Picnic Etiquettes
Who says that being on a picnic means you can do whatever you want? Well, if it were that way, then it would be too scary to go on a picnic because anything can happen because there are no rules to follow. People can just walk up to your picnic spot and hijack your basket which can be very dangerous, too. I shudder to think what could happen. So before anything bad happens to your supposedly relaxing and stress-free picnic, there are some picnic etiquettes that you must adhere to in order to coexist with other picnic goers and with your surroundings as well.
There are picnic groves that have numerous picnic tables that strangers can certainly share. Please don’t come up to somebody else’s picnic and feel too cozy. You by no means know what these folks are there for and they might not like it if a person gatecrashes to their picnic.
Another well-known thing that happens in a really fun picnic with much food on the table is the Food fight. It is very common in college cafeterias however it may possibly happen in picnics too since they tend to be by themselves. Don’t start, encourage or get associated in a food fight. Aside from all the trash that you will be leaving behind, you will probably be attracting a lot of bugs such as ants and bees that can harm you after they smell food on you.
Another thing to watch is your music volume. Don’t play your stereo too loud. You won’t just disturb other picnic goers, but you might irritate the animals around you. You don’t want a bear or other untamed animals to come over to your picnic just since they heard your loud music.
Talking about bears, do not feed the creatures, specifically bears. They could be cute and cuddly, but then again you do not know whenever they might immediately turn wild. For persons who bring their dogs along on a picnic, don’t let your dogs out without a leash simply because they might harm or destroy other people’s picnic and you will probably be held accountable for it.
Also, help to make sure you clean up your dog’s droppings and make sure to dispose it correctly. That applies to all your trash at the same time. Keep all your trash in a bag that you could bring to avoid a pile up of trash in the picnic site.
And on your way home, don’t drink alcoholic beverages knowing that you will be driving everyone home. Accidents happen anytime and everywhere so refrain from drinking alcohol in a picnic. There are a lot of things that you need to avoid in order to make your picnic worry and hassle free. The list goes on and on. Different strokes for different folks. In the end, the success of your picnic will all depend on how well you behave as a responsible picnic-goer.
Eventually, there are various things you can easily do without the need of limiting oneself from doing. Have fun, fun and more fun! Do provide an excellent camera to capture your precious moments, give loads of healthy and great food for all people in the picnic to enjoy and have some more fun under the sun.
Guru in picnic, outdoor activities and family fun. If you’d like to know more about our products, please visit our traditional picnic baskets and our wonderful unique gourment gift baskets.
Making Candied Fruit Techniques And Tips
The thought of my mother making fruit cake using candied cherries is one of the greatest memories that I get to recall vividly from time to time. These candied cherries that were cased in light air tight containers come in two colors: green and red however, they did not have that special and distinct taste. Of course, the candied fruits available now, given that there are more choices are way better in terms of quality and taste.
Making your own candied fruit to use as a garnish for dishes, in cookies, as a snack, and in cake decorating. Making candied fruit is a simple process. You infuse fruits and citrus peelings in a sugar syrup. You can candy orange wedges, orange peel, lemon peel, grapefruit peel, pineapple and fresh cherries. You can also candy fruits, such as carrots for carrot cake decorating.
You will need two sauce pans, one for making the syrup, and another to blanch the fruit. This is a recipe for Candied orange peel.
Simple Syrup
This syrup is used for making candied fruits, adding flavor to cold drinks, and adding moisture to sponge cake. There are different strengths of simple syrup for different uses. Thin simple syrup, made with 1 part sugar to 2 parts water, is used to brush on cake layers, mostly sponge cake, to provide extra moisture and sweetness. Medium simple syrup is made with equal parts of sugar and water. This is excellent for adding sweetness to mixed drinks, coffee, iced tea and to candy fruit. A syrup made of 2 parts sugar and 1 part water is used as a base for sorbet, and making rock candy.
Combine equal parts of sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and let the sugar dissolve. You do not need to stir the syrup, but if you do it will do no harm. You can flavor the syrup. Take the syrup off the heat and cool slightly. Stir in 1 or 2 tsp. Of vanilla for a basic vanilla syrup. This syrup can be kept in a lidded jar in the refrigerator for up to a month.
