Lamb Cooking

Posts Tagged ‘cookie’

Bell Cookie

Tescoma Delícia Christmas Bell Cookie Cutters Set £6.87 …

Stainless Steel bell Christmas Cookie Cutter 7cm Tall £0.98 …

Xmas Cookie Cutters Set of 7, For Cookies, Icing, Sugarcraft & Cake Decoration, With Candy Cane, Tree, Santa, Angel, Star, Xmas Bell & Gingerbread Man £10.99 Xmas Cookie Cutters Set of 7, For Cookies, Icing, Sugarcraft & Cake Decoration, the 7 most popular shapes of the theme….

Zack Files: Season 1 [DVD] [Region 1] [US Import] [NTSC] £13.95 …

Wilton Holiday Cookie Cutters, Set of 9 [Kitchen] £38.58 Put variety in your cookie-making with fun Christmas multi-shape sets. There are styles to please everyone….

Wilton Mini Cookie Cutter set of 12 [Kitchen] Put variety in your cookie-making with fun Christmas multi-shape sets. There are styles to please everyone….

Wilton 2308-1132 Metal Cookie Cutter Set of 18 [Kitchen] Put variety in your cookie-making with fun Christmas multi-shape sets. There are styles to please everyone….

The Doorbell Rang £6.99 Paperback…

1=50!: 1 Dough 50 Cookies – Love Food £1.19 …

The Cookie Book: Over 300 Step-by-Step Recipes for Home Baking £3.69 …

The Best Xmas Cookies

Yuletide bells are ringing and once it is time to relish some delicacies and savoury cookies. When we discuss cookies, there is simply lots of options for cookies available in the market. You can avail any type of cookie starting from old family favourite to one’s with some modern twist. Have a quick look at few of the popular cookies that are all time tops of all.

If you are someone that loves everything classic, butter cookies are certainly meant for you. These cookies are delicate and tender, easy to make and everyone relishes them. Moreover, prepare dough a day before and then roll them and then bake. With your complete family, decorate the cookies and enjoy their taste.

Other succulent cookies that are good for the occasion of Yuletide are Starlight mint cookies. Folks who love combination of different flavors would surely love these. Basically, these cookies are prepared from brown sugar dough as well as mint candy. Crisp edges of cookies are the result of brown sugar dough added to it. However, mint simply adds to the flavor and melts while eating. The texture of these cookies makes them a must buy this Xmas. Nevertheless these cookies are a harsh no-no for diabetes patients.

For all you chocolate lovers, the chocolate peanut butter bonbons are the best choice. These cookies have both- chocolate and the peanut butter as the name suggests. These have a bit of a modern touch to them. They are chewy rather than crisp and they’re creamy too. In case its children you are going to amuse, this cookies will be a definite hit. Again, the ones going through the difficulties like acne should avoid too much chocolate. Instead, you need to try the Clearpores Skin Treatment Products.

Another great choice for Christmas cookies is butter pecan cookies. Each cookie is sort of a turtle candy in the bar form. It uses chocolate and caramel along with a buttery shortbread crust. Since, this one contains dollops of butter and sugar ; it is a storehouse of calories. So, weight watchers should keep away from this. But, if you truly want to binge in, use an effective weight control solution like Caralluma Burn Appetite Supressant along side.

Are you expecting some guests home? How about baking some Mexican Tea Cakes for them? It certainly is a great idea. These are just shortbread and sugar rolled together. Then the cookies are coated with sugar again after the bread cools down. You can then fill in some chocolate kisses or pecans and they will definitely taste nice.

Make these cookies and you’re certain to add the right touch of sweetness to your festivities.

Here is some more information on Diabetes Patients and Caralluma Burn Appetite Supressant.

About the Author

I am a gym instructor having complete knowledge about treadmills and treadmill workouts.

Hat Cookie

Wilton Halloween Cookies & More Comfort Grip Witches Hat Cookie Cutter These easy-grip cutters with extra-deep sides are perfect for cutting so many favorite foods into spectacular shapes. The cushion grip gives you comfortable control even when cutting thick desserts. Recipe included….

Witches Hat shape Cookie, Biscuit or Pastry Cutter by ‘Le Chef – Ideal for Halloween Our cookie cutters are handcrafted in the tradition of the blacksmiths and tinsmiths that helped forge this nation. In keeping with that tradition we try to offer you the highest quality cookie cutter at the lowest possible price….

Cookie Cutter Cowboy Hat 2.75 …

Baby Boy Shortbread Cookies in a Hat Box £37.99 What better gift on the arrival of a baby boy than iced buttery cookies freshly baked for the new parents.Handmade by Country Living’s ‘Best New Product’ award winner, the 16 chunky biscuits are made from fine ingredients including free range eggs.Your gift is presented in a children’s hat box, providing useful storage for baby’s toys afterwards.Time permitting, we recommend you order at least thr…

Handbag Shortbread Cookies in a Hat Box £37.99 A fun fashion statement, these iced shortbread handbags in their pretty, re-usable hat box make a delicious present for any girl about town.This unique gift from Country Living’s ‘Best New Product’ award winner contains 12 buttery shortbread in a useful, stylish hat box.Each hat box is hand finished in fabric, chosen to reflect the latest fashion trends.Time permitting, we recommend you order at l…

Baby Girl Shortbread Cookies in a Hat Box £37.99 Free range eggs, sugar and all things nice make these iced buttery shortbread the perfect gift for parents of a new baby girl.Hand baked by Country Living’s ‘Best New Product’ award winner, the 16 chunky shortbread biscuits are in special baby shapes and designs.Your gift is presented in a children’s hat box, providing useful storage later for a newborn baby’s toys.Time permitting, we recommend yo…

Pink Cookie Headphone Hat £9.99 Beanie style hat with built-in earphones. This must-have fashion accessory incorporates high performance speakers that allow you to listen to your favourite music. The universal 3.5mm jack can be connected to any iPod, MP3 and the majority of mobile phones. Micro fleeced lined. Machine washable. No batteries required….

CATH KIDSTON FLORAL VERTICAL CASE/COVER/POUCH IN RED COLOUR RETAIL PACK SUITABLE FOR LG KP500 COOKIE This is an Original Cath Kidston Case. Available in Floral Red only. The case open vertical and has a velcro strip to secure your mobile phone using the top flap. It is a very fashionable case. Includes a Neck Strap and a Santa Hat….

CATH KIDSTON FLORAL VERTICAL CASE/COVER/POUCH IN RED COLOUR RETAIL PACK SUITABLE FOR LG T300 COOKIE LITE This is an Original Cath Kidston Case. Available in Floral Red only. The case open vertical and has a velcro strip to secure your mobile phone using the top flap. It is a very fashionable case. Includes a Neck Strap and a Santa Hat….

