This recipe Ricotta Puffs is relatively new to our Family but it WILL be handed down throughout as a real Family favorite !
Ricotta Puffs
1 cup all-purpose bleached and enriched white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla or your favorite flavor
2 eggs
1 lb low-fat ricotta cheese
2 ½ cups vegetable oil
Powdered sugar
Using a cooking thermometer , heat oil in a deep saucepan to 375*.
Mix all other ingredients together except for powdered sugar.
Carefully add a tablespoon of mixture at a time to hot oil
Within a minute balls will form into puffs and turn a golden brown.
Drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Serve warm, makes 24
PS...this is also great with Chocolate Fondue !
Monday, December 14, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Baked Blueberry French Toast with Cream Cheese
I have made Baked Blueberry French Toast with Cream Cheese for many Holiday breakfasts and is ALWAYS a huge hit.
Italian bread works better
12 slices of white bread stale
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups frozen blueberries Raspberries work great too
12 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Place 1/2 the bread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Cut cream cheese into 1/4-inch cubes and distribute over bread.
3. Top with blueberries and remaining bread.
4. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup and mix well. Pour over bread mixture.
Cover and chill for eight hours or overnight very important
5. Bake, covered, at 350*F (175*C) for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for additional 25 minutes or until golden brown.
TOPPING
1 Cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries or other fruit
1 T butter
Bring the first three ingredients to a boil, simmer until thickened. (about 10 min)
Remove from heat, stir in fruit and butter.
Makes 6 servings
Italian bread works better
12 slices of white bread stale
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups frozen blueberries Raspberries work great too
12 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/3 cup maple syrup
1. Cut bread into 1-inch cubes. Place 1/2 the bread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
2. Cut cream cheese into 1/4-inch cubes and distribute over bread.
3. Top with blueberries and remaining bread.
4. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add milk and syrup and mix well. Pour over bread mixture.
Cover and chill for eight hours or overnight very important
5. Bake, covered, at 350*F (175*C) for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for additional 25 minutes or until golden brown.
TOPPING
1 Cup sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup blueberries or other fruit
1 T butter
Bring the first three ingredients to a boil, simmer until thickened. (about 10 min)
Remove from heat, stir in fruit and butter.
Makes 6 servings
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR INGREDIENTS
These few hints for SUBSTITUTIONS FOR INGREDIENTS has come in very handy for me throughout the years. I hope it does the same for you.
1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sifted cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all purpose flour
1 cup sour milk = 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
1 square chocolate (1 ounce) = 3-4 tablespoons cocoa + 1/2 tablespoon fat
1 cup sifted all purpose flour = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup milk = 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cream (sour/thin) = 3 tablespoons butter + 3/4 cup milk in sour milk recipe
1 whole egg = 2 egg yolks for custard
1 cup molasses = 1 cup honey
1 package active dry yeast = 1 cake compressed yeast
1 tablespoon dry minced onion = 1 small fresh onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard = 1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening) = 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sifted cake flour = 1 cup minus 2 tablespoons sifted all purpose flour
1 cup sour milk = 1 cup milk with 1 tablespoon white vinegar or lemon juice
1 square chocolate (1 ounce) = 3-4 tablespoons cocoa + 1/2 tablespoon fat
1 cup sifted all purpose flour = 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cake flour
1 cup milk = 1 cup sour milk or buttermilk + 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cream (sour/thin) = 3 tablespoons butter + 3/4 cup milk in sour milk recipe
1 whole egg = 2 egg yolks for custard
1 cup molasses = 1 cup honey
1 package active dry yeast = 1 cake compressed yeast
1 tablespoon dry minced onion = 1 small fresh onion
1 tablespoon prepared mustard = 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
My Daughter, Caitlins Final Biology Essay
This is not one of my typical Blogs but I thought it was different and wanted to share it with you. My Daughter, Caitlins Final Biology Essay was an assignment in Biology and the topic was to pick an animal and recreate the day in a life of the animal through their eyes.
