Hot Cocoa Mix

This recipe is slightly adapted from Homestead-Acres recipe on Youtube. I have a daughter who loves her hot chocolate but buying pre-made powders all the time was costing me an arm and a leg. I came across this recipe a few weeks back when my daughter was bugging me for hot chocolate but I was out of everything to make some. This is perfect for those of you who love this tasty drink. You can make it with Milk or water it's entirely up to you.

Hot Cocoa Mix
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5 cups Powdered Milk
1 cup Powdered coffee creamer *Try the flavored varieties to spice up your mix*
3 cups Sugar
1 cup Cocoa Powder
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Chili Powder *can be omitted just a personal preference*

Note-If using unsweetened Cocoa Powder you may need to adjust sugar to taste

Mix Ingredients together in a bowl. Transfer to Plastic Container and store in Pantry. I use the cereal containers from wal-mart with the handle and pour spot to store my stuff in which works perfect.

To Serve Mix 3 Tablespoons in Hot Milk or Water and top with Marshmallows. That's It your done. I hope you enjoy.

Coffee, Coffee everywhere and not enough to drink

While sitting here sipping a cup of warm tea I thought why not share some of my favorite ways to make coffee. Coffee is so versatile served warm or hot both result in complete deliciousness. I've been drinking coffee a very long time and have tried many varieties over the years from gourmet to your run of a mill generic brand. While sometimes I have had a few misses I don't think I've ever had one that I'd completely write off from ever trying again. My favorite coffee is Kona. I became addicted when I lived in Hawaii but finding a decent Kona on the mainland isn't easy. Most Konas in the stores are shells of what the actual version is So I usually settle on just buying Folgers. Folgers is great found basically everywhere and can be drank hot or cold. So using Folgers as my base here are a few simple ways to mix up your coffee in the morning.

*Brew a Pot of coffee per instructions. Mix in a heaping spoonful of Sweetened condensed milk and stir til incorporated.

*After brewing let pot cool and transfer liquid to any sort of pitcher you like. Reserve some of the coffee and make ice cubes with them. Let the rest of the liquid cool even further in fridge for around an hour. Once Ice has set pop a few in a glass. Add Coffee to glass filling about 3/4 of the way. Add some coconut milk and a little liquid sugar to taste. Stir together and enjoy. You can also just use regular milk and make normal iced coffee this way to.

*Start off with a hot cup of coffee. Stir in A packet of hot chocolate mix and around a tbsp of milk. Stir til incorporated and top with whip cream dusted with cinnamon.

*Use my simple sugar mix in flavor of choice and add to either hot or cold coffee.

*Make up a cup of coffee as you normally would. Drop in two Andes Mints and stir until melted. Top with whip cream and a few pieces of broken candy cane or shaved andes mints and you have yourself the perfect peppermint treat.

I hope your inspired to try out more ways to drink Coffee.

Nutella and Fresh Strawberries a Perfect combo

I love simple desserts. While I don't eat them often sometimes when the mood strikes I want something I can make eat and be done with. A real no muss no fuss treat. While talking to someone this evening she mentioned she had a jar of nutella which made me remember this little recipe. I make mine with strawberries but she only had Bananas on hand so used them. I've never tried it with Bananas but if her happy chatter was an indication then I bet it tasted fabulous.

Nutella and Fresh Strawberries
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1-2 pieces bread of your choice
Nutella
3 strawberries sliced lengthwise
1 tsp sugar

*Whip cream is optional but does taste fantastic on the hot Dessert

While assembling turn on oven to broil. Spread a semi thick layer of nutella on your bread slices. Top with strawberries overlapping. Sprinkle the strawberries with sugar and place on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler until the sugar starts to caramelize. Keep a close eye on it so it doesn't burn. Remove from oven and serve sprinkled with powder sugar or a dollop of fresh cream. That's it your done. I hope you enjoy this simple dessert.

Apple,Onion and Sage Pork Chops Yes Please

This is actually adapted from a McCormicks spice recipe I bought on a whim last summer. I know, I know spending money on pre-portioned spices is a waste but the recipe looked so good and it never dawned on me to look it up on their website which would of been free. This recipe is super tasty and can be made with chicken or pork. I've used both and they equally tasted good.

