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  • Homemade meatballs!

    I am going to teach you how to make Tia Mowry’s family recipe for Meatballs. The exact measurements were not given but really you can just flavor it how you like it.

    • Dark and light turkey, or hamburger.
    • Green pepper
    • Onion
    • Garlic powder
    • Italian breadcrumbs
    • Egg

    Preheat the oven to 350. Add all of the ingredients together and use a round ice-cream scoop to make all the meatballs all the same size, so they will cook evenly. Place the meatballs on the pan and cook until completely done all the way through. Enjoy in pasta or on their own!

    Mountain Top, France

  • Ricotta Fritters

    These fritters were pretty east to make! I think it would be pretty cool to experiment with different flavors. I made one change; I used gluten flour instead of regular flour.

    • 1 Cup plus 2 tablespoons (8-ounce carton) ricotta cheese
    • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    • 1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • Zest of one lemon
    • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly ground
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
    • olive oil
    • Fruit syrup or honey
    1. Place the ricotta in a medium bowl. Whisk in the beaten eggs until well mixed. Add the butter, sugar, lemon zest, nutmeg, and salt; mix well. Stir in the flour until well combined. Set the mixture the mixture aside for 2 hours.
    2. Pour the olive oil into a small, deep saucepan to a depth of 1 inch and turn the heat to medium-high. Heat the oil to 365 degrees.
    3. Gently drop in the batter on tablespoon at a time. Do not crowd the pan. The fritters will puff up and brown. Use a chopstick or a wooden spoon (do not use anything plastic) to flip them over to brown on the other side.
    4. When the fritters are done, take them out and place them on a paper towel so the excess oil can drain. Serve the fritters hot and drizzle with fruit syrup or honey.

    Mountain Top, France

  • Crusty Potatoes Anne

    This week’s recipe is crispy potatoes, from the book “What Einstein Told His Cook“. I made a few changes to the recipe, along with salt and pepper I also added garlic powder. Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese. Don’t make the mistake of adding to much salt like I did, lol.

    • 4 median potatoes, preferably Yukon Golds
    • 2 to 4 Tablespoons clarified butter
    • Coarse salt Freshly ground pepper
    1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Next, get a pan and a lit to fit, (I did not use a lid) and butter the pan generously. Wash and dry your potatoes, then cut them into slices; to peal or not to peal is your choice.
    2. Arrange a single layer of Potato slices into the pan in a spiral pattern with the potatoes overlapping, or if you have rectangle pan like I did, just layer then in a row. Brush the first potato layer with butter, then sprinkle the salt and pepper. I melted my butter and only had one layer of potatoes because I wanted to do one serving. Keep layering and adding butter and your seasonings until all layers are finished.
    3. Pour melted butter on the top and then place them in the oven. you can boil your cut potatoes, but I chose not to. Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, or until potatoes are golden brown.
    4. Hope you enjoy the recipe, happy baking!

    Mountain Top, France

  • Star sugar cookies

    The star cookie recipe is from the book what Einstein told his cook. I made a few changes in my cookies. I made them gluten free and sugar free, and surprisingly they tasted really good!

    • 2 1/4 cup all purpose flour (or gluten free flour) plus flour for dusting
    • 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 1 cup sugar(or stevia/monk fruit)
    • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
    • 3/2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water
    • Sugar for topping!
    • In a medium bowl, stir together, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter And sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Add the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, mix until a dough is formed.
    • Divide and roll out the dough, refrigerate dough (optional, I didn’t refrigerate).
    • preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. If you choose to refrigerate your dough take it out, and you may have to wait for it to chill, so it’s easier to roll out. Dust with flour on top and bottom. Use star shaped cutter( or any shape). Line your baking tray with parchment paper, and brush with your egg yolk and water mixture, then lightly sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly brown, the slightly underbaked cookies were the best in my opinion, they will cook throughout once they sit on a cooling rack, it makes them soft instead of crunchy. Let the cookies cool for about 2 minutes, or burn your mouth like I did, because I’m impatient. The cookies can stay good for a few weeks if you keep them in a airtight container, or put them in the freezer until your ready to eat them. Happy baking I hope you enjoy!

