Hot Whiskey Grog

I haven't felt the best lately. So I went searching for remedies, of course.

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner (at the time), and recently getting confirmation that I'm nearly a quarter Irish, I've been looking for some drinks to have some Irish whiskey with.

I found recipes for hot toddies. I saw some use whiskey, some use rum, some use bourbon. I had the whiskey on hand, so I started making one or two each evening for a few nights. When my whiskey ran out, I changed to rum.

I didn't have much of either liquor, so I had to get more.

But I got thinking about this drink. I even found an absolute Irish version as a Hot Whiskey, then figured it was pretty reminiscent of a pirate's grog or bumbo (the drink, not the baby seat).

After getting some more whiskey (because I needed it for St. Paddy's Day!), and we got some rum to have on hand for some other drinks, I got thinking about channeling my inner Irish pirate & mixing it all up!

Here's what I did:

**********

HOT WHISKEY GROG

Ingredients:

~ 1 Tbs brown sugar
~ 2 tsp honey
~ 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ground clove (pick one or two) OR pumpkin pie spice OR gingerbread spice
~ 2 tsp lemon juice
~ 2 tsp lime juice
~ 1-2 Tbs whiskey (I used an Irish whiskey)
~ 1 Tbs rum (NOT flavored!)
~ 1 slice lemon, cut in half
~ approx 8 whole cloves - enough to have 1 clove per section in the lemon slice
~ 1/2 C very hot water
~ 1 small mug or Irish Coffee mug


Directions:

* Run very hot water in the mug, especially if it the glass Irish Coffee mug, swish it around & dump it out to warm the mug

* Add in the brown sugar, honey, ground spice(s), lemon & lime juice into the bottom of the mug

* Add in the liquors

* Take a clove & insert it into each section of the lemon slice, which should be cut in half; add lemon halves to the mug

* Add in the piping hot water (you can do this with boiling water on the stove or in a tea kettle OR use a Keurig to pour in the hot water for you)

* Take a spoon & stir

* Sip & enjoy!


Yield: 1

**********

NOTE:  I have done this with steeping green tea in it, I've added additional vitamin C (i.e., orange juice or Welch's orange, pineapple & apple juice), and I've done it where I've added both. The additions are good, but having it as listed is yummy, too. Also, enjoy on St. Patrick's Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day, when you're feeling yucky, or on a cold night. Oh yeah...and all the measurements are approximate - eyeball it all & enjoy; don't get too caught up in the measurements...I kind of guessed.

This drink is warm, comforting, medicinal & yummy! It appeals to my Irish side plus my inner pirate! Whiskey AND rum; lemon juice, lime juice, the spices; the brown sugar & honey - it all has the makings of a toddy AND grog or bumbo. And I do believe it's helped me feel better, too.

ENJOY!

Roumalade Slaw

I am always looking to expand my celebratory repertoire of things to make and do for any given holiday (season). Even if I've found a great go-to, I'm always game to change things up or try something new within the holiday realm.

Carnival & Mardi Gras time is absolutely NO different!

My main go-to is Dirty Rice. I mainly just dress up a Zatarain's mix by adding my own veggies (chopped bell pepper in all the colors, celery, onion) along with the called for ground beef, as well as adding diced andouille sausage & bacon crumbs. My hubby & daughter LOVE it when I make up the Dirty Rice! My boys? Not so much...

My hubby & I are the only ones who will eat Red Beans & Rice. The kiddos? Beans aren't their thing.

We've even done the shrimp boil thing, too. But only my hubby & I will eat seafood. *sigh*

Not only Joey Tribbiani, but my family loves sandwich night! It's a regular in the dinner rotation during the spring & summer months. We get some good rolls, find deli meats, get some decent toppings, then everyone can make their own. VOILA!

Quite some time back, we had some leftover wheat rolls that we used for sandwiches. I remember coming across something about Po' Boys, and since we had some leftover andouille sausages, my hubby fried them up, and I put mine on a roll. I topped it with a few dressings we had on hand & made a make-shift po' boy. I was so excited about it, I've been looking forward to making it again.

Well, with it being Carnival season, I figured I'd pull out sandwich night early & fix up some po' boys!

I have Pillsbury French bread to fix up & slice for the sandwiches, some andouille sausage for hubby & me (of course), but then I got some deli meats of roast beef & turkey for the kiddos to play with, then got lettuce/greens, onion, tomato, and then some sauces.

No, I didn't make gravy for the beef - sorry! However, I did see a roumalade sauce. I also found that a sweeter cole slaw is a good topper, too. I have some shredded cabbage slaw mix! So...I figured that maybe I could make a slaw with a roumalade sauce!

