There are certain days during the summer when the last place anyone wants to be is in a hot kitchen. But that’s when kids can come to the rescue, making a delicious dessert for the whole family without ever having to ask their parents to turn on the oven.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Put graham crackers in a large resealable plastic bag, and crush them with a rolling pin until very fine crumbs form.
Pour crumbs into a medium bowl; stir in sugar. Add butter, and stir until well combined.
Press the crumb mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan, spreading it 1 1/2 to 2 inches up the side; press flat. Chill crust in freezer at least 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling: Using an electric mixer set at medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the condensed milk a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl, as necessary. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla.
Pour the filling into the crust; smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
Unclasp sides of pan, and remove cheesecake.
VARIATIONS
Skip the crust: use cheesecake filling in a parfait and invent a whole new “layer cake.” Mix the filling, then put some in a glass. Top with broken-up cookies (such as chocolate or vanilla wafers) or graham crackers, and add fresh fruit (such as raspberries or blueberries). Alternate layers. Refrigerate parfait for 30 minutes, and serve.
This dough is a cinch — give it time to rise and a couple of kneads and it’s done! You can store it in an oiled bowl, covered with plastic, in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Pour 1 1/2 cups warm water into a large bowl; sprinkle with yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
Whisk sugar, oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Add flour and stir until a sticky dough forms. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and brush top with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm, draft-free place until dough has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently knead 1 or 2 times before using.
To freeze, you can wrap the dough in plastic and freeze it in a resealable freezer bag for up to 3 months. If you plan to use it in a recipe that calls for half a batch, divide it before freezing.
Get a perfect hard-boiled egg every time with these simple tips. With hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator, you always have the components of a satisfying meal.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.
Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately.
Nothing says “weekend” like homemade pancakes for breakfast. Our easy pancake recipe will help you whip up this weekend favorite in less than 30 minutes. You’ll wonder why you never tried this before!
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees; have a baking sheet or heatproof platter ready to keep cooked pancakes warm in the oven. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter (or oil), and egg. Add dry ingredients to milk mixture; whisk until just moistened (do not overmix; a few small lumps are fine).
3. Heat a large skillet (nonstick or cast-iron) or griddle over medium. Fold a sheet of paper towel in half, and moisten with oil; carefully rub skillet with oiled paper towel.
4. For each pancake, spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter onto skillet, using the back of the spoon to spread batter into a round (you should be able to fit 2 to 3 in a large skillet).
5. Cook until surface of pancakes have some bubbles and a few have burst, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip carefully with a thin spatula, and cook until browned on the underside, 1 to 2 minutes more. Transfer to a baking sheet or platter; cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in oven. Continue with more oil and remaining batter. (You’ll have 12 to 15 pancakes.) Serve warm, with desired toppings.
PANCAKE VARIATIONS
BUTTERMILK: In step 1, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry mixture. In step 2, replace the milk with low-fat buttermilk.
YOGURT: In step 1, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to dry mixture. In step 2, replace the milk with 2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup milk.
WHOLE-GRAIN WITH YOGURT: In step 1, replace the all-purpose flour with 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup each cornmeal and wheat germ, and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. In step 2, replace the milk with 2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt and 1/3 cup milk.
This basic vegetable soup can be made with any combination of fresh or frozen vegetables, so the soup will taste a little different each time. The recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled to feed all the vegetable soup fans at your table.
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add onions or leeks, celery, and Italian seasoning; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes.
2. Add broth, tomatoes and their juice, tomato paste, and 3 cups water to pot; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes.
3. Add vegetables to pot, and return to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, as desired. Let cool before storing.
COOK’S NOTES
Freeze soup in small containers, then pull out only what you need; there’s no need to thaw the soup before reheating.
The batter for this easy-to-make banana bread is enriched with sour cream, which gives it a subtle tang and super moist texture.
Source: Martha Stewart Living, August 2004
YIELD
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat to incorporate.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Stir in nuts and pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
VARIATIONS
To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together 6 ounces cream cheese, 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract until smooth. Frost top of cooled bread.
To make the cream cheese frosting-filled banana bread as featured on “The Martha Stewart Show,” once the loaf is baked and cooled, halve horizontally. Using an offset spatula, spread frosting evenly over bottom half. Top with remaining half; slice and serve.
Make your own gooey, delicious macaroni and cheese with this no-fail macaroni and cheese recipe. You’ll learn how to get the perfect creamy macaroni and cheese consistency, plus the history of mac and cheese and how it became popular in America.
Perfect Macaroni and Cheese How-To
You can easily divide this recipe in half; use a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish if you do.
