A Tuscan Summer

The Rubeshes join our friends and family for a couple weeks in the Tuscan Countryside.



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Adventureland Marbled Spice Cake - A Recipe

At one time or another, we have all had to have our nine-to-five job. Although, we are grateful for the money that comes in, at certain points, we feel bored or maybe even down-hearted. That is when we need to find our escape point. After work, I escape to my kitchen, where I can create and (hopefully) make something absolutely terrific. My escape is even better when I can combine that with my other happy spot, Disneyland.

When I created this cake and finally bit into it, I was whisked away. It was not to some exotic jungle, but to Adventureland. After all, there are some modern conveniences and safety precautions that Disneyland offers compared to some jungles.

This cake took me to that exact spot in front of Bengal Barbecue that I and my family always sit at to watch the world go by. I can feel the roughness of jungle rope, or the feel of climbing into great heights to reach the goal of being at the top of the Tarzan Treehouse (what we once knew as The Swiss Family Treehouse). Adventurous and mystified we sit and take it all in from a chair.

People are walking by, happy, carefree, and excited by that life that has brought them to this beautiful place. I watch the Jungle Cruise where families are coming from while the kids still are laughing at the lame jokes that came from their captain. I look to the right and I see the Indiana Jones Adventure. Kids looked stunned and parents look excited and happy. You wonder if these people look this happy at home. Everyone should look this happy everyday. That's when I look towards the tree house where all the rowdy kids are acting like monkeys and getting out all their energy (at least a third of it).

Sweet and savory barbeque chicken mixed with exotic yet playful spices tantalize my senses. Over the sweet barbeque scent, I detect the smell of dew. That's right, the smell of ancient and green rainforest soaked in its own moisture (it might be the smell of the water from the Jungle Cruise, but I am still going with the rainforest story).

Children laughing and screaming in good natured fun wake me from my fantasy. For a second there I thought I was in a rainforest, but no, I am Disneyland, safe and unscathed, but feeling still very adventurous. The hooting of the tropical birds and the old-fashioned sounds of the skippers' radios complete my happy picture.

Suddenly, I am back in my kitchen with the cake that started it all. Deep, exotic and playful, it matches where I am with that which makes us happy.

For an exotic cake of your own that might bring your sweet escape, try this:

"Adventureland Marbled Spice Cake"*

Ingredients: 1 and ½ tsp baking powder, 1 and 1/8 cups confectioners' sugar sifted, 6 tbs softened butter, 3 tbs non-fat milk, ½ tsp ground ginger, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup Splenda, 3 tbs molasses, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 2 eggs lightly beaten, 7/8 cup all-purpose flour, and a few drops of vanilla extract.

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 inch cake pan.

2) Cream the butter, sugar, and Splenda. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3) Sift the flour and baking powder together and fold into the mixture alternating with milk until combined.

4) Spoon 1/3 of the mixture into a bowl, and stir in the molasses, ginger, and cinnamon.

5) Drop alternating spoonfuls of dark and light mixtures into the pan. Run a knife through them to get the cake marbled.

6) Bake for 50 minutes. Leave in pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

7) Stir enough warm water in the confectioners' sugar to make a smooth icing. Spoon quickly over the cake. Allow to set.

8) Enjoy with the feelings of your exotic sweet escape.

Likely Page Break

* Base for recipe from Cake and then I molded it from there.

Summer Entertaining Idea - Acai Berry Sorbet

With summer in full swing, many people will be entertaining and feeding guests. After the delicious BBQ or other meal, many hosts will want to serve a dessert to end the meal on a sweet note. On these hot days and warm summer nights, many hosts will be thinking of cold desserts: ice-cream, sorbet, gelato, etc. These desserts are favorites of summer, and for good reason.

On the other hand, many guests are health conscious these days. People don't want empty, sugary or fat calories. Many hosts, in response to this are serving fruit based sorbets rather than more fattening ice cream. Sorbets are delicous, refreshing frozen fruit pulps. They are natural and nutritous. What could be better?