Apple,Onion and Sage Pork Chops
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Spices
2 tsp sage
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme

Other Ingredients
1 tbsp Flour
4 Boneless Pork Chops
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 medium red or white onion sliced thinly
2 red apples thinly sliced
1/2 cup apple cider
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp dijonn mustard *you can omit this I like it though*

Mix Flour and all spices and salt in small bowl. Coat pork chops in mixture and set aside. Warm oil in large skillet then cook chops on both sides until browned. Remove and add onion to skillet. Cook until tender. Add apples and cook a few minutes stirring as they do. Stir in cider,sugar and remaining flour to pan and combine until mixed well. Return the pork chops and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce eat to low; cover and simmer 5 minutes more or until desired doneness.

Note: If using chicken cook thoroughly adjust cooking time as necessary.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns

Tonight I was going to make hot dogs with homemade chips but realized I needed rolls. While I bake the majority of my bread hot dog rolls and hamburger buns are usually something I still pick up at the store. I went looking online for a simple recipe and realized the majority of bread recipes had been adapted with just a few extra ingredients to make the buns or rolls. After settling on one for cooking times and shaping I set out to make my own buns. I admit a few came out on the skinny side and one even burned a little but the majority came out just like I'd envisioned a normal bakery looking hot dog bun. I also made up two buns to see how they'd work and they came out just fine. I will definitely be making these up again in the future. No more store bought rolls for me. I have been converted.

Homemade Hot Dog Buns
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1 1/2 cups warm milk *You can use water if you prefer*
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
4 cups flour
1 egg
1/3 cup oil

In a large bowl, combine milk, yeast, salt, sugar, egg, and oil. Let sit 5 minutes while the yeast does it's thing. Add 1 cup flour and start to incorporate adding more flour until it begins to pull from the sides of the bowl. Dust countertop or work surface with flour and begin to knead. You should Knead the dough about 8-10 minutes until the surface becomes smooth and elastic. Add more flour if necessary.

Oil a bowl and place Kneaded dough inside. Turn to coat, then cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Once risen uncover bowl and turn out onto a floured surface and knead a few times more. Take about a handful of dough and roll out into desired shape. You can make buns by rolling into a ball and then pressing down lightly. Hoagies by making a thick cigar type roll or Hot dog buns by rolling out a thinner cigar type roll. The Choice is up to you. Now also is the time you can top your buns with seasonings or sesame seeds if you desire.

Once made place on baking sheets and cover lightly with wrap and let rise for 30 minutes more. Once done bake in pre-heated 350F degree oven for 20-25 minutes. That's it and your done. These can be cooled and frozen or used right away if needed.

Fried Chicken

My local grocery store was having a sale on Chicken this week so of course I stocked up. I bought one package of Chicken drumsticks with the intention of grilling them up but it was to cold and icy outside so that didn't quite work out. It's been ages it seems since I've made fried chicken so I thought why not. Now Fried Chicken isn't the healthiest thing for me to eat I know. Which is why I like to only partially fry it and then bake the remaining time in the oven. I still get a crispy crust and it's certainly less fat then frying the whole way. Anyway here is my take on fried chicken. I hope you enjoy.

Fried Chicken
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2 cups flour divided
Package of Chicken whichever you prefer
1 egg
1/4 water
3 tbs Honey mustard
4 tbs Cajun seasoning divided
2 tbs Paprika divide
Salt and Pepper to taste
Roughly a 1/2 cup of Vegetable oil add as needed

Pre-Heat oven to 350F degrees
Start by rubbing chicken pieces down with Honey Mustard. Wash Hands then Cover and return to fridge while setting up your dipping station. Divide all dry ingredients between two bowls. In a 3rd bowl mix egg and water and whisk til incorporated well.

Warm up your pan with a thin layer of oil. You want it on a medium to medium high heat but no higher or it's likely to burn your chicken. Remove pieces from fridge. Start by dipping in one bowl of flour. Then move to dipping in egg and finally in your other bowl of flour. When oil is warm cook on both sides about 5 mins or until light brown. Once you've done all your pieces transfer to a lightly greased pan or sided baking sheet and bake in oven 45 minutes. Turning once midway through. That's it your done.

*Cooking times will vary if you use boneless pieces. For this recipe I used drumsticks hence the longer cook time. If using boneless thighs or breasts your oven cook time will be about 30 minutes instead depending on thickness.

Depression Era No Butter,Milk or Egg Cake

While searching around online for a muffin recipe for Breakfast I stumbled across a website with old Depression era recipes on it. One in particular jumped out at me because it was a chocolate cake which used no eggs,milk or butter. I switched up a few ingredients but decided to try it. The cake came out super moist, springy and oh so flavorful. Needless to say my unexpected find turned out to be a big hit.