Caitlin Rosolen
Hermann
BSC-1005
2009
It’s dark. I push all around me, but I’m enclosed in a rather small, liquid substance case. I know it sounds crazy, but over the course of twelve weeks, I feel like this case I’m trapped in is getting smaller! I try stretching my body out to break this barrier, but it’s not working. Then, DING! The light bulb in my head turns on. Don’t I have a hard piece of skin on the tip of my mouth? Yes! I have an egg tooth that will, for sure, help me out of this claustrophobic inspired home. I start tearing into the pliable dark perimeter. It’s tedious work, but I want to get out of here! Finally! A big enough slit to fit my head through! I hesitate. What’s going to be out there? I hold my breath and decide to just go for it. I stick my head out and . . .
Wow.
I never fathomed such an amazing site. I sit for a minute taking it all in. This new world is a lot bigger than my previous abode. I think I’m going to really enjoy it out here.
After about a day and a half, I finally fully emerge out of my shell. Just in time too! My brothers and sisters have just finished coming out of their shells. I’m seventeen inches long, which for my specie, is the most common length. I move about my new surroundings, everything is so mysterious, but so exciting! Even though I am adventurous at the moment, everything that is big and scary causes me to curl up really tightly into a ball. This is where my common name, ball python, comes from. Nonetheless, I am a Python Regius, which means Royal Python. After realizing that these frightening objects aren’t going to hurt me, I relax my muscles and glide over the dirt and sand mixture I hatched on. This African area called Ghana is where I was born, but I just prefer to call it home. Ghana is everything a Royal Python could ever ask for in a habitat! The grassland supplies me with plenty of food and a plethora of secure hiding places from predators. At the moment though, I am just slithering about with my brothers and sisters. One by one we disperse, and that is the moment I realize I will be living a life of solitude from here on out. I don’t mind though, Royal Pythons are a secretive specie. We like to be alone, actually, we quite prefer it! I try to be cautious, seeing as my instincts won’t stop going off, but I’m so excited to see everything that I become rather overwhelmed! I’m so overwhelmed that ::yawn:: I’m actually pretty . . . ::yawn:: tired . . .
Whoa. . . Wha? Oh! Yesterday was pretty eventful! No wonder I slept so long. Oh my. . . This hole under this log was definitely an awesome place to sleep. Most royal pythons like myself are not avid climbers, so we try to find secure shelters on the grassland/savannah floor. It’s insane to say, but ever since I left my shell I can’t stop sniffing the air. We Royal Pythons have a highly developed sense of smell, and these forest scents are so intense it’s almost euphoric! I have so many perks, I think I’m the luckiest specie in the world!
About fourteen days have gone by and my skin is starting to feel rather tight! This is normal though, so I’m not worried. Royal Pythons usually shed a week or two after hatching. As the day continues, my skin is becoming more and more uncomfortable. I decide to soak in a shallow section of water. We Royal Pythons looove to soak in water when we’re shedding. It makes the process a little less irritating. During the course of twenty-four hours, I finally finish shedding just as the sun is coming up. Perfect timing! My specie is nocturnal, or night dwellers, so I much prefer sleeping during the day.
Another twelve days goes by and I start feeling something I’ve never felt before! My stomach is rumbling and my brain is screaming, “FOOOOOD!” Usually a week or two after a hatchling’s first shedding is when the first meal is wanted. I slither around when something catches my scent. I don’t have a normal nose, but I have labial pits on both sides of my mouth. These labial pits have heat sensing organs which help me find food. By flicking my fork tongue out, I am able to pick up minute scent particles in the air. This function also enables me to find meals. As I try to sense my mystery meal out, I also try to stay clear of my surroundings. Royal Pythons prefer being within fifteen feet of their safe comfortable home, and I’m not any different! Suddenly, I sense a very strong heat wave. I look around and see something within the bushes. I inch closer and what do my hungry eyes see? Food, glorious food! A tiny sleeping mouse is in my sight and I can’t wait to get it into my digestive system! I prepare myself by getting into strike mode. I wait a good three seconds and then . . .
