Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon

I can smell nutmeg, apples and cinnamon.

I can sprinkle a little powdered pumpkin spice or a dash of plain old cinnamon in my morning cup of coffee.

For an evening meal, I can enjoy a hearty bowl of butternut squash soup or cook up a stew chocked full of root vegetables and meat, made with that special secret ingredient:  cinnamon.


In the USA people associate cinnamon with the autumn seasons and/or the Christmas holidays.  But for me, any time is a get time to enjoy cinnamon.

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Shining the spotlight on one of my favorite warming feel good spices.  Cinnamon!

Did you know:

- There is a mythological creature called the Cinnamon Bird?
- In Ancient Egypt, cinnamon was used in the embalming process?

There's probably lots of other things you didn't know about cinnamon as well.

If you're curious, read more:  20 Facts about Cinnamon.

Community Post: 35 Crazy-Good Ways To Indulge On Cinnamon This Fall: Because it is the best of all the fall spices!

Links to a sampling of recipes using cinnamon that reflect world cuisine and global tastes: Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Soup, Apple Pie, Coffee Cake, Baklava, Biriyani, Chicken Mole, Roast Duck.

Kunafeh, the Middle East's Favorite Cheese Delight!

Kunafeh, the Middle East's Favorite Cheese Delight!

It's about time to share with you one of my favorite recipes ever. It´s not only delicious but also has a special place in my heart. Sometimes we feel strongly towards a dish or a dessert not just because it tastes great but because it brings back memories we cherish.

Chinese Cinnamon Beef Noodle Soup Recipe - Chinese.Food.com

Chinese Cinnamon Beef Noodle Soup Recipe - Chinese.Food.com

This was published in a Fine Cooking magazine a couple of years ago. I was so excited to have found a relatively easy yet very flavorful noodle soup for my family. My husband (the ultimate food critic) loves this and doesnt mind eating it for days.

A Taste of South Africa - Tomato Bredie (One stick of cinnamon required.)

A Taste of South Africa - Tomato Bredie

This Tomato Bredie photo was featured in Brazilian Magazine blog, Verdemar - Copa de Sabores: África do Sul One of my favorite book series is the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series writted by Alexander McCall Smith, a Zimbabwe born, Scottish writer.

Featured Products from SpiceCubed.

Meal Kit Delivery Services: Spotlight on Hello Fresh

There are many people who have a very busy lifestyle.  They are on the run so much that they don't have time to expend on preparing a home-cooked meal.  In order to ao avoid eating fast food or junk food, Hello Fresh offers a valuable service.  They do the meal planning and grocery shopping for you.

Food is fresh, never frozen. In addition to meats and veggies, they have plant-based meals for vegans and vegetarians.

They deliver the meal kits once a week and you can skip deliveries if you need to, like if you're going out of town. You can also easily cancel your account.

The company owners, managers, and staff are very conscious of their social responsibilities. For example.

~ They promote healthy lifestyles

~ Their meal kits don't waste food.

~ They request that customers recycle the boxes the goods were delivered in.

Headquartered in Germany, and in business since 2011, Hello Fresh meal kits are extremely popular in America.

Food Blog Spotlight: Hungry Couple's Soups, Stews and Chowders

One of the main reasons I started publishing this foodie blog was to shine a spotlight on all of the awesome food blogs that are already out there.  Many scientists make fantastic discoveries and the majority of them have two things in common.  

• Number 1, the discovery is usually accidental, i.e. they stumbled upon it.  
• Number 2, whatever they discovered, it's been there all along!  

That's how I find awesome food blogs and I am not ashamed to say that I accidentally found the wonderful food blog called Hungry Couple.  

I got so excited at having found it that totally I forgot what my initial blog search was for.  LOL.  The blog posts archives go all the way to 2008 and they have recipes for drinks, desserts, breakfast, dinner ideas, and my favorite comfort food ... soups, stews, or chowders.  January may be the official soup month but I can eat soup all year round.  Soups, stews, and chowders are my comfort food.