Sesame Street Hat – Blue Cookie Monster Face Snapback Hat with Adjustable Strap £24.99 Sesame Street is an American children’s television series created by Joan Ganz Cooney and Lloyd Morrisett. The program is known for its combination of Jim Henson’s Muppets, animation, short films, humor, and cultural references. The program was conceived in 1966 during discussions between Cooney and Morrisett. The series premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) stations on November 10, 1969 …

Promotional Cookies! Imagine That

This economic situation has business owners scrambling to get some attention focused on their company. People are starting to think of exciting new ways to get some interest through creative marketing. Promotional products are a flexible way to get some interest directed your way. You would be amazed by some of the things that people are doing.

When you imagine promotional items you probably have visions of hats and t-shirts swimming through your head. There are so many things to use. Things that have been used for years. There are also some new ideas. The fresh approaches are what is needed now. One thing that all people appreciate is a little sweetness. Even If you can’t eat a cookie, you will appreciate someone giving you one. Cookie cutters could be just what you need.

You could give out your cookie cutters or make some cookies and give them instead. I have seen a very cute idea that people have given to teachers as gifts. You get a good sized mason jar and fill it with all the dry ingredients needed for making cookies. If you layer it, the jar will look really cool. This can be any type of cookie, those tiny M&M chips look very pretty with all the colors. You attach the complete recipe, written on a small card, to a promotional cookie cutter made in the shape of your logo, with a ribbon to the jar.

Depending on your business, handing out free cookies is a good idea. If you have a restaurant or deli it would be simple to make them in house and give them to people. You could even give people one of you logo cookie cutters. For a place that does make food having some logo cookies is such a fun idea. They can be given to anyone who eats or orders coffee. You could even package then with a rolled up mini menu and give them to people that are outside of the business walking by.

A promotional cookie cutter is an idea whose time has come. There are so many ways to use these. If you are in the business of cooking supplies you could even make some creative designs of your own to sell. How about a witches hat for Halloween. You could create jungle animal shapes or even  bug shapes. How neat would a long caterpillar cookie look all decorated in different colored frosting.

About the Author

Edible promotional merchandise is always a huge hit. Spreading the love with promotional gifts is a brilliant business move.

Jar Nib

Cocoa Nibs Standard Jar 55g e Cacoa Nibs £2.25 Rich and dark 100 per cent cacao (Cocoa) delicious in sweet or savoury – wonderful in Mexican cooking or desserts….

A Jar of Chocolate Orange Nibs – 1.5Kg Jar £14.95 Chocolate Orange Nibs or Chocolate Orange Nibbles as they often called – well, what can we say about these… they’re without doubt one of the best tasting chocolate nibbles that we’ve ever tried – everyone at SnC is totally addicted to them. Try them – you’ll be hooked too! – Approx. 1.5 Kg per Jar…

Choice, Use and Care of Varnish Brushes

The quality of your varnish finish depends on your brushes, and your choice and care of them must reflect your desire for the very best results. It is all too easy to neglect the brush and remain perplexed why you can¬not get a perfect finish.

Buy a very good brush, and keep it for varnish only. A good width is 50-65mm (2-2-1/2in.), although you will need something narrower for thin mouldings or frame members; natural bristle is on the whole better than synthetic. It should have a tapered shape and a good thickness of bristles, a proportion of them with flagged tips. The wedge between the two rows should not be too wide, or it will keep them separate and prevent the brush from holding a good charge that will flow nicely.

A new brush will always shed bristles when it is first used. Dip it in a mixture of varnish and white spirit (paint thinner) and work the bristles hard against a piece of scrap wood, slap it against the edge of your hand, then dip it and scrub it on the wood again. Straighten out the bristles before they have a chance to set in a tangle. It is also worth drilling a hole in the handle and suspending the bristles from a piece of wire across the top of the jar in a 50/50 varnish/solvent mix.

This ‘keeper’ will also be ideal for work that goes on over several days, allowing you to have the brush ready and not spend time cleaning it after each session. Never stand a brush on its bristles in the jar, they will take on a permanent bend. You can keep a brush soft overnight by soaking it in solvent and wrapping the bristles tight¬ly in silver foil, but these are temporary measures, and not a substitute for proper cleaning.
When you do finally clean the brush, do not skimp. Wipe it hard on newspaper or rags, then pour about 12mm (1/2in.) of solvent into a shallow tin or jar and tamp the brush in it, replacing the cleaner often. Go on doing it until there is no more varnish coming out of the bristles – it stays up by the handle, so be patient. Comb the bristles straight if they are tangled.

Problems with varnish
Apart from the quality of your brush, the other major obstacle to getting a good varnish finish is dust. It is more your enemy with varnish than anything else, because of the slow drying times involved. Damp the floor and sweep up thoroughly first, then try to avoid moving dust at all – even near the room in which you are working – during the whole process. After sanding, clean the work minutely with white spirit and a tack rag. It is inevitable that specks will stick to the coats, but they can be cut back with fine garnet or wet and dry paper, apart from those in the very last coat. If you have the highest standards, de-nib the final coat with wax and wire wool, or for a high gloss, rub it well with rottenstone, felt pad and oil. You can de-nib a satin finish without glossing it by gently stroking the finest wire wool over it, or using the fine abrasive pastes like T-cut or toothpaste. Do not rub the surface so much that it burnishes to a gloss.

About the Author

Now you know about the care and use of varnish brushes. You should also know how to apply varnish and also how are paintballs made.

Cookie Molds

Kitchen Craft Cookie Cutters / Pastry Cutters, Set of 11 £4.10 CUTSETRD Features: -Set of eleven round plain pastry cutters.-tin box.-Tinned….

Kitchen Craft Cookie Cutters / Fluted Cutters, Set of 11 £4.35 CUTSET Features: -Set of eleven cutters.-Tinned….

Kitchen Craft Cookie Cutters, Transport Shaped, Set of 7 £6.95 CUTTRAN Features: -Set of seven cookie cutters.-Comes in storage tin….

3d Acrylic nail art mold – Cookie shapes 3d Acrylic nail art mold – Cookie shapes…

Wilton Sports Cookie Candy Mold [Kitchen] £12.83 Turn store-bought cookies into candy-coated treats! With cookie candy molds and easy-melting Wilton candy melts, it’s a breeze to add a great tasting and colorful candy design to your favorite cookies. Just brush colored candy details in the mold, let set, then add more melted candy and position your cookie in the mold. Wilton sports cookie candy mold has four designs….

