A Day Interrupted

I had plans for many more accomplishments today, but the snow and the huge load of books, cds and dvds awaiting us at the library derailed that.  We each dove into our favorite corner with our new books and ignored the heavy snowflakes falling outside. Until, Mama had to go shovel.  I left the little ones with the instructions that they could watch the end of one television show and they must turn off the television in the living room.  I need to learn to not speak so literally.  When I came back in they had indeed turned off the television in the living room and were cuddled up in my bed watching my television.  Outsmarted yet again, there was nothing I could do but join them in bed.  With the extra down time I got to dive into Chocolat.

I love how well loved this library copy is. I am really enjoying this book only a few chapters in.  I'm not sure how I missed it before.  The inspiration behind this choice is The Crafty Book Club.   The Crafty Book Club is a site where like-minded artists can come together, read great books and share work inspired by those books.  If you like reading and crafting you should check them out.  They even make sure all their book choices have been made into movies for the time strapped crafters.

So, what would go better with being curled up on a snowy day reading Chocolat then a cup of coffee with Mint Chocolate Truffle Creamer?   I have found the cost and long list of disturbingly unpronounceable ingredients in store bought creamer not conducive to my buying habits.  Luckily, I stumbled upon a whole cache of creamer recipes and have been happily creating my own for some time now.  Following is the Mint Chocolate Truffle.  Try it...no really you have to try it. 

Chocolate Mint Truffle Creamer

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 1/2 cup milk

3 Tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Teaspoon peppermint extract

Mix all ingredients in a glass container.  Shake each time before use to avoid settling.  Will keep in the refrigerator for two weeks.

Homemade Challenge #19 - Pickled Jalapenos

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I adore jalapenos, I crave jalapenos, but for some reason I never thought to pickle them myself. The other day I was thumbing through a recipe book, and there is was, the pickled jalapeno recipe. It is really good, too. It satisfies the craving perfectly. This is fantastic since most of the foods that have pickled jalapenos are not so good for you. I think my obsession began when I lived across the street from a 7-11 in college. Oh, those wonderful nachos drenched in cheese (at least they call it cheese) and jalapenos. Then you let them sit until the chips are soggy. Heaven. I have tried to move on to some more wholesome food choices, so having my own jar of jalapenos sitting in the fridge at all times really helps. This one is easy to make and so cheap. Please don't ever buy them in the jar again.

Pickled Jalapenos

1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

5-6 jalapenos

Bring the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt to a simmer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. De-stem and slice the jalapenos. If you want heat, leave in the ribs and seed. If you want no heat and just the taste of the pepper, remove all ribs and seeds. Place jalapenos in jar and pour cooled liquid over. This will store in the refrigerator for one to two weeks.

Be sure when making this recipe that your vinegar does not boil. It releases a slightly toxic cloud that will leave you coughing for a couple of hours. It is like a mild tear gas cloud right in your kitchen and you do not want to be tear gassed. Trust me, its no fun to be tear gassed, but that's a story for another day.

Handmade Challenge #12 - Shamrock Shake

These shakes have a long history in my family. Every babe has been treated to one long before they should be and an addiction is born. We’ve already partaken in a few from the fast food chain, but for financial and health reasons we have moved to the homemade kind for the rest of the green season. The recipe is easy and highly adaptable, so have fun and try not to dye your fingers and your kitchen green (not that I did that).

Shamrock Shake

2 cups vanilla ice cream or soy ice cream

1 ¼ cup milk, soy milk, or almond milk

¼ tsp mint extract

8 drops of green food dye*

*The mister pointed out that this is not necessary and just adds unnecessary dye into our diet. I stuck my tongue out at him.

Homemade Challenge #6 - Orange Julius

The mall

The early eighties

My favorite beverage of choice?

Why the orange julius, of course.

Apparently, these have been around since the twenties, but they will always take me back to jelly shoes and bangs. If you try to get one at the mall nowadays it just isn't the same. I don't know if the recipe changed, the atmosphere is different, or I'm not four years old anymore, but it's not the same.

During our last bout of illness I got a serious craving and found a recipe to whip some up. This recipe comes pretty darn close while being very simple. The only variable seems to be the orange juice you use. Fresh squeezed will give you the best results. If you are using store bought you might have to play with the water-orange juice ratio to ensure it's orangey enough.

Orange Julius

6 oz Orange Juice

6 oz Water

3 oz Simple Syrup

8 oz Crushed Ice

1 tsp Powdered Milk

Mix in a blender and enjoy while reminiscing about bangs

Homemade Challenge #4 - Homemade Pudding

With all the illness it our home and no one really eating much, cake was just a bit much for the birthdays. After a quick perusing through the More-With-Less cookbook it was decided that "birthday" pudding would do. Honestly, until recently, the thought of making pudding without a little box of ingredients would never have crossed my mind. Now I am a little embarrassed having found how easy it is to make pudding from scratch. With a couple of ingredients we had some great pudding in minutes. I did end up adding a couple pieces of chocolate to punch it up a bit, but otherwise else stuck to the quick pudding recipe. I also learned that after a lifetime of only eating cold pudding, that had set up in the refrigerator, hot pudding makes me gag. Just a little forewarning.