I would have been happy to spend the entire day perusing the Recipe Index.  But I was anxious to share these wonderful comfort food recipes with my blog visitors.  Why keep all the fun to myself?  Enjoy!

Image Credit:  Amazon.com

Food Blurb: For Newbie Cooks Who Want to Cook Chinese Food

Once upon a time when I was a newbie cook, I wanted so badly to cook Chinese food.  But no matter what I did my food just did not have that authentic Chinese flavor.  This was before TV cooking shows had become so pervasive. 

Hormel Foods Corporation is an American food business that has been around since 1891. Me personally? I have been enjoying Hormel food products for over 50 years; mainly, its canned chili. I stumbled upon a product at my local grocery store and it changed everything!

• House of Tsang^® sauces are stir-fry sauces for Asian cooking created by chef David Tsang.  It's a Hormel Foods brand.

There are 4 distinct flavors:

1. Classic Sauce
2. Szechuan Spicy
3. Bangkok Peanut Sauce
4. General Tsao

They are all delicious! But my favorite is the Classic Sauce. If these products are not on the shelf of your local grocery store, you might be able to find them at an Asian market in your area. If not they are sold via Amazon and are reasonably priced.

There are plenty more House of Tsang^® products.  These are the ones I'm familiar with.  I promise you! Use any of these sauces in your recipes and it will taste just like you went out to eat at an Asian restaurant.  

House of Tsang Sauce 11.5 Oz Variety 4-Pack : #Grocery & #Gourmet #Food
~ https://t.co/dlGswDQzhT
My favorite is the Classic Sauce but they are all delicious! #cooking #Asianfood #stirfry #sauces #kitchen #dining @EverydaySpices @goshoppingbees pic.twitter.com/QjtHPastEn

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) May 26, 2023

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(Food blurb? - a short post, not saying much, but saying enough!)

Check out some of the other food blurbs:

Za-atar Spice Blend on Flatbread

The Key Ingredient in Nigerian Food

What is  Angelica keiskei?

WARNING: Delicacies Can Be Dangerous!

Sharing a Soup Recipe That Soup Lovers Will Love

Five (5) healthy and holistic ways to get more energy

Foodie Friday : World Cuisine : Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors (Reblog)

ATTN Foodies and food lovers. Check out this Top Ten List. Do you have a taste for something sweet, cold and delicious, yet strange and exotic or ... maybe just a little salty? Then you should probably be visiting an ice cream parlor in Japan. I have heard of sweet potato ice cream, which I personally thought was weird; however, it's not on this list! Squid ink?? It's Number 8. Eh! It's soft serve! Worth a try! :)

Japan’s 10 weirdest ice cream flavors | SoraNews24

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Want to View More #FoodieFriday posts? View Most Popular Foodie Friday Posts  The Right Blend of Spices for Cajun Food Lovers  Indian Food: Hot n Spicy Samosas (Reblog)  Candied Jalapeño Peppers  Chinese New Year Recipes and Dishes  Pesto Around the World  Experiencing the Joy of Salsa   Spice Spotlight: Cinnamon  It's Flipping Foodie Friday!  Raw Coconut Fig Slice (Reblog)  Winter Salad Binging  Banana Brownies - Back for Seconds  Cool Foodies and Food Lovers Celebrating Their “Firsts” on Twitter

Recipe Sharing for Barbecue Lovers

There are two particular foods that I know most people all around the world enjoy. Pizza and barbecue!! A couple of these wonderful recipes came to me via eMail. If you're vegan or vegetarian, no worries. Threw in a recipe for you too! I love recipe sharing. Let me know if you try them or if you've already tried them! If you want to share other recipes, feel free!

Content first appeared at ForumCoin.com, July 27, 2017.