    Mountain Top, France

  • Rock Candy

    Materials & Equipment

    • 1/2 Cup of water
    • 1 Cup sugar
    • A measuring cup
    • A small saucepan
    • A wooden spoon
    • 3 or 4 small shallow dishes (aluminum foil muffin cups work as well)

    Instructions

    1. Pour the water into the saucepan. Measure out a cup of sugar. Put a spoonful of sugar in the water and stir. Use a wooden spoon to stir; it won’t get as hot as a metal spoon. Continue to add sugar by the spoonful’s, stirring after each addition until the sugar dissolves.
    2. Set the saucepan on the stove over low heat for a few minutes.
    3. Turn off the heat and remove the saucepan from the stove. Add sugar again, Spoonfuls at a time.
    4. Pour all of the remaining sugar from the measuring cup into the saucepan. Put the saucepan on the stove again and continue heating gently until all the sugar has dissolved. Then bring it to a boil and boil for a minute. The solution should be thick and clear, containing no sugar crystals. Pour the solution carefully into a small dish while its hot. It’s not important to distribute the solution evenly.

    Mountain Top, France

  • Chocolate Velvet Mousse

    I made a Chocolate mousse, from the book What Einstein told his cook by Robert L. Wolke. I did make two changes, I used half the amount of chocolate the recipe called for, and did not use any alcohol.

    • 6 ounces of very good semisweet, dark chocolate.
    • 3 large eggs, seperated
    • 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
    • 1/4 cup double-strength coffee at room temperature or 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
    • 2 tablespoons Chambord or Cointreau
    • 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
    • Raspberries

    1. Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over very low heat, let cool
    2. In a medium bowl, beat the egg yolks and confectioners’ sugar until smooth with an electric mixer on medium speed. Beat in the coffee and Chambord just to combine. Then stir in the melted chocolate. Add the olive oil and mix well.
    3. Wash the beaters thoroughly, so that they are completely free of oil. In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until almost stiff. With a whisk, gently fold one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until all patches of white disappear. Fold in the remaining egg whites, 1/3 at a time, until patches of white disappear. Do not over mix. Chill in fridge, serve with raspberries. Don’t worry it doesn’t taste oily!

    Mountain Top, France

  • Molasses Gingerbread Cake!

    I made a molasses gingerbread cake, from the book What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke. If you don’t want your cake to fall apart like mine did, take it out after it has completely cooled. This cake is pretty good on its own, but I made a homemade butter cream for the top, and that made it extra good. I feel like this cake is good for wintertime, for Thanksgiving or Christmas!

    • 2- 1/2 Cups all-purpose flour
    • 1- 1/2 Teaspoons baking soda
    • 1 Teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1/2 Teaspoon cloves
    • 1/2 Teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter melted and slightly cooled
    • 1/2 Cup sugar
    • 1 Large egg
    • 1 Cup unsulphured molasses
    • 1 Cup hot (not boiling) water
    1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Spray an 8- by 8-inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees for a metal pan or 325 degrees for an ovenproof glass pan.
    2. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt with a wooden spoon. In a large bowl whisk together the melted butter, sugar, and egg. In a small bowl or glass measure, stir the molasses into the hot water until completely blended.
    3. Add one-third of the flour mixture to the butter-sugar-egg mixture and whisk together just to moisten the ingredient. Then whisk in about half of the molasses mixture. Continue by adding another third of the flour mixture, then the other half of the molasses mixture, then the final third of the flour mixture. Whisk just until all the of white disappear. Do not overmix.
    4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean and the cake has pulled away somewhat from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
    5. Serve warm from the pan or turn the cake out onto a rack to cool. This is a good keeper and will stay fresh for several days, covered, at room temperature.

    Mountain Top, France

  • MERINGUE KISSES!

    1st Baking project!

    MERINGUE KISSES!

    I made meringues with four simple ingredients, from the book What Einstein Told His Cook by Robert L. Wolke. If you are looking for something delicious and simple, then you should definitely try these! I will be trying different flavors, and I will also be making a sugar free version, the only thing you need to change for sugar free meringues just use Stivia or Monk Fruit instead of cane sugar.

