Recipes Archives | Page 10 of 17 |

Banana Cream Cocoa | Hot Drink Treat Recipe

March 17, 2010 By Laura 5 Comments

If you love chocolate and bananas, you just might love this hot sweet treat, in a cup: Banana Cream Cocoa.

I do love chocolate. Don’t all women? I also love bananas. But somewhere along the way, I saw a pattern, and realized eating raw bananas is not a good idea for me. My stomach goes to hell and back, trying to digest it. Lots of pain involved. (Does anyone else have this issue?). But, I can eat bananas cooked in all other forms: banana bread, banana nut crunch, banana pancakes, Banana Hannah, (just kidding. Wasn’t me. Swear.) And once upon a time, I loved eating chocolate covered bananas. Oh how I loved those. So Banana Cream Cocoa sounded good to me! We made some yesterday.

banana-cream-cocoa-2 Participating Ingredients:

3 cups milk
1 chopped banana
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 oz. chopped milk chocolate*
1 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate*

*This time, we chopped chocolate bars with a serrated blade knife.

Bring 3 cups of milk…..

1 chopped banana….
–

2 Tbsp. sugar….
–

…and 1 tsp. of cinnamon to a boil, whisking frequently.
–

Add 4 oz. chopped milk chocolate, and 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate….
–

….and mix some more.

…until all of the chocolate is melted nicely.

Remove from heat, and let sit 1 minute.

Pour mixture into blender….
–

….and puree.
–

Divide into 4 mugs, and go bananas!

Note: My kids and husband loved it, but a couple of them did think it was very strong in banana, and maybe cinnamon, so you may want to cut those amounts-but of course it’s a personal taste. I found, when it cooled down enough in my mug, it was delicious!

Save

Cocoa Colada | Hot Drink Treat Recipe

March 8, 2010 By Laura 13 Comments

If “sometimes you feel like a nut“, and could go for an Almond Joy, this delicious Cocoa Colada hot drink treat recipe, just might be a quick fix for you!

If you bake quite a bit, you may already have all of the ingredients. Or you may not. But the few things you need are worth running to the store for. Of course, then you could just pick up an Almond Joy, I suppose. But, that’s beside the point.

Here’s a super simple easy recipe, for a little coco-nutty twist on hot cocoa! Like most of my recipes, this one too is ‘kid approved’ by our kids.

Participating Ingredients: 2 14oz. cans of coconut milk, a cup of water, 1/2 cup of sugar, 8 oz. of chopped milk chocolate and coconut flakes, for garnishing. (How easy is this?!)

–

We needed to pick up the coconut milk, but we already had milk chocolate chips, and decided to use them. They need to be chopped up pretty well.

–

If you have one of these handy choppers, you can use it instead of a knife and cutting board.

–

Take a couple handfuls of coconut flakes, spread them out on a pan, and lightly toast them in whatever way is easier for you. We used our toaster oven. * Warning: you really need to keep an eye on it while toasting. Once it starts to toast, it can burn very fast due to the coconut oil of the flakes. (I forgot to take a photo of ours after toasting.)

–

Bring the 2 cans of coconut milk and 1 cup of water, to a simmer over low heat.
Whisk now and then to keep from sticking at the bottom.

–

Add 1/2 cup of sugar…..

–

…and the 8 oz. of chopped milk chocolate….

–

…and whisk until melted.

–

Divide cocoa evenly into 4 mugs, and garnish with the toasted coconut. (If you didn’t burn it. ; )

You can also spike it with a little coconut rum, if you’d like!

*But in that case, please don’t serve it to the children. 😉

–

Our kiddos loved it!! Not much conversation. Lots of sipping.

–

There was only enough made for 4 servings, and my kiddos had been playing out in the cold for a long time.

–

So I let them have it all.

Because I’m thoughtful like that.

Even with chocolate.

I know. Call me a saint. ; )

My kids all loved me enough, too, to each let me have a sip of each of theirs.

See? Love that goes around, comes around.

I had a plan to make and share a Banana Cream Cocoa recipe as well, with this one. But since it was 60 degrees out today, I thought maybe I should just hurry up and share this one.

Wishing you just one more chilly day, to try it for yourself!

Save

Superbowl Menu

February 8, 2010 By Laura 2 Comments

We had a nice little Superbowl Sunday. We kept it pretty low-key, for a couple of reasons:

1) Our own New England Patriot’s weren’t playing.

2) It was a school night.

Every year, I get all excited about Superbowl Sunday, no matter who is playing. And then I realize how late the game is starting! And then I remember, that I forget that that is the case, almost every year!

Still, we can’t let the opportunity for a little private family party, pass us by. But considering the circumstances this year, we kept the menu simple-simple.