How to Throw a Korean Barbecue Party at Home https://t.co/N7mvJFzHkD via @flipboard #partyfood #foodies #barbecue #foodanddrink #fooddlovers #recipes #recipesharing

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) July 27, 2019

Filipino BBQ – Pork Skewers (https://t.co/fdrHSxPh1M) via @flipboard #partyfood #foodies #barbecue #foodanddrink #fooddlovers #recipes #recipesharing pic.twitter.com/CIV7aSRn5J

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) July 28, 2019

?: @nomnompaleo
・・・
Umami Roast Chicken •#ThermoWorks #thermapen #chicken#poultry #wings #chickenbreast#chickenwings #smoke #smoker #smoked#bbq #barbecue #barbeque #food #foodie#meat #protein #paleo #glutenfree#temperature #digitalthermometer#co… https://t.co/yUMsDgiNOq pic.twitter.com/oNrjC72pkl

— ThermoWorks (@Thermapen) October 5, 2018

Want some well-seasoned protein? Here's an easy recipe for 5-Spiced Pork Ribs made in your slow-cooker. https://t.co/1IEpcopU0s pic.twitter.com/9JKtaqraQ1

— Melissa Joulwan (@meljoulwan) April 5, 2019

(ad) Grilled Garlic Shrimp Po'Boys made with @BTBouillon Roasted Garlic Base and served on a grilled roll. A perfect weekend lunch - get the recipe now! ?

BTB ? https://t.co/RMaUhE6E5a

Recipe ? https://t.co/fEpH43SWSz#BTBGrillingRecipes #IC #recipes #grilling #BBQ

— Scrappy Geek (@Scrappy_Geek) July 26, 2019

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Beyond Turmeric: 5 Indian Spices You Need in Your Pantry Now | One Green Planet (Reblog)

So happy to be learning more and more about world cuisine; especially Indian food and the spices used in various dishes. Found this blog post and have to reblog. Wouldn't be right to keep this cooking wisdom to myself.  😊

The best thing is that I love all of these spices and they can be easily be purchased via my online spice shop or probably at your local grocery store, depending on where you live.

Beyond Turmeric: 5 Indian Spices You Need in Your Pantry Now | One Green Planet

OGP specializes in vegan recipes.

 More from One Green Planet.

Tips and Tricks to Use Turmeric in the Kitchen

Turmeric is potent stuff, and it has made a recent bang on the "Let food by thy medicine" scene. It's no wonder really, as the bright orange spice has serious anti-inflammatory properties that have garnered it attention as a natural preventative and/or treatment for things like arthritis, assorted cancers and Alzheimer's, to name but a few.

Peach Jalebi: Indian Funnel Cake [Vegan] - Made with Saffron and Cardamon

1 cups sugar; 1/2 cup water; 1/2 cup peach juice; 4-5 saffron strands; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; A pinch of orange food coloring (optional) ...

Spicing It Up with Cumin: Health Benefits, Tips, and Recipes

Cumin, an oblong seed with ridges and a yellow-brown color, has been used since ancient times in Mediterranean and Asian cuisine. It originated in Egypt and belongs to the same family as caraway, parsley, and dill.

Why Ginger-fication of our Food Is a Good Thing

Ginger is a wonderful thing. It's highly medicinal, known to combat stomach ailments of all kinds and has anti-inflammatory properties said to rival any non-steroidal drug in its treatment of muscle and joint pain.

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Health and Wellness : Where to Find Advice on Healthy Eating and More!

Many Americans, particularly African-Americans, and Americans who live in "the South" (like TV Chef Paula Deen), suffer from hypertension and diabetes; ailments that they need not suffer from if they would just change their diet! Understanding this, I am sharing a helpful link to this article: The 6 Best Websites to Learn About Healthy Eating; and some other useful links below. 

Healthy Chinese Food Options  (So glad steamed dumplings are number 1 on the list.)

