly around the tree. The top of the tree held a big floppy red velvet ribbon crowned with a white starlit angel. Everyone loved it and it was actually quick and easy to decorate.

Tree skirts present an opportunity for the perfect decorative finish. I’ve just secured a large piece of thick blue velvet, to wrap around this year’s tree. My color combination is going to be blue and gold. I found some beautiful decorative balls made in Poland. They are dark blue with gold sparkling patterns blended throughout. I am going to add dark blue and gold soldiers and light blue and gold Christmas stockings. To avoid monotony, I intend to add a few decorations with the colors of red and gold. I’ve noticed that clear lighting is the fashion this year. Personally, I don’t like the stark illumination. I will have clear lighting but will include a string of blue lights placed further back on the branches to add more flare yet remain inconspicuous. HA!

The first step for engaging in this project is to find a way to make it fun and rewarding. My holiday decorating has become something of a ritual over the years. First, I brew a pot of hazelnut coffee; lay out a tray of rainbow cookies, and very likely a cheesecake sampler. I put on Christmas music and light the holiday candles. It makes the decorating process more pleasant and taking breaks from the tree dressing more frequent.

Don’t forget the Christmas music! If the snow is coming down you can think about how cold it is outside and of how warm you are inside. That’s a fine feeling to start the season off with.
Written by Delightful Biteful

The small wonders that make a holiday complete are so under spoken and yet so powerful. I was looking around the room the other evening and took note of all the little decorative touches I’ve added for the holidays. I suddenly realized, colorful and joyful surroundings can lift the spirit no matter how difficult life can get, and it does it, so subtly, that sometimes I don’t even notice my cares lessening.

As a teen, my Mom told me that if things got tough and I couldn’t change them, then I should change something in my environment and add something nice to look at. I of course shrugged it off, but now as an adult, I see that once again, she was right.  

What I do is simple stuff. For instance, I try not to hang the same holiday pieces in the same places every year and I always try to use different methods of decorating. This year I am using sheer ribbon with a glittering gold finish, and draping it along the walls with grand bows to accent the main points of the room. I am also hanging clear lights along the walls to pick up the colors of the glittering ribbon. It adds a very magical holiday feeling to the house.

For relaxing enjoyment, I sit back with a nice cheesecake sampler; cut up a few bite size pieces and turn up the holiday music. I focus on one of the nice decorations poised in my living room and poof; my worries vanish for a minute or two. For me, one minute makes a big difference.

Our society celebrates lots of holidays. Each season provides an opportunity for honoring, celebrating and decorating. There is always some way to brighten up our surroundings and distract ourselves from the every day grind.

In my opinion, we should give ourselves the best chance that we can to enjoy our moments. There really is nothing to lose but monotony and sadness.

Written by Delightful Biteful

I was sitting back with my cup of coffee, planning the events of the season. We have a globe of people in one country and so much has combined to create some neat holiday traditions. In review, I notice the activities throughout the years have had some variations but always with the same goal in mind; to build up the human spirit and reflect on our humanity. At least this is what I hope for.

This year Thanksgiving is celebrated on November 27^th. The festive celebration was declared a national holiday by President Lincoln. The first Thanksgiving Day was celebrated in 1621 at Plymouth, Massachusetts by the Plymouth Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. The early celebrations lasted for days and consisted of people from different areas and included guests among the Wampanoag Indians.

Turkey, being a Native of North America was decidedly the bird prepared for the great holiday feast. It is reported that turkeys get very nervous around the holiday season. The original cornucopia was made from a curved goat’s horn stuffed with various fruits and corn maze. Included in the celebration was Squash used widely for its traditional value and its particular good taste during the autumn season.  

Pumpkin pie is thought to have evolved from settlers who filled their hollowed pumpkins with milk and spices to create delicate gravy. Pumpkin pulp was later appreciated for its rich taste and when mixed with sugar and milk made a tasty seasonal dessert.

When planning your Thanksgiving feast it is always a safe bet to serve the traditional foods so that all of your guests know what to expect. Some wonderful side dishes to complement your dinner can be creamed spinach or asparagus with hollandaise sauce. Other sides to consider are banana walnut bread or corn muffins. You can always order online if you don’t feel that ambitious in the kitchen.

