Cinnamon Swirl Focaccia Bread
Cinnamon Swirl Focaccia Bread
Prep Time: 15 minutes Resting Time: 45 minutes Servings: 9-inch round loaf
YOU WILL NEED :
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, extra for rolling
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 stick melted butter
- 9-inch round baking pan/tin
Filling:
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish)
HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT :
In a large bowl, gently stir together the yeast, sugar, and warm water. Let it sit until foamy. Add the flour, salt, and 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Once the dough comes together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Using 1/3 of the melted butter, lightly coat a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn it to coat with butter. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick rectangle. Brush the top with another ⅓ of the melted butter. Spread the filling evenly, then roll the dough into a log using your hands. Roll the log into a ball, then flatten it into a disk. Use the remaining butter to grease the pan, and place the disk into the pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and a towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes.
Flip the dough, and just before baking, sprinkle with the reserved filling. Using your fingers, make dimples randomly on the top of the bread.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Home & Garden: A Healthy Home is a Well Designed Home
If you missed the Wellness Expo at Celebrate St. James this past April, the presenters all talked about ways to keep folks healthy. My contribution to this day was expressing my feelings about our homes being a very important part of being well, staying well, and having a sense of peace and happiness in your life. Following is what I shared that day and what I would like to share with you:
- Our homes can enrich our lives or diminish them.
- Clutter – is the enemy of good design
- Good design makes you feel good!
Tips for a healthy home that make good sense
- Keep it dry
- Keep in clean
- Keep it safe
- Keep it well ventilated
- Keep it pest free
- Keep it contaminant free
- Keep your home maintained
- Keep it thermally controlled
A good and healthy design is environmentally friendly, but also
- Has a good space plan
- Has quality furnishings that are safe and long lasting
- Is pleasing to the eye, both yours and others
- Gives you peace of mind and control over your environment
- Make you “happy”!
Good design is not about how expensive your new look is, but about how comfortable, satisfied, and happy it makes “you feel”. Here are some suggestions for design projects that can make you feel better as well as make your home look better.
Create a place to keep your personal paperwork. Perhaps an underutilized room can be allocated as a home office as well as an occasional guest room. If that is not possible, an armoire that doubles as storage and computer space might be placed in a den or kitchen. Think about expanding your home by utilizing attics and basements as appropriate “living space” and make them cheerful and inviting.
Collect and display your prized possessions in a neat and orderly fashion. Bookshelves can do wonders for a space, especially if they have closed storage bottoms. They can be built or bought, painted or stained and generally take up little depth in a room while adding architectural interest.
Use your walls to express yourself. Artwork, needlepoint, photographs and other wall hangings can definitely accessorize and complete a room. Display talents as well – perhaps photography or watercolor. Frame them neatly and uniformly, especially if there is a large collection. Get them out of the closet (which frees up that space) and put them where you can see and enjoy them.
Put a little music in your life. Whether its audio equipment, from a single radio, to a vast array of new technology, to a piano that plays itself, your home can provide you and all who visit a sense of peace and harmony that only music creates.
Add some plants. You don’t have to have a green thumb. Good quality silks will do. Find some accessories that compliment your basic furniture. Lamps, pillows, throws, and candles – all add a psychological as well as physical warmth. Try a new area rug, either on a bare floor or on a plain carpet and see how the effect of pattern and color can immediately brighten a room.
Then perhaps a possible new paint color will emerge. There’s nothing like a coat of paint for a clean fresh look, especially since you are then forced to clean up the clutter before you put everything back.
Window treatments, custom, ready-made or made by you, if you are able, can add immeasurably to the finished look of a space. You can create warmth and still allow natural light to wash your room if you consider framing your windows rather than covering them.
Perhaps your home is a “work in progress” for lack of time, money or even interest. Perhaps it’s too big to be tackled all at once. Good intentions are a start – but a plan is the only way it will happen. Put it in place, set goals and stick with it. Sounds very much like a plan for ourselves as well, doesn’t it?
ET Recipe of the Month: Easy School Day Meals
Resisting the weeknight urge to call for takeout or order delivery starts with an approachable at-home menu with recipes you can prep in an instant. Especially during back-to-school season when schedules are jam-packed with activities, easy meals you can rely on allow you and your loved ones to ease tension in the kitchen.
Simplicity is the key to putting dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less, and these Taco Salad and Taco Mac and Cheese recipes offer mealtime solutions that make cooking duty a breeze. Find more recipe ideas to simplify hectic back-to-school schedules at Culinary.net.