7 Nutrient-Packed Foods to Keep on Hand  (This list contains staples that are plant-based and inexpensive.)

Cutting Calories, Fat, and Salt:

• Cutting Calories: 5 Ways to Cut Calories to Lose Weight
• 6 Ways to Reduce Salt and Fat in Your Diet | ACTIVE

Eating Gluten Free

  

• Healthy Meal Prep Made Easy

• Lower-Sodium Fast-Food Option

Free e-Cookbook from Joyful Healthy Eats

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Ryu Mei Yuzen Red Chopstick [w/Box] Japan

Desserts Made With My Favorite Ingredient. Cool Whip!

Desserts! YUM! There are very few people in the world who will refuse a delicious dessert.

• Parents tell their kids: “If you eat all your vegetables, you’ll get dessert!” or “Finish your food or you won’t get any dessert!

• Kids grow up and tell themselves: “Life is uncertain. Eat desserts first.” ☺

Sometimes It Is OK to Eat Desserts

If you live in the USA, then you know that there are certain times of the year when eating desserts is totally OK. From October through December, because many holidays are celebrated, indulging in and enjoying desserts is expected. Is it any wonder that these 3 months are my favorite time of the year?

A few years back I signed up to receive a free newsletter published by FaveSouthernRecipes. This publication supplies wonderful recipes that are submitted by various people. The contributors could be professional chefs or everyday cooks. One of the issues was loaded with recipes for desserts. There were twelve (12) easy recipes that used my favorite secret ingredient Cool Whip.

• REFERENCE: “12 Easy Southern Recipes with Cool Whip.” Edited by Terrie Hayes, FaveSouthernRecipes.com, Prime Publishing, LLC., 7 May 2015, www.favesouthernrecipes.com/Recipes-for-Dessert/Easy-Southern-Recipes-With-Cool-Whip.

Elvis Presley’s love of bananas, peanut butter, and bacon is legendary! One of the recipes is called the “Ode-to-Elvis Poke Cake”. Here is the description provided at the site: “The King’s favorite flavor combo of bananas, peanut butter, and bacon comes together in this easy Southern recipe with Cool Whip. Moist yellow cake (with peanut butter added) is topped with banana cream pudding, Cool Whip, crumbled bacon, and a peanut butter glaze.”

What??!!! This should be illegal. LOL.

Do You Like Cool Whip?

Who likes Cool Whip? Believe it or not, this is a question that causes a divide. There are those who view it as fake whipped cream and say it’s advertised as “imitation whipped cream”.

I say: Cool Whip is real enough for me! 

There are many Americans, including me, who are very pleased that William H. Mitchell, a chemist who worked at General Mills, invented this food product. I can quantify “many”. Statista.com reported that “126.43 million Americans consumed Cool Whip in 2018”.

♦ Do you have a favorite dessert?

♦ Do you have a favorite ingredient that you like with almost any dessert recipe?

Quick and easy strawberry #CoolWhip pie with a graham cracker crust and fluffy filling. Retro #nobakedessert recipe with sweet berry flavor in every bite! #strawberries https://t.co/A5GDZNKzqN

— Flour on My Fingers (@flouronfingers) June 10, 2020

Pink Pineapple Fluff is a perfect dish for a barbecue, even a great light dessert. Made with Cool Whip, cream cheese, pineapple & maraschino cherries.

Get the recipe here --> https://t.co/SmJTVmNTq2 pic.twitter.com/d60Zx4DdYT

— A Dash of Sanity (@ADashofSanity) June 21, 2019

This OREO POKE CAKE RECIPE is one of our favorite EASY and delicious cakes to throw together for any occasion. This moist and flavorful cookies and cream cake is layered with chocolate cake, Oreo pudding, cool whip, and crushed Oreos. OBSESSED! ?￰ﾟﾘﾍ? … https://t.co/rR6cdLYldW pic.twitter.com/8WnRYcbg8f

— The Cookie Rookie (@cookierookiebec) May 7, 2018

Peachy Keen Cake with Cool Whip Frosting #recipe @ https://t.co/nTcoa9Pxnv #cakeforbreakfast # dessert #homecooking #coolwhip #recipes #yum pic.twitter.com/p1YHJw6X5k

— Lee & Mindy (@mindycancook) February 13, 2017

Foodie Friday: What is your favorite sweet treat? (Mine is cheesecake.)