Some safe dessert choices alongside pumpkin pie are cheesecake, streusel or a decedent chocolate dessert. Don’t forget the assorted nuts, fruits and chocolates.

Written by Delightful Biteful

The beginning of the year’s festivities begins with Halloween, where spooky tradition takes precedence over the mundane.

Let’s start with “Trick or Treat”. During the Dark Ages once per year, the Catholic Church, deemed it permissible for beggars to beg for food in exchange for prayer. Over the course of time, it evolved into an American tradition where participants playfully threatened to play a trick on anyone who denied requests for treats.

One thing is for sure, the scary movies shown leading up to the holiday bring more excitement to the occasion. The stress that culminates from dealing with witches and goblins all year long, leads to a strong desire for thrills, sweets and parties.

Here are a few quick costume ideas that you can use if you are on the spot and need to think fast. Make use of any household makeup that you have around. Smear mascara under your eyes and mess red lipstick around your lips, put lots of mousse in your hair, wear a ripped tee-shirt, and instantly you are transformed into a punk rocker, mind you, this works for girls or guys. Great props to use are tobacco pipes, hats, flour (for the zombie look), gauze (for the mummy look) and band-aids (for the dull razor look).

 Have a Happy Halloween!  

Written by Delightful Biteful 

I remember as a child, having the treat of picking apples and pumpkins, all the while looking at the bright colors of fall and feeling the crisp, seasonal wind begin to blow. When I grew older, I settled in the big city. It was exciting but a little dreary during the change in season when the skies grew darker and the evening came earlier. No more apple trees and pumpkin patches to rely upon.

Adding color to my surroundings was the answer to the conundrum I found myself in. So I looked to the autumn leaves which always cheered me up and found a solution; I decided to make an autumn wreath. When I learned about some basic tools that can be used to make a wreath, I realized that it wasn’t going to be that hard . All I needed to do was utilize my dusty imagination. The foundation of a wreath can be created with a circular cardboard cut out with another circle cut out evenly inside of it, about 3 inches down. The cardboard between the outer edge and the beginning of the inner circle would be the area for laying down the dried flowers and artificial leaves. I received a tip from a friend to cover the cut out with a colored spray paint that coordinated with the flowers and leaves I was going to use. I bought some potpourri with large dried flowers and used glue to place the dried flowers onto the board one by one. In between the flowers about 2 inches  apart, I added some artificial autumn leaves. I was careful to cover all of the cardboard and to make sure the glue was as inconspicuous as possible. I will say, that after a couple of hours, the project did take on the look of an autumn wreath. A wreath can be any size you want and over the years I’ve used all kinds of flowers. I will recommend dried sunflowers, mini carnations, raffia and baby’s breath. Thin ribbons and bows can be attached too.

According to wikipedia:
Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile liquid plant materials, known as essential oils (EOs), and other aromatic compounds from plants for the purpose of affecting a person’s mood or health. Scientific evidence is weak and preliminary but mildly encouraging for a limited number of claims.

I believe that it is good for one’s health and I believe that aroma triggers a natural response, and that a pleasant smelling environment usually indicates a sound and peaceful state of affairs. The effectiveness of aromatherapy may be connected to man’s development, as fragrant flowers, food, and beverages, signaled to the mind that all of the basic needs were being met and so created a feeling of calm. Friends of mine swear by the power of the nostrils and after a few vivid odor experiences, I realize that pleasant smells do have an impact on my psyche.

I myself find my mood improving whenever there is something pleasant in the air. When cooking a fine meal, I perk right up as my nostrils alert my hungry stomach that a nice mouthful is on the way. So, I have found a little trick to improve my health, using aromatherapy. It started after I’d actually gotten full on the smell of a good supper. Sound crazy? Well I’m not the only person that’s had that experience. My mind had become convinced that I had already eaten. I want to add that it was due in part, to thirst. Thirst can trick the stomach into thinking that it is hungry. Try quenching your thirst while cooking and see if it satisfies your hunger at all. I suggest this for folks on a diet, because I have cut down on my food portions with this method, and still get to enjoy the meal, and that has been very therapeutic. By the way, this works for dessert too!

Happy Aromas To All!
Written by Delightful Biteful