Depression Era No butter,milk or egg chocolate Cake
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3 cups flour
2 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar
6 tbs unsweetened dutch cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 cups Water

Before Beginning Pre-heat oven to 350F Degrees.
In a large bowl stir together all dry ingredients. In another bowl combine all wet ingredients. Pour the Wet Ingredients into the dry and stir together until smooth. Pour Batter into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake in Oven until toothpick inserted comes out clean. This should take about 20-25 minutes. Serve warm.

Simple Syrups

When it gets cold outside nothing makes me happier then drinking a tall glass of hot coffee with peppermint in it. I used to scour store shelves for when the Peppermint syrup came on sale or buy the Peppermint Creamers in the dairy aisle. That was until I figured out just how easy making a simple syrup for my coffee truly was. The basis for this syrup can be made with any flavors you wish and can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container up to 6 months.

Simple Syrup
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1 cup water
1 cup sugar

1 tbsp Flavoring of your choosing
*you can add more for a stronger flavor

Pour sugar and water mixture into a pot and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture translucent. Remove from Heat and let cool. While cooling add your flavoring stir well. Once completely cooled store transfer to container or your choosing and keep in the fridge. That's it your done. Recipe makes roughly 1 1/2 cups.

Side Note: You can add cinnamon sticks, vanilla bean, citrus peel etc.... to infuse flavoring in the cooling mixture just make sure to remove before pouring into bottles.

Sugar Donut Muffins

This is a super simple way to have donuts in the morning without having to even leave the house. Pair it with your favorite coffee and you have a nice morning treat.

Sugar Donut Muffins
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3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 milk *I like buttermilk but use what you want*
1 tbsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Lightly butter or spray a muffin tin and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together your sugar and egg until light in color. In a separate bowl mix together all other dry ingredients. Pour into egg mixture and combine. Add remaining wet ingredients and combine until thoroughly incorporated. Divide batter into muffin cups. Depending on the size of your tins you will be able to make differing amounts but for my size pan I make around 11. Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

When done remove from pan and lightly brush with melted butter and roll in a mixture of cinnamon sugar. That's it your done.

Simple Cinnamon Rolls

This morning we had run out of oatmeal and I was left scratching my head deciding what to make. Nobody wanted muffins and I wasn't in the mood to wait for bagels to bake and rise. My husband suggested Cinnamon rolls. I was hesitant at first since last time I made them they didn't turn out so well. I decided to give another recipe a shot since kids and hubby really wanted them. The base recipe was found online on E-how but I adjusted it for what I had on hand and I think they tasted fantastic.


Cinnamon Rolls
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Dough
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2 cups of white flour
3 teaspoons baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup of oil
2/3 cup buttermilk

Filling
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3 Tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla

Before Beginning Pre-Heat oven to 400F degrees.

Mix all dough dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add oil and start to combine, then add the milk until dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides. Lightly flour your counter or cutting board and roll out dough into a rectangle. Dough should be about 1/4 inch thick.

Sprinkle cinnamon on dough. Melt your butter and add the vanilla to it. Brush on top of cinnamon and sprinkle with your sugars. Roll up your dough starting on one side and roll into a log. Cut into 1 inch slices with a sharp knife. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake at 400f Degrees around 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve warm. You can make a glaze on top with milk and powdered sugar but my family prefers just a little pat of butter on top. Makes around 15-16 rolls.

Bread Crumbs

Since I bake all my own bread sometimes when trying out new recipes things don't go exactly as planned. So what to do with the misses. Why not bake breadcrumbs! I leave the bread on the counter unwrapped for several hours. When it's good and hard I take out my trusty cheese grater and start grating away the loaf. Once it's all grated spread in a thin layer on a cookie sheet. You can season these anyway you want. I use garlic, salt and Italian seasoning on mine. Bake in Pre-Heated oven at 350F Degrees 10 minutes or until browned. Just keep an eye on them and stir around if necessary so they don't burn. These keep a few weeks if stored in an airtight container in a cool dry place.

Sugar Cookies

This afternoon I had promised my kids I'd make cookies. Unfortunately nobody could agree on what they'd like so I settled on a basic sugar cookie. We made up the original recipe and then divided the mixture into 3 bowls. The first stayed normal, 2nd batch sprinkles were added in and the final bowl had 1/2 cup peanut butter added to it. All three versions turned out fantastic. I think the plain mix could of used slightly more vanilla in it but my kids and husband liked em as they were just fine.

Sugar Cookies
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2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*Optional Peanut Butter and Sprinkles

Directions

Preheat oven to 375F degrees. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

This Recipe Makes about 4 Dozen. You can use a tablespoon if you prefer a larger cookie. Recipe will yield roughly 2 1/2 dozens if a Tbsp is used.

