Springggy sweets :)

The birds are chirpin and the bees are buzzin. It's about that time of year again, time to open up the pool and pull out the rafts and the noodles :) Here is a springtime dessert that is a sure crowd pleaser.

Lemon Mousse

Ingredients

• 3 extra-large whole eggs
• 3 extra-large eggs, separated
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (4 lemons)
• Kosher salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup good bottled lemon curd, at room temperature
• Sweetened Whipped Cream, recipe follows
• Sliced lemon, for garnish

Directions

In a large heat-proof bowl, whisk together the 3 whole eggs, 3 egg yolks, 1 cup sugar, the lemon zest, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for about 10 to 12 minutes until the mixture is thick like pudding. (I change to a whisk when the mixture starts to get thick.) Take off the heat and set aside for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until completely chilled.

Place half the *egg whites and a pinch of salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and continue to beat until the whites are stiff and shiny. Carefully fold the beaten whites into the cold lemon mixture with a rubber spatula. Place the cream in the same bowl of the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (no need to clean the bowl) and beat on high speed until the cream forms stiff peaks. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the lemon mixture. Fold in the lemon curd, and pour into a 7-inch-diameter, 3-inch-deep souffle dish. Decorate with sweetened whipped cream and lemon slices that have been cut into quarters. Chill and serve cold.
*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs
Due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

Sweetened Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup cold heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium and then high speed until the cream just forms still peaks. Spoon the whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip.

Cheer up ya mamma

Chocolate Waffles

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup chocolate syrup, plus more for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• Confectioners' sugar and/or berries, for topping (optional)

Directions

Melt the butter and shortening in a small saucepan, stirring to combine; remove from the heat and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs, milk, chocolate syrup and vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup or a separate bowl. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture until combined. (The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Whisk in the butter mixture until combined.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Preheat a waffle iron and spray with cooking spray. Ladle some of the batter into the waffle iron to within an inch of the edge (1/3 to 1/2 cup batter, depending on your waffle iron); cook until crisp. Transfer the waffle to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Divide the waffles among plates. Dust with confectioners'sugar and top with berries and/or chocolate syrup.

top ten most hated foods in US

1. BRUSSELS SPROUTS

It's easy to hate these mini-cabbages without even trying them. They're the knee-jerk low-water mark for kids. The bitter taste, odd texture, and vague aroma of feet are enough to scare anyone off. However, the same qualities are attributed to fine cheeses.

Health benefits
Very high in fiber and protein, it can be a filling but low-calorie side dish. Scientists also believe the vegetable may protect against cancer because it's rich in indole—a phytochemical—and vitamin C.
Learn to like it
Buy fresh Brussels sprouts that are still on the stalk. These will taste much better than the frozen. Slice each one down the middle and cook them in extra-virgin olive oil with freshly chopped garlic on the stove. Salt and pepper to your taste. To "gourmet-it-up," add walnuts, shallots, grated cheese, and bacon in moderation.

2. BROCCOLI

These "mini-trees" pack a healthy dose of vitamin K that you typically find in leafy green vegetables. No wonder children view florets with contempt; they represent the antithesis of Snickers bars. However, broccoli can be a man's best friend. Simple to prepare, it's a filling side-dish or quick raw snack.

Health benefits
Vitamins C, K, and A are all represented in spades in broccoli. As well as being high in fiber, it has multiple anti-cancer nutrients such as diindolylmethane and selenium. The diindolylmethane is also known to fight other viruses and bacteria. In studies, men who eat a lot of broccoli generally reduce their risk of aggressive prostate cancer and heart disease.
Learn to like it
There's no need to avoid broccoli on the appetizer tray, just dip it in hummus or add a dab of ranch dressing. You can also crumble some florets on your salad; they will make it more filling. Steam or bake them with olive oil for a quick side dish. If you decide to go more extreme, cover a casserole dish with florets. Pour three tablespoons of melted butter over it and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.