Here's what I did:

**********

ROUMALADE SLAW

(for Po' Boys)

Ingredients:

* 1/4 C mayo or Miracle Whip with Olive Oil
* 1/4 C mayo or Miracle Whip with horseradish
* 2 T ketchup
* 2 T honey mustard
* 2 T honey dijon mustard
* 2 T brown mustard with horseradish
* 3 T Worcestershire sauce
* 1 T pickle relish
* 2 t garlic powder
* 2 T dried minced onion
* 1/4 t celery seed
* 1 T paprika
* black pepper - to taste
* 1 t chili powder
* 1-2 T creole or cajun seasoning
* 2 T lemon juice
* salt - to taste
* 1 1/2 T sugar
* 1 T dried parsley
* 1 t hot sauce OR 2-3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
* 8 oz shredded cabbage cole slaw mix (about half a bag)


Directions:

~ Mix all ingredients, minus the slaw mix, in a large bowl

~ Reserve about half the sauce to be used as just a dressing

~ To the remaining sauce, add in the cabbage slaw mix & make sure it is coated well

~ Refrigerate the sauce AND slaw until ready to use

**********

Now that you have sauce AND slaw, you can use these to top your po' boy with! Use the remaining 8 oz. of slaw mix as a topper with or instead of, or with, your lettuce, too. Or you could serve this cajun-flavored slaw as a side. If you wanted to, you could even use all of the sauce AND the whole bag of shredded slaw mix so it might last a bit longer - depends on how many you're feeding.

Just to let you know, I'm not a spicy food eater...but I was SO happy with this! It went incredibly well with the sandwiches. My hubby thought so, too.

I also had fries to serve with or ON the po' boys. I made some quick red beans & rice for a side, also.

Po' Boy includes: andouille sausage, roast beef (deli meat), tomato, baby kale & spinach greens,
Roumalade Slaw, and French fries on French bread

Plus, I found some Zapp's Potato Chips when I was at World Market. I got them in the VooDoo flavor, Cajun Dill Craw-Tator flavor, and the Spicy Cajun Craw-Tator flavor. I thought they might be a great addition to the po' boy meal! My excitement for the pairing was confirmed when I came across Zapp's Facebook photo of the Spicy Cajun Craw-Tators with a comment from Visit New Orleans:

Of course, I had to serve my King Cake, too! (recipe HERE)

And the family loved all of it! I see it being added to future dinner rotations! Might even be this year's go-to for Mardi Gras. YAY!

ENJOY!

Fake-Out Kraut

You have have that moment when you are closing in on dinnertime, then realize you forgot to go pick up that one thing the store was out of when you initially went? Ever had that moment when you're trying to compensate for it, or at least work on something comparable?

Yeah. That happened to me. Probably more often that it should happen, but this was one of those times...

We were planning on having bratwurst for dinner. One of the the things we fix up with with our brats is kraut. Most have sauerkraut, but we enjoy a nice sweet kraut. However, when we did our weekly run to the store, the store was out of our sweet kraut! The horror!! So I'd planned on heading back to the store to pick some up...but just never got back out. Oops!

As I began to prep for dinner & making sure we had everything, it hit me we had no kraut. D'oh!
What was one to do? My hubby seriously wants his kraut with his brats!

Well, it hit me: I had some ingredients I needed to use that could work for some kraut! YAY!

I didn't use very much of the coleslaw mix I had gotten for the IRISH BACON & BEANS STEW the other night, and wasn't sure what I was going to make with the rest of the slaw mix. Could I make coleslaw. Sure. Could I save it for more toppings of something like tacos? Of course. But they are so predictable. But I might have to go ahead & resort to it.

But...
Kraut is tangy, fermented cabbage! Shredded cabbage!! I have shredded cabbage right now!!!

I did some research to see if I could make some quick kraut without having to take weeks & months to ferment it. I did find a couple of recipes to help me out. Whew! And I just happen to have some of the extra ingredients, too! YAY!

So I faked some kraut for our brats.

Here's what I did:

**********

FAKE-OUT KRAUT

Ingredients:

* 4 C coleslaw mix
* 1/4 C water
* 1/2 C apple cider
* 2 T white wine vinegar
* 3 T balsamic vinegar
* 1 T white vinegar
* 1 T EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
* 1 small sweet onion, diced OR 1/2 C dried minced onion
* 1 1/2 T brown sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T granulated sugar (if you want sweeter kraut)
* 1/2 T salt (kosher or sea - I used sea salt since it's my fave to use)
* 1 T caraway seed (optional)


Directions:

~ In a medium saucepan, add the oil & allow to heat on medium high heat for a moment, then add the onion

~ If using onion, allow to cook thru until beginning to be translucent; if using dried minced onion, allow cook for just a moment as it reconstitutes a bit

~ Add in the water, cider, vinegars, salt and sugars (if using); bring to a boil

~ Lower the heat on the burner, then add in the coleslaw mix, about a handful at a time, with the caraway seed (if using) & stir to coat the cabbage

~ Allow to simmer on the lowered heat for about 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally & then flattening the mixture down, with the back of your cooking utensil, to be more compact to resemble the pressing down during actual fermentation

~ The size of the cabbage will reduce by half, and if it appears to be drying out, keep adding a little more moisture to it: water or cider & a dash of vinegar (of choice)

~ Once it's reduced by half & looking like kraut, remove from the heat & get ready to serve


Yield: approximately 2 Cups - servings depend on how you use it

**********

It wasn't too bad & worked in a major pinch! Plus, the carrot & mixed cabbage made it a beautiful topping.