Pastrami Sandwiches – we love them. We just put a pound 1/2 of pastrami in our steamer for 10-15 minutes, rearranging in the steamer basket about 1/2 way through for even heating of the meat, and then we pile it on a toasted wheat roll. The kids prefer no mustard, but Michael and I like a little French’s.

Here’s an item we were downright excited to try: Jalapeno Poppers!

Participating Ingredients:

18 fresh jalapeno peppers
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
3/4 shredded or grated cheddar cheese
1 green onion chopped
package of bacon, cut in half to shorten (18 slices, 36 halved)
brown-sugar BBQ sauce
toothpicks
RUBBER GLOVES!

(You will only chop jalapeno peppers without gloves once, but never again. I did, once, and my fingers spent the entire night in HELL. Literally, I’m quite sure. The throbbing pain of burn, was nearly unbearable. I was near tears. Just take my word for it, and use gloves when chopping these babies, and don’t touch any part of yourself after having touched the peppers! Especially your eyes!)

1) SO….once dressed in your gloves, slice the peppers in half, lengthwise. We keep the stems on, and try to cut those in half too. It gives you a little handle later, and keeps them cute! Clean out the inside of the peppers completely – free of seeds and white membrane. However, the real heat is in the seeds and the white membranes – so if you like more kick, leave a little. We left just a little seed in ONE pepper, and I got the Lucky Popper. ; )

2) In a bowl, combine softened cream cheese, chopped green onion, and cheddar cheese. Mix well.

3) Being sure your gloves are on again, or still, using a little old-style butter knife, or a cheese spreader, fill all of the peppers halves with the cheese filling. We filled it well, as a little heap.

4) Pre-heat the oven to 275 degrees. (I realize most cooks/bakers do this first, but I’m too slow to prep the food, so the oven is on for too long, for no reason. Plus, I feel pressure because the oven is waiting and ready, but I’m not done! lol)

5) Next, wrap each cheese-filled pepper, with a 1/2 piece of bacon. Do not pull it tight, as the bacon shrinks when it cooks. Secure each one with a toothpick through the side of the pepper as you go, and place on a cookie sheet. (We cover the cookie sheets with tin foil for stuff like this, to avoid having to wash the pan after. ; ) Call us lazy.

6) Generously brush each bacon-wrapped-cheese-filled-pepper, with brown sugar BBQ sauce.

7) Put in oven for about an hour, or until the bacon is crisp and sizzling.

*You can serve immediately, at the risk of burning mouths. But we found anyway, that letting them set & cool some for 10-15 minutes, really makes them all the better! They firm up a bit, and you can really enjoy the different elements of the Jalapeno Popper in your mouth, instead of it all being very soft and mushy in your mouth.

A friend asked us, “Will the kids eat those?”, and the answer was YES! Our little ones, especially, like hot stuff. {A} just thought they “were just o.k.”. But it’s not the recipe, it’s her. ; )

We’ll be adding these to our appetizer hit-list for future occasions. We put 1/2 f this batch, already cooked, in ziplock bag and into the freezer, to be able to just heat some up sometime soon. And trust me, soon it will be!

BTW – My friend Mary Beth, from Nothin’ But Country, made up a batch of the Bacon-Wrapped Pineapple Bites for her Superbowl party, and came by the blog here to leave a fantastic review of the recipe! Check it out! If her review doesn’t convince you to try them, nothing will! And check out her blog too! She and her husband LOVE to cook, and all kinds of great recipes.

We also snacked on tortilla chips and salsa through the game, in between hoots & hollers at the tv. As you can see, we already had been at them before I remembered to take a photo. lol.

Our ever-creative boy, {JM}, made a football for our party, as some festive decor. He made it out of gold and white tissue paper, and a little gold mylar. That boy is ALWAYS ‘making something’, and he never ceases to surprise us with his great ideas either. Get this……..

…..the football lights up!! In the dark, it really puts off quite a glow!

Since our New England Patriot’s weren’t playing in the Superbowl this year <boo-hiss!!>, we decided to cheer on the Saints! Why? No real significant reason, except maybe because their names is the Saints, and we like their logo the best. : ) We are really happy for New Orleans.

Did YOU watch the Superbowl? Which team did you cheer on?
And more importantly, what was on your Superbowl Menu, if you had one? Do share!

Save

Chicken Chili | Slow Cooker Recipe

January 28, 2010 By Laura 9 Comments

The other night, my husband said he was making his chili and cornbread for dinner. The whole house bursted out in cheer, except for me. I am TIRED of that. I said so. He said, “Have you got any better ideas?” And I said, “Not yet, but I’ll get one!” I found a fine variation that would give me something new, yet keep the family happy with something similar. Chicken Chili! It was a HUGE, huge hit. There was plenty left over too, so I loudly announced, “The leftovers are mine until they’re gone! Called it!” ; ) I’m fast like that.

