Best Cocoa Mix Ever!

This is the very best Hot Cocoa recipe out there. Nuff said. Don't argue with me over this. Just trust me. (This makes a lot, but once you try it, it won't be enough!)

HOT COCOA

10 2/3 cups instant nonfat dry milk
6 ounce jar powdered non dairy creamer
2 cups powdered sugar
16 ounce can instant chocolate drink mix

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Put in airtight container. Store in cool dry place for up to 6 months.

Roasted Ranch Potatoes

8-10 average sized red potatoes, washed and quartered
2 packets Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
2-3 TBSP olive oil

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.  Wrap a cookie sheet in tin foil.  Arrange the sliced potatoes on the pan so that they are all lying down flat.  Mix the dressing mix and olive oil together in a separate bowl.  With a pastry brush, generously coat the potatoes with the mixture, until all the potatoes are coated.  Baked in the oven for about an hour until the potatoes are tender all the way through and the outsides are golden brown.  Serve hot!!!

Homemade Applesauce!

Start with approximately 20 pounds of fresh apples free of blemishes and bruises. Minor blemishing can be cut out but always make sure you are using high quality fruit.
Have ready a large water bath canning kettle, pint sized canning jars with brand new lids. You will also want a canning jar lifter and a candy thermometer.

Peel and core the apples.   Because it will take a while to get all the apples peeled have a large pan with about 1 gallon of water with 3/4 cup lemon juice in it. Put the apple slices in the lemon water as you work to prevent browning of the fruit.  After peeling, slice the apples.

Once all fruit is peeled and sliced drain it from the lemon water and add it to a large stock pot and heat on the stove over medium heat. Cover the stock pot, but check frequently to make sure that the fruit is not scorching on the bottom. Water will soon start cooking out of the fruit and this will protect against scorching after the first few minutes. Keep the pot covered so that the fruit simmers and steams. Check every couple minutes and stir the fruit. Depending on the firmness of the apple variety you selected, the apples should become noticeably softened in about 20 or 30 minutes. Once apples are softened and beginning to break apart when stirred, start mashing them with a potato masher. This speeds the saucing process. You can make the apples as smooth or as chunky as you want. Keep the applesauce cooking after you mash to cook out more liquid. You don't want the applesauce runny. Cook out the water until a thick sauce forms. During this time, you may add sugar and spice if you want.

Add, if desired:

2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup cinnamon

2 tablespoons cloves

1 tablespoon nutmeg

dash of salt

While you are cooking the apples, get the water bath canner and the jars ready. Wash your jars, and bands and fill the canner. Heat the water in the canner to at least 180 degrees F but less than boiling and submerge the jars completely. Use the candy thermometer to monitor water temperature. After the jars have been sterilizing for a couple minutes, shut off the heat to the canner and cover it. The water and jars will stay hot while you're finishing the applesauce.

Once the applesauce achieves a thick consistency without any puddles of excess liquid, remove from heat. Take the sterilized jars and lids out of the water and fill with applesauce. Leave 1/2 inch headspace in jars. Carefully clean and wipe dry the rims of the jars and put on the lids. Secure the lids with the jar bands and screw tight with your hand. You don't have to make it really tight. Just screw it on without forcing it.

Bring the water in the canner to a full boil and carefully add the filled jars with the jar lifter. Make sure at least 1 or 2 inches of water are above the tops of the jars. Keeping the water at a boil, process the pints for 25 minutes.

When processing time has elapsed, remove jars from water and place on a towel in a draft-free location. Do not disturb the jars for 12 to 24 hours while the seals cool and tighten. You may hear the lids pop down and make a seal within the first few minutes, but do not touch them.

The next day, remove the bands, wipe the jars and lids clean and store in a cool dark place for up to one year.

Apple Bread

2 cups homemade cinnamon applesauce
1 pkg spice cake mix
4 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients together, mix well. Pour into greased loaf pans. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until springy in the center. Pop out of loaf pans and cool. Serve with butter and enjoy!!!

