Archive for January, 2010

Apple-apricot Fruit Cake Passover Dessert Recipe

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010


Ingredients for the Apple Layer:

6 medium apples sliced very thin, a mandolin or food processor may be used.

¼ Cup of dried apricots, chopped

1/4 cup Sugar

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Mix all in a bowl, and set aside

Ingredients for the Cake batter:

3 medium or large Eggs, you will need to separate the yolks from the white and hold the whites until you are ready to whip, this is done to give the cake lift.

3/4 cup Matzo Cake Meal

3/4 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Oil

2 teaspoons Vanilla

2 teaspoons Lemon zest, fine

1/8 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients for the topping of the Cake:

1/3 cup of Walnuts, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Cinnamon

1/2 Cup of Sugar

You will toss the sliced apples in with sugar and cinnamon. You will then set apples and apricots aside. In another bowl you will combine egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, matzo meal and oil. You will blend all of these ingredients until smooth.

In a separate bowl you will whip the egg whites with 1/8 teaspoon of salt until stiff peaks form and a glossy sheen is seen. You will begin to add or gently fold 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter. Make sure you do this very gently if you want to get the maximum lift, you do not want the cake to be too dense. You will do this 3 times, until all egg whites are combined into the batter.

You will now take half of the batter and put it into a greased 9 inch spring form pan. You will add the apple, apricot, sugar and cinnamon mixture on top of the first layer of batter. Now you will cover the fruit mixture with the remaining batter. The batter will be thick and sticky so do the best you can to get it evenly spread. For the last step you will add the topping ingredients and sprinkle over cake batter. You will add to a preheated oven of 350 degrees and cook approximately 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven. Remove and let cool. Serve.

Chef Shelley Pogue, a Cum Laude, Le Cordon Blue graduate and Executive Research and Development Chef, for Vertical Sales and Marketing, San Ramon.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shelley_Pogue

Enjoying Austin for Free: Your guide to the city's free attractions

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010


Austin is one of the fastest growing cities in not only Texas but the country. With more homes being built and people moving in, it’s no wonder that lots of people are looking for things to do in Austin. If you are looking for somewhere to go or something to do that won’t break the budget, look no further than these free activities in and around Austin.

Texas State Capitol

The Texas State Capitol is a great place to visit at least once, especially if you have school age children. The capital is located at 1100 Congress Avenue. There are daily tours of the Capitol building and morning tours of the Governor’s Mansion, all for free. The Capitol grounds contain 22 acres with 17 monuments in addition to the Capitol building itself.

The Congress Avenue Bats

For this free activity, you’ll have to time your visit between March and early Fall. Each summer approximately 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats come to Austin and comprise the largest urban bat colony in North America. They reside underneath the Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue bridge. Stand on the bridge near dusk and then witness the bats come out after dark.

University of Texas Campus and Museums

The UT campus itself is a great place to visit for free. The campus is historic for its architecture and history. View the University of Texas tower and the Littlefield Fountain. The Harry Ransom Center is a free museum that houses the world’s first photograph and an authentic copy of the Gutenberg bible. The Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum also houses many historical and cultural exhibits. Finally, UT is home of the Texas Memorial Museum which includes real dinosaur tracks.

Zilker Botanical Gardens

This garden park is located in the Barton Springs area and houses 21 acres of park. There are many themed gardens on the grounds, including romantic rose garden, the butterfly garden and the Japanese garden. There is also a prehistoric garden that reflects this areas past as a major dinosaur roaming grounds during the Cretaceous period.

Blues on the Green

If you’re blues music enthusiast, you’ll appreciate this free concert series every summer. Sponsered by 107.1 KGSR, Blues on the Green is normally held in Zilker Park (although 2009’s festivities were in Waterloo Park due to construction projects). Local musicians like Marcia Ball, Los Lonely Boys and Jimmy Vaughan have all been part of the event in the past.

Hartman Foundation Concerts in the Park

During the months of May through August you can catch this free concert series held at the Hartman Concert Park. Classical music, pops, jazz and film scores are played by ensembles from the Austin Symphony.

Movies in the Park at Republic Square

The Austin Parks foundation sponsors this event each summer at Republic Square Park. The films are projected onto an outdoor screen and residents are encouraged to bring their blankets, lawn chairs and picnic tables. The movies start at dusk.

Home Improvement Projects to Save you Money

Monday, January 25th, 2010


Home improvement projects in this economy are all about getting the most bang for your buck. If you had planned a complete overhaul of your entire house and are not looking at a different financial situation, don’t despair. You can still get great home improvement results without breaking the bank. You just need to think about things in a different way and adjust your projects so they make financial sense. The following five home improvements can make a big difference in the look and functioning of your house without putting you in financial despair.

1.Painting the interior

If you had to choose one home improvement project that would make the biggest impact for the smallest amount of money, it has to be paint. Painting the walls in your home can create dramatic change immediately. Whether you are just painting one wall or redoing an entire section of your home, you can transform your place in the span of just a few days. Look to home improvement magazines for ideas and then use a mid-range priced brand of paint for a combination of money savings and durability.

2.Cabinet resurfacing

If you wanted to get new cabinets but have now adjusted your budget, cabinet resurfacing is a great way to go. Since home improvements made in the kitchen always increase your value, you can be sure that any money spent here will be a good investment, even resurfacing. By having a professional resurface the cabinets, you can change the whole look of the kitchen with just one project. The cabinets can be updated with a color or stripped down to the rich wood underneath. For mere dollars, you can swap out old cabinet fixtures with new ones and your transformation will be complete.

3.Painting the trim of your home

Can’t afford to paint the entire exterior of your home? No problem! By painting the small surface area of the trim you can give your home a fresh look for a minimum cost. Although it doesn’t seem like it, painting the trim can have a big visual impact on your home. Having the trim painted by professional contractors can cost less than $1000. In addition to cost savings, painting the trim can give you more flexibility to change colors later on. If you change your mind later on, it will be easy and relatively inexpensive to get a new color.

4.Composite floors

Next to the kitchen, the flooring of your home can have the biggest impact on your resale value. Besides paint, it’s the biggest way you can change the look of the interior of your home. If traditional flooring is out of your price range composite floors can give you a dramatic new look for pennies on the dollar. Visit a home improvement store to look into your options.

5.Clean out your gutters

Although this may not be at the top of most people’s home improvement project list, it’s very important and can save you money in the long run.  When your gutters are working properly, they efficiently rout the water away from your home and prevent weather damage to the roof, walls and foundation.

These inexpensive home improvements will help you update and protect your home without costing too much money.