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	<title>The Country Basket</title>
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	<link>http://thecountrybasket.com</link>
	<description>Tips &#38; ideas to run a smooth household, recipes &#38; gardening</description>
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		<title>My Vegetable Garden, How I Planted &amp; the Results Part 1</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/my-vegetable-garden-how-i-planted-and-the-results-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/my-vegetable-garden-how-i-planted-and-the-results-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:03:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gardening]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=968</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[2010 was a year of much learning for me, as I took on my first year of in-ground gardening with vegetables. Up until then I had for the most part only grown tomatoes in pots, so I had a lot to learn. I decided I wanted to try a fairly large variety of plants, to learn what I enjoyed working with, and what ended up yielding well for me. Tomatoes was a given, so I planted a ton of plants from seed, kept some of the stronger ones, pulled the weak ones, and gave the rest away to friends and family. Giving away plants, some of which grew to the height of a grown man, was very fun and satisfactory in itself. Later I had the pleasure of giving away fresh, vine ripe tomatoes to other friends. How I enjoyed the experience of planting seeds, and see them grow, be able to share with others, and then harvest delicious fruit to enjoy! (Tomatoes are fruits, not vegetables; you knew that, right? Of course you did! If they have seeds inside them, they are considered fruit.) To the far right, you can see the young plants soon after I transplanted them. The vertical strip to the left is potatoes, and the next one over, carrots. There is something planted at every white little marker. The season was just starting, and there was much anticipation involved. Other plants I grew this first [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>Blueberry Cream Cheese Coffee Cake Recipe; Pictures Show How</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/blueberry-cream-cheese-coffee-cake-recipe-pictures-show-how/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/blueberry-cream-cheese-coffee-cake-recipe-pictures-show-how/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:07:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Desserts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=919</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Soft, moist, and delicate, this cake goes great with a cup of black coffee. Hence the name Coffee Cake. My dear friend Kelly shared this recipe with me, and I&#8217;m always excited when I serve it. With a subtle crunch from the streusel topping, it has a clean taste of the fine ingredients added. There is no vanilla; &#8220;Whaaat??? No vanilla?&#8221; you may ask. Vanilla is heavenly tasting. I&#8217;m one of the biggest fans of it, and usually more is better in my opinion. However, if vanilla is added to just about every single dessert you make, it sort of loses its charm a little bit, don&#8217;t you think? Or maybe not, but it&#8217;s a thought worth considering, at least. I&#8217;ll continue on that trail just a little bit: What I have found is that certain recipes are better without vanilla, because it allows you to focus more on the other flavorful ingredients, such as butter. I wouldn&#8217;t say that vanilla necessarily masks other flavors, but I think that removing it helps you to take better notice to the other ingredients. If you have to have your vanilla kick, then by all means add some! But I will make this cake without. So the recipe calls for blueberries; does that mean blueberries only? Not as far as I have found. I tried raspberries, and it was great! I can only imagine that other berries or fruits will work wonderfully as [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<title>Planning a New Vegetable Garden</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/planning-a-new-vegetable-garden/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/planning-a-new-vegetable-garden/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:34:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Gardening]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=864</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Winter of 2010 I started seriously thinking about the possibility of putting in a vegetable garden. It had been on my mind for several years to try my hands at gardening, but with three young children I didn&#8217;t feel I had the time or energy for it. So it remained a future dream. Now, in 2010, I finally felt that the time had come. But where to start? The task seemed overwhelming, so much to learn and do, and so much information out there that I didn&#8217;t know where to begin. January became February, and I still didn&#8217;t have a clue what to do and where to start; it was easier to put things off and not really do anything until the soil was workable anyway. February gave way to March, and by then I had seen packets of seeds at the store, and excitingly picked up a few different ones. It all looked so fun to try! Soon thereafter I met a neighbor who had years of gardening experience. I told her about my plans, and that I thought it would be neat to plant tomatoes from seed. &#8220;Well, you&#8217;ve got to get started then, tomatoes take a long time!&#8221; she said. So that was a little kick to get me started. She gave me some advice on what to do, and before I knew it, I had little tomato seeds planted in styrofoam egg cartons. How exciting! I [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<title>My Favorite Turkey Noodle Soup Recipe</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/favorite-turkey-noodle-soup-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/favorite-turkey-noodle-soup-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:30:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=762</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[&#160; Chicken Noodle Soup is good, of course it is! But Turkey Noodle Soup made from homemade stock, on the other hand, is scrumptious! As I started making homemade turkey stock a few years back, I went on a search for stock based soup recipes. I found a couple of recipes that I adapted into a soup recipe that is quick, easy, but delicious non-the-less, once you have stock and meat leftovers ready made in the freezer.  