We all like a delightful sweet treat every once in a while. Call it a guilty pleasure. Call it an indulgence. Call it pampering yourself because you earned it, you deserve it, you're worth it!

There are so many different reasons for enjoying a sweet treat AND there are so many different sweet treats to choose from. Surely everyone has a favorite. Mine is cheesecake.

There was once a time when I could just say cheesecake. But now the question is asked: Americancheesecake or Japanese cheesecake? I'm like: WHAT??

OK. So now my response is modified. My favorite sweet treat is American cheesecake. Although, Japanese cheesecake is pretty good too!

Cheesecake is my favorite sweet treat. What's yours?

1. Cheesecake (American or Japanese)
2. Ice cream or Sherbet
3. Popsicles
4. Pudding
5. Candy
6. Jello
7. Chocolate ANYTHING!
8. Pie or Cake (other than cheesecake)
9. Not on the list (See comments)
10. Don't like sweet. Prefer SALTY.

Please leave comments.

NOTE:  Original source link 

With the exception of one of the tweet shares, the rest of the tweets focus on Japanese cheesecake (in case you're interested).
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Japanese Cheesecake (Gluten-free) https://t.co/YXwwthFmsj via @flipboard #Foodies #cheesecake #desserts #sweet #asianfood #foodways

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) June 27, 2019

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Matcha Japanese Cheesecake • Delicious Baking Recipe | Craft Passion - https://t.co/tQX2tWvQdX via @shareaholic #Foodies #cheesecake #desserts #sweet #asianfood #foodways

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) June 27, 2019

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#InstantPot 3 Ingredient #Chocolate #Japanese Cheesecake (#Keto, #LowCarb) https://t.co/4cduoNhTXP #Foodies #cheesecake #desserts #sweet #asianfood #foodways #InstaPotrecipes #recipes #foodblogs #easyrecipes

— EverydayExoticSpices (@EverydaySpices) June 27, 2019

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The cooler weather getting you down? We have dessert to cheer you up! Have our Yuzu cheesecake to fill your spirits. Don’t worry, we have drinks too. #SushiSaSa #TeamSaSa #lohi #denver #colorado #fresh #seafood #sushi #sashimi #Japanese #dessert #cheesecake #yuzu #premiuim pic.twitter.com/NkSAWO8erC

— Sushi Sasa (@Sushi_Sasa) June 22, 2019

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To Beet or Not to Beet? is No Longer the Question

So here's my sad childhood story. Beets! Growing up, in my house the only person that ever ate beets was my late mother. The thing is … she didn't even try to encourage me or tempt me to taste them. No! SHE JUST ATE THEM ALL! As a kid, there was nothing appealing or appetizing about them. So … like broccoli and figs and other wonderful foods that looked questionable through a child's eyes … I just didn't eat them! Wasn't even curious.

In my adult years, forty-plus years ago, I met my husband. Would you believe it? He tells me a similar childhood story, except that both his mom and his dad ate beets. Beets and beets and beets. They just couldn't get enough of em!

Come to find out … beets are good for you! WHAT???!!

Why would our parents keep that a secret? We don't know! So they could have more for themselves?? Seems the only logical explanation!

Nevertheless, we love our parents and thank them for all of the other meaningful secrets of life that they did reveal to us. We'll overlook the best-kept beet secret.  :)

Anyway! …. Now that we've learned “the rest of the story”, the question of “To beet or not to beet?” has been answered. We just need to figure out a way to incorporate this awesomely nutritious superfood into our diet.

Found a treasure trove of beet recipes at Flipboard, a site where I am experimenting with publishing my own food magazine. (The magazine is called MyI Like Eating Channel.)

Sharing a few recipes from the Flipboard collection that look like they might be very tasty. However, the first share below was actually found elsewhere on the web. It's about beet juice. Did you know that it's drink of champions? Well it is!