3. FISH

Children find everything wrong with seafood: fishy smell and taste, texture, bone paranoia, etc. However, as an adult, not enjoying the sea's bounty limits you from multiple ethnic cuisines. Not only that, it is the perfect protein source to help you lose weight and cut down on meat with saturated fat.

Health benefits
The American Heart Association recommends men eat fish twice a week to get enough omega-3, the fatty acids that reduce the risk of heart disease and the most common type of stroke. Some research even suggests omega-3s increase brain and visual functions and fight everything from asthma to depression. Eating fish instead of other meats can also reduce your cholesterol.
Learn to like it
Not all fish has that fishy-taste. Try halibut, tilapia, mahi-mahi, or throw a tuna steak on the grill instead of a burger. Stuffed flounder will taste like whatever you stuff it with. You can even start with something as small as a couple anchovies in your Caesar's salad. And there's the whole world of shellfish and mollusks too. Buy some tempura batter mix and it's easy to make lightly breaded fish that go great with potatoes or in tacos.

4. TURNIPS

Whoever ever figured out that turnips could be eaten must have been really hungry. They don't look the least bit appetizing. A bulbous purple root, most men wouldn't pick one up in the grocery store and think, "Let's have a go at this." You wouldn't even know where to start.

Health benefits
Turnips are a strong source of vitamin C, fiber, folic acid, manganese, pantothenic acid, and copper; plus they contain thiamine, potassium, niacin, and magnesium. They're starchy like potatoes, but with one-third the calories.
Learn to like it
Substitute turnips where you usually make potatoes. Not only will this diversify your at-home menu, it will cut down on caloric intake. You can bake, mash, and cut them into French fries. They can also be served raw on a veggie tray.

5. BEETS


Many men pass over beets on the salad bar without ever trying them. It can be hard to know what to make of them. They look like slices of canned cranberry jelly. However, their sweet taste jazzes up a salad. Canned beets even make a cheap, quick, healthy snack by themselves.

Health benefits
High in carbohydrates, they're a quick energy source without the crash you get from processed carbs. Beets are good source of magnesium, calcium, iron, and niacin, as well as vitamins A and C. Studies also show they reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Learn to like them
Throwing a couple on a salad is an easy way to get used to the odd-looking vegetable. When you're ready to dive in, make a beet salad. There are a variety of recipes that are tasty and will impress a female dinner guest. A great southern favorite is roasted beet salad with bacon.

top ten most eaten foods in the US

Numerous studies have been done on the most common foods eaten in the U.S. Some focus on prepared foods and meals and cite fast foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, and fried chicken as a few of the most consumed foods in America. Since prepared food consumption is difficult to track, the USDA has also studied the most commonly purchased foods in America, implying that those foods are also the most often consumed.

Milk

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Americans purchased and consumed an average of almost 30 gallons of milk yearly from 1950 to 2000. The USDA also cited significant sales of nonfat dry milk, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Along with drinking plain milk as a beverage, one of the reasons milk is such a common purchase is its natural pairing with cereal, a daily breakfast for many Americans.

Cereal

Marion Nestle of What to Eat places ready-to-eat cereal as one of the top-five most consumed foods in the U.S. The term "ready-to-eat" can encompass all dry cereals and may also include prepared, packaged cereals such as quick oats, instant oatmeal and others. The frequency of cereal purchases in the U.S. helps explain the presence of two beverages on the top-five list, milk and bottled water, which are most often served with and used to make ready-to-eat cereal.

Bottled Water

All Business cited yearly purchases of bottled water at 22.5 gallons per American in 2006, almost double the amount of 10 years previous. Part of the explanation for high bottled-water sales may be that the beverage is the drink of choice for business meetings, lecture halls and large-group gatherings. Large amounts of bottled water are also used for outdoor activities, restaurant preparations and cooking.

Soft Drinks

Americans drank nearly 50 gallons of carbonated soft drinks per person in 2006, nearly double the amount for water or milk. Due to the large amounts of sugar in many soft drinks, a Harvard School of Public Health study was able to link consumption of sugary soft drinks with a heightened risk of childhood obesity.