When cooking up a turkey, I usually cook a much larger bird than we need for our dinner, in order to have lots of leftovers in the freezer for meals like my much-loved soup. This recipe is adapted mostly from Paula Deen&#8217;s Chicken Noodle Soup, with a couple of changes. For one thing, I use a bag of frozen soup veggies from the store, to save time. You really can use any vegetables you want, though some vegetables tend to fall apart more easily than others, such as broccoli, so I try to avoid those. Root vegetables often work well. If using potatoes, use white, red-skin or Yukon potatoes as they keep their shape better than baking potatoes. Two important ingredients added toward the very end that I kept in this recipe, as per Paula Deen, are heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. These ingredients make the soup extra luscious. But still, it all starts with rich, homemade turkey stock (here&#8217;s a link to [...]]]></description>
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		<title>Turkey or Chicken Stock; Tasty, Healthy, &amp; Money Saving Recipe</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/turkey-or-chicken-stock-tasty-healthy-money-saving-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/turkey-or-chicken-stock-tasty-healthy-money-saving-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:25:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=652</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We cook turkeys for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, sometimes for Easter, or whenever we are out of freezer turkey-leftovers. We also eat bone-in chicken throughout the year. I always used to throw away all those precious bones and carcasses, thinking they were worthless now that the meat was eaten. NOT SO!!! I once saw a cooking show on TV (so sorry to not remember which show that was!), where the chef showed us just what can be done with the leftovers that I used to think of as trash. She grabbed all the yucky stuff, everything from the carcass to skin, blubber, even bones off of people&#8217;s plates after having company over, and boiled it all for hours on end to make soup stock. She pointed out that YES! it&#8217;s safe and fine to do; it&#8217;s going to cook &#8220;forever&#8221;, so germs will not survive anyway. I decided to give it a try, and the stock that I&#8217;ve ended up with has been to die for! It makes soups so unbelievably tasty, especially Turkey Noodle Soup, and aside from some herbs and spices, it&#8217;s all from stuff I used to throw away. Free food, very nutritious, and simply scrumptious! What could be better than that? I mean, really??? Clean nutrition that tastes like heaven, from trash? What a money saver! Obviously the flavor of the stock will depend much on what you put in it, and also very much on what [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thecountrybasket.com/turkey-or-chicken-stock-tasty-healthy-money-saving-recipe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Brining and Slow Roasting for a Wonderfully Juicy Turkey Recipe</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/brining-and-slow-roasting-for-a-wonderfully-juicy-turkey-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/brining-and-slow-roasting-for-a-wonderfully-juicy-turkey-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:04:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=564</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have cooked turkeys for years now; for Thanksgiving, for Christmas, and anytime we run out of leftovers in the freezer. I always used to roast our turkeys on 325 degrees F, until fairly recently. After hearing about slow cooking at 200 degrees, I decided to try it and was very happy with the results. So this past Christmas my husband and I decided ahead of time that we should continue to roast at low temperatures.  A couple of important things to be aware of is never to add stuffing or anything else to the cavity of a slow cooking turkey. With temperatures as low as 200 degrees, the stuffing simply won&#8217;t cook all the way through to reach the necessary, safe temperatures. Additionally, USDA states that cooking a turkey at temperatures less than 325 is unsafe, so if you do want to try this method, do it at your own risk. Personally I have read enough about it to feel comfortable doing this for my own family, but please do your own research before attempting this method. Slow roasting is baking at temperatures between 200-325°F  (93-160°C). Meat baked at low temperatures does not shrink nearly as much, a lot more of the juice is retained in the meat, and it won&#8217;t burn easily even if left in the oven a little longer than necessary. Though slow roasting a turkey is often done in a regular oven, the one change [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://thecountrybasket.com/brining-and-slow-roasting-for-a-wonderfully-juicy-turkey-recipe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Aldi Chocolates, Best Hidden Secret!</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/aldi-chocolates-best-hidden-secret/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/aldi-chocolates-best-hidden-secret/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 21:14:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=554</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you have an Aldi store in your area? If so, you may be surprised to find that they carry a variety of wonderful, high quality chocolate. Growing up in Norway, I was spoiled on great chocolate, and for me, the ol&#8217; Hershey&#8217;s bar will never measure up. It doesn&#8217;t melt well, and I find the flavor to be harsh. And before I go on; No, I do not work for Aldi&#8217;s and I do not get paid for advertisement. I simply want to share my find with others. Aldi is a discount supermarket based in Germany, and their stores have a bit of that European feel to them. When an Aldi store opened up close to where we live, I was excited because many of their groceries are sold at lower prices, and for the most part we&#8217;ve been happy with the quality of their products. We frequently purchase their produce, and frozen fish as well. I didn&#8217;t even realize their chocolates were anything special until I took a closer look, and discovered that they are made in Europe, which instantly intrigued me. I decided to purchase a bar to try, and found the quality to be excellent! I really couldn&#8217;t believe it; outstanding quality chocolate at lower prices than other, comparable brands. It is still more expensive than a regular Hershey&#8217;s bar, but flavor wise there is no comparison. The chocolates from Aldi are smooth and creamy, rich, [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