Taco Salad
Recipe courtesy of “Cookin’ Savvy”. Total time: 30 minutes. Servings: 6
YOU WILL NEED :
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans
- 1 can (15 ounces) corn
- 2 cans (14 ounces each) diced tomatoes with chilies
- 1/2 cup half-and-half or milk
- 2 tablespoons onion powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons mesquite seasoning
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
- salt, to taste
- 1 lime, juice only
- 1 cup chopped cilantro
- Romaine lettuce
- 2-3 cups shredded cheese
- 1 tub (16 ounces) sour cream
- Crushed tortilla chips
HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT :
In pan over medium heat, brown beef until cooked through; drain. Add black beans and corn. Stir in tomatoes with juices and half-and-half. Add onion powder, garlic powder, mesquite seasoning and pepper. Season with salt, to taste. Bring to simmer.
Add lime juice; stir. Sprinkle with cilantro. Wash and chop lettuce. Place cheese and sour cream in bowls for toppings.
On plates, top crushed tortilla chips with meat sauce, lettuce, cheese and sour cream, as desired.
#17138. Source: Family Features
Taco Mac & Cheese
YOU WILL NEED :
- 1 box macaroni and cheese
- 1/4 cup milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 Red bell pepper, diced
- 1 Yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 Orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 Onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
HERE’S HOW YOU DO IT :
Prepare boxed mac and cheese with milk and butter according to package instructions.
In skillet, brown ground turkey over medium heat. Add bell peppers and onion. Add taco seasoning. Stir turkey mixture with mac and cheese to combine.
Fashion & Beauty: Complete the Look for Fall
Fall fashions, rich in texture and color, are always a mirror of the change from warm weather attitudes to the busy-ness of autumn. From the moment Labor Day arrives to the singing of Auld Lang Syne to signify the new year often feels like a whirlwind. Fall fashions embrace the chill and the energy in the air with their sharp turn away from summer softness and into the bold beyond. Fashion trends for fall 2024 – from clothing and shoes to accessories and makeup – all give that bold vibe we set aside for the lazy days of summer. Let’s look at some of what to expect in accessory and makeup trends.
It’s a big season for oversized accessories. Expect to see oversized eyewear, statement jewelry, extra-long, fuzzy scarves (the coziest variety), and the return of belts. While belts aren’t oversized per se, they are being worn in doubles – that’s two of a style, one above the other for a dramatic look.
Handbags are being shown as oversized and slouchy hobo styles or elongated and narrow – a comfy look versus a tailored one, depending on your style and mood. Oversized wristlets and clutches are being offered by nearly every designer. Need more room? Try a furry, fluffy unstructured style scrunched up to be worn under the arm.
Headwear is quite popular this fall with caps in solids, prints, metallics and more leading the way down the runway. Head scarves are a fan favorite this year for a fashionable throw-back to the 1960s but with a modern twist. And sleek skull caps will be seen on those wanting to have fashion forward style.
The season’s make up trends are defined by dramatic flair as much as soft, angelic looks. Creative freedom means choosing the look that’s right for you, no matter your style.
We typically wait until winter to try out dark shades of red. This year, however, will be wearing deep cranberry and crimson shades as soon as fall makes its entrance. Lush and feminine, it is a dramatic topper to one’s look.
Cool tones are the look for fall with icy, shimmery eyes. Achieve the look with either lilac, cool greys, silver or cool blue. Lashes will be an important part of your make-up – either by adding long, delicate false lashes, or create a fanlike look with mascara by using a dark black to fan out the outer corner of your lashes. Complete the look with eye liner [in graphite black] is being shown in a bold line that reaches beyond the natural end of the eye.
Wet, dewy skin is a trendy look for fall. While your makeup and its application are important to achieving this glass skin look, the key is truly an excellent serum. Some combination makeup serum products will do double the work in one item. Top your skin with a rosy, pink or burgundy rouge to give yourself cheeks that appear flushed.
Remember, you need not use all these makeup looks. Sometimes one will give you the dramatic, yet sophisticated look makeup artists are suggesting. Play up your best features and never wear more than you feel comfortable in.
Autumn is ripe with color and flair. Choose the elements that work best for your fashion sense and your lifestyle. And remember, enjoy the drama of the season.