Wilton Winter Wish Cookie Candy Mold [Kitchen] £12.83 Turn store-bought cookies into candy-coated treats! With Cookie Candy Molds and easy-melting Wilton Candy Melts®, it’s a breeze to add a great tasting and colorful candy design to your favorite cookies. Just brush colored candy details in the mold, let set, then add more melted candy and position your cookie in the mold. Great for sandwich cream cookies or any round cookie 2 inch diameter or less…

Wilton Jolly Fun Cookie Candy Mold [Kitchen] £12.83 Turn store-bought cookies into candy-coated treats! With Cookie Candy Molds and easy-melting Wilton Candy Melts®, it’s a breeze to add a great tasting and colorful candy design to your favorite cookies. Just brush colored candy details in the mold, let set, then add more melted candy and position your cookie in the mold. Great for sandwich cream cookies or any round cookie 2 inch diameter or less…

Kitchen Craft Jelly Mould, Pig, 1 Pint / 600ml £1.80 This Pig Shaped Jelly Mould is popular both with adults and children alike. Made from plastic, it features a handy hanging loop and intricate detailing on the inside. Ideal for setting colourful fruit jellies, this quirky jelly mould is a must have piece of kitchen equipment.•Pig Shaped Jelly Mould by Kitchen Craft•Ideal for setting fruit jellies, mousses and other desserts•Made f…

impexo LG Cookie Lite T300 Case Cover Skin Pouch Shell Unbreakable Silicone with beautifull Glory Flowers-Black Introducing new luxury protection case to the next generation of protection cases for your special device. Cell phone is as attractive and usable while protected from dust and scratches in this Crystal case like protection with the durability of a silicone and with strongest protection in international market. Tough & durable case moulds perfectly to your phone’s shape provides easy access to all …

impexo LG KP500 Cookie Case Cover Skin Pouch Shell Diamond Pattern Unbreakable Gel Clear Introducing new luxury protection case to the next generation of protection cases for your special device. Cell phone is as attractive and usable while protected from dust and scratches in this Crystal case like protection with the durability of a silicone and with strongest protection in international market. Tough & durable case moulds perfectly to your phone’s shape provides easy access to all …

Revealing Secrets About Candle Making Molds

Candles have been a good friend to man for ages.  Up until the invention of the electric light bulb candles were a necessity for normal life.  Candles and the light they provided was a critical item to any center of human activity including households, work places, offices, places of entertainment, etc.  When usable electricity arrived on the scene it was thought that candles would go the way of buggy whips and quickly fade away but GUESS WHAT! they not only survived to this day they remain a very popular item in homes and many other places.  

Today there is a substantial commercial candle production industry that provides the market with millions of candles of every size, shape, color, odor and size.  Along with this there are also many hobbiests that enjoy making their own candles.

A key component in the candle maker’s toolkit are the candle making molds.  Today candles come in all sorts of sizes and shapes and the molds are what make it happen. There are three basic types of molds available to the candle maker including aluminum, rubber and plastic.  Here is a look each type:

Aluminum Molds

Aluminum molds are the first choice of most chandlers for several reasons.  The first is that they produce a very good looking candle because they are a durable one piece design.  The finished product is smooth with no seam lines.  They are also easy to work with because of their durability and heat resistance.  Another factor is that they are easy to clean.  All that is required to clean them is to place them upside down on a cookie sheet  and put them in an oven heated to 150 degrees and the excess wax will fall off onto the cookie sheet leaving a clean mold ready for the next candle.  They are cheaper than plastic or rubber molds because the per candle cost is very low due to the fact they will produce many more candles over the long run which reduces the mold expense factor of each candle to a very low figure.  

Rubber Molds

Rubber molds include such types as latex, polyurethane, or silicone.  These molds are flexible and are generally used to make candles with unusual shapes although they are perfectly suited for motive or pillar candles.  Rubber molds of almost any shape or form are available but if a particular desired shape is not found one can be easily made with liquid latex.  Just find an object with the desired shape and paint on several coats of the liquid latex and shortly you will have a rubber mold as desired.

Silicone molds are the most expensive of the plastic variety but well worth the price.  They are easy to work with because they are flexible enough to obviate the need for releasing agents but they are rigid enough to hold their shape and they leave no parting lines.

Polyurethane molds are a little less expensive than silicone molds.  They require a release agent due to the fact they are flexible but do not stretch to any appreciable degree that would facilitate demolding.  They also have a strong plastic odor that can be absorbed into the candle which is not a desirable occurrence.

Latex molds have lost favor with candle makers as silicone molds began to become more popular but the material still is good for making custom molds.

Plastic Molds

Plastic molds are the least expensive and best suited for new chandlers.  They are the least durable of the rubber class of molds and are not known for making better quality candles or longevity.  They do make candles and are a good starter mold.

With this information in mind the intrepid candle maker can go forward with confidence in the knowledge of the best types of candle molds for their purpose.

About the Author

Peggy Devereaux is an expert candle maker.  To learn more about what you should know about candle making molds, visit http://www.candlemakeranswers.com

Ceramic Cookie

Ipac Mondo 32 cm Ceramic Cookie Sheet £7.82 …

Cup Cake Ceramic Cookie Jar 22cm £14.75 Each Ceramic Cup Cake has been designed by Ted Smith.Each Cup Cake Cookie Jar is made from ceramic and has been hand-painted in confectionery colours, the cup cake’s frosting forms the lid, which fits neatly on the base.Each Ceramic Cup Cake is priced and sold separately and comes individually presented in a decorative gift box.When low in stock not all designs may be available….

Tala 700g Ceramic Baking Beans £1.97 These ceramic Baking Beans are ideal for blind-baking pastry cases. Made from small balls of clay, they can be used to prevent the base of the pastry case from rising whilst it is being baked. Once cooked, the beans can be removed and the filling can be added to the chilled case.•Baking Beans by Tala•Made from small balls of clay, they help to prevent the base of the case from rising d…

Aquapanel Ceramic coated screws Ceramic coated screws for fixing Aquapanel tile backer boards to timber studs For use with Aquapanel tile backerWill not corrode…

ZENTROM – Quantum Technology – Silicone Sports Wristband – Ionic – Hologram Bracelet – for Balance & Performance – in White color – Size Large – Perform at Your Best! – GREAT GIFT IDEA !!! …

ZENTROM – Quantum Technology – Silicone Sports Wristband – Ionic – Hologram Bracelet – for Balance & Performance – in Blue color – Size Large – Perform at Your Best! – GREAT GIFT IDEA !!! …

ZENTROM – Quantum Technology – Silicone Sports Wristband – Ionic – Hologram Bracelet – for Balance & Performance – in Blue color – Size Medium – Perform at Your Best! – GREAT GIFT IDEA !!! …

Samsung S5260 Tocco Icon Sim Free Smartphone £64.99 Samsung S5260. Display: 240 x 400 pixels; 0.262144 M; TFT; 7.62 cm (3.0 “). Memory: microSD; 30 MB; 16 GB. Camera: 3.2 MP; 2048 x 1536 pixels; 2 x. Connectivity: 3.5 mm; micro. Networking: 900;1800;850;1900 MHz. Messaging: POP3 / IMAP4 / SMTP. Video: 320 x 240 pixels; H.263 / MPEG4 / H.264. Audio: MP3. Colour: Black. Weight & dimensions: 94 g; 54 mm; 12.4 mm; 108 mm. Energy management: 1000 mAh; L…