STRIKE!
The mouse wakes up in shock, but it’s too late. I’ve coiled myself around it’s entire body and there is no way I am letting go. Like other pythons and boas, I am a constrictor. This means I use my amazing muscular power to suffocate my prey. I am not venomous, so the only way I can kill is to constrict. After about fifteen seconds, I uncoil my body. The body heat of the mouse allows me to find the direct part of the mouse I want to digest first. Of course, I don’t eat in sections, I swallow my meals in one piece. By going head first, I am able to swallow my meals without problems, such as choking. The way I am able to swallow my food whole has to do with a few things. First off, the fact that I can unhinge my jaw is pretty sweet! By basically dislocating my jaw, I can swallow a meal about the same circumference as the thickest section of my body. I also have many small teeth that hook into my meal and pull my meal down my throat. In order to let my meal glide down my throat though, I need saliva! The substance I use to assist how I eat is what everybody else has. My throat needs to be lubricated so the food doesn’t get lodged into my throat and suffocate me. The mouse goes down easy, which is nice since it’s my first meal. After the mouse is gone, I realize how tiring eating can be! Good thing us Royal Pythons only eat once a week. I’m not sure I could do that every day. This whole living thing is going to be a piece of cake!
Days pass . . .
Weeks pass . . .
Months pass . . .
Years pass . . .
I am now a three year old female Royal Python. The years have been good to me and I’m very fortunate to have survived the obstacles of Ghana. Now is a very important time in my life. I have reached my sexual maturity and the weather has been getting colder. My specie mates within the fall and winter months. One might say the reason why we mate in colder months is because we get cold and just want to cuddle up with another. This is not true of course, but it is funny! The fantastic thing about being a female Royal Python is that, yeah we want sex, but the males want it more. I’m able to just sit tight and wait for a male to sense the pheromones my body is ejecting. Soon enough, a young two year old Royal Python finds me. Our bodies intertwine, literally, and we start the act of mating. We, of course, practice safe sex. No predator can attack us in my log home! After the mating ritual is over and done with, the male Royal Python leaves so I can lay in peace. I am filled with happiness because I have a feeling, I’m going to be a mommy.
As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into months, I find myself plumping up. It’s getting very difficult to find food so like the rest of the girls, I fast until the eggs leave my body. Three months quickly shoot by, and I find the eggs are ready to come out of my body. Now I can eat, but I still have to protect my young. Females, like myself, coil around our young and watch over them until they hatch. This act is called brooding. My mother did it, and my mother’s mother did it. I pop out seven eggs, which is fantastic considering it is my first time! When I have finished eating, I slither back to my clutch, which is what my group of eggs are called. They all appear to be fine, but slightly cold. As I wrap my body around them, I increase my body’s temperature by shaking. This helps warm the eggs a bit. I brood for two months while my young are growing inside their eggs. After that period of brooding, I move aside. I see my children slitting their egg shells just like I had only three years prior. I am wiped out from having to be so alert for the past five months, I close my eyes to rest. I think I deserve this much needed sleep.
It’s been twenty-four years . . . I’ve mated nine times in my life. I’ve had a healthy reproduction rate, but now I’ve become very drained. I believe this year is the last I will have copulated . Over my twenty-seven years of life, I have seen so much. These tired eyes are finished seeing and just want to rest. I think of my first meal, and I can still taste the victory. I reminisce over my first clutch and then the other eight that followed. I know I’ve done my part when it comes to living, and I know that my time is up. I nestle in my log and curl into a ball for one last time. I’m off to sleep, but this time I know I won’t be waking up. It’s a peaceful realization to be honest. I see darkness at the end of my life, just like I saw darkness in the beginning.