Handmade Challenge #2 - Bread From My Oven

I have always been so intimidated by homemade bread. It seemed like something only those with advanced degrees in homemaking could do. But, alas, the less spending and less processed food resolutions necessitating tackling this one. And, what have I learned from this little adventure? It is pretty easy, I really lucked out that the family liked the first recipe I tried, and pioneer women must have had killer arms.

I used the Honey Whole Wheat Bread recipe from the More-With-Less cookbook. Side note, this is a great cookbook that no kitchen should be without. It was easy to put together and baked up beautiful. I loved the meditative process of kneading the dough and the heavenly aroma that filled the house while it was baking. One loaf went in the freezer and one was devoured by the family. Both little ones are in the mist of growth spurts, so it’s like having two little vikings plundering all the homemade goodies here. So, I am going to keep on baking and trying to keep those little bellies full.

Cookie Dough Truffles - Part Three

Melt one and one-half pounds of chocolate candy bark. Dip each ball into the chocolate. I find a egg dipper from an Easter egg dying kit is really handy at this step. You can add additional decorations, like colored sugar or sprinkles now, or just let them be. Pop them into the refrigerator to set and you are done.

Note the little hand creeping into the picture. You have to be very careful of candy thieves with these.

Cookie Dough Truffles - Part Two

Take the chilled dough out of the refrigerator and roll into one-inch balls. You should have approximately five dozen little balls, depending on how many you eat along to way. If the dough gets too sticky stick it back in the refrigerator for a bit. When done, pop these little babies back in the refrigerator for at least an hour, I do another overnighter.

Cookie Dough Truffles - Part One

One of my all-time favorite candies to indulge in are cookie dough truffles. This decedent recipe only gets made once a year around my house, since it is so dangerously good. I'm usually pressed for time during the holiday season, so I break up the recipe into three parts. The following is the first step of preparation. Be forewarned, though, it is impossible to eat only one of these.

• Cream 1/2 cup butter with 3/4 cup of brown sugar until creamy


• Add 1 tsp vanilla


• Gradually beat in 2 cups of flour


• Mix in one can of sweetened condensed milk


• Fold in 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips


• Pop into the refrigerator for at least one hour to chill. I usually allow the dough to chill overnight.

You Can't Be Crunchy Without Granola

**Warning the following recipe is highly addictive and those you make it for will demand it again and again***Homemade granola is one of the ultimate comfort foods. This simple recipe tastes much better than the store bought and is much cheaper to make. Its also a great base for homemade granola bars and cereal and is wonderful sprinkled on yogurt.

Homemade Granola
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
5 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup dry milk
3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine dry ingredients in a 9x12 pan. Pour sugar mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes. You can either enjoy just like this or add in a 1/2 cup of raisins, nuts, or coconuts after baking.

Do the Can Can

Canning is not a convenient activity. It is time consuming and requires much prep, but the rewards are worth it. It is so satisfying to see all those glass jars lined up in your pantry, filled with the yummy rewards of all your hard work. I definitely recommend trying at least one canning recipe this summer. You can not go wrong with having some wonderful, homemade strawberry jam waiting in the pantry for you.

Wonderful canning website: http://www.freshpreserving.com/

My favorite recipe book: http://www.amazon.com/Ball-Complete-Book-Home-Preserving/dp/0778801314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242604281&sr=1-1

Chocolate Syrup Goodness

We have a rule at our house that if you want treats that aren't the best for you they have to be made from scratch. It cuts down on the amount we indulge in and I am positive the the calories you exert cooking from scratch are equal to the amount you consume with these treats.


This recipe is so easy and and always well received. You will never buy chocolate syrup again once you see how easy it is to make and how much better it tastes.





Chocolate Syrup

• 1/2 cup cocoa



• 1 cup water



• 2 cup sugar



• 1/8 tsp salt



• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Mix cocoa and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until cocoa is dissolved. Add sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for three minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat and add salt and vanilla.

You Can't Be Crunchy Without Granola

**Warning the following recipe is highly addictive and those you make it for will demand it again and again***

Homemade granola is one of the ultimate comfort foods. This simple recipe tastes much better than the store bought and is much cheaper to make. Its also a great base for homemade granola bars and cereal and is wonderful sprinkled on yogurt.

Homemade Granola

• 3/4 cup brown sugar



• 1/3 cup vegetable oil



• 1/3 cup honey



• 5 cups oatmeal



• 1/2 cup dry milk



• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix brown sugar, oil, and honey in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Combine dry ingredients in a 9x12 pan. Pour sugar mixture over dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 375 degrees for ten minutes. You can either enjoy just like this or add in a 1/2 cup of raisins, nuts, or coconuts after baking.