Serves 12
6 slices good-quality white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups (about 18 ounces) grated sharp white cheddar
2 cups (about 8 ounces) grated Gruyere or 1 1/4 cups (about 5 ounces) grated pecorino Romano
1 pound elbow macaroni
1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread pieces in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into the bowl with bread, and toss. Set the breadcrumbs aside. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, stirring, 1 minute.
2. Slowly pour hot milk into flour-butter mixture while whisking. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
3. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup pecorino Romano. Set cheese sauce aside.
4. Fill a large saucepan with water. Bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 fewer minutes than manufacturer’s directions, until outside of pasta is cooked and inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer the macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar and 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup pecorino Romano; scatter breadcrumbs over the top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; serve.
A Little Back Story
Did you know that Thomas Jefferson, purportedly a great lover of both cheese and Italian food, served his baked macaroni and cheese at dinner parties all the time?
During the age of European colonization, seafaring men would transport dried macarone — one of the few staples that could survive a year aboard ship — from Italy to Britain and to the American colonies.
American colonists did not have the selection of fresh produce and other ingredients that the Italians had; their meals were improvised from a larder of fresh or sour milk, stale bread, and pork drippings. So the imported pasta would often be served with a simple white sauce — milk thickened with flour and butter. Sometimes, it was baked in a casserole with buttered breadcrumbs on top. A recipe for a casserole of macaroni, white sauce, and grated yellow cheese was first recorded in the “Boston Cooking School Cookbook” in 1896.
Kraft introduced its macaroni-and-cheese dinner in 1937 as a way to market processed American cheese and Tenderoni macaroni. It swept the nation. Recipes for homemade macaroni and cheese began to appear frequently in cookbooks.
Nowadays, making delicious homemade macaroni and cheese has become a mission for some people: They are always trying to make it more comforting, cheesier. It’s a completely worthwhile way to spend your time.
A Few Basic Rules if You Want to Experiment
To begin, you still need to make a white sauce. A generous amount of butter is melted in a large saucepan, and then flour is stirred into it to make a loose paste. After the flour has cooked in the hot butter, hot milk is whisked in. The starch from the cooked flour expands in the milk, creating a thick, creamy sauce. The starch binds the sauce, so that when the cheese is stirred in, the result is creamy and smooth, not stringy and curdled.
It is important to use pungent cheeses, such as sharp cheddar, mixed with a little Gruyere or pecorino Romano for extra bite, since the white sauce and pasta will absorb a lot of flavor. The type of cheese used will also affect the sauce’s texture: Sharp white cheddar produces the smoothest result; yellow and extra sharp cheddars can become grainy.
A good Italian brand of dried elbow macaroni will have the best consistency. Undercook your pasta so that it is the slightest bit crunchy (very al dente) in the center, then rinse it under cold water. This stops the cooking and washes off the excess starch. You might think that starch would be useful in further thickening the casserole, but it isn’t; as it bakes, that extra starch merely expands and lends a mealy texture to your sauce.
The pasta will finish cooking as it bakes. The sauce will bubble, seeping into the hollows of your macaroni. When the smell of butter and browning cheese makes your stomach growl, you’ll know the dish is ready to eat.
Chocolate chip cookies are a go-to favorite dessert, sweet snack, or after-school treat. With our easy, three-step recipe, you’ll have soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies to serve and enjoy in no time.
YIELD
INGREDIENTS
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the salt, vanilla, and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop heaping tablespoon-size balls of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
3. Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on baking sheet 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.
COOK’S NOTES
If desired, use a small ice-cream scoop for uniform-size cookies.
Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, co-founders of Rent the Runway. Kris Connor/Getty Images
As the saying goes, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work another day in your life.” These entrepreneurs did just that, and they’ve made millions! From Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss — fashion-savvy business school classmates who launched the highly successful apparel rental service Rent the Runway — to Mark Zuckerberg, who started the platform that became Facebook as a side project, here are 14 people who turned their hobbies into million- and billion-dollar careers.
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner, Making Sense of Cents
Schroeder-Gardner makes more than $100,000 a month through her personal finance blog Entrepreneur/YouTube
Michelle Schroeder-Gardner paid off $38,000 worth of student loans in just seven months after she graduated from business school. Her secret — and the reason she now earns more than $100,000 a month through her blog — is to focus on earning.
“The biggest reason for why I was able to pay off my student loans is because I earned as much money as I could outside of my day job,” she explains on her personal finance and lifestyle blog, Making Sense of Cents. “I mystery shopped and got paid to take surveys, but the biggest thing I did was I made an income through my blog.”
Schroeder-Gardner started Making Sense of Cents while pursuing an MBA in finance. Although she first envisioned it as more of a diary, the site now generates revenue through online classes she teaches on the site, affiliate marketing, and advertising (both company-sponsored ads and display ads).
She and her husband both quit their jobs in 2013 and now travel across the US in an RV.