Well here is the tip. One of the latest heath trends it to increase the consumption of anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are compounds that occur naturally in many foods. Anti-oxidants have the capability to inhibit the damaging action of free radicals. Nutritionists tell us that a lot of cell damage is caused by the destructive action of free radicals, and they recommend eating 3000-5000 ORAC units per day (ORAC is Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity- a means of indexing the anti-oxidant capibility of foods).

One of the recent most popular high ORAC foods is the acai (pronounced "assa-hee") berry from Brazil. The acai berry has one of the highest ORAC scores of any fruit known to date, and beats pomegranate, blueberry, cranberry, etc. And acai has been popular in large Brazilian cities for almost 20 years, so the Brazilians know how to serve acai well. On of the most popular forms in Brazil is the acai bowl, which is basically frozen acai pulp mixed with guarana syrup (a common flavorant in Brazil made from the gurana fruit seed), and cane sugar. The resulting mixture is mainly acai pulp, and has a pleasant sorbet like texture and very nice berry flavor, similar, but distinct from blue-berry. Normally in Brazil , the acai bowl is served with sliced bananas and a sprinkle of granola.

Acai Roots, a company in San Diego run by Brazilians who were raised on acai bowls in Rio de Jainero, produces an excellent acai puree mixture [http://www.acai-berry.tv/acaipulp.html] in the style of the Brazilian acai bowl. As for cost, based on the 7.2 pound size (about 36 servings) priced in July 2008, the cost is 39.4 cents per ounce. One serving is considered 100 grams (about 3.4 ounces). I surveyed sorbets from netgrocers.com, and they ranged from 33.7 (Haagen Daaz raspberry) to 42.2 (Cia Bella Raspberry) cents per ounce. Frozen fruit purees of raspberry went from 43.1 cents per ounce to $1.42 per ounce on different websites!

Impress your health conscious guests by serving them acai bowls (acai sorbet). They will appreciate your thinking about their health, and for many, it will be their first chance to try acai.

Chocolate Fudge Recipes - Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge

Here's a timeless recipe for traditional chocolate fudge.

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup cocoa

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.

In a saucepan, combine the sugar, cocoa and milk, stir well. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer at 238 degrees. Do not stir. Remove from heat.

Add in the butter and vanilla extract. Beat with a wooden spoon until the fudge loses its gloss. Pour into the prepared pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

=> Creamy Double Chocolate Fudge

This heavenly fudge is made with milk chocolate, chocolate chips and marshmallow crème.

1 pound milk chocolate

1 pound semi-sweet chocolate chips

2 1/2 tablespoons butter

2 cups marshmallow crème

2 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

4 cups white sugar

Directions

Lightly butter a 9x13-inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine the milk chocolate, chocolate chips, butter and marshmallow crème (and nuts if you're using them).

In a large saucepan, combine the evaporated milk and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil for 4 minutes.

Pour hot sugar mixture over the chocolate mixture and stir with a large spoon until well blended. Pour into prepared baking pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

=> Fudge Lovers Chocolate Fudge

The perfect fudge for special occasions and holidays.

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/3 cup skim milk

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup marshmallow crème

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons cocoa

Directions

Grease an 8x8-inch pan.

In a heavy saucepan, combine the confectioners' sugar, milk and the butter. Cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly. Cook until fudge reaches 238 degrees on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat.

Add in the chocolate chips, marshmallow crème, vanilla and the cocoa. Stir well and pour into prepared pan. Let cool. Cut into squares.

=> Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe: Easy Hot Fudge Sauce

This delicious hot fudge sauce can be served over your favorite ice cream or cake.

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

4 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate

2 tablespoons butter (do not use margarine)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a heavy saucepan, combine the condensed milk, semisweet chocolate and the butter. Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly. Cook until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla. Serve.

Mec3 Gelato Dessert Video 1

Mec3 Gelato Dessert parte prima



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xG7aI6iRaU&hl=en

sacralità di un gelato

se mi volete aggiungere su facebook questo è il link www.facebook.com non è un semplice ragazzo che mangia un gelato, non è un semplice gelato del supermercato, non è semplice come appare...è decisamente molto di più, a te scoprire perchè...



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DIBO UNA MONTAGNA DI GELATO PARTE 2

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