DIY Weddings



Heart Sandwich Cookies

Get ready for the big day with simple, beautiful wedding ideas and delicious recipes from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

Recipes

• Baking Madeleines
• Heart Sandwich Cookies
• Bavarian Food Specialties
• Selecting Champagne
• Crystallized Pansies
• Coeur a la Creme Heart

Tips

• Tips for Baking Cakes
• Making Fluffy Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Picnic-Perfect Menu

Plan a delicious outdoor feast with favorite warm-weather mains and side dishes from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

Recipes:

• Country Apricot Tart
• Creating a Quick and Easy Summer Picnic Menu
• Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich Recipe
• Star Shortcakes
• Classic Fried Chicken Recipe
• Cooking Quesadillas on the Grill
• Quick Cook Summer Dinner Recipes
• Recipes for Memorial Day Cooking
• Memorial Day Picnic Basket Staples
• Summer Vegetable Side Dishes
• Fourth of July Cookout
• Basics of Pickling Vegetables

Best Breakfasts

French Crepes with Cardamom Cream

Start your day off right with quick and delicious breakfast recipes from Michael Vyskocil's collection of Suite101 Recipes articles.

Recipes

• Old-Fashioned Pancake Brunch
• French Crepes with Cardamom Cream
• French Toast Stuffed with Blueberries
• Herbed Scrambled Eggs
• Cafe Style Coffee
• Breakfast Sweet Breads
• Scones for Teatime
• Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
• Homemade Fruit Butter

How-tos

• Preparing Hard Boiled Eggs
• Brewing the Perfect Pot of Tea
• How to Make Homemade Pure Vanilla Extract

Spring Entertaining and Mother's Day Recipes

Welcome, Spring

Fresh Spring Asparagus

Celebrate the spring season with fresh seasonal dishes from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

From Suite101.com Recipes

• Spring Vegetarian Rice Recipe
• Old-Fashioned Deviled Eggs
• Pecan Strawberry Shortcake
• Rhubarb Crisp Recipe
• Asparagus Frittata
• Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast
• Spring Puff Pastry Frangipane Fruit Tartlets
• Spring Recipes - Orange Sauced Carrots, Pineapple Bread Pudding

Celebrate Mom

Cream Cheese-Stuffed French Toast

Show how much you care this Mother's Day with edible gift ideas from Michael Vyskocil's Suite101.com Recipes articles.

• Preparing French Crêpes with Cardamom Cream
• Preparing a Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed
• French Toast Stuffed with Blueberries
• Orange Meringue Cake
• Lasagna with Lobster
• Scones for Teatime
• Baking Madeleines

Kitchen Spice Grinder

Toast and grind your own spices in a spice grinder to assure the freshest, most potent flavors.

Coffee grinder for grinding fresh spices.

Coffee beans and spices have something in common: Since their delicate aromatic oils break down quickly, they taste their best when freshly ground minutes before use. However, to keep this morning's coffee from tasting like last night's curry, you might want to consider this simple solution: two grinders. Designate one for coffee and the other for spices; label each accordingly to avoid confusion.

To keep your grinders in top condition, remove loose grounds and residue with a pastry brush. Place a large piece of soft bread in the bowl of the grinder, grind thoroughly, and remove the oil-absorbing bread crumbs.

SOURCES
Cuisinart coffee grinder
(DCG-20), $30

800-726-0190

Available at local retailers

Making Homemade Vanilla Extract

For the best flavor in all your baked goods, homemade vanilla extract is incomparable. Learn how to make your own batch of vanilla extract.

Vanilla Extract

The smooth flavor of vanilla in baked goods can be as soothing to the tongue as aloe is to sunburned skin. Homemade vanilla extract makes a great present, especially for someone who has a penchant for baking.

Vanilla bean pods are the product of an orchid species, Vanilla planifolia. These orchid varieties are native to areas of Mexico, Madagascar, Java and Tahiti. In order for the orchid to produce its edible treasure, the vanilla bean pod, the plant must flower and the flower must be pollinated. However, the flower only opens once each year; the only known animal pollinators are certain species of ants, hummingbirds and the Melipona bee. To make pure vanilla is a laborious and highly exacting process. The vanilla beans must ripen or cure from anywhere between three and six months. During this time period, the vanilla bean pods shrink tremendously--about one-quarter of their length before curing. They also dry, losing about 85 percent of their moisture content, and intesify their signature aroma.

Making your own vanilla extract isn't difficult. You'll need vanilla beans, which you can obtain from specialty food stores or in some large supermarkets. First, run the dull side of a knife up and down the vanilla beans several times to loosen the seeds. Next, split the beans in half lengthwise and place them inside a bottle of bourbon, vodka or some other similar flavored liquor. For best results, use the best liquor you can find. Seal the bottle and place it in a cool, dark place for five to six months. During this infusion stage, give the jar a shake every few months to redistribute the vanilla bean seeds in the liquid. As the months pass, the liquor will assume the flavor of the vanilla bean seeds. If you're using vodka or other similar clear liquor, the color will darken during the aging process. After six months, the vanilla extract is ready to use. Since you'll only need small amounts of vanilla extract in recipes, it's best to transfer the vanilla extract into small containers. Clean and sterilize small bottles or jars with lids, and, using a canning funnel, fill the bottles or jars with the vanilla extract. To store, keep vanilla extract tightly covered in a cool, dark place.

Michael's Classic Christmas Ideas for Holiday Entertaining

I've collected my favorite ideas for everything you'll need for a delightful Christmas holiday. Peruse these ideas below for Christmas and holiday entertaining inspiration:

• Appetizers for New Year's Eve
• Baked Ham with Raspberry Glaze
• Christmas Dinner Side Dishes: Twice-Baked Potatoes and Jeweled Winter Salad
• Christmas Eve Buffet Dinner
• Cookie Decorating Techniques
• Cookie Gift Boxes for Christmas
• Fudge Tarts, Christmas Snowmen Cookies
• Gingerbread Cookie Boxes
• Gingerbread Roll
• Mediterranean Crown Roast of Lamb
• Selecting Champagne for New Year's Celebrations
• Setting Up a Holiday Baking Pantry 101
• Tian of Root Vegetables and Squash, White and Sweet Potato Swirls