Remove the bottom and top of an orange. Set the flat end of the orange on a cutting board. With a sharp paring knife, slice the peel off in strips, starting at the top and slicing downward, following the curve as much as possible. Don’t worry about cutting off the white pith of the peel. Although it is usually bitter, blanching it will make it translucent and the syrup will sweeten it.
You can candy the peel as it is, or cut into strips that are 1/4 inch wide, to use in cake decorating and garnishes. You can also dip it in chocolate and use it for a snack. Larger peels, like grapefruit should be cut into strips for even cooking.
Place the peel in a pot of cool water. Bring water to a rolling boil, remove from heat and transfer the peel into a colander to drain. Repeat the process twice more. For grapefruit or a more tart flavored fruit, you will need to blanch them seven or eight times. Cherry and pineapple do not need blanching and can be placed directly into the syrup. Between blanching taste the peel, if it is tender it has been blanched enough. Place the peel into the pot of syrup and bring to a low simmer. Let simmer for 15 to 30 minutes or until the orange rind becomes translucent and the peel tastes sweet and tender
Remove the pot from heat and let it cool. The orange rind can be stored in it’s own syrup for weeks in the refrigerator. You may choose to drain them and roll them in sugar. Sugared rinds tend to dry out quite fast and should be eaten within a couple of days. You can dry the peel and dip it in tempered chocolate to make it last a bit longer.
You can use the orange flavored syrup in other drinks or dishes. Nothing really goes to waste!
Camille Heimbrod
http://www.cakedecoratingthemes.com
Use Candied Flowers For Creative Cake Decorating Styles
It is very common for you to see edible flowers being used to garnish a salad or to use it even as an ingredient to make the appetizer much tastier. Of course, not all types of flowers are edible but it shouldn’t be hard for you to find as much options as you can find out there.
Nasturtiums have a Peppery flavor, Chive blossoms taste like a mild sweet onion, Roses, Violas and Pansies taste a bit like grapes. Other edible flowers are apple blossoms, almond, lavender, borage, chamomile, lovage, lemon, orange blossoms, plum blossoms, peach blossoms, and squash blossoms. We also have daisies, chrysanthemums, geraniums, marigolds, jasmine, lilacs, and violets.
Candied Flowers
Candied flowers are great for desserts and in cake decorating. Here is a recipe to make that you can use and even make your own when it comes to candied flowers for cake decorations.
Time to prepare: 8 hrs. and 15 minutes
Yield: 2 dozen flowers.
1/4 cup beaten egg whites
1/2 cup superfine sugar
2 cups edible flowers of your choice
Clean and blot flowers dry with a paper towel. With a paint brush, brush on a thin layer of egg white on each side of the flower petals or blossoms. Place flowers into a shallow bowl of superfine sugar and sprinkle more sugar over the flowers so that they are coated. Make sure all of the flower has been sprinkled with sugar. Remove flowers and place them on a sheet of waxed paper. Sprinkle each flower with another layer of sugar, again, make sure the entire flower gets a layer of sugar.
Allow flowers to dry on the waxed paper for 8 hours. Store these tasty treats in an airtight container at room temperature until they are needed.
We are seeing more real flowers and fruit in cake decorating than ever before. The addition of these wonderful edible gifts of nature, gives the cake an elegant look. Whether you are making a wedding, anniversary, retirement, birthday, or a cake for any special occasion, you will get many compliments on your choice of decoration.
Cake decorating can be a bit frustrating and time consuming, but once you learn the techniques and utilize the newest ideas when cake decorating, you will find that it can be fun, rewarding, and lucrative. Most cake decorators have an artistic background, or artistic talent.
If you are thinking of starting a cake decorating business at home, you will need to keep up with the latest trends in cake decorating to be able to offer your clients new unique and wonderful choices. As with anything designs get old, while some will stick with the traditional white or ivory for a wedding cake, but there are those who want to step out of the mold and have a little color in their wedding cake.
Camille Heimbrod
http://www.cakedecoratingthemes.com
Affordable Hosting
Fill out the form below to get your free copy of Smart and Safe Backlink Building Guide
Recent Viewers
