Friday, December 19, 2014

White Hot Chocolate Mix

It is a well known fact that my mother is a fantastic cook. Growing up, all my friends loved to hang out at our house because of all the great food. Of course, Christmas has always been Mom's shining moment. Between the thousands of cookies she bakes, and the candied bacon and sticky buns on Christmas morning, our family is easily the best-fed in the nation every December 25th.

One of my favorite Christmas treats growing up was white hot chocolate. Mom would make it with fresh ingredients on the stove. I, on the other hand, prefer instant gratification. I like to have cocoa mix on hand for whenever the mood strikes. Sure, regular cocoa mix is great, but sometimes you just want something a little more special, without having to make too much extra effort. So, here is my version of this amazing holiday beverage.


White Hot Chocolate Mix
(Print Recipe)

11 oz bag white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Finely chop the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender.


Add remaining ingredients and blend together.


Stir 3 tbsp of mix into 8 oz hot water. Store mix in an airtight container.


Just a few notes about the ingredients.


If you are lactose intolerant, look for goat milk powder. It is a little easier to digest. I have a very mild intolerance, so using goat milk instead of cow milk usually does the trick for me. Goat milk is slightly sour tasting. It is pretty noticeable with the white chocolate, so if you are not used to the taste, you might want to add a little extra powdered sugar.

If you really want something different, try substituting the cinnamon and nutmeg with a couple of candy canes. Grind them up with the chocolate chips and you have instant peppermint white hot chocolate mix! This makes an easy, festive gift, as well!

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Turkey, Turkey, and More Turkey

Another Thanksgiving has come and gone. Now what will you do with all that leftover Turkey? Once all the sides are gone, I inevitably have a surplus of turkey meat.

The last few weeks have been extremely busy for me, so we are well past Thanksgiving by now and busy preparing for Christmas. You may be done with your leftovers at this point. I, on the other hand, just managed to finish off all of mine today. It took three weeks, but I did it! And that was after I divided all the loot with the rest of the family! That's what I get for buying a 22 pound Costco turkey.

So, for next year's planning purposes, here are two great recipes to help you use up those leftovers. The first is really a classic: Day After Thanksgiving Deep Dish Turkey Pot Pie. I never get tired of pot pie. Plus, you can easily freeze one or two for later.


Day After Thanksgiving Deep Dish Turkey Pot Pie
(Print Recipe)


Filling:
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 cup leftover gravy
1 cup leftover turkey, shredded
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 large carrots (or about 10 baby carrots), chopped
1 medium potato
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup snap peas or green beans

In a large microwavable bowl, cover celery, carrots, potato, peas, and corn with water. Microwave on high at 5-minute intervals for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots and potatoes are soft.


In a large skillet, melt butter. Sautee onion and mushrooms. Stir in the flour and salt.


Quickly whisk in the milk and gravy. When thick and bubbly, turn off heat.


Stir in the turkey. Drain vegetables and stir into the filling.


Crust:
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt with a fork. (I use one cup white, one cup wheat flour.) Whisk oil and water with an ice cube until thick.


Pour oil mixture into flour and mix with a fork. Divide into 2 balls. Roll the first on a floured surface. Using a rolling pin to lift it, lay the dough in the pie plate. Spoon in the filling.


Roll the second ball of dough and lay it on top of the pie. Fold and crimp the edge.


Use a fork or knife to make several holes in the top of the pie. Bake at 400° F for 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.

This recipe makes one deep dish pie. Multiply as necessary. Or, if you have two regular pie plates, just double the crust.


The second recipe is a new one I tried out this year with surprisingly tasty results! Turkey Pumpkin Chili. The pumpkin makes it nice and thick. My husband didn't even know there was pumpkin in it until I told him, after he raved about how good it was, of course!