Nadia Shuaib, Budget Electronics
Nadia Shuaib turned a part-time project into a multimillion-dollar e-commerce business.eBay/YouTube
After immigrating to Canada from Scotland, Nadia Shuaib turned her husband’s part-time project into a multimillion-dollar e-commerce project— while studying for the Canadian bar!
Shuaib listed a few of her husband’s cell phone accessories on eBay. When the inventory quickly sold out, she decided to make her part-time project into a career. Now, her online store, Budget Electronics, which is based out of two Toronto warehouses, is a multimillion-dollar business.
Craig Newmark, Craigslist
Newmark started the project that became Craiglist as an event resource for fellow computer programmers in the Bay Area. Bryan Bedder/GettyImages
Craig Newmark moved to San Francisco for a job in computer programming at Charles Schwab. When he was laid off, he made the most of the situation by using his severance package to start a small message board that aggregated events that fellow programmers might be interested in.
With terrific timing, Newmark’s project coincided with the release of the early internet browser Netscape. With the addition of a job-listing section, the site, which eventually became Craigslist, boomed in popularity.
Today, Newmark’s net worth is estimated to be $1.31 billion, according to Forbes.
Alicia Shaffer, Three Bird Nest
Shaffer was one of Etsy’s biggest sellers before she left the handmade marketplace in 2015.Three Bird Nest/YouTube
Although she left Etsy in 2015, at one point Alicia Shaffer — founder of the boho-inspired accessories shop Three Bird Nest — was the handmade marketplace’s biggest seller, earning an average of $60,000 a month.
“I would have been thrilled to make $100 to $200 a month to pay for my daughter’s dance lessons,” Shaffer told Business Insider. “I was really just trying to make a couple sales a week because I had lost confidence in my ability to start a business.” She ended up exceeding that goal by a long shot.
Michael J. Kittredge, Yankee Candle
Kittredge’s first candle was a homemade Christmas gift for his mother. Mike Mozart/Flickr
When he was 16 years old, Michael J. Kittredge crafted a candle made of melted red crayons for his mother as a Christmas gift. After a friend offered to buy the wax creation, Kittredge started making candles in his parents’ garage and selling them at his school and to local businesses in his Massachusetts hometown.
By 1972, Kittredge was paying $80 a month to rent a former paper mill as a workshop. Over time, the primarily wholesale business garnered $1 billion in annual sales. A decade later, he took out a loan to open a retail outlet and factory complex. By the mid-1990s, Yankee Candle had become a household name.
Highly successful to this day, Yankee Candle sold for $1.75 billion to consumer products company Jarden in 2013.
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook
Facebook was once Mark Zuckerberg’s hobby. Esteban Felix/AP
When Mark Zuckerberg started a small social media website for students at Harvard University, it was just a hobby.
But his side project — which ultimately became Facebook — blossomed into a multibillion-dollar global company. Today, his net worth is estimated to be just under $70 billion.
“I probably learned more coding from random side projects that I did than the courses I took in college,” Zuckerberg said during a town-hall event organized by North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Al “Bubba” Baker, Bubba’s-Q Boneless Ribs
Baker was a football legend and now owns a lucrative barbecue rib business. News 5 Cleveland/YouTube
Although he was already an NFL legend, retired football player Al “Bubba” Baker’s second career has been equally successful. After pitching his barbecue rib concept, Bubba’s-Q, on NBC’s “Shark Tank,” the business — which began as a catering company— went from earning $154,000 to bringing in more than $16 million over the course of four years.
“When you have a project that is 30-some years in the making and you finally see it come to fruition — the emotions, it was overwhelming,” Baker told CNBC. In addition to an online shop, there’s a brick-and-mortar Bubba’s-Q restaurant in Avon, Ohio.
Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss, Rent the Runway
Hyman and Fleiss shared a passion for fashion — and have earned millions from their startup.Kris Connor/Getty Images
Both passionate about fashion, Harvard Business School classmates Jennifer Hyman and Jennifer Fleiss founded Rent the Runway, an apparel and accessories rental service, in 2009.
“We started by purchasing dresses at retail in our own sizes — we figured if the concept didn’t work, at least we’d have a great wardrobe! We just went to different undergraduate campus and started renting dresses to women,” Fleiss said in an interview with The Muse.
Forbes included the co-founders on its 2016 roundup of the Richest Self-Made Women to Watch.
Arthur Davidson and William Harley, Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson began as a hobby for two friends who wanted to revolutionize the bicycle.Scott Olson/Getty Images
Motorcycles are usually synonymous with one of the most famous brands in the business: Harley-Davidson.
The ubiquitous motor vehicles began as the hobby of two friends, Arthur Davidson and William Harley, who saw the advent of the gasoline engine as a way to innovate bicycle design. Today, it is one of the biggest public companies in America.
