Joan’s Country Kitchen

Cooking, Entertaining and Home Improvement Blog

Archive for December, 2009

The long awaited match-up between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Pride of the Phillepeans, Manny Pacquiano is finally going to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada at the MGM Grand on March 13, 2010. Ticket sales for the Mayweather/Pacquiano fight are expected to top 30,000 and the buzz is on about who will ultimately become the undisputed king of boxing in the entire world.

tickets to Mayweather fight are available and now is the time to reserve your spot at ring side for this historic event. The Mayweather/Pacquiano fight has take years to set up and the results will settle, once and for all, just who is boxing’s undisputed Welterweight Champion.

Cockiness vs humble humility - Who do you choose to win?

tickets to Mayweather fight are quickly selling out! Reserve yours today.


This unique cake recipes comes from my mom’s 1920’s Iowa Farm Bureau Cookbook. It was submitted by Mrs. Donald Klopping. The recipe caught my eye because of the idea of adding a mashed potato to a cake recipe seemed interesting. The results are delicious though!

Historic recipes are not long on directions so I’m using the directions I used myself. Most old recipes presupposed that the cook really knew what she was doing in the kitchen!

Potato Caramel Cake Recipe

Ingredients

2-3 cups butter (I used 2 cups)
2 cups sugar
1-2 cup sweet milk ( I started with one cup and added a little more until I got to the right consistency)
1 cup mashed potato
2 cups flour
1-2 cups cocoa (I used one cup)
1 cup raisins
1 cup nuts ( I used walnuts)
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp cloves

Directions

Cream sugar and butter, then add egg yolks, potato, milk, spices, cocoa, nuts, and raisins rolled in flour. Mix well and then slowly add flour, blending as you go.

Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake batter.

Bake in a tube pan at 350.

I’ve worn glasses since I was ten years old and lasik surgery, which reduces or eliminates the need for glasses or contacts, is something I’m considering. Lasik eye surgery is one of the most performed surgeries in the US. You can see well within a day or two, which seems like a miracle when you’ve worn glasses most of your life.

If you’re in the New York area, the Stahl Eye Center has three locations to serve you for lasik surgery. With graduates from the top Universities, such as Yale and UCLA, the physicians at the Stahl Eye Center have been providing the best care for patients for 35 years.

Watch this Lasik information and surgery video for more information.

Sexy Dresses for the Holiday

Dec-23-2009 By Joan

Do you have big plans to celebrate New Year’s Eve or any special occastion? Finding the perfect sexy dress is

Find the perfect sexy dress for any celebration

Find the perfect sexy dress for any celebration

one important element of a Happy New Year! Check out Sexy Dresses for the latest, hottest fashion for your holiday celebration.

The author was paid for this posting.

Tips for Joining a Wine Club

Dec-22-2009 By Joan

Many wine merchants offer wine clubs as a way of acquainting people with their labels. They bring their wine directly to the customers, who, in return, receive perks for being in the club. There are many different types of wine club so it’s important to find just the right fit for your lifestyle. Here are some things to consider when purchasing a wine club membership:

What is your purpose for joining the wine club?

  • Would you like to learn more about a particular region or a specific type of wine?
  • Would you like to taste diverse wines or exotic wines?
  • Would you like to order wines not available anywhere else?
  • Would you like social wine tastings to be included?

These are just a few options available with different wine club memberships.

What is your budget?

There are wine club memberships to fit most budgets, from about $20 monthly to $100 a month, or more. Wine clubs may ship monthly, quarterly or twice a year.

Check out the perks of different wine clubs.

Perks may include:

  • Information and education about wines
  • Wine discounts to members
  • Free member tastings or invitations to member only events
  • Gift offers- get either memberships or wines as a gift for that wine lover on your list.
  • A wine community to interact with where you can meet on line, talk about and review wine choices.

Additional things to consider about wine clubs:

  • Can you cancel membership at any time or is there a minimum purchase or time commitment? Be sure to read about cancellation policies.
  • Can you opt out of a shipment or change to another selection?
  • Are shipments shipped automatically?
  • What are shipping costs? Is it a flat fee or is shipping costs based on where you live?

Joining a wine club is a wonderful way to acquaint yourself with quality wines and receive many benefits offered by wine merchants who, in return, enjoy bringing their best to you.

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Eyeglasses are a necessary item, but they are also a fashion statement. Fashionable designer frames can

Metal frames with spring hinge only $12.95 at Zenni Optical

Metal frames with spring hinge only $12.95 at Zenni Optical


make your eyeglasses an expensive but it doesn’t have to be that way. You can get cheap eyegalsses, which are also fashionable, durable and high quality, online from Zenni Optical. How does Zenni optical provide such extraordinary eyeglasses at bargain prices?

Instead of selling high priced designer frames, Zennie markets their own brand of Zenni frames, which are made with quality and safety in mind. You can even get beautiful holiday eyeglasses frames from Zenni.

Browse their extensive collection of cheap eyeglass frames and you won’t believe the dozens of styles, the quality craftsmenship, and the ease or ordering. Simply choose the perfect frames, add your eye prescription and order. Many frames as cheap as $9.95!

Need more input on Zenni Optical frames? Check out this review - Cheap Eyeglasses are a Reality.

Try Zenni Optical today and save money on your next pair of eyeglasses.

I love historic recipes and the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe has a very interesting history.

Over 700 delicous recipes from Ruth Wakefield's Toll House

Over 700 delicous recipes from Ruth Wakefield

In 1930, Ruth Wakefield and her husband, Kenneth, bought a 1709, Cape Cod-style toll house situated halfway between Boston and New Bedford, Massachusetts, just outside the town of Whitman.

A toll house used to serve as an inn and eating establishment for road-weary travelers. Here passengers paid their toll, changed horses, and ate welcome home style meals. This particular toll house, purchased by the Wakefields, was turned into a lodge called The Toll House Inn, with Ruth baking for all the guests who stayed at there.

Ruth used historic and traditional Colonial recipes, for her guests and her delicious desserts began attracting people from all over New England. One favorite cookie recipe from the Colonial Days was called Butter Drop Do cookies. One day, while preparing these, she decided to cut up a Nestle Semi-Sweet Chocolate candy bar and add it to the cookie dough.

Ruth expected the chocolate to melt but instead, the chocolate bits held their shape and softened. This chocolate chip cookie recipe became extremely popular at the inn and it wasn’t long before Ruth’s cookie recipe was published in a Boston newspaper, then other newspapers in New England.

Ruth Wakefield’s chocolate chip cookie recipe caused the sale of Nestle Semi Sweet Chocolate Morsels to sky-rocket in the New England area. Soon, Ruth reached an agreement with the Nestle company which allowed them to print the recipe on the wrapper of the Semi-Sweet Chocolate bar and in exchange, Ruth received a life-time supply of chocolate so she could continue making delicious chocolate chip cookies, which Ruth had named Toll House Cookies, after her inn.

Nestle loved the idea so much, they even sold a special chopper with the candy bar for easier cutting. Then in 1939, the Nestle company started offering the tiny chocolate bits in ready to use packages. This best-selling chocolate chip continues to create delicious chocolate chip cookies today.

Get the original Toll house homemade chocolate cookie recipes, plus 700 more historic recipes from Ruth Wakefield in Toll House Tried and True Recipes Her book includes authentic recipes for Authentic recipes from the famous Toll House restaurant in Massachusetts, like popovers, Toll House baked beans, chocolate cake, crumb pudding, and, of course the original Toll House chocolate chip cookie recipe. Many historic recipes you don’t find anywhere else.

Read more about the Nestle Company’s Toll House chocolate chips at Very Best Baking.com

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