As a parent myself, I know that no matter how good veggies may be, it's sometimes hard to get your kids (or yourself) to eat them! Thank the Lord for juice and juicers! Sometimes folks who won't EAT their veggies, don't have too much of a problem with DRINKING their veggies. 

• Beetroot Juice: The Drink Of Champions 
• Golden Beet and Pomegranate Salad Recipe
• Smoky Beet Hummus
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Beets and Siracha Dressing
• 38 Beet Recipes for Roasting, Frying and More Recipe

Beet Orange Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Where to find more Beets on Flipboard

Chinese Fortune Cookies as American as Apple Pie

The Chinese fortune cookies are not an Asian invention, but rather an American one.  A conclusion based on my extensive research of Chinese history, tradition and culture (i.e. watching a lot of kung fu movies).  There was a story circulated about rebels in the 13th or 14th century, using them to pass secret messages to each other about their war plans to overthrow the Mongols. Pure fiction. But you must admit that plot sure has the makings of an epic saga.

Alas!  The truth is the Chinese fortune cookie is as American as apple pie, and they make great party favors.  


Would you like to make your own homemade fortune cookies?  


Well, you can!

This Sunbeam kitchen accessory is a must-have.

Content originally published at Daily Two Cents on April 30, 2014.

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Pomegranate Homemade Fortune Cookies - What Jew Wanna Eat

Homemade Fortune Cookies are easy to make! (Sort of.) Plus, when you make them yourself, you can make them pink! Did y'all have a great NYE? Did you stay at home and pass out before midnight, or frolic around in a glittery dress drinking champagne out of the bottle?

Cooking Tips : No Need For a Special Diet to Use Ingredient Substitutes

Whether you believe eggs are good or bad, at least there are egg substitutes, in case you run out of eggs. ☺

Imagine.

It's a holiday. 🎄

You're preparing a scrumptious meal. 

Many of the recipes require eggs. 

But! You run out of eggs! 

PANIC!! 

All the grocery stores are closed because ... it's a holiday! 

Can't borrow from the neighbors because every egg they have is CRITICAL!!  They're celebrating the holiday too.  

What do you do? 😨

This food chart (below) was made for vegans. But you don't have to be on a special diet to use cooking ingredient substitutes or alternatives.

By the way.  If this doesn't convince you to keep a ready supply of applesauce and tofu on hand, nothing will! ☺ 

Top 9 Plant-Based Egg Substitutes For A Healthy Diet

Similar links of Interest:

Za’atar is an Excellent Salt Substitute

Za’atar is a spice mix or a spice blend used in Arab and Israeli cuisines. It is used in recipes the same way Westerners use salt.

There is No Law Against Veggie Substitutes

Sure many recipes are tradition! But if you won’t eat a dish because of that one vegetable that you just don’t like, then go ahead and substitute the veggie for the one you do like! It’s OK. That’s not illegal!

Fun Foods and Snacks For a Movie-at-Home Party

OK. So at one of my partner blogs, I came up with this corny, cheesy idea for a Saturday Afternoon at the Movies party. Corny and Cheesy? Hmmm? It makes me think of food!

What kind of food should be served at a movies-at-home party?

Of course, the easiest foods for me to think of were popcorn, pizza, and candy. But I wanted some good movie snacks besides popcorn.  Thank the Lord for the Internet. It was so easy to seek and find ideas for family movie night at home. Of course, you know Martha Stewart had to contribute her suggestions. And also, FoodNetwork. Where would be the food-loving world be without them? 

There are some websites, not well-known by way of TV shows, but they are popular on the world wide web. Sites like BuzzFeed, Brit+Co, Tasty, etc. They usually have lots of food-related stuff. 

So if you have plans for movie night (or an afternoon at the movies) at your house and you need any ideas on what to serve, here are just a few. Have at it! 

No matter what snacks you make, just don't forget the popcorn. Hey! It's tradition! 

Also ... break American tradition and throw in some sushi!  

Have fun!!

Image credit:  Amazon.com