Grilled bratwurst on whole wheat bun, topped with
sweet pickle relish, fake-out kraut, honey mustard & shredded cheese

You can also use apple cider vinegar, too. If you want a richer color of this kraut, or if it's the only thing you have on hand, red wine vinegar could work, too.

So if you are needing kraut, but don't have weeks to ferment your own & want to make some on your own to hurry things along, here you go!

It would sure give a different option for your next Oktoberfest, or anytime, really! Amm-i-rite?

ENJOY!

Irish Bacon & Bean Stew (with Barley & Beer)

I'm really on my Irish kick lately. It's not often I'm not around this time. Why? Not only because I have a lot of Irish in my blood, but it's because I continue to research & get inspired by Irish fare to make traditional dishes (as authentically as I can) or to create an Irish spin on a meal that could be served in the Emerald Isle.

Pardon me, another moment, while my Irish continues to show thru... (my list of Irish & Irish-like fare, HERE)

I was thinking about some Irish dishes, like Colcannon (find my recipe in this post HERE), but with a healthier spin (hope to have a recipe for that when I've tried it), and then I got thinking about the greens used in it, and what could be substituted.
That led me to thinking about the greens I use in my NEW YEAR'S HAM & BEANS (a twist my usual LAZY COOKER HAM & BEANS).
What if I did an Irish spin on ham & beans??

Something to think about is the fact that Irish bacon is actually more of a cured piece of ham, much like Canadian bacon. So a great substitute is cured pork belly. I also found that Navy Beans are pretty typical in that part of the world. I could totally do a ham & beans stew, lazy cooker Irish style!
(I'm also including a stove top "hot pot" style, too.)

Here's what I did:

**********

IRISH BACON & BEAN STEW

with Barley & Beer

Ingredients:

* 2-3 lb cured pork belly, trimmed or pork shoulder
* 1 lb bag dried navy beans
* 1-2 can(s) navy beans, drained & rinsed
* 1 lb potatoes, lightly scrubbed & diced
* 32 oz chicken stock/broth (you can use pork, beef or vegetable stock/broth, too)
* 1- 2 12 oz bottles/cans Irish stout/ale,can or bottle (I used a bottle of Boulevard Irish Ale)
* 1 C apple cider
* 1 C pearl barley
* 2 T honey (local or Irish honey - I used Irish honey with Jameson whiskey)
* 1 handful coleslaw mix (with carrots)
* 1 sweet onion, diced
* 2 C turnip greens or curly kale, shredded or torn into small pieces
* 1 medium to large parsnip, scrubbed & diced
* 2 medium to large carrots, scrubbed & diced
* 1/2 C brown sugar
* 2-4 bouillon cubes (I used chicken, but you can use beef or pork)
* 1 T liquid smoke (optional)
* seasonings: ground pepper, thyme, caraway seeds, marjoram, parsley, dried chives
* 2 bay leaves


Directions - Lazy Cooker:

~ Soak dry beans in beer & water (or all beer), about 1 inch over the beans, for about 8 hours in a tightly covered container; or soak overnight in water 1 inch above the beans in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid
     ** If using all beer from 2 containers of the beer, use the reserve of the 2nd container in the stew

~ Once beans are soaked, spray the insert of your lazy cooker with cooking spray

~ Drain & rinse the beans; sort thru them to make sure there are no pebbles; if you find any, discard the pebbles

~ Add the rinsed beans to the lazy cooker insert

~ Take your trimmed pork belly, then add to the lazy cooker (I had some leftover cedar plank smoked ham I augmented with the pork belly)

~ Add in the barley and all of the root vegetables

~ Add in all the seasonings, bouillon cubes, brown sugar, honey, and liquid smoke (if using)

~ Pour in all of the liquids over the beans, pork belly/ham, barley & veggies

~ Place the 2 bay leaves on top of the mixture

~ Close the lid of the lazy cooker

~ Depending on how long you have, either set the lazy cooker to low for 6-8 hours OR set on high for 4 hours

~ Open can(s) of navy beans; drain & rinse

~ After the first round of cooking times, open the lazy cooker lid, remove the bay leaves, add the rinsed canned navy beans, stir, breaking up the pork, then add the bay leaves back & cook on low for 4 more hours OR on high for 2 hours

~ In the last 45 minutes to 1 hour of cooking, open the lid of the lazy cooker, remove & discard the bay leaves, add in the leafy green pieces & coleslaw mix, stir, and close the lid until done

~ After the cooking is done, give one more great big stir & get ready to ladle into bowls

~ Garnish with a little bit o'parsley, and eat it up



Directions - Stovetop:

~ Soak dry beans in beer & water (or all beer), about 1 inch over the beans, for about 8 hours in a tightly covered container; or soak overnight in water 1 inch above the beans in refrigerator in a container with a tight-fitting lid
     ** If using all beer from 2 containers of the beer, use the reserve of the 2nd container in the stew

~ Once beans are soaked, spray the inside of a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot with cooking spray