Turkey Pumpkin Chili
(Print Recipe)

1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
OR 1 lb (about 2 cups) raw beans, soaked in water overnight

1 lb ground turkey
14 oz turkey sausage
2 cups turkey stock
14 oz can (about 1 1/2 cups) pumpkin puree
12 oz bottle beer
14 oz can diced tomato
8 oz can tomato sauce
3 cloves garlic
2 jalapenos, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp tumeric

If soaking beans, drain and rinse them before cooking. In a skillet, brown the ground turkey.

Now combine all ingredient. You can boil it in a large stock pot for an hour, until beans are soft. Or put it in a crock pot and cook on high for 5-6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours.



This is a great meal to throw in the crock pot before work. I love coming home to the smell of dinner ready to eat!

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Game Grumps Cross Stitch Ornaments

For the last week, I've been begging my husband to let me put up our Christmas tree. Not necessarily because I'm an impatient Christmas fanatic, although I have been guiltily listening to Christmas music in the car ever since KOST 103.5 started playing it nonstop. I wanted to photograph some ornaments I made so I could list them on my store before Black Friday. I think he secretly wanted to have the tree up, too; once I got started, he got into the Christmas spirit with me. We even had hot chocolate to celebrate the occasion.


Yes, that is white hot chocolate, from a homemade mix, a recipe I adapted from one my mom used to make during the holidays. Soon I will share it with the world on this blog. I did promise to wait until after Thanksgiving to put all the ornaments on the tree. The only ones that get to stay are these:


I was going to wait and give them to my husband as a surprise Christmas present; then I ended up asking his advice on color choice and so forth. Surprise ruined. But, now that I don't have to worry about him finding out, I get to share the patterns! After lots of graph paper, more graph paper, and a few hours on gimp, I bring you these Kirby Game Grumps cross-stitch patterns!

Egoraptor
JonTron

Using 7-count plastic canvas, your favorite yarn (2 strands if it's thin), and a basic cross stitch, the finished product is roughly 3 inches square. Once you have both sides completed, just cut them out (use the border in the patterns for reference). Then, stitch them together by looping the yarn around the edges. It usually takes several stitches in each edge square, and re-tracing around the corners, in order to cover all the plastic. Attach a ribbon to hang, and you're done! Easy gift for the gamer geek in your life.

Friday, October 10, 2014

5 Homemade Almond Ice Cream Recipes

My family has the ice cream gene. We love ice cream, especially when it involves chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and cherries on top. Sadly, I've discovered I am both lactose and soy intolerant, which makes eating ice cream a not-so-pleasant experience. Recently, I have been buying almond ice cream at the grocery store when I can find it. I'm always a little disappointed when I have to pass up the Moose Tracks and pick one of three boring flavors of almond ice cream, none of which are chocolate. Not only is it hard to find good flavors, it is prohibitively expensive to buy on a regular basis. It also contains additives you can easily avoid by making it yourself. With a little patience, it is possible to make an affordable, lactose-free, soy-free ice cream in whatever flavor you could possibly want.


The following recipes have been husband-tested and approved! His favorite is the Chunky Monkey. I can't choose a favorite. I like them all.



Almond Ice Cream Base
(Print Recipe)

3 cups homemade almond milk
1/3-1/2 cup sugar, depending on preference and the sweetness level of whatever goodies you want to add to it.

Bring milk to a boil. Stir in the sugar. Lower the heat as low as your stove will allow and let it simmer for at least an hour and a half. You may want to walk by occasionally and stir it, but patience is the key here! You want to reduce the milk to about 2/3 it's original volume. Once the milk thickly coats the back of a spoon, it's ready.


You are basically making sweetened condensed almond milk (good to know for other baking projects that call for sweetened condensed milk). Add whatever flavors you want and chill in the fridge overnight. My favorite flavors to add are cocoa powder, peanut butter powder, and almond extract.

Once cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add any nuts, fruit, or chocolate pieces when the ice cream reaches soft-serve consistency.


Transfer to a plastic container and ripen in the freezer until solid.