Doctor Who Dalek Cookie Jar Limited Edition Ceramic Gold …

Looney Tunes Tweety Hug Ceramic Cookie Jar …

Cupcake Cookie Jar

Cupcake Cookie Jar is one of the iconic cookie jars. Cupcake cookie jar increases the colour and beauty of your kitchen and attraction to it. Cupcake cookie jar just not provide a container and storage to your cake but also gives lovely colours too. It is ideal container for cookies. You can put other items in cookie jar like candies, sweets, nuts, dried fruits, biscuit, sweets and mint. There are allotting more options in Cupcake cookie jars.
Shapes and Designs of Cupcake Cookie Jar

Cupcake cookie jar is made of different materials like ceramic and glass. They are available in different colours of designs and shapes. In different countries and in different time the shapes and designs of Cupcake cookie jar changed dynamically. The range of variety enhances the possibilities. Different brands and designs with multiple manufacturers are also available. It provides a way to keep fresh your cake and other baked goods. Cupcake cookie jar with festive protection gives you air light silicone seal
Colourful Designs of Cupcake Cookie Jar

Different and multiple options are available to choose Cupcake cookie jar. Cupcake cookie jar of red and pink colours are mostly very attractive for the customers. They are nice option for decoration. And add a beauty while placing in shelf and kitchen counter. Cupcake cookie jar is one favourite of children and they love to take it and put their cookies in it. The yummy colours of black and white, red and pink Cupcake cookie jar are provided in beautiful shapes. Mini cupcake cookie jar with strawberry on the top of is one of the examples. The unique hand painted designs are also very popular and in demand. Cupcake cookie jar with available lively colours are very attractive for families. These containers are available with different bearing capacities.
How to buy Cupcake Cookie Jar?

Cupcake cookie jar is one of the most popular and well known accessories to save and store different items of your kitchen. The combinations of red, white and pink are available in multiple. Online store with shipping and home delivery option provide full and detail description about their products. The prices are very suitable and under your financial bearings. They give you information about kitchen interiors and their height, colour and shapes with their affordable prices. You can choose any character for your kitchen countertop. Cupcake cookie jar is mount watering decorated jar in different sizes

About the Author

Interested in learning more? Read more detailed writings about Cupcake Cookie Jar right now. Visit our site for lots of great Mccoy Cookie Jars Information.

Cookie Cutters

Wilton Princess 3-Piece Cookie Cutter Theme Set £6.95 Princess Cookie Cutter Set (set of 3)…

Tescoma Delícia Heart-Shaped 6-Piece Cookie Cutters £3.80 …

Swift Set of 4 Gingerbread Family Cookie Cutters £1.99 This Gingerbread Family Set of cookie cutters is a great way to make a variety of differently shaped cookies, biscuits and gingerbread. Made from steel, each cutter is finished to a high standard, and features a sharp ‘cutting edge’. Suitable for cutting sandwiches and toast too, this item is part of an extensive range of both sets and individual cookie cutters.· Gingerbread Family Set of cookie …

Babyboom Town £12.38 …

Show Nuff [7 VINYL] £4.99 …

Ham for the Holidays £8.48 …

Kitchen Craft Lattice Pastry Roller £2.41 KCLATTROLL Features: -Lattice pastry roller.-White colour….

Circle cookie cutter blades x 6 £8.00 Circle cookie cutter blades x 6…

Kitchen Craft Jelly Mould, Pig, 1 Pint / 600ml £1.80 This Pig Shaped Jelly Mould is popular both with adults and children alike. Made from plastic, it features a handy hanging loop and intricate detailing on the inside. Ideal for setting colourful fruit jellies, this quirky jelly mould is a must have piece of kitchen equipment.•Pig Shaped Jelly Mould by Kitchen Craft•Ideal for setting fruit jellies, mousses and other desserts•Made f…

Ace Of Cakes ~ Season 7-10 (7DVDS) + MINATURE COOKIE CUTTER SET £54.95 Description If you can dream it, Duff Goldman and his team of artists and bakers at Baltimore’s Charm City Cakes can make it into a cake. As Duff says, “This is not your mom’s cake shop.” Duff’s rock n’ roll spirit and endless creativity makes him one of most wildly inventive culinary artisans you’ll ever meet. Now, for the first time, seasons 7-10 of his show Ace of Cakes are available in a 8DV…

Different Uses of Metal Cookie Cutters

A metal cookie cutter is a baking tool that you can use to form cookies of various shapes and sizes. They are wonderful to have around when baking with kids. Cookie cutters can be used for other things as well.

First off, a cookie cutter can be a beautiful gift to give for baking enthusiasts. All you need is a little creativity. You can put an interesting set of cookie cutters inside a gift basket and fill it with other kinds of baking equipment. Aside from that, this kind of gift basket can also be a wonderful housewarming present to give to family and friends.

Cookie cutters can also be used as kitchen decor and accents. There are plenty of beautifully crafted metal cookie cutters available in the market today and even if they are not utilized in baking very often, you can use them to decorate your kitchen space. You can suspend a metal cookie cutter at one side of your kitchen using twines or wires or even mount them on your wall for a very charming, rustic, and homey look.

Metal cookie cutters can also make charming and creative gift tags. You can tie them with twine and attach them on to your gift. They are very versatile and can be used for practically any kind of occasion – from Christmas gifts to birthday presents. However, they may look extremely bulky when used on smaller presents, so consider the size of your gift first before using them as creative gift tags.

For those who love giving out cookies as gifts, a charming and creative idea is to give them the same metal cookie cutter you used to form each cookie. Wrap up each cookie with foil, tie them up with a ribbon and attach each individual cookie cutter on to the cookies. This way, they can use the cutters if they want to bake their own batch in the future.

Cookie cutters can also make charming Christmas decor. You can create a wreath full of edible goodies – from candy canes, popcorn, or miniature cookies and put in some cookie cutters for added affect.

A metal cookie cutter can be used to form other kinds of goodies as well. You can make fudge and Rice Krispies using the cutters, but allow them to harden first and then cut out fun shapes with different cookie cutters.  This will make a unique treat that you can serve family and guests.

If you have kids in the house, a cookie cutter can also be a wonderful tool to use during play time. You can turn them into interesting rattles or even use them to form various shapes with children’s clay. When you head out to the beach, you can also bring along your metal cookie cutter and use them to form different shapes on the sand. This is an ingenious tool that you can use to help stimulate your kid’s creativity and love for art.

Cookie cutters can be used for a whole lot of things and not just for baking. So let your imagination take the reign and have fun using cookie cutters today.

About the Author

CookieCutters4Less.com is a company committed to providing excellent metal cookie cutter at competitive prices. 