~ Drain & rinse the beans; sort thru them to make sure there are no pebbles; if you find any, discard the pebbles

~ Add the rinsed beans to the Dutch oven or stock pot

~ Take your trimmed pork belly & add to the pot (I had some leftover cedar plank smoked ham I augmented with the pork belly)

~ Add in the diced onion

~ Add in the barley

~ Add in all the seasonings, brown sugar, honey, and liquid smoke (if using)

~ Pour in all of the liquids over the beans, pork belly/ham, barley, onions & seasonings

~ Turn up the heat on the burner, and bring the stew to a boil

~ Once boiling, turn down to low to begin simmering, and place the 2 bay leaves on top of the mixture

~ Put the lid of the pot (hopefully it has one) onto the pot to cook, at a simmer, for about 2 hours

~ After 1 hour of cooking, remove the bay leaves & set aside, then add in the potatoes, carrots, and parsnips; place the bay leaves back on top, and put the lid back onto the pot, slightly askew, and continue simmering for another hour

~ Open can(s) of navy beans; drain & rinse

~ In the last 30 minutes of cooking, open the lid, remove & discard the bay leaves, add in the canned beans, coleslaw mix and leafy green pieces, stir, and close the lid until done

~ After the cooking is done, give one more great big stir, making sure the pork is broken into pieces & get ready to ladle into bowls

~ Garnish with a little bit o'parsley, and eat it up

Tip: You can use hulled barley, just soak it overnight, like the dried beans, and add it in

Yield: approximately 8

**********

This is a dish that would work so well for St. Patrick's Day! So much more Irish in this inspired dish than Corned Beef & Cabbage could ever dream of being.
(I saw it put that Corned Beef & Cabbage is as Irish as spaghetti meatballs, and as American as apple pie. Stew on that. <<< Yep. I just said that.) And no worries about the stew being served to the kiddos. The alcohol of the beer gets cooked off in the process.

I usually serve up my ham & beans with cornbread (as it should be), but with this dish being Irish-inspired, I highly recommend a beautifully traditional and super simple Irish Soda Bread (which only has 4 ingredients), like my lazy cooker version, HERE.

OK...I cheated a little. That's shredded carrot in there. Just because I had it.
And I forgot the canned beans because I was distracted. Still really good!

This is a perfect dish for a cold night or for when you need to feed a slightly larger crowd. And a fabulous comfort food!

Sláinte! 
(That's an Irish toast to "Good Health"!)

ENJOY!

Irish Creme Tea Latte'

As I continue to research recipes & cultures, I'm always excited to find something new to try...even a tweak to something...and something quick, too.

Stay with me, if you will...

This one is much like the TINGLING LEPRECHAUN I just recently shared, but this time, it's tea. It's Irish-inspired! It's delicious! And it's a shortcut...like I do.


So I found a flavor combo that is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, or anytime, really. Like most of my afternoons, lately.

Here's what I did:

***********

IRISH CREME TEA LATTE'

Ingredients:

* 1 T honey (preferably local) or agave
* 1 t ground cardamom
* Irish Creme creamer (I used Bailey's, of course, but International Delight is good, too)
* Milk
* 1-4 Irish Breakfast tea bags, depending how strong you want the tea (I used Barry's brand)
* 1 t vanilla extract (optional)


Directions:

~ in a large mug, add in the honey, cardamom, and the vanilla (if using)

~ fill the mug about 1/4 of the way up with the Irish Creme creamer

~ fill the rest of the mug up with the milk, *maybe leaving about a half inch at the top

~ heat in the microwave for about 2 minutes on high

~ once the milk/cream drink is super hot, add in the tea bag(s) in to the milk to steep for about 3-5 minutes

~ when time is up, remove the tea bag(s), carefully squeeze the access liquid back into the drink, and discard the tea bag(s)

~ stir the tea really well

~ relax & sip the deliciousness


Yield: 1

**********

*Note: If you have a milk-frother, take a few seconds to use it in the latte'. Seriously. That's why I left a little room at the top of the mug. If you don't want or need to froth your latte', just fill the mug to the top with the milk.

After being frothed; a delicious & fluffy tea latte'

If you want to froth your latte', but don't have a milk-frother, and want to have the frothy foam on the latte', here's a bit of a tweak you can try if you have a mason jar:
Proceed with the first 2 steps, but then only fill the mug with milk until the whole mug is only half full. Heat up the mug in the microwave for about 1 to 1 & a half minutes. Begin to steep the tea, and then try this SPEEDY FROTHING METHOD! Plus, it will probably give you enough to fix two of these delightful drinks to share with a friend.

The flavors mixed all together are delicious!! And will make you want to be in the Emerald Isle while enjoying your newfound tea! You should enjoy it with a delightful slice of APPLE IRISH CREAM CAKE! Trust me. You're welcome!

ENJOY!

Tingling Leprechaun

I love my coffee.

Yes, it's my vice. And it's ugly when/if I don't get it.

I do whatever I can to include my coffee in celebrations, too. Because I will have it! So I may as well include it into whatever holiday celebration. Amm-i-rite?