    • 3 Large egg whites, at room temperature
    • 1/4 Teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 12 Tablespoons superfine sugar
    • 1 1/2 Teaspoons vanilla

    Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a rubber baking mat like I used. Using a bowl with a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until it’s slightly stiff. Gradually beat in 9 tablespoons of your choice of sugar until stiff peaks form. Next, using a spatula, beat in vanilla and fold in the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar. Drop teaspoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto your cookie sheet, or you can use piping bags if you want to be fancy. Bake for 1 hour, or if they are mini, bake for about 30 to 45 minuets. after they have baked, turn the oven off, but leave the meringues in for 30 more minutes. Then, remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minuets or if your impatient like my mom just eat them right when they come out, lol. You can store in a container with a lid. Happy baking!

    Mountain Top, France

  • Hitler.

    Adolf Hitler assumed the position of Chancellor of Germany in January 1933. Shortly thereafter, he initiated a covert buildup of Germany’s military forces and weaponry. By 1934, he had expanded the army, commenced the construction of warships, and established a German airforce. Additionally, compulsory military service was implemented. Despite being cognizant of Hitler’s activities, Britain and France were preoccupied with the threat of Communism and believed that a more robust Germany could serve as a deterrent against the spread of Communism to the Western nations.

    In 1936, Hitler dispatched German troops to the Rhineland. At that time, the German military was relatively weak and could have been easily overpowered. However, neither France nor Britain were willing to instigate another conflict. During 1936, Hitler forged two significant alliances. The first was the Rome-Berlin Axis Pact, aligning Germany with Mussolini’s Italy. The second was the Anti-Comitern Pact, forming an alliance between Germany and Japan. Subsequently, Hitler embarked on reclaiming territories that had been seized from Germany. In March 1938, German forces entered Austria. The Austrian leader was compelled to conduct a plebiscite to determine whether the populace desired to join Germany. The outcome of the plebiscite was manipulated, indicating that 99% of Austrians favored Anschluss (union with Germany). The Austrian leader sought assistance from Britain, France, and Italy. Hitler assured that Anschluss marked the conclusion of his expansionist ambitions, and to avoid the risk of war, the other nations refrained from taking action.

    Neville Chamberlain, the Prime Minister of Britain, engaged in three meetings with Hitler in September 1938 in an attempt to avoid war. The Munich Agreement allowed Hitler to take control of the Sudetenland region of Czechoslovakia on the condition that he would not invade the rest of the country. However, Hitler broke his promise and in March 1939, he proceeded to invade the remaining parts of Czechoslovakia. Despite the Czechoslovak government’s pleas for assistance, neither Britain nor France were willing to take military action against Hitler. As a result, both countries eventually promised to intervene if Hitler targeted Poland next. Chamberlain hoped that the threat of war from Britain and France would deter Hitler’s aggression, but he was mistaken. On September 1st, 1939, German troops invaded Poland.

    Mountain Top, France

  • Is life our imagination?

    Is there such a thing as the number three? In the book The Enneads, Plotinus has a theory that the world is just our imagination, he says  “I mean is three a real thing or is it just an idea that we place on things with our mind?” Is there such a thing as the number three? Yes, I think that this theory is ridiculous, because he is stating that God isn’t real, God made the earth and if He made it, then it’s real. All of our imaginations are different and can not all be the same. The Bible is for a fact real, and therefore everything is real. If everything was our imagination couldn’t we just get and do whatever we want, I think we would want our lives to be different.What would be the end result? After we die in our imagination what comes after that? In our imagination, I don’t think we could feel pain as bad as we do. If we are the ones controlling our own thoughts, why do we see things we don’t want to see? 

    There are all these questions, but what is the answer? I think if this world was our imagination, it would kinda be like how we dream, we don’t really feel or taste, well at least I don’t. I know the world is real, because the only real explanation of the world as it is and when it’s gone, is the Bible. The Bible explains everything, and no book does that but the Bible. For obvious reasons the world and heaven are real but also because God has given us all the reasons that it is, and it always will be.

    Mountain Top, France