Butter

If you have a goal of weight loss, you have to know some basic math. One pound of fat equates to about 3,500 calories, and to lose that 1 pound of fat, you've got to burn more calories than you consume. A common mistake is to try to starve off the weight, or overwork the body trying to burn it all off. But your success will come through a combination of the two methods. I've found that if you can create an energy deficit of around 500 calories a day, you can burn the 3,500 calories needed to lose a pound a week, and reach your goals steadily over time.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies   For the cookie: 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 cup flour 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix For the filling: 3/4 cup peanut butter 2 cups confectioner's sugar 4 ounces cream cheese 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons 2-percent milk 12 miniature peanut butter cups,...

Stuffing on Thanksgiving Day won't kill you. Neither will the turkey, mashed potatoes, yams, cranberry sauce, biscuits, corn, green bean casserole, gravy, butter and pumpkin pie - with a dollop of whipped cream. In fact, some might argue that it's a human need to binge from time to time. But too much of a good thing - like holiday meals - can add a few extra pounds to the scale and it often results in post-dinner discomfort. It's called overeating. And it's the American way. Because it's the one day devoted to food, many people think they're given a pass to overindulge when they sit down at the Thanksgiving table, said Jeanne Rhodes, nutritionist, wellness consultant and director of Rhodes Preventive Health Institute in Hagerstown.

This soup is a classic favorite not only in British pubs but also during the winter months across the United States. I like to incorporate some aged Wisconsin cheddar, preferably something at least eight years or more in age blended with Dunbarton Blue or a more aged creamy blue cheese. If your store does not carry cheddar listing its age on the label, look for a sharp or aged label and ask to taste if possible. Stay away from overproduced, commercial-grade prepackaged plastic wrapped cheese food or creamy cheese food spread.

It was elbow to elbow on the sidewalks of Main Street in Berkeley Springs Saturday as throngs of people browsed an array of items at the 38th annual Apple Butter Festival. The festival is not just about apple butter. There are hundreds of craft and food vendors as well as entertainment to keep the crowds busy. Laura Smith, spokeswoman for the Berkeley Springs Visitors Center, said about 40,000 people typically attend that two-day event. "There are more people this year than last year," Smith said.

This is the final sauce in the lineup of mother sauces and it too has many variations of finished possibilities.   As with hollandaise, beurre blanc derivatives are prepared by varying ingredients in the reduction or by adding in garnish ingredients.  This means that you can either reduce down a liquid with ingredients or add them in at the end when finishing the sauce. The quality of butter is equally very important to overall success of the sauce. I chose unsalted butter so that I can add salt at the end according to my taste.

Hollandaise, the traditional sauce made with eggs, is the most difficult sauce for me. Not for the reason you think, but one of taste, because I do not like eggs. I can cook them, add them as ingredients to recipes, hard boil them or throw them at someone who drives me crazy, but I will not eat them.   I think it goes back to a day in my childhood when my mother made them for me and I got really sick.   The first key to a good sauce is starting with quality butter because it's made by an emulsion of melted or clarified butter, and acid such as lemon juice or vinegar with partially cooked eggs.

Nothing says "good morning" like fresh-from-the-oven banana muffins with a touch of whipped butter.   As my sister, Katie, would say, "You always seem to need something with banana," and yes, I certainly do. I like banana cake, cookies, bread, custard, pudding, ice cream - and the list goes on. So, right after our graduation catering, I decided to use up some leftover ripe bananas and came up with this recipe. The addition of natural peanut butter and no oil and substituting baking soda for powder made for a really moist muffin.

Donna Litton operates Litton's Produce & Berries at the City Farmers Market on Saturdays and at Market Faire, the city's outdoor market on North Potomac Street Parking Lot on Thursdays. Litton and her husband, Charles Litton, grow produce on their farm in St. James. The Littons have seven kids, whom they homeschool. Berry cobbler 1 stick butter or margarine (see cook's note) 1/2 cup sugar 4 cups blueberries (see cook's note) 1 cup water, if using fresh berries 2 cups flour 1 cup sugar 3 teaspoons baking powder 1 cup milk Heat oven to 400 degrees.Donna Litton operates Litton's Produce & Berries at the City Farmers Market on Saturdays and at Market Faire, the city's outdoor market on North Potomac Street Parking Lot on Thursdays.

Mary Gladden has been baking for almost half a century, but her recipes never get old.  The Red Velvet Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Swirl Cupcakes that she entered in The Herald-Mail's cupcake contest are a recent addition to her repertoire. Gladden's cupcake recipe began as an experiment a few months ago. It quickly became a regular dessert in her household after becoming a favorite of her grandchildren. She said that the recipe is special not only for the taste, but also for "the love you put into it. " Gladden encourages others to try experimenting in the kitchen.