This is SO easy to make!! Especially if you can get your husband to cut up the raw chicken for you first. I can. ; )

Chicken Chili

1 pound Raw Chicken Breasts, cut into small pieces
1 whole Large Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin (We didn’t have any-I skipped it.)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt (I don’t measure stuff like that.)
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper (Or that.)
1 can 28 Oz. Can Diced Tomatoes
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
3-4 Jalapeno Peppers, Chopped. (I used 3.)
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
1 can (15 Oz. Can) Pinto Beans, Rinsed and Drained

Preparation Instructions

Cook chicken, onion and garlic in hot oil in a large saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Add the cumin, salt, and pepper; cook and stir for 1 minute more.

Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce and jalapeno peppers. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add beans; heat through. Ladle into bowl, and sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top. Add a big dollop of sour cream. Serve with tortilla chips.

*Edited to Add (in light of my friend, Paula’s comment: Even if you don’t like chili, this one may really surprise you. There is not even chili powder in it. It’s not spicy at all-perhaps because we skipped the cumin? But I suppose if you don’t like beans, there might be a problem. But they are soooo good for you!

My kids really LOVE this Chicken Chili, and when I think of the good stuff packed in 1 bowl, I feel GOOD. It is just loaded with protein, fiber, anti-oxidants, and so much more. It’s a bowl of health, for sure.

**UPDATE: Some 6+ years later since the posting of this recipe, I can tell you that this is a meal we have fallen back on over and over, through the years! Especially during the cold winter months, when we have busy sports schedules and whatnot. It’s so easy to throw together, and it’s a delicious hot meal all ready when we get home.

Save

Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites | Recipe

January 22, 2010 By Laura 9 Comments

Everyone should try these at least once in their lifetime: Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites. (Although once you do try them once, it’s highly unlikely it’ll be the last time.) We made these tasty little morsels for this first time, for New Year’s Eve. My girlfriend Paula wanted the recipe, so I told her I would post the recipe on the blog. And here it is. Because I’m always true to my word. And also, we wanted to make (read: eat) these again. : ) Doubt it’ll be the last time, either.

Participating Ingredients:

1 pound of bacon, 1 can of Large Chunked Pineapple (or fresh), and 1/2 cup Brown Sugar.

You’ll also need toothpicks. The colors add to my happy, but if they do nothing for you, plain wood color is fine too.

Set your oven for 375 degrees.

Take the bacon out of the package, and cut it in half, like so. (Oh my gosh…the things I am starting to say!! “LIKE SO?” Did I say that? lol)

Also, pour some brown sugar into a bowl or container.

Take a 1/2 piece of bacon, and press it into the brown sugar, coating both sides of the bacon.

I guess he’s showing us what it should look like? He held it like this for a long time, so I sensed he was waiting for me to take a photo. lol. Yes. Brown sugar coated bacon piece. There it is.

bacon-wrapped-pineapple-recipe-3 Take a chunk of pineapple, place it on the bacon, and roll it up!

Impale it, with a toothpick. : )

Place that one down, and make another.

bacon-wrapped-pineapple-recipe-3 And another.

Now the recipe instructions said to place them on a rack on some foil in a jellyroll pan? Honestly, I’m still not sure what a jelly-roll pan is. But….like the 5 Qt. Kitchen Aid Mixer I still covet, we are managing without a jelly roll pan too. SO….we just covered our toaster oven pan with tin foil, and used the rack from that.

You will notice that the brown sugar seems to disappear. But it doesn’t. It just absorbs the moisture and is harder to see. Ready to go in the oven!

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the bacon looks brown and crispy. But keep an eye on them, because if they are in too long, the sugar WILL burn!

The smell is SOOOO GOOOOD.

I think the salty and then sweet, that just busts out in your mouth, is the joy.

WARNING: DO let them cool some, before trying one!! I mean…..it’s sizzling BACON, that just came out of the oven. And if you eat one too soon, ….well. Let’s just say you won’t be able to enjoy any more, with blisters all over your lips and tongue. I reckon you’ll be pretty much done eating for a couple of days, after that. ; )

We used canned pineapple the first time we made them, and fresh the 2nd time. Dare I say, I seemed to like the canned better for this recipe. I’m still puzzled by that, because I am all about fresh fruit and vegetables, whenever possible. Maybe it was actually the bacon was a little different. Hmmm…will have to make these a few more times to be sure. Very good, both times, either way. One batch was just crispier.

Anyway. They are DIVINE. It’s hard to believe that something so very easy, can taste so very good. But, sometimes that’s the case. What a great appetizer for a party. Perhaps, a Superbowl party?? Our New England Patriot’s really blew it, and won’t be in the Superbowl this year. So we’ll just, you know, pick the team with the best colored uniforms, cheer them on, and have a party anyway!

Save

« Previous Page
1
…
8
9
10
11
12
…
17
Next Page »

Chicken Chili

Preparation Instructions

Amazon Affiliates