I remembered an old Bible adage "do onto others as you would want done onto you". This also coincided with my Mothers point of view "kill them with kindness", and I wanted to kill him. I decided on a more pleasant approach, one that didn't involve me yelling screaming and kicking things over to make a point. My approach was simply to look through my chocolate recipe book and find something that I might bake him (I was undecided about the arsenic at that point though). Maybe going down this route would sweeten him up a bit. So I flipped through my book and stopped immediately when I saw a recipe labeled "The Chocolate Recipe That Possesses Miracle Power". This one was perfect as I knew that it would take a miracle to sweeten up that old geezer.

So from my chocolate recipe book I made a couple batches of cookies, I nicely placed them in a tin, and placed a card on top. On the card I wrote "I was thinking of you today, I hope these cookies will bring you a smile". When I was done, I walked over to his house, placed the cookies on his door step and played the child's game of doorbell ditch. I ran like a scared kid after pelting the school bully with a dirt clod.

About an hour later, old Mr. Larson appeared on my door step. I opened the door. His was stern and mouth formed into a wrinkled frown that exuded anger. I braced for impact. What horrible thing was he going to do to me now? Just as I was about to start backing away I saw a tear stream down his cheek. This tear was followed by another, and then another. "I must have acted some Jerk to you" he said "I'm sorry. I never have been right since my car accident. After the accident I had several surgeries, one of them took away my ability to smile. An ability I didn't think I'd miss, until today"! Now we were both crying.

Mr. Larson and I have been great friends for five years now. Many more miracles have happened because of these miracle cookies; there was the one over at the nursing home, the one with the drunken soldier, oh yes and even the miracle with my husband (the cookies made him shut up for a while). But no miracle was so great as the one that started with this one chocolate recipe given to my now good friend Mr. Larson.

Chocolate Malted "Miracle" Cookies
Makes about 40 cookies

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter flavored vegetable shortening
1/2 cup malted milk powder
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed firmly
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl mix the baking soda, salt, and flour together, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed mix the shortening, malted milk powder, brown sugar, vanilla, and chocolate syrup. Add the flour mixture very gradually, mixing until well incorporated. With a wooden spoon stir in the chocolate chips.

Shape the dough into balls about 1 inch around, then place on cookie sheets leaving 2 inches between each. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until they become a light golden brown. Be careful not to overcook as they will become hard.

Traditional Italian Cooking - A super easy pasta recipe

• 1 pound of fettuccine
• 50g  of bacon  ( or more if prefer )
  
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Pastas  - I am not Italian but Italian food is my favorite of all . At least twice a week I make  a different type of pasta for my family .

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

Pumpkin bread

Honestly  I have made this Pumpkin Bread recipe many times & everyone always loves it. Your friends will just love to receive it as a gift from you! Of course it seems to be the most fun to make it in the fall, but you can make it anytime of the year.

Here's What You Need

1 + 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon*

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped walnuts

*If desired, 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.



Here's What You Do


Grease the bottom of a loaf pan


Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Combine flour with soda, salt & spices. Set aside. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, cream well. Blend in eggs & beat well at low speed with your hand mixer. Add to this the dry ingredients & the pumpkin, alternating but beginning & ending with dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Turned into prepared pan & sprinkle top with remaining walnuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 65-70 minutes. Cool; Drizzle with glaze. Let stand for at least 6 hours before slicing.

Spice Glaze Recipe


Combine 1/2 cup sifted confectioners sugar,


1/8 tsp nutmeg & 1/2 tsp cinnamon.


Blend into 1 to 2 tsp of cream or milk until it has the consistency of a glaze. Spread over baked loaf.

You can wrap in fancy colored cellophane or cellophane bag. Maybe yellow for harvest time or red or green for Christmas. Add a gift tag and you are ready to go. Great to serve for a brunch or at a fall tea party. Look for an amber to serve on for fall; or a pretty Christmas plate for the holiday season.