Bread

Bread is one of the most common forms of grain eaten in America and is served at every meal of the day in many facilities. The most common sandwich breads eaten in the U.S. are white and wheat, and most Americans buy pre-made breads from their local grocery stores rather than choosing bakery bread or making their own loaves.

Crazy Cakes

If you haven't dreamed of having a picture perfect wedding cake, then well maybe your just not as obsessed with food and cakes as i am! But here is some cakes that might not be perfect for a wedding but who cares because they look great:)

Crazy food challenges

ARIZONA

1. Chompie's
Location: Four locations in Arizona
Food Challenge: The Ultimate Slider Challenge is yet another to be attempted and bested by "Man v. Food" host Adam Richman. Like that madman, you'll come face-to-face with 12 Jewish Sliders (beef brisket, potato pancakes and Jack cheese on a roll) and onion strings tipping the scale at 5 pounds. Finish alone in 30 minutes or less and the $39.95 meal is free, along with a T-shirt and eternal glory on the Wall of Fame.


ARKANSAS

2. Pig N' Chik
Location: Sherwood, Arkansas
Food Challenge: Attempt to finish the Sarge Burger in 30 minutes or less, a feat accomplished by one lone soul to date. This burger contains 4 pounds of beef, a 1-pound bun and plenty of fixings. Finish in less than 30 minutes and it's free!



CALIFORNIA

3. Sushi Delight
Location: Lomita, California
Food Challenge: There has never been a more delicious way to commit hari-kari. The Godzilla Roll is 4 pounds of spicy tuna, lobster, imitation crab and 15 other ingredients, all wrapped in seaweed and covered in three sauces. Finish by your lonesome in an hour and get the $34.95 roll for free, as well as an "I Tamed the Beast" T-shirt and your pic on the Wall of Fame. Fail, and your mug is relegated to the Wall of Shame.

4. Red Devil’s Pizza
Location: Granada Hills, California
Food Challenge: Finish a 28-inch pizza between two people within a half hour. Winners receive a gift certificate for two additional 28-inch, 4-topping pizzas and Red Devil Pizza merchandise. After every 20 winners, there is a drawing for a $500 prize. (You must be at least 16 years old to enter this contest.)


5. LW Pizza
Location: Long Beach, California
Food Challenge:LW Pizza dares you to eat an entire 28-inch pepperoni pizza in less than one hour. It's a no-no to use the bathroom or throw up during this hour-long challenge. Finish to receive $100 cash, a $100 LW Pizza Gift Card and your money back for the challenge pizza.

Top ten worst fast food items

10. Burger King’s Triple Whopper with Cheese

Burger King’s gigantic burger has 1250 calories, although we assume that anyone willing to eat that much beef probably isn’t too concerned by the technicalities.
How is That Even Possible?
Three layers of beef add up pretty quickly, and despite the best effort of the vegetables to make this thing look healthy it’s pretty clear from a glance that it will wreak havoc on your body. But hey, at least there’s some lettuce, right?

9. Qdoba Mexican Grill’s Beef Taco Salad

At 1280 calories, this is the perfect example of how fast food salads can be just as terrible for you as anything else on the menu.
How is That Even Possible?
Throwing in a bunch of lettuce and calling it a salad doesn’t do any good if the other ingredients are a heaping pile of beef, a bunch of shredded cheese and a huge taco shell. It’s not even trying to look like a real salad, which means you can’t act smug towards people who order the burritos instead. Isn’t that the only reason we eat salads in the first place?

8. Dairy Queen’s Six Piece Chicken Strip Basket

Dairy Queen’s basket of chicken strips contains 1410 calories. We thought chicken was supposed to be good for you, but apparently that gets negated by frying it in batter and serving it with a bunch of fries. Who would have thought?
How is That Even Possible?
Six pieces of chicken is a lot, far more than anyone should eat in a single sitting. We couldn’t even find a picture of the six piece basket, which explains why you only see four pieces above; it’s as if Dairy Queen itself is ashamed to admit that this item exists. Add in a pile of fries, sauce, and, inexplicably, a couple of slices of toast, and we’re actually more surprised that this basket isn’t higher up on the list.