Pizza and lemons odd yet so good

I love to dip my pizza in garlic butter but while extremely tasty prob not the healthiest thing to do. One day while talking online with a friend she mentioned how she always dips her pizza in lemon juice. I scoffed and wrinkled my nose. Pizza and Lemon juice to odd. That was until I had no butter in the house. I could have chose ranch dressing or even had it plain but looking through my fridge I noticed a little yellow lemon standing out among the sea of condiments and salad dressing. I took a small bowl out of the cupboard and squirted some juice inside. My husband agreed to try it with me, so in the bowl our pizza slices went. I was so surprised, it tasted fantastic. The sauce and hot cheese with a burst of citrus complimented each other so perfectly. My husband even made me put some in his own dipping bowl. Now whenever we happen to go out for pizza we always ask for lemon packets or slices and though we may get the occasional odd look we don't care. So if your brave and want to try something new I suggest you try this next time you have a slice. You'll surely be glad you did.

Turkey Stew

The little 5lb turkey from two days ago was sitting in my fridge just begging to be made into something else. Not that turkey with sides isn't good I just wanted something different tonight. So I settled on something in the crock pot. The turkey came with a Gravy pouch inside it but I set it aside instead of using it. This stew uses very few ingredients but it came out tasty and the kids asked for seconds so I knew it had to have passed the taste test.

Turkey Stew
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1 pound turkey breast *mine was pre cooked but raw would work fine*
2 lrg potatoes cut in chunks
1 container gravy
2 cups water
half a package of Green Beans

Empty your gravy into the crock pot and add 2 cups water. Pull the cooked turkey into bite size pieces and place in the crock pot. I let the turkey cook in the gravy mixture several hours while I was deciding what else to put in the stew but if using cooked turkey you can certainly skip to adding the potatoes and green beans. Dice your Potatoes and add to pot. Then add half a bag of frozen green beans. Turn crock pot to high and cook for an hour or until potatoes are tender. Serve with rolls and Enjoy.

Buttered Turkey

For Dinner tonight I made a turkey well the Turkey sans Dark meat. Last time at the store turkey breast on the bone was on sale so I picked up two. I went to work thinking how I wanted to cook it. Eventually I settled on making a butter rub. The turkey came out moist and flavor packed. The skin which is always my favorite snack came out crisp and delicious.

Buttered Turkey
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1 5lb Breast of Turkey
3-4 tbsp butter
Garlic powder to taste
1 tbsp Cilantro
1 tsp each salt and pepper

Preheat oven according to directions. Mix together ingredients and rub all over turkey. Your going to have to get your hands in on this no pastry brush. I rubbed the mixture on the skin as well as inside the turkey. Then set the time for 75 minutes and popped in the oven. Once the timer goes off the first time remove and take a spoon or brush and brush with remaining mixture then pop back in the over for 75 minutes or until done.

The turkey came with a gravy packet but I am not lying this meat did not need it at all. I can't wait til tomorrow when I can find a multitude of uses for this delicious meat. Til then Happy Eating.

Party Drinks, Appetizers and a good time

I don't know about you but I hate when I go over someones house and they put out a stale bowl of chips and open a $2 package of dip and call that an appetizer. Sure I don't expect 5star cuisine but a little thought would be nice. Maybe my expectations are to high. I don't entertain often but when I do I like to whip up a diverse group of things. Usually kids are involved and one of my kids favorites is Spinach balls served hot with ketchup as dip. Another big hit is a sweet cheese ball and crackers. But being American I need at least one traditional party food and that is your garden variety meat tray but how do I kick it up a notch. I make a spicy mayonnaise and bake the bread myself.

Now onto the drinks. Ah so much to choose from Beer, Wine, Mixers, Soda, Coffee, Lemonade the choices are endless. Beer is always a fan favorite but with so many varied tastes I buy what I like and everyone else can bring what they like or suck up drinking my preference. Afterall a host has her limits and drinking Budweiser is not one of them lol. One of my favorite mixed drinks is a simple rum and cola. But being adventurous I never turn down the chance to try something new. This New Years it was a Hot Apple Cider, cinnamon and Crown concoction I found online very simple and very tasty. I also Made up a Banana Rum, Cola, Cherry Syrup and a hint of lime juice drink. Super delicious and definitely something I will be making again. Not to forget the kids I keep Cranberry Juice and Ginger Ale around. Alone two very tasty drinks but put together and you have the perfect non Alcoholic drink. So next time your planning a party. Try and think outside the box. Your guests and you will enjoy it.