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caramel apples!!!

... I grew up in a country where Halloween isn't really celebrated with all the hoopla of jack-o-laterns, halloween parties and trick or treating... the highlight of my childhood halloween was a contest amongst us kids on who can make the biggest ball of wax from candle drippings and the occasional scary story... ...  6 Granny Smith apples 6 wooden sticks 1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped 2 tablespoons water 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
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you crack me up!

 more whole wheat goodness with these home made crackers! the best part of this is you can add any flavor topping you want - you get a whole lot of variety from preparing 1 batch of dough.... perfect with hummus and some veggie sticks for a quick healthy snack. I imagine it would be a great addition to your charcuterie board too! Add caption Whole Wheat Crackers ingredients: - 1 1/4 cups   whole wheat flour - 1/2 teaspoon  salt - 1/4 teaspoon   paprika - 1 tablespoon   honey - 4 tablespoons   unsalted butter, chilled - 1/4   to   1/2   cup ice water how to: - mix all dry ingredients in a bowl - add honey and cut in butter with a pastry cuter or a fork  - gradually add iced water and mix until a ball forms - in a floured surface, roll dough until very thin - brush with a little amount of milk, sprinkle your preferred topping and give it another go of your rolling pin for the toppings to be pressed onto the dough - cut into bite size squares - and bake until crisp in the 180 C preheated

whole-y moley wheat bread!!!

 I have been trying to master making bread using whole wheat flour, my first attempt was a complete failure even though I followed the recipe exactly. I don't know where I went wrong but the 'bread' didn't rise even after a couple of hours. I still went n to bake it and though it was edible to texture was not fluffy as shown in the you tube video tutorial but very dry and crumbly - almost like the puto seko of my childhood...  I continued to search for recipes and finally decided on combining methods from 2 recipes - and it was a success! Whole Wheat Bread Loaf: ingredients: - 2 1/2 cup whole wheat flour - 1 cup plus 2 tbsp water - 1 tsp yeast - 2 t tbsp oil (I used olive oil) - 1/4 tsp salt how to: - bloom yeast in lukewarm water about 5-10 mins or until frothy - add half cup of flour, mix until combined and set aside for about 30 mins. The mixture will rise and be frothy - add the rest of the flour and mix just until combined, rest again for 30 mins -  turn the dough

pudding new life to stale bread!

In this time where there can be shortage of food supplies, we can not afford for anything to go to waste - which is the norm in our household in any case. Today while checking out our ref I found 2 left over buns from last week's lunch. They were stale and hard but do not have any molds - I did not want to throw them out so I rummaged through the pantry for any other leftover stuff I could use to make bread pudding. I found a couple of merengue - I did not know of any recipe for bread pudding using merengue but what the heck, I will just throw it in there too instead of throwing it out... There was also a bit of pink sugar left from a previous baking project... I have some milk, eggs, a packet of raisin and nuts... PERFECT! lets make bread pudding shall we? Bread Pudding Ingredients: - about 2 cups left over bread - 1 cup milk - 1 egg - sugar to taste - toppings of choice (nuts, dried fruits, chocolate etc.) How to: - cut the bread into small pieces- in a

beefy buns

Nothing goes well with a big bowl of hot and hearty beef noodle soup than soft and fluffy steamed buns!  This dish reminds me of my childhood fascination of the vibrancy of a busy marketplace. During summer vacation, before going to work, my mom would take us to the market to buy our meals for the day and the corner noodle shop was often than not our main stop. We would order a couple of servings of beef noodles and steamed buns... I would often discreetly watch the people inside the shop - fascinated by the diversity of the patrons coming and going. There are families dinning out for a treat... couples maybe on a date... lone diners and working people like my mom dressed in office uniforms. Our take away package seems to come too quick for me to enjoy my time people watching and making my self dizzy going round and round on the bar stools. With a plop the server would hand us bulging bags full of hot soup and that would be the signal ending my market adventure as my mom would

Puto-ing it healthier!

I am one with a big appetite. I love to eat … and though I try to be physically active with sports and exercise, part of taking care of oneself is watching what we eat. I try to make healthy food choices and tweak recipes to satisfy my cravings with a little less guilt. I have recently tried using whole wheat flour in baking and while I am yet to perfect breadmaking here's a healthier version of the beloved Filipino steamed cake we call PUTO! Whole wheat flour has more fiber and vitamin content than white flour. Whole-wheat flour contains several vitamins, including folate, riboflavin and vitamins B-1, B-3 and B-5. Substituting whole wheat flour for refined flour helps us get the nutritional benefits with out sacrificing the foods you love, so give it a go! Whole Wheat Puto Ingredients: - 1 cup wheat flour - 1 cup milk - 4 tbsp sugar - 1 tbsp butter - 1egg - a pinch of salt - your choice of flavorings (pandan, vanilla, ube) - your choice of toppings (salted egg, cheese) Ho

boba fun!

Boba pearl milk tea drinks have been the trend for quite sometime now. Sweet cold drinks is always refreshing not just in summer but all year round and the sweet chewy texture of the boba pearls adds fun to every cup! Now with simple ingredients and a little patience you can make boba pearls at home! Boba Pearls Ingredients: - 1 cup tapioca starch (remove and reserve 4 tbsp for the kneading process) - 4 tbsp dark brown sugar - ¼ cup water for sugar syrup - 1/4 cup  dark brown sugar - 1/4 cup water How to: - dissolve sugar and water in a small sauce pan, add tapioca starch and mix until dissolved - heat in pan until you get thick consistency (about 3-5 mins) - turn into floured surface and knead adding the reserved flour 1 tbsp. at a time - knead until you get an elastic snappy dough - roll into 1/4 inch thickness - cut into small squares and roll into balls - place in a bowl with some tapioca flour to prevent from  sticking together - to cook, pour into boiling water and simmer unt