Cookie Jars

Lock & Lock Tall Square cookie Jar 4ltr £6.38 The Lock N Lock HPL822R 4ltr square ‘cookie jar’ containers lock tightly to keep refrigerator odor out and keep food fresh. Ideal for storing various sauces, leftovers, canned goods, fruits, and vegetables. Refrigerator, freezer and microwave safe. The airtight containers are suitable for a range of other purposes as well and are great for picnics and lunches. Lock & Lock are the No1 Globally reco…

Black And White Stripy Cat Biscuit Barrel/Cookie Jar £8.60 This white cat cookie jar is sure to put a smile on anyones face with its stylish design. Made from ceramic with a glossed finish it is part of a range of cat kitchenwares. See pictures for other items and true colour. Check Homestreet listings for more great product and gift ideas. Please note, due to the nature of this product there may be the odd spot on the glazing or brush mark. This is due t…

large clear plastic cookie jar – 1pk. £5.55 1 x clear plastic cookie jar with black plastic lid. 20cm tall, circumference 58cm approx. Ideal for all your sweet storage on your office desk, and great for presents when full….

Baylis & Harding Gotcha Girls Cookie Jar Set £7.00 …

Mr Men Little Miss Cookie Jar Set £8.00 …

Little Miss Princess Cookie Jar Bath Set £8.00 …

Animal Monster Cookie Jar (Kelly Green) £24.99 The coolest cookie jar around town. Keep your cookies surfed up in this camper van cookie jar!…

Rocket Dog Cookie Jar Trim Wedge …

Party Decoration Necktie with pest, mouse, jar, eating, cookie £5.99 …

VARIOUS ARTISTS / RAVE 92 £18.90 24 RAVE BIG ONES…

Fitz And Floyd Cookie Jar

Fitz and Floyd cookie jar are is the nearly all gorgeous and bright cookie jar available in online and offline shops. These jars are particularly constructs for insertion of your most wanted cookies within it. These Fitz and Floyd cookie jars are mainly admired and wanted cookie jars, each person care for to have this sort of cookie jar. These Fitz and Floyd cookie jars are come in verities and designs. Each and every design has inimitable construction thought about the Fitz and Floyd cookie jar, whenever you want to bye it consider all the features including their size, quality, color, themes and cost.
Types of Fitz and Floyd cookie jar available in market:

You have not need to spend many dollars when you are purchasing Fitz and Floyd cookie jar as there are available in suitable amount of money and having brilliant features which brings happiness and smile to every individual at your home and visitors. There is an account of Fitz and Floyd cookie jars accessible in market, these verities are: fitz floyd happy holiday presents mug cup latte gourmet, fitz floyd avignon salad plate laurel rim yel red, fitz floyd sea shell ironstone dishes, fitz floyd ceramic marching wooden soldier plate
Fitz and Floyd cookie jar is most suitable for kids:

Fitz and Floyd cookie jar is specially designed according to the kid’s interest. Fitz and Floyd cookie jar are manufactured on the bases of some exciting characters which are loved by kids as well as the younger and old peoples. These jar come in the shape of cars, dolls, animals, jokers, gift boxes, wall clocks, cups, mugs, old man, and many cartoon characters. The most popular web sites in which you can choose your Fitz and Floyd cookie jar are: American cookie association is one of the popular sources to get your favorite jar. The cookie jar collector and Ciriag’s cookie jar collector is another example of these type of sources. These all are web sites related to the Disney Cookie Jars or simple cookie jars, allowing you to purchase the cookie jars and Disney Cookie Jars.
Some exciting features of Fitz and Floyd cookie jar:

Many of the Fitz and Floyd cookie jar are so convenient in use, but some of these jars have special verities having small and attractive handles are used to hold your Fitz and Floyd cookie jar. Many of the design of these jars are so smooth and silky which helps you to bring it with your trips and enjoy your favorite cookies in your trip. Fitz and Floyd cookie jar are most popular and stylish jars available
Fitz And Floyd Cookie Jar

About the Author

Interested in learning more? Read more detailed writings about Fitz And Floyd Cookie Jar right now. Visit our site for lots of great Gingerbread Cookie Jar Information.

Blue Cookie

Unique Wedding Favours Company Wedding Fortune Cookies with Traditional Fortunes Wedding Favours – Box of 100 – blue wrapper £36.00 Wedding fortune cookies with a selection of traditional fortune messages inside.each individually foil wrapped…

Cookie Monster – Well That Just Takes The Biscuit – Blue Ceramic Mug £11.99 Great Gift…

500m ROYAL BLUE Curling/Balloon/Gift Ribbon £1.29 Ribbon Large Royal Blue Roll…

The Burbs (Uncut) [DVD] £2.15 Ray Peterson (Tom Hanks) would like nothing better than to spend a quiet week’s vacation in his suburban home, drinking beer and watching TV. But, spurred on by his two friends’ spinning of boyish paranoid fantasies about their reclusive neighbours, the Klopeks, the usually down-to-earth Ray begins to suspect his idyllic neighbourhood has been invaded by an evil force, to the point where he and hi…

i.Sound Cookie Monster TPU Jelly Case for iPad – Blue £35.50 The Cookie Monster Case protects your iPad from nicks, scratches, and short falls….

Blue High Speed Micro SD/SDHC Memory Card Reader for LG KM750 Cookie £0.99 This memory card reader provides a convenient and safe way of transferring data, pictures, videos and music files between your memory card and PC or MAC….

FLASH SUPERSTORE BLUE IN EAR STEREO HANDFREE HEADSET WITH MICROPHONE SUITABLE FOR LG KM750 COOKIE MUSIC £3.99 The earphones are Lightweight and have a Metal bullet head for durable use. The cord is apprx 1.2m in length. There is a Microphone remote which can be switched on to receive and make calls….

Blue Pearlised Sugar Balls(100g) £0.95 Blue Pearlised Sugared Balls – with Almond Centre, Size: Approx 4mm, ideal for cake & cupcake decorating, Quantity: 100g of sugar balls with almond centre, BEST BEFORE : 05/2012, Allergy Advice: Contains Almonds (40%), Wheat Flour, May contain traces of nuts and milk…

Fine Sparkling Sugar/ Blue (100g) £2.20 Edible Coloured Sugar Decoration – Blue Quantity: 100g Best Before: 04/2013…

50gr Blue Jimmies / Sugar Strand Sprinkles £2.25 …

What Constitutes Misleading Similarity When Packaging Competing Products? The Court Rules On Sandwich Cookies

Adv. Gill Nadel, Keydar Hallaly 

Recently, the court dismissed a petition filed by the manufacturer and marketer of Oreo cookies to forbid an importer marketing Go Go’s brand cookies from marketing them, as they were  misleadingly  similar to Oreo cookies and therefore deceiving to the public. The court dismissed this on the grounds that there was no misleading similarity between the packaging and therefore no risk of deception.

The claims of the parties:

The claims of the foreign manufacturer:

The manufacturer claimed that the importer designed the Go Go’s sandwich cookies’ packaging in such a way that intend to mislead consumers into thinking that the product was related to Oreo cookies as an additional product from the manufacturer’s line of products, or as  an associated product to this line. Thus, he claimed, the importer attempted to take advantage of his  products’ well known reputation and pass them off as his own while violating  a well-recognized trademark.