Caitlin Rosolen
Hermann
BSC-1005
2009
It’s dark. I push all around me, but I’m enclosed in a rather small, liquid substance case. I know it sounds crazy, but over the course of twelve weeks, I feel like this case I’m trapped in is getting smaller! I try stretching my body out to break this barrier, but it’s not working. Then, DING! The light bulb in my head turns on. Don’t I have a hard piece of skin on the tip of my mouth? Yes! I have an egg tooth that will, for sure, help me out of this claustrophobic inspired home. I start tearing into the pliable dark perimeter. It’s tedious work, but I want to get out of here! Finally! A big enough slit to fit my head through! I hesitate. What’s going to be out there? I hold my breath and decide to just go for it. I stick my head out and . . .
Wow.
I never fathomed such an amazing site. I sit for a minute taking it all in. This new world is a lot bigger than my previous abode. I think I’m going to really enjoy it out here.
After about a day and a half, I finally fully emerge out of my shell. Just in time too! My brothers and sisters have just finished coming out of their shells. I’m seventeen inches long, which for my specie, is the most common length. I move about my new surroundings, everything is so mysterious, but so exciting! Even though I am adventurous at the moment, everything that is big and scary causes me to curl up really tightly into a ball. This is where my common name, ball python, comes from. Nonetheless, I am a Python Regius, which means Royal Python. After realizing that these frightening objects aren’t going to hurt me, I relax my muscles and glide over the dirt and sand mixture I hatched on. This African area called Ghana is where I was born, but I just prefer to call it home. Ghana is everything a Royal Python could ever ask for in a habitat! The grassland supplies me with plenty of food and a plethora of secure hiding places from predators. At the moment though, I am just slithering about with my brothers and sisters. One by one we disperse, and that is the moment I realize I will be living a life of solitude from here on out. I don’t mind though, Royal Pythons are a secretive specie. We like to be alone, actually, we quite prefer it! I try to be cautious, seeing as my instincts won’t stop going off, but I’m so excited to see everything that I become rather overwhelmed! I’m so overwhelmed that ::yawn:: I’m actually pretty . . . ::yawn:: tired . . .
Whoa. . . Wha? Oh! Yesterday was pretty eventful! No wonder I slept so long. Oh my. . . This hole under this log was definitely an awesome place to sleep. Most royal pythons like myself are not avid climbers, so we try to find secure shelters on the grassland/savannah floor. It’s insane to say, but ever since I left my shell I can’t stop sniffing the air. We Royal Pythons have a highly developed sense of smell, and these forest scents are so intense it’s almost euphoric! I have so many perks, I think I’m the luckiest specie in the world!
About fourteen days have gone by and my skin is starting to feel rather tight! This is normal though, so I’m not worried. Royal Pythons usually shed a week or two after hatching. As the day continues, my skin is becoming more and more uncomfortable. I decide to soak in a shallow section of water. We Royal Pythons looove to soak in water when we’re shedding. It makes the process a little less irritating. During the course of twenty-four hours, I finally finish shedding just as the sun is coming up. Perfect timing! My specie is nocturnal, or night dwellers, so I much prefer sleeping during the day.
Another twelve days goes by and I start feeling something I’ve never felt before! My stomach is rumbling and my brain is screaming, “FOOOOOD!” Usually a week or two after a hatchling’s first shedding is when the first meal is wanted. I slither around when something catches my scent. I don’t have a normal nose, but I have labial pits on both sides of my mouth. These labial pits have heat sensing organs which help me find food. By flicking my fork tongue out, I am able to pick up minute scent particles in the air. This function also enables me to find meals. As I try to sense my mystery meal out, I also try to stay clear of my surroundings. Royal Pythons prefer being within fifteen feet of their safe comfortable home, and I’m not any different! Suddenly, I sense a very strong heat wave. I look around and see something within the bushes. I inch closer and what do my hungry eyes see? Food, glorious food! A tiny sleeping mouse is in my sight and I can’t wait to get it into my digestive system! I prepare myself by getting into strike mode. I wait a good three seconds and then . . .