If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply move the chilled mixture to a shallow container and freeze it, stirring every half hour for about 3 hours, until ice cream becomes difficult to stir. Pay careful attention to the edges, being sure to scrape and mix any frozen portions thoroughly with the rest. Add any nuts, fruit, or chocolate pieces when the ice cream reaches soft-serve consistency. Continue to freeze until solid.


Mexican Chocolate Almond Ice Cream
(Print Recipe)

3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Dash of cayenne (optional)



Place milk and cinnamon stick in a saucepan.


Bring to boil. Stir in the sugar. Lower the heat and let it simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Once mixture reduces to about 2/3 its original volume, and thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat.

Remove the cinnamon stick. Whisk cocoa powder into the milk.


If you are feeling particularly adventurous, stir in a dash of cayenne. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Once cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Ripen in the freezer until solid.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply move the chilled mixture to a shallow container and freeze it, stirring every half hour for about 3 hours, until ice cream becomes difficult to stir. Pay careful attention to the edges, being sure to scrape and mix any frozen portions thoroughly with the rest. Continue to freeze until solid.

Optionally dust with ground cinnamon or nutmeg before serving.


Chunky Monkey Almond Ice Cream
(Print Recipe)

3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 banana
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped walnuts



Cut the banana into bite-sized chunks. Flash freeze by placing the chunks on a plate lined with parchment or waxed paper. Make sure they are mostly not touching; otherwise they will stick together, defeating the purpose of flash freezing. Keep in freezer for several hours. Once frozen, transfer to a sealable bag or container until you are ready to use.


Bring milk to boil. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Lower the heat and let it simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Once mixture reduces to about 2/3 its original volume, and thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Once cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add the banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Ripen in the freezer until solid.


If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply move the chilled mixture to a shallow container and freeze it, stirring every half hour for about 3 hours, until ice cream becomes difficult to stir. Pay careful attention to the edges, being sure to scrape and mix any frozen portions thoroughly with the rest. Add the banana, chocolate chips, and walnuts once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Continue to freeze until solid.


Mint Chocolate Chip Almond Ice Cream
(Print Recipe)

3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp mint extract
1 tbsp chopped, fresh mint leaves
1 cup chocolate chips



Bring milk to boil. Stir in the sugar and mint. Lower the heat and let it simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Once mixture reduces to about 2/3 its original volume, and thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Once cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add the chocolate chips and mint leaves once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Ripen in the freezer until solid.


If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply move the chilled mixture to a shallow container and freeze it, stirring every half hour for about 3 hours, until ice cream becomes difficult to stir. Pay careful attention to the edges, being sure to scrape and mix any frozen portions thoroughly with the rest. Add the chocolate chips and mint leaves once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Continue to freeze until solid.


Triple Berry Almond Ice Cream
(Print Recipe)

3 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup raspberries
1/4 cup blueberries



Cut the strawberries into bite-sized chunks. Flash freeze all the berries by placing the chunks on a plate lined with parchment or waxed paper. Make sure they are mostly not touching; otherwise they will stick together, defeating the purpose of flash freezing. Keep in freezer for several hours. Once frozen, transfer to a sealable bag or container until you are ready to use.


Bring milk to boil. Stir in the sugar, lemon juice, and zest. Lower the heat and let it simmer for an hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Once mixture reduces to about 2/3 its original volume, and thickly coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat. Chill in the fridge overnight.

Once cool, freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Add the berries once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Ripen in the freezer until solid.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, simply move the chilled mixture to a shallow container and freeze it, stirring every half hour for about 3 hours, until ice cream becomes difficult to stir. Pay careful attention to the edges, being sure to scrape and mix any frozen portions thoroughly with the rest. Add the berries once the ice cream has reached soft-serve consistency. Continue to freeze until solid.

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

The Amazing Things You Can Do with One Pound of Almonds!