Spinach Artichoke Dip

2 14-oz cans artichoke hearts, drained and sliced
5 packages of cream cheese
8 oz mascarpone cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3-4 garlic clove, minced
10 green onions, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 10-oz pack frozen chopped spinach, thawed

Mix all ingredients together in your crock pot. Turn crock pot on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours until bubbling and center is hot. Serve hot with baguette slices or your favorite crackers. This recipe make a lot of dip, which is great for tail-gate parties, family get-togethers and so on!

Fried Green Maters

I love tomatoes! As I am patiently waiting for my tomatoes to turn red in my garden, I've decided to pluck a few and fry some up!

4-6 tomatoes
Cornmeal
Salt and Pepper
Vegetable Oil

Heat Oil in a frying pan. Slice washed tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices. Salt and Pepper to taste. Cover tomato slices in cornmeal. Once your oil is ready, fry each slice of tomato for about 3 minutes on the first side and gently turn over and fry for an additional 3 minutes or until a nice golden brown. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Fruit Pizza

1 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (8oz) package cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
4 ripe kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 cup assorted berries (raspberries, blackberries etc)
1 package Junket Strawberry Danish Dessert Mix
water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix together
the flour and confectioner's sugar. Stir in melted butter.
Press the mixture evenly into a 12 inch pizza pan. Bake in
oven for 15 minutes. Let cool. In a small bowl, beat together
the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Spread over cooled
crust. Arrange strawberries over cream cheese layer. Combine
the danish mix and water accoring to directions in a small saucepan. Bring to a
boil, stirring frequently. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour
mixture over fruit layer. Chill before serving.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

3 TBSP egg replacer with 1 cup water(Ener-G)
1 cup rich, dark cocoa (16% cocoa or more)
1/2 cup margerine, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Mix egg substitute, until thouroghly mixed. Melt the butter and measure the other ingredients. Measure the cocoa by spooning cocoa into a cup—do not compress the cocoa. Add the sugar and cocoa and beat in. Slowly add in the melted margerine while still mixing ingreients. Continue beating until mixed. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or an insta-read thermometer registers 165 to 170 degrees when inserted into the center of the cake. Cool on a wire rack and then place in the refrigerator to chill. The cake will become dense as it cools. Top with raspberry sauce, or even just sprinkle with powered sugar.

Strawberry Time!

Here's my favorite strawberry recipe! This goes great with vanilla ice cream, angel food cake or even a nice twist on strawberry shortcake! Just remember, these berries need to chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. I prefer over night, but 20 minutes will work in a pinch!

Balsamic Strawberries

1 lbs fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced into quarters
2 TBSP Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 Splenda or Agave Nectar

Mix vinegar and sugar together. Toss in strawberries. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes or longer. Serve and Enjoy!

Lime Cheesecake

I'm waiting for summer. I can't wait! This winter has been long and cold. Welcome to Idaho I guess! I've enjoyed having a real winter again, but it has been long! I've been thinking of summer, sitting on the back porch, smelling fresh cut grass, hearing the kids playing and drinking a nice cold lime-aide or a lime rickey. Better yet knoshing on a smooth slice of Lime Cheesecake! There's something about limes that just say summer! So Summer, I'm waiting!

1 1/4 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
3 packages Philadelphia Light Brick Cream Cheese Spread, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 limes, zested and juiced
3 eggs
3/4 cup thawed cool whip Light Whipped Topping

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix graham crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 9 inch springform pan. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add lime peel and juice; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until centre is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake; cool before removing rim. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving. Top with whipped topping just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Chocolate Caramel Pie

I have discovered a new, wonderful, decadent dessert this weekend. My wonderful Mother-In-Law introduced me to the fine points of Chocolate Caramel Pie. Oh the Bliss!!! Warning, this recipe is not for the calorie watchers!