The manufacturer claimed that the Oreo sandwich cookies which it manufactures are packed in a special package with a unique print that make it stand out from other sandwich cookies on the market. Further more, the manufacturer claimed that the Go Go cookies’ packages look  almost exactly the same as the  Oreo cookies’ famous package. According to the manufactor’s claim, the  similarity was partially owed to  the  combination of colors used on the package and the picture of the black sandwich cookies with  splashes of milk in the background.

The manufacturer further claimed that in a consumer survey conducted among around 500 participants between the ages of 12-70 (whom, to his words, served as a representative national sample), over 36% of the respondents believed  the Go Go cookies were  associated with the Oreo cookies, and that this proves the risk of deception.

In light of this, the manufacturer requested that the court oblige the importer in damages of one million shekels, order that the imported products be destroyed, and forbid the continuation of their marketing. The action was also filed against Diplomat, the product distributor.

The importer’s claim:

In opposition, it was claimed by the importer that there is no misleading similarity between the manufacturer’s packaging design and that of his imported goods, since the size of the package was different and also unlike the manufacturer’s claim, the color of the package was completely different. The importer further claimed that there is nothing unique in the  manufacturer’s packaging design since both in Israel and around the world, other brands of cookies are sold in rectangular packages including- , an illustration of the cookies, the use of the color blue, the picture of the splashing milk, etc. The importer also claimed that ever since it began marketing the Go Go cookies, not a single complaint was received by a consumer on the count of  purchasing  this brand by mistake instead of the  manufacturer’s cookies. Regarding the action against Diplomat, the importer? claimed that it was merely a distribution company and thus it had nothing to do with this case and any how there was no cause  action against it.

The Decision:

The court rejected the manufacturer’s claimed and ruled that there was no misleading similarity between the appearance of the packages and  based  this, inter alia,   on the fact that the dominant color of the manufacturer’s packaging design  was blue, where as the  importer’s was purple. Additionally, it was ruled that the dominant component used in the manufacturer’s advertisements and commercials was the symbol “OREO” and even on the Oreo cookies’ packages, the symbol OREO was a prominent feature. Therefore, it was ruled that the weight of the decision should be given to the fact that there was no similarity between the symbol “OREO” and the symbol “GO-GO’S” which stands out on the importer’s Go-Go’s cookies. Additionally, the court attributed importance to the fact that the importer’s package was significantly bigger than that of the manufacturer.

The court accepted the importer’s claims and ruled that since an illustration or picture of similar sandwich cookies appears on a variety of packages of similar products, it cannot be ruled that having such an illustration on the importer’s package creates a risk of deception. Regarding the consumer survey conducted by the manufacturer, the court ruled that the results of the survey indicate of the reputation that the Oreo brand has among the relevant consumers, but does not indicate of “a real potential risk of deception from (competing) products”.

In light of this, the court ruled that  there was no misleading similarity between the packages of the importer and the packages of the manufacturer, and that there is no risk that the relevant consumer population will be misled into thinking that the importer’s cookies are those of the manufacturers’ or associated to them.

Therefore, the court dismissed the action and obliged the manufacturer in legal expenses plus attorneys’ fees of 40,000 NIS, towards the importer and the distribution company jointly.

(CA (District Tel Aviv) 20277-09-10 Kraft Foods Global Brands LLC v. Y. Marbeh Israel Ltd et al, Judge Yehuda Zeft, issued 27.12.10. Advocates: Kraft was represented by Adv. L. Watstein, S. Israel, and K. Ben-Shachar. Y. Marbeh was represented by Adv. A. Shaulski. Diplomat was represented by Adv. H. Cohen-Haramati.)

About the Author

Gill Nadel – Born in Israel in 1969, graduated from Bar Ilan University`s Faculty of Law (cum laude) and from the Department of Musicology. He also has a master`s degree in law from the same institution. Member of the Israel Bar since 1999. Speaks Hebrew, English and Polish. Fields of expertise: Commercial and Business Law, International Trade Law, Import and Export Law, Intellectual Property Law, Maritime and International Forwarding Law, Litigation and Court Representation. Adv. Nadel provides lectures on international trade law and import and export law to in courses organized by the Bar Ilan University Center for Commercial Law, Israel Bar, Israel Chambers of Commerce, Manufacturers Association of Israel, Israel Export Institute, Customs Brokers Association, International Forwarders, and more.

Cookie Stamp

Suck UK Cookie Stamp £6.71 …

Letter Pressed Cookie Stamps £14.90 Let us spell it out for you… LetterPressed will help you bake cookies that really make a statement! These cookie cutters are double sided – ?rst punch out the shapes, then ?ip them over and stamp the letters. The classic “printing press” styles look great plain or iced, so start creating headlines whenever you bake! This deluxe set includes all 26 letters plus an ampersand and exclamat…

PT With Love Porcelain Cookie Stamp, White £7.95 ‘With Love’ Cookie stamp. Perfect for Valentines Day, making Grandma happy or any other time you want to make someone feel warm and fuzzy inside!…

SUCK UK Homemade cookie stamp SKCOOKIE1 £8.50 In an age where we buy everything from hot chickens to frozen yoghurt at the supermarket, it can be refreshing to explore the home baking aisle and make your own cookies. Take a stand against profit-driven global expansion; Bake your own biscuits…mark them with our Home Made Cookie Stamper… Shout “Power To The People!”. Height 8 cm, width 8 cm….

LG GS290 , U-bop gSHELL Case , Smoke Black £6.33 The gSHELL from U-bop is a super tough protective case which has been specifically designed to follow the contours of your device. Cutouts have been incorporated into the case to allow easy access to ports, controls and camera lenses which remain accessible and functional. The gSHELL case is formed of one piece which clips over the rear, sides and outer body of your device to offer the maximum pro…

…

Daisy Centre Stamps £5.81 A set of 6 daisy centre stamps manufactured by JEM products. Sizes are-5, 8, 11, 14, 17 and 22mm….

cute cupcake chocolate cookie stamp set 3 pieces £6.37 stamp set with 3 sweets from Japan…

Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamp Set-Cookie Memories £8.16 Stampendous Cling Rubber Stamp Set-Cookie Memories…

Friendly Plastic 101: Rubber Stamps, Cookie Cutters, Beads, Blending Dichric, Scrap Art & More! £6.69 …

Understand How Malware Spreads So You Can Stamp It Out

While people are increasingly dependent on their computing devices, many of us do not understand the basics of how malware spreads, which leads to misunderstanding about how anti virus software and other protection methods are to be effectively used.

The following guide will give you a clear explanation of how malware infection works and how to keep your computer protected against it.

The Ways That Malware Gets Into Your Computer

Malicious software comes in many forms – from viruses, worms and Trojans to spyware, it has the potential to cause serious harm to your computer and even to put your personal information in the hands of cyber criminals. What’s more, your actions often play a large part in how malware gains entry to your computing devices.