STRIKE!
The mouse wakes up in shock, but it’s too late. I’ve coiled myself around it’s entire body and there is no way I am letting go. Like other pythons and boas, I am a constrictor. This means I use my amazing muscular power to suffocate my prey. I am not venomous, so the only way I can kill is to constrict. After about fifteen seconds, I uncoil my body. The body heat of the mouse allows me to find the direct part of the mouse I want to digest first. Of course, I don’t eat in sections, I swallow my meals in one piece. By going head first, I am able to swallow my meals without problems, such as choking. The way I am able to swallow my food whole has to do with a few things. First off, the fact that I can unhinge my jaw is pretty sweet! By basically dislocating my jaw, I can swallow a meal about the same circumference as the thickest section of my body. I also have many small teeth that hook into my meal and pull my meal down my throat. In order to let my meal glide down my throat though, I need saliva! The substance I use to assist how I eat is what everybody else has. My throat needs to be lubricated so the food doesn’t get lodged into my throat and suffocate me. The mouse goes down easy, which is nice since it’s my first meal. After the mouse is gone, I realize how tiring eating can be! Good thing us Royal Pythons only eat once a week. I’m not sure I could do that every day. This whole living thing is going to be a piece of cake!
Days pass . . .
Weeks pass . . .
Months pass . . .
Years pass . . .
I am now a three year old female Royal Python. The years have been good to me and I’m very fortunate to have survived the obstacles of Ghana. Now is a very important time in my life. I have reached my sexual maturity and the weather has been getting colder. My specie mates within the fall and winter months. One might say the reason why we mate in colder months is because we get cold and just want to cuddle up with another. This is not true of course, but it is funny! The fantastic thing about being a female Royal Python is that, yeah we want sex, but the males want it more. I’m able to just sit tight and wait for a male to sense the pheromones my body is ejecting. Soon enough, a young two year old Royal Python finds me. Our bodies intertwine, literally, and we start the act of mating. We, of course, practice safe sex. No predator can attack us in my log home! After the mating ritual is over and done with, the male Royal Python leaves so I can lay in peace. I am filled with happiness because I have a feeling, I’m going to be a mommy.
As the days turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into months, I find myself plumping up. It’s getting very difficult to find food so like the rest of the girls, I fast until the eggs leave my body. Three months quickly shoot by, and I find the eggs are ready to come out of my body. Now I can eat, but I still have to protect my young. Females, like myself, coil around our young and watch over them until they hatch. This act is called brooding. My mother did it, and my mother’s mother did it. I pop out seven eggs, which is fantastic considering it is my first time! When I have finished eating, I slither back to my clutch, which is what my group of eggs are called. They all appear to be fine, but slightly cold. As I wrap my body around them, I increase my body’s temperature by shaking. This helps warm the eggs a bit. I brood for two months while my young are growing inside their eggs. After that period of brooding, I move aside. I see my children slitting their egg shells just like I had only three years prior. I am wiped out from having to be so alert for the past five months, I close my eyes to rest. I think I deserve this much needed sleep.
It’s been twenty-four years . . . I’ve mated nine times in my life. I’ve had a healthy reproduction rate, but now I’ve become very drained. I believe this year is the last I will have copulated . Over my twenty-seven years of life, I have seen so much. These tired eyes are finished seeing and just want to rest. I think of my first meal, and I can still taste the victory. I reminisce over my first clutch and then the other eight that followed. I know I’ve done my part when it comes to living, and I know that my time is up. I nestle in my log and curl into a ball for one last time. I’m off to sleep, but this time I know I won’t be waking up. It’s a peaceful realization to be honest. I see darkness at the end of my life, just like I saw darkness in the beginning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