Caramel Pie

2 cans Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups Milk Chocolate Chips
1 9" graham cracker crust
1 container thawed Cool Whip

In a large pot, place the cans of sweetened condensed milk with the label taken off, in the pot and cover with water. Cook on high until water comes to a boil, then turn on medium/high for 4 hours, only adding water to keep the cans covered.
Pour Chocolate chips into the bottom of the pie crust. Once the milk is ready, carefully open cans and pour into pie shell. Cool pie in refrigerator. When completely cooled, top with frozen whipped topping. Serve and Enjoy!

"La Brea Tar Pit" Chicken Wings

So we've survived the epic move. One week of packing, moving in with my aunt for a week, and then moving into an apartment a week later. All I have to say is wow. But we made it and we're settled in somewhat until we find our forever house. Here's one of my favorite chicken wing recipes, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday! Go Green Bay!

4 pounds chicken wings, split at joint and wing tips discarded
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup dry red wine
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

• Put a rack in middle of oven and preheat oven to 400°F.
• Arrange wings in one layer in a large roasting pan.
• Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat over moderately low heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Pour evenly over wings.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Turn wings over and bake until sauce is thick and sticky, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Transfer wings to a platter and serve with ranch or bleu cheese dressing.

I Hate Packing!

Due to circumstances out of our control, we are moving sooner than expected. This is a good move, but I do have to say, I hate packing. We have one week to pack and move out of this place in Rigby. Thank goodness we have a place to live until we find and close on a house. I've loved this apartment that we've been living in since May. But, I must keep reminding myself, this is OK, after we find our house, it'll be the last move for a really long time. Then I'll be able to have a home again. I guess I just feel like I'm in limbo at the moment and maybe just a little bit of stress and pressure.
I'm also reminded that this is not so bad. Yeah there are some unknown factors, but not as bad as my pioneer ancestors. Moving to a new land, settling a wild place and not knowing what lay over the horizon. Packing all their possessions into a wagon or a handcart. Starting from scratch, literally. They faced a lot of unknowns from every side it seemed. But somehow, a lot of them made it work.
In packing up my recipe books today, I found one of my favorites, called "Cooking in Wyoming." this recipe book has a collection of recipes used by the women who help settle the state of Wyoming. Included are recipes like Wild Buffalo Berry Catsup, Head Cheese, Suet Pudding, Home Cured Pork, Bear Steak,Deviled Deer Burgers and Mulligatawny Soup. There is one recipe that cracks me up every time that I'd like to share with you.

Wood Chuck Pot Pie

The animal should be 1/2 to 3/4 grown. Disjoint meant and soak an hour in cold water containing 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon soda. Salt and Pepper the pieces, roll them in flour and put into hot fat in which you have previously browned a small clove of garlic. When meat is browned on both sides put cover on heavy skillet or Dutch oven and simmer until tender. Add a little water as needed. Just before serving, season with Worcestershire sauce and chunks of butter.

This wild game recipe was submitted to a local Wyoming paper by Mrs. Sam Young.

:)

What to do?

We had a beautiful ham for Sunday dinner today. I glazed the ham with a spicy mustard and honey glaze and it turn out way scrumptious. But my tiny dilemma is what to do with the left overs besides ham sandwiches for the rest of the week? And then an idea came to me.... why not do a Chicken Cordon Bleu type casserole???? I found a base recipe on www.allrecipes.com and then I tweaked it.

4 cups Panko crumbs (or cornflakes)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh)
1/4 cup butter, melted
10 cooked skinless, boneless chicken breast, chunked
salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 cups cubed Havarti cheese (You could use Swiss)
1 pound cooked ham, chunked
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 bunch green onions, sliced
2 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish. Mix the Panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup melted butter in a large bowl, then spread about 2/3 of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer half the chicken breast chunks over the crumb base, and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cover with half the Havarti cheese, then a layer of ham, followed by layers of mushrooms and green onions. Mix the cream of chicken soup and sour cream together in a bowl, and spread the mixture over the green onion layer. Place the rest of the chicken chunks onto the soup layer, followed by the rest of the Havarti cheese. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Drizzle with 2 more tablespoons of melted butter if desired. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil, and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes; remove the foil and bake until the casserole is bubbling, the cheese has melted, and the crumb topping is brown, an additional 15 minutes.