These are the main ways it infiltrates:

E-Mail

Most of us have by now been warned about opening unsolicited emails, since by clicking on them you could be opening the door to malicious code. The tricky issue is that cyber criminals are getting increasingly clever at stealing personal details and sending emails that appear to come from known sources. Be aware that clicking on any attachment can unleash malware. For this reason, it’s important to have your anti virus software scan all attachments before opening them.

Websites

Many websites have javascript or other scripting languages that enable the web pages to work correctly. Some types of malware are designed to run a script of computer code when you visit a web page, thus gaining access to your system.

Secondly, be aware of what a website or web page is displaying – one of the most suspicious indicators of malware is when a pop-up appears asking you to download a file before you can continue.

Downloads and Installations

An obvious way to get a malware infection is to agree to download a file, so always make sure your download comes from a reliable source.

In addition, beware of installing free programs or shareware, as these offer another easy way for malware to gain access to your computer. Many of these types of programs are called “ad-supported” software – this not a good as it means the software has to display ads in order to work correctly, and it constantly tracks and sends data without your knowledge.

All in all, the most prevalent way that malicious code gets installed onto computers is by being bundled within legitimate software. When this legitimate software is downloaded, the malware attaches itself to the ‘good’ files. Another prevalent way that malware unsuspectingly gains access is through false cookie and cache files that your Internet browser automatically downloads.

External Devices

Infected external devices such as USB flash drives are also an easy way to infect a computer with malware. The malicious code usually gets installed though a corrupted autorun.inf file, which is used to automatically start software located on the drive.

How Malware Gains Hold

Once malware is downloaded onto your computer, it usually stays dormant until something triggers the malicious code to activate. The trigger can be as innocent an action as running a specific program or opening an Internet browser. Once triggered, the malware generally installs itself inside your computer’s invisible system files. Even if it was originally downloaded to a temporary cache folder, once it installs to these system folders, it will be extremely difficult to remove. For this reason, you want your security software to robustly block malware from entering your system in the first place.

Top Tips for Malware Prevention

• Make sure you have a reliable anti virus software product installed and consistently download the latest updates and virus definitions to keep it fully up to date. When removing the contents of quarantine folders, make sure you delete them fully by emptying your Recycle Bin.
• Ensure your firewall is constantly in operation and set to the security levels that are suitable to your browsing activity.
• Run a full system scan with your anti virus software if you suspect a malware infection. Although this could take a few hours, it’s best not to continue using your PC while the scan is running as this can cause interference. Also uninstall any software identified as definite threats.
• Clear out temporary files when running a virus scan as this will save time.

The last resort if you suspect your computer is infected even after you’ve run a deep scan with your anti virus software is to do a complete reinstall of your operating system.

About the Author

About the Author: Peter McKiel is an independent IT Consultant for anti virus software

Lion Cookie

Jungle Animals Cookie Cutter Set – Wilton (elephant, lion & monkey) £6.99 Jungle Animals Cookie Cutter Set. By Wilton Each measure approx 7 x 8cm….

Jungle Animal Safari Cookie Cutters Set with Lion, Giraffe, Crocodile and Baby Elephant £1.99 …

Lion Plush Keychain with I Love Cookie £5.59 Size: 3 1/2″ (9 cm) Made of plush. Weight: 0.8 oz (23 g)…

German Nestle Lion King Size – 24 x 65 g £16.02 Nestle Lion, King Size…

Artisan Biscuits Two by Two Strawberry Lion and Mouse Biscuits 100 g (Pack of 12) £26.85 …

Lion plush toy (Fetzy) with I Love Cookie t-shirt £9.24 27 cm (10.6 inches) tall plush stuffed lion (Fetzy) toy.BUYER’S INFORMATIONNot suitable for Children under 3!This item does not contain toxic material.Cleaning: use warm water.Country of origin: China…

Lion plush toy (Fetzy) with I Love Biscuit t-shirt £9.24 27 cm (10.6 inches) tall plush stuffed lion (Fetzy) toy.BUYER’S INFORMATIONNot suitable for Children under 3!This item does not contain toxic material.Cleaning: use warm water.Country of origin: China…

20 To Make: Sugar Animals (Twenty to Make) £2.01 Sugarcraft expert Frances McNaughton has designed twenty wonderful sugar animals that you will want to make using simple techniques and readily available ingredients. Frances McNaughton shows how to make cute and funny sugar animals for cake decorating using sugarpaste and a few simple tools and techniques. First we learn about the simple shapes that are the basis for all the animals, and the few …

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie (Picture Lions) £4.99 …

Dwelling Place Kids Baby Cheeks and the Concrete Cookies Video …

Dear David, A Series of Letters to A Longtime Friend May 2008

Hersonissos

Crete

May 2008

 Dear David,

 Yes I know, you didn’t get anything about the video clip of the fireworks, well I was getting a bit ahead of myself and of course Easter being so late, we hadn’t actually had it when I sent your letter! This month as I managed to get a few photographs I’ve put a link on the page so that you can watch them, even if it is a month late. Taking pictures of fireworks is always difficult as just when you think you have the best and stop filming, the next bit is even more spectacular!

 Over the last month there have been a couple of trips to ‘the City’ (as we call it) to help someone else spend their money, which is always the best way of going shopping. Ostensibly the trips were to buy furniture, but naturally we had to go for a coffee or two and so there was a chance to take a few new pictures, particularly around Lion Square.

 Now I like Heraklion, it is a compact city and has many fine buildings in various states of repair and restoration, and it is still possible to walk around the virtually intact city walls, passing over the various gates and, of course, visiting the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis on the way round. Most visitors go there just to visit the Archaeological Museum, missing out the interesting Museum of Crete on the coast road, and the fine churches of St. Minas and St Titos, and a good chance to sit and people watch from a street cafe!

 Platia Eleftheria, or Freedom Square, always seems to be a focal point for tourists, possible because it is near the museum, and there are number of large cafes down one side, personally I avoid them because unless you manage to get in the front row you can’t see anyone passing by, so I head for the network of small pedestrian streets between the museum and Lion Square where there a large number of cafes in varying styles and also some very nice ‘boutique’ shops, along with a couple of ‘naff’ souvenir shops. Even better around this area you will not get ‘komakied’ into a place against your will and the prices are often a slightly better, for instance on a recent visit a frappe, a Greek coffee and a beer served with a bowl of mixed nuts, some crisps and some very nice chocky cookies came out at €6 and that included the essential glass of iced water with the coffees. And what can be more fun than sitting on the street watching the people passing by and wondering where they are all going! While you are around this area a wander around the shops can be quite intriguing as there are still a number of ‘specialist’ shops, for example there are shops that only sell ladies tights and men’s socks, or how about a shop that only sells rope, string, and chains? There are also a couple of good haberdashers where you can buy zips by the centimetre and every conceivable type of button you could ever want.