Out & About: North Fork Fall Festivities
I’ve always been a fan of the quieter side of Long Island’s North Fork. My partner and I like to ride our bikes in New Suffolk along Peconic Bay and around the meadow by the golf course. He and I often pack a picnic lunch or grab a bite at Legends on First Street. Next door is an emporium called “Summer Girl” which sells clothing, jewelry, candles, and crafts by local artists. New Suffolk Beach is just down the block (park outside of the beach and walk in as it is for residents only). But before heading out to New Suffolk we might stop at Jason’s Vineyards where you can also bring your own lunch or buy cheese and crackers to enjoy with your wine and listen to music in the shade. Goodale Farms in Riverhead at 250 Main Road is also a favorite stop where we feed the goats. They also sell fresh produce.
After that we might head a few miles further east to Mattituck’s Village Cheese Shop (Mon. through Sun. 10-5), where they give out free samples and have a little cafe. Right next door is Love Lane Sweet Shoppe (Sun. 10-3, Mon. and Wed. through Sat. 10-5).
For families, there are many events such as pumpkin and apple picking, hayrides, and festivals. Gabrielsen’s Country Plant Farm at 200 Herricks Lane in Jamesport’s fall festival admission includes hay and train rides, a corn crib, pedal tractors, farm animals, bounce houses, live music, and much more (one free adult admission with purchase of 3 regular-priced admissions).
Harbes Family Farm has several locations with their Spooky Family Fun for all ages (Mattituck, Riverhead, and Jamesport; visit www.harbesfamilyfun.com). They will be reopening in October (check on Facebook). Water Drinker Family Farm Adventure has 2 locations: 4560 Sound Avenue in Riverhead which hosts a Garlic Festival on September 14th, 9am-6pm with live music, local vendors, food trucks, and family fun ($15 per person; children under 2 free; Sat. and Sun. 9-6); and Waterdrinker Manorville at 663 Wading River Road in Manorville ($20 per person; children under 2 free; Sat. and Sun. 9-6).
For those who enjoy apple picking visit Woodside Orchards at their two locations in Aquebogue (729 Route 25, 11:30-5:30, closed Wed.) and -Jamesport (116 Manor Lane, Riverhead). The Aquebogue location has a hard cider tasting room and they also sell baked goods.
Head out early for these fall festivities to avoid traffic. Pack blankets, snacks, and sunscreen and enjoy this harvest’s treasures!
Health & Wellness: End of Summer Blues
As humans, we are rattled to our core by change. It brings up emotions such as discomfort, grieving the end of something, or anticipation of the unknown. With the end of summer, many of us are sad to say good-bye to fun sun-kissed days and long summer nights. But the reality is that change supports our growth – mentally, spiritually & physically. Embracing change will benefit your life in countless ways. Supporting our bodies with nutrients is the basis for our physical body to feel good during these inevitable upcoming changes.
Going with the flow is the key to thriving. Surviving is just getting by. Instead, you want to thrive because you can build and grow from thriving. You want to ebb and flow with anything that comes your way. Fear feeds into survival mode. Excitement drives thriving mode. Watch your children. If they are constantly fearful, help them to step out of that fear into excitement. Also, look in the mirror to see if they may have learned that coping mechanism from you or someone else.
Excitement & fear are actually a response to the same thing – anticipation of a new event or situation aka change. Try to tap into excitement instead of fear while also being mindful of not getting too excited that it becomes overwhelming. If you practice this art daily, it becomes easier. Ways to be in charge of your emotional mindset is mindfulness – down time to tune in with yourself and identify what you are feeling. Ask yourself what thoughts you are associating with the upcoming change. Seek the joy in the newness and sit with that for a moment. Then, let new thoughts build from that joy.
Nutrient support during times of change is key. People can either abstain from eating and hydrating properly or overdo it by drinking and eating way too much. If the stress of change prevents you from adequate nutrition or overconsumption of the standard American diet then you are setting yourself up for failure. Your body requires all of the good macronutrients daily which means good fats, proteins and carbohydrates. Your body requires fat for brain functioning. Protein for strong muscles, joints and tissues. Carbohydrates are essential for your energy source to get through the day. Proper water consumption is relaxing for your nervous system, so don’t forget to drink quality water throughout the day.
Check your Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K levels. Vitamin D3 is so much more than simply a vitamin – it is a hormone that regulates mood and supports your gut lining which affects your absorption of nutrients. The optimal range for Vitamin D3 you should fall within is 60 – 80 via labwork. If you are below 60, then you must supplement. Vitamin K helps the absorption of Vitamin D3 plus both support bone and cardiovascular health. However, they are fat soluble so you do not want to exceed what your body requires. Get tested to be sure you are taking the correct dosage.
Remember – whatever you look for, you will find. Choose excitement and joy so you can thrive!
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