Debbi Fields, Mrs. Fields
Debbi Fields transformed her passion for baking cookies into a highly successful cookie empire.Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Success was just the way the cookie crumbled for Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields.
“We made every dollar stretch,” she told LearnVest, referring to her working-class upbringing. “My father believed that true wealth was found in family, friends and doing what you love.”
For Fields, baking — and cookies in particular — brought her joy. Even when her family couldn’t afford real ingredients, she crafted cookies from margarine and imitation chocolate.
Her famous chocolate chip cookie recipe launched a dessert empire that is now worth $450 million.
Kevin Plank, Under Armour
Kevin Plank came up with the idea for Under Armour while playing college football. Wikimedia Commons
The best inventions are solutions to everyday problems — something that Kevin Plank knows all too well.
Despite the Under Armour founder’s unremarkable football career at the University of Maryland, the hours he spent training and working out inspired his multimillion-dollar idea: moisture-wicking athletic clothing.
Today, Forbes reports that Plank’s estimated net worth is $2.1 billion.
Megan Duckett, Sew What? and Rent What?
Duckett translated her sewing prowess into a theatrical draping company. Sew What? Inc/Rent What? Inc/YouTube
Megan Duckett, who moved to Los Angeles from Australia in the 1990s, worked in the entertainment and event planning industries before launching Sew What?, a theatrical draping company. She also operates Rent What?, a drapery rental company.
Her handiwork has been seen everywhere from KISS concerts to a New Year’s Eve party at Las Vegas’ Mirage hotel.
“With a little creativity and the incentive to go digging around to find the clients, I knew that there was an opportunity there,” she told CNN, which reported in 2015 that she earned $7 million in annual revenue.
Bill Gates, Microsoft
Bill Gates dropped out of school to create Microsoft. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
When Bill Gates was studying at Harvard University, he fully intended on becoming a lawyer, and spent his free time in the computer lab. After two years at the school, however, Gates dropped out to pursue his passion— his company Microsoft.
With an estimated net worth of $90 billion, Gates is now one of the world’s wealthiest people and has stepped down from the company to focus on philanthropy.
Walt Disney, The Walt Disney Company
Disney’s childhood passion for drawing translated into a multimedia empire. Hulton Archive/Getty Images
Walt Disney’s early interest in drawing ultimately culminated in a multimedia empirethat encompasses beloved characters, animated movies, and rides.
At just seven years old, he sold his earliest sketches to neighbors. Wherever he went — including a stint as an ambulance driver in Europe during World War I — he would draw cartoons. Returning to the US after the war, he got a job as an advertising cartoonist.
It didn’t take long for Disney to make it to Hollywood, where he created his most famous character, Mickey Mouse, in 1928.
A new study suggests there is a psychological technique you can use to improve your running performance.
It’s called “cognitive reappraisal.”
It means looking at your activity subjectively like a researcher or journalist.
I have a love-hate relationship with running. I love how healthy and rewarded I feel afterward. But while I’m doing it, I hate every second.
But a psychological trick called “cognitive reappraisal” could be used to make running more enjoyable, according to a new study published in the journal Motivation and Emotion and detailed in the British Psychological Society’s Reader’s Digest.
Cognitive reappraisal is a way of framing your mind to adopt a detached attitude toward the activity, like a journalist who is reporting on it. The technique is commonly used in therapy, where a patient is given exercises to help them recognise negative emotions and to ultimately turn these into positive responses.
A research team from the US Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center in Massachusetts recruited 24 healthy runners aged 18 to 33 to take part in the experiment, all of whom ran more than more than one run a week that was over nine miles
They all performed three vigorous running tasks of 90 minutes, staying at 75 to 85% of their maximum exertion for the duration.
During the first run, they weren’t given any specific instructions to follow. On the second and third they were told to either distract themselves by thinking of something else, or using the cognitive reappraisal method, where they would try and look at themselves subjectively — as if they were reporting on the exercise as a journalist, or studying the experience as a scientist.
So in this study, instead of thinking “I’m tired,” “my legs hurt,” or “I can’t keep running anymore,” the participants could re-frame their thoughts to think things like: “I’m exercising, I may as well enjoy it” or “if I slow my pace down, I may feel less tired.”
The runners were given reminders throughout the workout to ensure they kept re-framing their minds in this way.
When they tried the distraction method, they reported no difference between that and the control run where they didn’t use any psychological technique. Those who adopted the cognitive reappraisal strategy coped better with the vigorous exercise. They felt they exerted themselves less, and didn’t experience as much of an emotional reaction.
However, there are limitations to the study. For example, it isn’t certain whether the runners really practiced cognitive reappraisal properly. Also, as experienced runners, they may have found the experiments more enjoyable than other people. Less athletic participants may not experience the same effects of psychological tricks.
But the researchers are interested in exploring the idea, particularly if using certain methods can help regulate negative emotions while running.