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		<title>Making Marzipan Candies &#8211; Easy Recipe</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/making-marzipan-candies-easy-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/making-marzipan-candies-easy-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 29 Dec 2011 20:56:36 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=523</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[In Norway you can get a hold of delicious marzipan all year long. It is commonly rolled out into a large, flat circle to use as a covering around cakes filled with whipped cream, or you can mold it and make beautiful and fun creations. It is also sold in chocolate covered shapes during Easter and Christmas. Some people, myself included, like to roll it out into simple shapes at home, to dip in melted chocolate as a holiday treat. It is a bit harder to get a hold of marzipan in the U.S., but this year I found it in one of the coolers at our local grocery store. I have also seen recipes on how to make it yourself, though so far I have not attempted it. With Christmas quickly approaching,  I decided to purchase a piece along with some delicious, European chocolate sold at Aldi, a discount supermarket chain based in Germany. As they have stores all over the U.S. as well, I happen to live fairly close to one of them and was thrilled to find that they sell such high quality chocolate. It melts very well and is extremely smooth and tasty. I used 10 ounces (just shy of 300g) of marzipan, and altogether 7 ounces (200g) of chocolate, which resulted in some leftovers. In a pinch, I would think that 150g of chocolate would do.When I first started to roll out the marzipan, I [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<title>Simple, Delicious, Carmel Cake Filling. Or, for Norwegians -Hapå!!</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/simple-delicious-carmel-cake-filling-or-for-norwegians-hapa/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/simple-delicious-carmel-cake-filling-or-for-norwegians-hapa/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 22 Dec 2011 23:50:56 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=494</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[And now, presenting a delicious, creamy food that I discovered a while back; you could say a year ago or so, or you could say several decades ago, depending on how you see it. I found this recipe for cake filling a year or two back; people were talking about how easy it was to make, and how different and delightful it tasted. I decided to give it a try. When it was done, I tasted it and discovered that I had made a product I remember from my childhood, a caramel flavored sandwich spread: HAPÅ! It was quite a revelation, the least I expected, and there was no doubt about. It was exactly like Hapå, both with regard to flavor, texture and color. It never would have occurred to me that you could use this product as cake filling, but why not! It is smooth, sweet, tastes a bit like caramel, the color is a glossy and pretty, light brown, and it is very easy to prepare. It will take 2 hours of your time, but you mostly leave it alone for that while. So if you are going to be at home anyway, it couldn&#8217;t be more simple. In addition, there is hardly any mess or clean-up to take care of. This stuff seems to keep very well also. I have had it in my refrigerator for weeks at a time, and it has still been good. It [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Malted Milk Cookies, Family Favorite Recipe</title>
		<link>http://thecountrybasket.com/malted-milk-cookies-family-favorite-recipe/</link>
		<comments>http://thecountrybasket.com/malted-milk-cookies-family-favorite-recipe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:39:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Terese</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Desserts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Recipes]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://thecountrybasket.com/?p=337</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the cookie recipes my family has come to treasure the most, Malted Milk Cookies,  is a recipe I originally found in Taste of Home Magazine years ago. These cookies quickly became my husband&#8217;s all-time favorite. And with good reason: Their rich flavor and chewy-crunchy texture, in addition to looking very inviting and simply beautiful! It is an excellent recipe that I have shared with a multitude of people over the years. People go Ga-Ga over these cookies, and if brought to a pot-luck or party, they go hunting to figure out who made them in order to ask for the recipe. These cookies contain ingredients that aren&#8217;t commonly found in ordinary cookie recipes, but still are amazingly fitting flavor wise, which make them different in a truly special way. The first ingredient I want to bring to attention is the ingredient they were named after; malted milk balls. Personally I&#8217;m not a fan of malt flavor, but when you coarsely crush and mix malted milk balls into the batter in place of your standard chocolate chips, there&#8217;s no arguing from my side. To me, the malt flavor seems somewhat hidden; you end up with a combination of flavors and wonderful chewiness that these candies contribute to, but it isn&#8217;t necessarily so obvious that it&#8217;s malt. In addition to TWO, not one, teaspoons of vanilla, mostly brown sugar and real butter, you also have chocolate drink mix in the [...]]]></description>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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