PLEASE VISIT MY WEBSITE:

Luanne R Oda aka NANALULU http://www.nanaluluslinensandhandkerchiefs.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Luanne_Oda
The New Best Recipes  -

Now ,  if you love cooking..this is the book everyone should  have !

I am going to share with you my favorite recipe on earth , our famous Brazilian Cheese Bread .

This is a typical recipe of BRAZIL having its origens in the State of Minas Gerais in the CENTURY  XVIII . Its important  to say that is gluten free and you can prepare this delicious  pieces of heaven in differents ways here I will give you mine  and  if you like  you can post  yours and leave me your comments -

Cheese Bread of my Dreams -( PAO DE QUEIJO)

• 1/2 CUP OF OIL
• 1 CUP OF MILK
• 2 EGGS
• 11/4 CUP OF SOUR  TAPIOCA FLOUR ( YUCA FLOUR )
• 11/4 CUP OF SWEET TAPIOCA FLOUR (YUCA FLOUR)
• 4 TABLESPOONS OF PARMESAN CHEESe
• 1 teaspoon of salt

 Pheheat  the oven  to 400 degrees
 
Put all the ingredients together in a blender and mix for about  5 min.Transfer the mixture to  already greased baking pans( I use mini muffin pans ) and place in the middle rack of the oven . Bake for about 30 min till golden and brown .
I suggest that you have this  yummy bread with a good coffee ....enjoy !

http://www.coffeeandcoffemakers.com

Polenta !  Mama  Mia  !

Polenta is a dish made from boiled corn meal .This dish is very popular in many Countries and is a staple food throughout Northern Italy .
This dish is similar to mush or Grits with the difference that Grits are usually made from quickly cooked coarsely ground kernels .The Brazilian variety is also known as angu. Originally made by native Indians, it is a kind of polenta without salt nor any kind of oil. However, nowadays "Italian" polenta is much more common at Brazilian tables, especially in the southern and southeastern regions (which have high numbers of Italian immigrants), although some people still call it "angu". The city of São Bernardo do Campo is famous for its restaurants specialized in frango com polenta (fried chicken with fried polenta).

In this recipe a traditional Polenta leaves its place as a side dish to assume a place as a Main dish .

Polenta-

• 5 cups of water

• 2 cups of  instant polenta
  

• 2 tablespoons of margarine

• 2 chicken bouillon  cubes

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

 Chicken  Sauce -

• 4 garlic cloves squashed
  
• 3 tablespoons of olive  oil
• 1/2 cup of parsley and green onions chopped
• 2 chicken breast cooked and shredded ( I usually  cook with salt pepper and a little paprika )
• 1/2 onion chopped
  
• 1  (28 oz )can diced italian tomatoes
• salt  and black pepper to taste

 Heat a medium size pan over  medium high heat  ,  add onions and cook until translucent  , add garlic and cook for about a min . Add salt and pepper  , chicken breast  and finally the diced  tomato  add a little water if necessary  . Let it cook for about 15 min over  medium slow  heat  .Add the parsley and green onions ,  take out of the heat and  pour over polenta .

While you cook the sauce prepare the POLENTA-

Boil 4 cups of water with the chicken cubes in a medium size pot . Aside mix the instant POLENTA  with the  water left over and slowly  add this to the boiling water as soon the chicken cubes is dissolved . Whisk  continually  until it gets tick , about 20 min .
 After gets tick keep mixing for about 4 min and add the margarine  , try it for salt and if needed add more.Put the polenta in a bowl or big plate and cover with the  chicken sauce . ENJOY !





Delicious Mashed Potato  -

• 4  gold potatoes
• 1 cup of heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese
  

Warm the cream with the butter in a saucepan over medium  heat  until it melts , set aside.
Meanwhile put the  potatoes in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil for about 20 to 25 min, put a little of salt  .
Drain the potatoes and pass through a RICER  into  a large bowl  , put the cream in and stir till absorbed , add the parsley , the cheese , add salt if needed . Serve immediately .