Around Cinco de Mayo & Dia de los Muertos, I will make my SPICY MEXI-MOCHA.
Much along the same lines, I have been making an Irish-inspired coffee for quite a while now. I thought I'd shared it here already, but then realized I had not! So I will do it now!

I've been enjoying this coffee drink both hot & cold. And I usually have it about once a week, and increases in consumption as St. Paddy's nears.

I, personally, am not a fan of the over-cheesy, "if it's green, it must be Irish," kind of thinking. Even though I love me a Shamrock Shake, I am not big on green mint stuff being used for St. Patrick's Day, either. Why? Because it's not authentic! However, I make a slight exception in this case. Why? Well...there's always cocktails & other drinks created with the most fun names...some even with a purpose! I created this drink (a coffee one) in 2008 while having a lot of time & resources on my hands at a stress-free job I had gotten. I went to the kitchen & grabbed my coffee, Irish Creme hot chocolate mix & found a chocolate-mint starburst hard candy in the candy dish, on my desk...so, I mixed them together. It seemed like it would taste pretty good...and it did! So much so, I played & tweaked to create this drink I still have about once a week, to this day!

Here's what I do:

**********

TINGLING LEPRECHAUN

Ingredients:

* 1 C freshly brewed coffee (non-flavored...just a delightful blend of your choice)
* 2 T chocolate syrup
* 4 T Irish Creme creamer
* 1 1/2 T chocolate/mint creamer
   (like International Delight York-flavor or Coffee Mate Peppermint Mocha -
     I prefer I.D.'s Peppermint Chocolate Truffle,
     but theirs disappointingly seasonal at Christmas)
* milk or half & half creamer
* ice - if making the iced version
* whipped topping (optional)

Directions for Hot:

~ brew the coffee

~ in a large mug, add in the chocolate syrup and flavored creamers

~ when the coffee is brewed, pour in the hot coffee into the mug

~ fill the rest of the mug up with the milk (I will use chocolate milk sometimes) or half & half

~ stir it all up, adding the whipped topping (if using)

~ begin to sip the deliciousness

Directions for Iced:

~ brew the coffee

~ in a tall glass, add in the chocolate syrup and flavored creamers

~ add in ice to fill about 1/4 of the glass

~ once the coffee is brewed, pour coffee into the glass & stir (ice will melt)

~ fill the glass almost to the top with the milk (I will use chocolate milk sometimes) or half & half

~ stir the coffee drink well

~ carefully add in some more ice until coffee reaches top of the glass

~ add the whipped topping (if using) and a straw

~ begin to drink the deliciousness

Tip: Use chilled coffee so it won't melt the ice nearly as quickly!

Yield: 1

**********

As a note: you can adjust these amounts of ingredients depending on your own tastes. Cut down on creamers & add more coffee, if you'd like. Or just add a splash of coffee & enjoy the the other flavors. I'm not there to judge.

On Sunday mornings, we are rushing around getting ready for church. I will make the iced version in a BIG travel cup (using about 3 times the amounts here...cuz...coffee...and chocolate), and then I will use a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast, in the chocolate flavor, instead of the chocolate syrup. Then it's my breakfast mocha! YUM!!

My usual Sunday morning Tingling Leprechaun iced breakfast mocha

Also, feel free to try regular Bailey's Irish Creme instead of just the creamer (and maybe a bit of coffee liqueur) for an Irish coffee kick! It's the perfect name for a cocktail, anyway!

Then you can go on with your day, like on St. Paddy's, where you are set & ready to take in the events of St. Patrick's Day, or even your own Irish fare (several recipes HERE)!

*CHEERS*

ENJOY!

Mimosa Hurricane

It's Carnival time, folks!

I love when Mardi Gras comes, and we end up enjoying things like Dirty Rice, Red Beans & Rice, Shrimp Boils, Red Beans & Dirty Rice...
You get the idea.

To celebrate, I figured out how to fix up another Carnival/Mardi Gras staple: King Cake! (cheater recipe HERE)

I made it last year, too, along with a staple drink: Hurricanes!

Now then, since we were celebrating with the kiddos, and it was a Tuesday night, I decided to make them mocktails instead of cocktails. And they were delicious!

But it got me thinking about something...

Since my King Cake (or Carnival Cake if you don't have the baby...at least that's what I'm calling it) is a glorified cinnamon roll that I've enjoyed for breakfast the next day...and a Hurricane has orange juice in it...
Hmmm...
Mimosas are served at breakfast/brunch time, and they contain orange juice in them...

So...why not make the Hurricane into a Mimosa to enjoy with your King/Carnival Cake in the morning, with a small tweak?? Switch out the rum for Champagne!

Here's what I did:

**********

MIMOSA HURRICANE

Ingredients:

* 1/4 C orange juice
* 1/4 C pineapple juice
* 1 T lemon juice
* 1 T lime juice
* 1/2 - 1 T white sugar
* 1/2 C Champagne/white sparkling wine
* crushed ice
* splash grenedine
* garnish: orange slice/wedge, lime slice/wedge, maraschino cherry, pineapple chunks, etc.