Due to dietary restrictions, I have converted to almond milk almost exclusively. Then I heard that, because of certain additives like carrageenan, store-bought almond milk is not as good for you as you might think. So, I've started making my own. This endeavor has led me to so many amazing food discoveries! Here is what I make with one pound of almonds on a regular basis:


A gallon of almond milk (3 cups of which were turned into ice cream) and 4 cups of almond meal. All this food cost me about the same as I would spend on two half-gallon cartons of almond milk from the grocery store. So, I get a big bag of almond meal for free, peace of mind knowing there are no harmful additives in any of it, plus I think it tastes way better. Beware, this can turn into a very expensive endeavor. Shop around for a good deal on the almonds. You can expect to spend $6-$8 per pound (in California). More than that and you are wasting money.

Start with one pound of raw almonds (roughly 3 cups). Pre-soak them for a day or two in 7 cups of water. When you are ready to use the almonds, drain and rinse them.

Almond Milk 

Almond milk is my favorite dairy substitute. It makes wonderful, high-protein smoothies. Its flavor works well for most cooking senarios, too. Use it as a dairy substitute in baked goods or cream-based soups and sauces. You can even use it as a buttermilk substitute by souring it with a touch of white vinegar. It won't curdle like regular milk, as it does not have any emulsifiers added, but the taste and texture are perfectly fine for cooking.

Just be careful using almond milk in recipes that call for large amounts of milk. If you are not used to the nutty flavor, you may not like the results. I find that a little extra salt helps mask the taste in most recipes.

What you need:
1 lb pre-soaked almonds
8-10 cups water
Vanilla, honey, sugar, agave nectar or other flavoring to taste

In batches, blend 2 cups of soaked almonds with 3 to 4 cups water on high for 1 minute.



You can adjust the amount of water depending on personal preference. I like mine thick, but you may prefer a thinner consistency.

Over a large bowl or measuring cup, drape several layers of fine-mesh cheesecloth. (Or invest in a nut milk bag! They run about $10 or less, and they are re-usable. Totally worth it if you plan on doing this often!)


Carefully pour the blended almonds into the cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid out as you can manage.




Empty the leftover contents of the cheesecloth into a large bowl and set aside.


At this point, you can sweeten or flavor the milk to your liking. If you plan on using it for cooking, it is best to reserve some and keep it plain. For drinking or using on cereal, however, I like to add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract for each cup of milk. 

Once all the almonds are blended and strained, I like to pasteurize the milk to keep it from spoiling before I've had a chance to enjoy it all. To do this, pour the milk into a large saucepan and bring to a boil.


Funnel the hot milk into a clean container with a tight lid and chill immediately.



Almond Meal


Almond meal is a wonderful flour substitute for cookie recipes, as well as some breads; pancakes, quickbreads, muffins, brownies, and pie crusts are a few ideas. Just remember, in order to hold your baked goods together, you will need to add cornstarch whenever you use almond meal, or any other gluten-free flour substitute. If you are avoiding gluten in your diet, just be sure to look for gluten-free cornstarch. Even if you are not sensitive to gluten, but you are watching your carb intake, almond meal is still a great ingredient to keep stocked in your kitchen.
 
In addition to baked goods, I enjoy using almond meal as a breading for chicken. Just add some salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you might fancy. Dip the chicken in egg, and dredge in the almond meal. Works great baked or fried.

That one pound of raw almonds, blended and strained, makes about four cups of meal.

The almond meal that is leftover after making the milk will be too wet to store and use effectively.


You will need to dehydrate it a little to make it usable. To do this, bake it in a shallow pan at 375° F for 45-60 minutes, stirring at 15 minute intervals.


Let the almond meal cool completely and store in an air-tight container. Almond meal keeps longer in the freezer, but you will need to let it thaw a little before using, as it tends to clump. Don't worry, the clumps are easily broken apart at room temperature. If it gets too lumpy, just give it a few pulses in a food processor before using it.

Check back soon for some great homemade almond ice cream recipes!