7. Hardee’s Monster Thickburger

Anything with thick in the name can’t be good; this baby has 1420 calories. That makes “Monster burger” a pretty literal name, although we think “Abomination burger” might work even better.
How is That Even Possible?
Just look at it, it’s a nightmare. Two 1/3 pound beef patties, four strips of bacon, three cheese slices, and a couple of dollops of mayo: it’s a heart attack waiting to happen. They’re not even trying to pretend it’s healthy by adding a leaf of lettuce or something either, it just straight up says “I’m terrible for you, and yet so delicious, and we both know you have no willpower. Now buy me with some extra-large fries and a coke, tubby.”

6. Domino’s Three Cheese Mac-N-Cheese Breadbowl Pasta

This awkwardly named “pasta” from Domino’s has 1460 calories. For that impact we have to hope it tastes a lot better than it looks.
How is That Even Possible?
It’s pretty obvious what went wrong here; this isn’t so much pasta as it is a big slug of melted cheese that’s been poured into a loaf of bread. Look, bowls shouldn’t be edible. Bread was doing a fine job as a staple food, it doesn’t deserve to be shanghaied into a secondary role. And while we won’t deny that cheese is delicious, it probably shouldn’t be the focus of your meal, assuming you want to eat more than one a day without packing on the pounds.

5. Five Guys Burgers and Fries’ Large French Fries

They may look like your typical French fries, but that heap of potato, batter and salt somehow manages to contain 1464 calories, making this the unhealthiest item on their menu.
How is That Even Possible?
We’re pretty sure it’s just sheer volume, although even with that in consideration it’s hard to explain how so many calories were packed into these bad boys. Obviously no French fries are healthy, but you’d be hard pressed to find another brand that comes anywhere near the calorie count of these. Five Guys must have some sort of horrible secret that, frankly, we don’t want to learn.

4. Ruby Tuesday’s Boston Blue Burger

This burger has 1466 calories, which is quite impressive considering it lacks the cheese, bacon and extra beef of its rivals.
How is That Even Possible?
It looks pretty disgusting, but we’re not entirely sure how it manages to be unhealthier than the Monster Thickburger disaster that Hardee’s offers (above). Is it the blue cheese dressing? That stuff is kind of nasty. There are also onion rings and barbeque sauce, but those don’t seem like they would screw things up that badly. Maybe it has something to do with being connected to Boston.

3. Carl’s Jr.’s Double Six Dollar Burger

Another beef, bacon and cheese monstrosity, this Carl’s Jr. burger is the unhealthiest in America, providing 1520 calories and a disturbing 2760mg of sodium (healthy adults aren’t supposed to exceed 2300mg a day according to mayoclinic.com).
How is That Even Possible?
Well, it’s basically the same as the Hardee’s burger, except with onion rings added in. Shockingly, that doesn’t provide any sort of health benefit, and so it’s no mystery as to how this thing is so terrible for you. Sadly, we suspect it’s only a matter of time before a different restaurant adds an extra layer of beef and bacon in an attempt to dethrone this unholy creation.

2. Nathan’s Famous Fish and Chips

Fish and chips is a classic meal, but out of the many kinds available this is by far the worst, containing 1537 calories. We can’t deny that it looks delicious, but we’re not ready to put our lives on the line for a tasty supper.
How is That Even Possible?
We’re not sure how you screw up fish this badly, because even with all that thick batter you’d think there are much worse foods out there. Of course, the huge fries can’t help, nor can the… whatever those things above the fish are. Balls of pure, greasy batter? Based on the calorie count, we’re not sure what else they could be. Hey, at least there’s coleslaw.

1. Quiznos Large Tuna Melt

Quiznos innocent looking tuna sandwich manages to hold a staggering 1760 calories, 93 grams of fat and 2120 milligrams of sodium. Add in the optional dressing and you’re looking at an extra 370 calories and 40 grams of fat, which is close to or over the daily recommended calorie count for most people