Or look at it this way, in proportion to your glass:
* 1/4 of your glass crushed ice
* 1/2 of your glass, over ice, with Champagne/sparkling wine
* 1/2 of your glass, over ice, with juices & sugar
* splash of grenedine


Directions:

~ In a Hurricane glass, add in some crushed ice

~ Top the crushed iced by pouring the juices, sugar, and Champagne/sparkling wine over the ice; stir together to combine

~ When time to serve, add the splash of grenadine; add garnish of choice (super fun to add a little umbrella & a big bendy or crazy straw, too!)

~ Consume with a slice or two of King/Carnival Cake


Yield: 1 serving


Notes:
+ Make a mocktail version by using a sparkling white grape juice or sparkling cider in place of the Champagne/sparkling wine

+ If you want to make a bigger batch of this, multiply by the number you want to serve for, heat the lemon & lime juices with the sugar in a sauce pan to make into a syrup, then add it with the orange & pineapple juices to a large pitcher or bowl; stir. Add in the juice to the glass (pour or ladle), halfway up, then fill the rest of the glass with the Champagne/sparkling wine. Top it with the splash of grenadine & garnish.

Tip: Don't have grenadine on hand? If you're using maraschino cherries for garnish, splash a bit of the syrup from the jar into your mimosa instead!

**********

While you're at it, fry up some andouille sausage to go along with your NOLA-style breakfast! Yum!

And if you had a great time with your meal the night before, imagine how delicious your breakfast/brunch is going to be in the morning!

Perfect for guests staying the night or for a girls'-get-together for brunch!

I mean...coffee is always great with it in the morning, too...but maybe have coffee with one piece of leftover King/Carnival Cake, and a Hurricane Mimosa with the other! (if there's any cake left...)

Cheers & Laissez les bon temps rouler!

ENJOY!

Sopapilla Icebox Cheesecake

WOW! The Strawberry Icebox Cheesecake I made a few days ago went over SO well (recipe HERE), it actually inspired me to try to make more icebox cakes.

With the cheesecake mix I made, along with the graham crackers, I got thinking about another icebox cake to give a whirl. I was trying to find a good recipe for what I wanted to do..but alas...and as usual...nothing came up. So, I decided to give this super easy, still healthy, and Mexican-dessert-inspired icebox cake!

Here's what I did:

~~~~~~~~~~

SOPAPILLA ICEBOX CHEESECAKE

Ingredients:

* 1 32 oz. tub of Fat Free Greek Yogurt - Vanilla

* 2 boxes sugar free/fat free cheesecake Jell-O instant pudding mix

* 9 cinnamon graham crackers - halved (to make 18 squares)

* 1 8 oz. tub fat free Cool Whip topping, thawed

* 2-3 T honey
* 1 t cinnamon (for topping)

Directions:

1.In a large mixing bowl, combine the entire tub of Greek yogurt & both boxes of pudding mix; stir well (it will be VERY thick)

2. Lightly spray a baking or trifle dish, about 8x8, with cooking spray (either butter or vegetable)

3. Line the bottom of the dish with 9 graham squares, cinnamon side down

4. CAREFULLY use a spoon or spoonula to spread all of the cheesecake mixture over the top of the graham layer; don't forget this mixture is THICK, so spread carefully

5. Once all the cheesecake mix is spread into a thick layer, take the other half of the graham squares and lay them on top, cinnamon side up

6. Add the honey in with the whipped topping, stir very well until well blended

7. Spoon and spread the honey-flavored whipped topping over the top graham layer until completely covered

8. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top the whipped topping layer (I also added some of the stray graham crumbs to the top, too)

9. Cover & place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, and probably up to 12 hours; usually it would be in the fridge overnight - just let it all soak & allow the graham crackers to make a soft crust

10. Serve

Yield: about 9-20 (depending on how small you make the pieces)

** NOTE: If you feel the cheesecake mixture is TOO thick to work with, add about half a cup skim milk to help thin it out & still not take away from how good it is for

Also, if you want to use just the whipped topping for the top layer & just drizzle the honey over each piece, you can certainly do that. I won't be there to stop you.

~~~~~~~~~~

This went over pretty well! It was a good fit to finish off some grilled Mexican Chicken that my hubby fixes. My youngest liked the strawberry version better, but still was good overall.

With it being Mexican-inspired, I say make it to serve for Cinco de Mayo (perfect warm-weather dish), for Dios de los Muertos, your Navidad get-together...or anytime you feel like throwing this super easy dessert together along with any of these Mexi-dishes (HERE)!!

ENJOY!

Apple Irish Cream Cake Glaze

I always look forward to when I get to make my Apple Irish Cream Cake (recipe HERE). And I usually leave it alone since it's so pretty by itself...

Well, with St. Patrick's Day rolling around again, and we have a group coming to our house tomorrow night, I thought I'd make the cake for them.

As I did the cake this time, I realized something:
there is some ooey-gooey goodness from the apple slice marinade left in that bowl! So I decided I should use it! I decided to to make a glaze for the cake with it!