So this casserole looks really good and smells pretty good while combining everything. I'm putting it in the fridge overnight and we'll feast upon it tomorrow. I think we might have a new family dinner!

Grilling Time!

Something grilled sounds so good right now! I enjoy so many foods cooked on the grill, so I think I should share one of my favorite recipes with you!

GRILLED FRIES

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1-teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1-tablespoon olive oil
• 2 baking potatoes (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• 2 yams (about 1-1/2 pounds)
• Cooking spray

Combine all ingredients except oil and potatoes in large zip bag. Toss to mix well. Cut each potato into 12 wedges and toss with olive oil. Place into bag with ingredients and toss well. Preheat grill to medium. Spray grill to prevent sticking and reduce heat to low. Place potatoes on grill and close lid. Turn every 5 minutes to avoid burning. Cook until tender about 30 minutes.

What I'm reading...

One of my all time passions is reading. It doesn't matter, non-fiction or fiction, romance or biography, I love a good book! I would spend hours in a bookstore if I could, but I never have that much time on hand.
I have many favorite authors, and when asked to share favorite books, I have to list authors. James Rollins is on of my top 10 favorite authors. His books keep a strong hold on the imagination and keep you wondering what's next!?! I picked up his book Altar of Eden the other day and started reading it yesterday. I became so immersed in the book, I forgot to blog about it. All I have to say, if you're looking for a good read, pick up any one of his books. Adventure, mystery, face-paced and so interesting! By far better than Dan Brown, who tends to devote several too many pages to the word "apple." His Sigma Force novels are some of my favorite our of all of his books, with my all time favorite being Map of Bones. It's not too often I gush about an author, but this guy deserves it! Thank you James Rollins for being more than just a veterinarian!
I'm going to go curl up by my fire and finish up this book. I'll let you know!

So much for last year!

So last year, I made several resolutions that I failed miserably at. . . . for the most part. Oh well, I'm not going to feel guilty about it. Instead of setting resolutions to change everything this year, I'm just going to strive for a few goals, nothing huge and out there, just something simple that I'd like to reach and implement into my daily life each day.

#1 - Become closer to God and strive to be a better person day by day.

#2 - Become a more balanced person, not super mom who thinks I have to do everything in order to make up for being a working mom.

#3 - Find time each day to pursue one of my hobbies, and share with you!

That's it. Nothing else major. So in light of those goals, here's one of my favorite recipes that I tweaked just a tad. I love collecting recipes! I think this all started with my Gram. She collected cook books and loved to read them. She really never tried the recipes out of them, with her family being a pretty staunch meat and potatoes kinda of family. But she still loved her cook books. I used to spend hours reading through them with her. I so miss spending time with my Gram, she passed away in June of 2002. When Gram's twin sister passed away in 2003, her daughter and my dear cousin Julie gave me Aunt Carreen's cook books. I didn't know she was a cook book collector too! I crack up over some of the recipes I find!

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN SOUP

• ½ Cup Butter
• ¾ Cup Flour
• 2 Cups Milk
• 3 Cups Chicken Broth
• 2 Cups Cubed Chicken Breast, Cooked
• ½ Cup Chopped Green Chilies
• Salt & Pepper
• 4-6 Cloves Crushed Garlic
• 1 Small Onion, Diced

Melt Butter in a Saute Pan over medium heat. Add Onion and Saute until onion is tender and translucent. Slowly add flour to create a paste. Add milk and chicken broth and whip together until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Note: If you want something with more of a kick, ad in some fresh diced jalapenos, or even serrano peppers. Serves 6