 If you choose a cafe behind St. Minas church on the edge of the square, you can often get to watch an impromptu 5-a-side football match, and if you are going to have a look at St. Titos church then in one corner of the ‘front yard’ you will find ‘Pagopeiion’ which serves some excellent ‘Mediterranean’ salads and other dishes, they also have regular jazz sessions here late at night. A wander around the small back streets yields some interesting erections, and I am always surprised by the lack of noise considering that one is in the middle of a vibrant living city not yet ruined by over-pedestrianisation!

 A walk around Lion Square is essential and note the plate glass paving slabs, a result of discoveries made during the recent renovations. Thankfully they have taken away the awful wrought iron railings around the fountain, of course, in the UK they would be putting these in to stop anyone falling into it!

 From the square down to the Port is 25th August Street where you will find all the shipping line offices and travel agents, ideal for booking your day trip to Santorini or ferries and flights to lots of other destinations. There is also a fine example of Greek pedestrianisation schemes, as 25th August Street is closed to traffic along its length, but halfway down there is a street which crosses it which carries traffic, often resulting in traffic/pedestrian jams, this is also a favourite street for union demonstrations when they are on strike (or about to be, as they plan these things in advance here).

 Now it is May, tourists are beginning to arrive ‘in bulk’, and at last everywhere seems to be open so as I promised I will try to explain the difference between kafenions, ouzeries, meze houses, and restaurants although the lines can be a bit blurred at times.

 As the names suggest kafenions and ouzeries are where you get served coffee and ouzo, they are often only small places with fluorescent lighting and formica tables where you will find older Greeks, usually men, reading the paper and playing cards or backgammon, or just righting the wrongs of the world. Usually the best Greek coffee is served in these places as they make it properly using a real ‘Briki’, a small brass ‘saucepan’ with a tin plate lining, over a low heat, and do not let it actually boil which is a complete no-no, so that it comes out with a nice froth on the top. Around here they say the thicker the froth the more luck you will have! Many of the modern cafes do not use the ‘Camping Gaz’ stove, but the milk boiler/frother on the espresso machine, which is fine as long they don’t ‘overcook’ it, which they usually do! One of the best places around here for Greek coffee is a shop called ‘Art of Tea’ in Koutouloufari, where they have one of the proper ‘hot sand’ hotplates that brews the coffee gently and slowly. As it happens they also have a wide range of herbal teas and culinary herbs for sale as well as those tall brass pepper mills and other brass items for sale.

 In most of these places you will also often get a small plate of nibbles ranging from a few bits of tomato or cucumber through to pieces of feta cheese and olives, these will be refilled regularly if you stay a while, you can also get some ‘interesting’ wines and raki in these places!

 A meze house is where you get mezes! This is the traditional Greek eating out method where you order a number of small plates and share them between you. I mentioned one of these ‘Ta Filarakia’ in the March letter. The surroundings are quite often intimate, in as much that on busy nights someone on the next table will have their plate on the corner of yours, due to lack of space on their own table (a good sign that they have over-ordered), the tables will be wood or formica, and if there are tables cloths there will be a paper or plastic one over the top so you don’t muck it up. The napkins will be paper (and please do not call them serviettes, those are what ladies use once a month). The menu will usually be a pad where you mark of the number of each dish you want and it’s often in Greek only! The wine will come in anodised aluminium jugs, rather like those water jugs we used to get in the ‘dinner room’ at school, or an earthenware jug, and it may be slightly cloudy. You will also find things like cuttlefish cooked in its own ink and ‘volvi’ on the menu, and the raki should be free at the end and served with whatever fruit is in season.

 Meze houses are one of the cheapest places to eat, but sorry to say that many tourists find them a little daunting even though there will usually be someone to help them with the menu, and so miss out on a great deal of Greek food! Experiment is the word that needs to be used.

 A restaurant or estiatorio is up market, until I get there when it becomes a meze house with linen table cloths. No only joking really, but perhaps not. Restaurants have a proper menu, usually printed (although by law the prices must be changeable so they are usually written in by hand on a shiny bit so they can be changed, or in pencil), and are just that little bit smarter.  One problem you can get with places like this is too much food, as you begin by ordering a variety of mezes as starters but then when you order the meat it comes out plated with side salad, rice, potatoes and so on when all you wanted was 4 lamb chops to share between you! If you know that they serve up the meat as a ‘main course’ then order just a Greek salad as a starter. One slightly annoying thing that can happen here also is the appearance of a basket of bread which you haven’t asked for but which you get charged extra for, this is a bit like a ‘hidden’ cover charge. I don’t know for certain but I have been told that ‘cover charges’ are actually illegal here.

 With the season getting under way, we have the usual number of visitors who are coming to look for houses or businesses to buy. I always find this quite amusing as most of them seem to have done little research and many have never run a business before, I am thinking that maybe I should add some more articles to my blog with some helpful suggestions. What do you think?

 The new Easyjet flights (well not new really as they used to be GB Airways) are proving popular with independent travellers, although some visitors have complained that they are paying a fortune in excess baggage charges, but on the other hand they are arriving with only a ‘purse’ as hand luggage when they could have had a bag weighing 5+ kg on board with them, I gently try to explain this but I am sure that many of them completely miss the point! And of course Aegean Airlines are now running daily scheduled flights from Heathrow Airport to Athens with connecting flights to Crete, which at least saves collecting your bags at Athens as they can be checked straight through!

 As baggage allowances are gradually being reduced on all airlines it is worth considering a rethink on what you actually pack in the suitcase too! For instance I have seen visitors unpack around 3 litres of liquid (which equates to around 3kg weight) from their suitcases, made up of shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, skin creams, sun tan oils, etc. I sometimes think that we don’t have such things here and that we all walk around smelling awful! I don’t really think their hair is going to fall out, or their skin suddenly age by ten years in a week just because they haven’t brought their favourite shampoo or moisturiser! Too much sun while they are here will do that for them.

 What would they have done when soap was pink ‘Lifebuoy’ carbolic or ‘Wrights’ coal tar? But of course when that was all we had then we didn’t have allergies, and even better we were really clean and bacteria free!

 I didn’t see the article you mention about prices throughout Europe and Greece being the most expensive, I did hear about it though. As with all price comparisons you have to compare like for like and quite often this is impossible especially with food products. With an average per capita income of €800 per month in Greece it can’t be that expensive or we wouldn’t be able to afford to eat! I don’t know whether it would have a positive or negative effect if I was to do a price survey on basic items and put it on the website but I will stick my neck out and do a restaurant survey for you and put the results on the website, this only seems reasonable as most visitors end up eating out even if they do start off ‘self catering’!

 That’s your lot for this month…….Except for a link to some pictures http://www.villaralfa.com/easter.html

Yours as ever,

About the Author

Born in England (in spite of the name!), in the last half of the last century when Sussex was Miss Marple country and you could leave yours door unlocked for days, the author is unashamedly gay and everyone seems to know in spite of the fact that he never ‘came out’He moved to Crete in February 2004 and opened Villa Ralfa as Crete’s first gay accommodation and lodgings in June 2004. You can find his web site at www.villaralfa.com