(NC)—The old saying goes "easy as pie", so why are so many of us reluctant to try baking our own? Most of us just don't have the time to spend hours shopping for ingredients, making the pastry from scratch and preparing the filling, especially during the holidays.

Some recognized brand names are making it easy. You can now get, for example, two lines of frozen, unbaked pies – Oven Fresh and the Signature Selections by Sara Lee – that are ready to pop into the oven. Here are some additional hints from Sara Lee for baking all kinds of pies:

• If you make pumpkin pie, watch it carefully. When properly baked, the outer edges of the filling will be firmly set and slightly brown. The four- to six-inch centre circle should have a soft se Baking Tips – Easy As Pie Recipe

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Best Recipes: Southwestern Mango Smoothie

by Donna Monday

Looking for a great mango smoothie? Try a Southwestern Mango Smoothie. The mango goes west for this variation of the popular fruit smoothie drink. Mangoes are becoming more common in the U.S. and other western countries and this is the perfect smoothie for all you mango lovers.

This Southwestern Mango Smoothie uses lush tropical fruits. Instead of the mango, you can use either papaya or guava. Add a banana and yum. This is a simple way to get your mango on!

Southwestern Mango Smoothie 1/2 cup banana, sliced 2 cups milk 1/2 cup mango, papaya, or guava 1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Use only one kind of tropical fruit (mango, papaya or guava) above.

Place all ingredients in food processor. Cover Best Recipes: Southwestern Mango Smoothie Recipe

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The Mystery of Decaffeinated Coffee

by Gary Gresham

Caffeine has become America's most popular drug by far. 90% of Americans consume caffeine in one form or another every single day. Most of it comes from drinking coffee.

But if you're a coffee lover who prefers to avoid caffeine, you can still enjoy a cup of coffee that delivers rich flavor with decaffeinated coffee.

It's how the caffeine is extracted from coffee beans that is a mystery for most of us.

These are some of the methods currently used for decaffeinating.

Direct Contact Method

In the direct contact method the beans come directly in contact with decaffeinating agents, such as methylene chloride, after being softened by water or steam. Caffeine is removed by directly soaking the materials in the methylene chloride. The Mystery of Decaffeinated Coffee Recipe

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