Here's what I did:

~~~~~~~~~~

IRISH APPLE CREAM CAKE GLAZE

Ingredients:

(leftover from the mixture from the apple marinade in the cake recipe)

1/4 C brown sugar
2 T apple pie spice
2 t lemon juice
1 t honey or agave
1 t buttermilk
1/2 t vanilla extract (optional)
1/2 t almond extract (optional)

     Also:
1 C granulated sugar
1 C powdered sugar


Directions:

~  after soaking & using the apple slices from the marinade mixture, heat the liquid in a small sauce pan on the stove until it comes to a rolling boil. Allow to boil for about a minute & then reduce to a simmer for just a moment, then remove from heat. Stir it up.

OR

You can have liquid in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat the liquid on highest power for about 1 & a half to 2 minutes. Remove from the microwave & stir.

~ Add in the granulated & powdered sugar until completely mixed.

~ Once cake is completely cooled, drizzle the glaze over the cake.

~ Top it with a shimmy-shake of powdered sugar

NOTE: You can also keep glaze on the side to top off 1 piece at at time as it's served

~~~~~~~~~~

I plan to be making this on St. Patrick's Day again, too. Plus I'm looking forward to fixing up another Irish feast. Stay tuned for some of the other dishes! (check out my Irish fare HERE)

Hope this helps you in planning & inspiration, too!

ENJOY!

Pantry Who Hash - Lazy Cooker

Almost a year ago, I did Roast Beast Who Hash (recipe HERE) for Dr. Seuss' birthday. I made it after realizing no one else had a recipe for an actual Seuss-based hash! So, I had to come up with something!

As it turned out, my family actually kind of liked it! SCORE!

And then I was so excited when my hubby wanted me to make a version of it for Halloween! So...after some thought & and his considerations, I made a couple of slight changes to make it Beastly Boo Hash (recipe HERE).

I don't make it too often, but it was really awesome when my kids were so pretty OK when I needed a lazy cooker meal for a busy Sunday & I decided to pull out the Who Hash. YEA!

But I thought I'd bring it down a bit. I was out of cider (*ugh*) & needed to save some money, plus I figured I needed to try to pull more of what was in the pantry than going out to get specific things...

So...here's what I did (and my line of thinking):

~~~~~~~~~~

PANTRY WHO HASH - LAZY COOKER

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef, brown & mostly drained
1/4 C minced onion OR 1 small onion, diced
1 lb potatoes, quartered (including a small sweet potato in about 1 inch pieces)
4 C bell pepper (any or mixed color), diced OR frozen bell peppers
1/2 C water
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope apple cider mix
1 T liquid smoke (optional)
3 T worchestershire sauce
2 beef bouillon cubes
approx. 1/2 bag of frozen hash browns


Directions:

Brown meat in a skillet, add the onions (I used dried minced onions), drain & allow to set. I didn't rinse mine to keep in more flavor, but you may rinse it to keep it on the healthier side, if desired.

Spray the inside of the lazy cooker insert.

Add the meat & the veggies (I used fresh bell pepper, but usually have frozen pepper strips on hand).

Pour the water over the meat & veggies.

Empty the onion soup mix, ranch dressing mix & cider mix envelopes to the lazy cooker.

Add in the liquid smoke (if using) & the worchestershire sauce.

Place the bouillon cubes in with the other ingredients.

Give a good stir, then close the lid & allow to simmer on low for 6-8 hours.

An hour before serving, add in the hash browns, stir & allow to cook on low for another hour.

Serve.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you use mostly frozen & dried ingredients, there is very little work involved! Just browning up the meat & cutting up potatoes would be the closest grunt work for the meal.

You can fry up an egg to place on top, if you'd like...or just get ready to serve it with your favorite bread.

And, just another way to change up your Dr. Seuss celebration or your Halloween meal...plus makes it even easier!

You're welcome.

ENJOY!

Scandinavian-Inspired Almond & Cardamom Cakes

I have been on this Scandinavian kick, lately. It all came from doing some research on Leif Ericsson Day, which I missed celebrating this last year, but I wanted be ready for the next time around.

As I had been researching...like I do...I started getting drawn to some of the foods & decor. I also discovered St. Lucia Day, and in researching, will be better prepared for next time around for it, too.

But I digress...

I have taken a liking to the Scandinavian culture & finding out about it. However, I am not Scandinavian at all (I don't think)...but I'm taking on some of the dishes like I have with my Irish dishes (find recipes HERE), but I do have a lot of Irish in me.

Again...I digress...

I took on some baking a few years ago, and really took a hold of the cupcake. But I would play with cake mixes. I've done a couple from absolute scratch, but if I can have a base already, just use it & expound upon it! Right?

Now, if you remember, I discovered the Scandwich, and have been playing, in a near obsessive manner here lately. (see what I've done HERE) But I wanted to try some of the desserts. I've cheated some pastries, but I wanted something different!

Now, I've got some bundt cake pans that I love making breads & cakes with...because they turn out so pretty! They are already presentable, or near presentable, just as they are right out of the oven. *sigh*

Quite some time back, I saw a pan with a set of 6 smaller bundts. So cute! It was like 6 top tiers of a wedding cake...but in bundt form! I really wanted a pan or two of these. Then, because it's my brain we are talking about here, I thought about calling them "baby bundtings"! hehe

So, I had asked for a pan or 2 on my Christmas wish list for the last couple of years. Imagine my surprise when I received a pan that contained 12 tiny bundts! *SQUEEE* I didn't know they made 'em so little! Then, later on Christmas...I got another one! I was so excited!!!

Cake mixes generally make about 24 cupcakes. I now had 24 itty-bitty baby bundtings so I could bake a whole batch at once! Woo Hoo!!

So, I started researching Scandinavian cakes to make...and hopefully, since there's a company called Nordic Ware (so fitting though the pan shape is not Nordic), I thought they were a perfect match...so I matched 'em up!

After doing some research & with my preference of cake mixes, I made some Baby Bundtings out of this:

~~~~~~~~~~

SCANDINAVIAN-INSPIRED 
ALMOND & CARDAMOM CAKES

Ingredients:

Baby Bundtings
1 box Pillsbury Traditional Vanilla cake mix
5 eggs
3 sticks butter, melted
1 1/4 C milk
2 tsp almond extract
2 tsp ground cardamom

Glaze Topping
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C milk
1/2 T vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
sliced almonds


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, put in the cake mix, eggs, butter, milk, almond extract & cardamom

With a standing mixer or hand-held mixer, mix all of these ingredients together until very well blended & completely moist

In your mini bundt cake pan (or cupcake/muffin pan), spray rub down with butter or shortening & flour, or spray with a cooking spray that has flour in it; I used the spray
* If you are using a cupcake pan, you can just use cupcake liners, if desired

Fill each space 2/3-3/4 full

Place the pan(s) into the oven & bake for about 18-23 minutes (depending on your oven), or until golden & a toothpick comes out clean

Once done, pull out of the oven & allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan (if using the mini bundts); if using a regular cupcake pan, allow to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan

While cooling, in a small bowl, pour in the sugar, milk, and vanilla & almond extracts and stir well, until the sugar is dissolved; add in more sugar or milk until you have your desired consistency - and set aside

When cooled, remove from the pan & place each small cake into a cupcake liner (if not already in one)

Take a small spoon & begin to drizzle the glaze over each small cake

Sprinkle a few sliced almonds on top of each cake

Serve

Yield: up to 24 mini cakes/cupcakes

~~~~~~~~~~

Aren't they adorable? I was so happy with how they turned out! I used cupcake liners that resembled a Scandinavian-type pattern to give it a certain je ne sais quoi to match the feel. But you can, of course, use any you'd like.

You could use it as one big bundt cake, too, if you wanted.

As I was "testing" them (*wink-wink* someone's gotta do quality control), I realized how delicious they would be with a cup of coffee! What a great after dinner finisher! Or even after lunch...

ENJOY!

Smokey Mexi-Mocha Chili

My hubby makes great chili! I know a lot of guys (even gals) claim they have the best, but my hubby's is kind of different & so good. He makes a chili that's sweet & spicy.

OK...he tones down the spicy so I can eat it, but he puts in his own special ingredients. And I'm a sucker for the sweeter side of foods. Creamier, too. And his chili is more of a stoup (a Rachael Ray term for "thicker than soup & thinner than stew"). It's got a good, bold flavor that is sweet & savory.

It's important to know this about my hubby's chili, but let's jump to my own  ingredient search:

I love chocolate. No really...I. Love. Chocolate. And I will try all kinds to see if it's to my liking or not. One day, as I was searching the candy aisle at the grocery store, I discovered something that began my brain's wheels to start turning on overdrive. Lindt has a dark chocolate bar that contains chili pepper in it! Did you know that? And I questioned why...

Quite some time later, I learned that there are people who have added cocoa to their chili recipes. wha-WHA?? I know, right?

Then I got thinking about that chili chocolate bar from Lindt...
I had already been adding a square of it to my Spicy Mexi-Mocha (recipe HERE).

My hubby has talked about trying a Tex-Mex seasoning in his chili, and I remembered him saying that...so I got thinking about the whole spicy chocolate in chili, much like my Mexi-mocha. And, mocha includes coffee...so I thought I'd throw in some coffee, too! Because...well...I also LOVE coffee!! I. Love. Coffee.

Then a friend of mine put her vegan chili recipe out there. Imagine my shock when it, too, included coffee!! Since then, I had seen where a couple of chili recipe demos, on news segments, that also included coffee.

But...none of those recipes had included both chocolate AND coffee!! I had even tried to research other recipes that had those ingredients. Guess what I found! Nada...nothing...zip...zero. So, I was on my own.

I also love a smokey flavor to my chili, along with a lot of other soups & meats. So I thought I'd include it here, too.

So, after some research of spices & other chili recipes, and finally getting all the ingredients I needed for what I wanted to use, here's what I came up with:

~~~~~~~~~~

SMOKEY MEXI-MOCHA CHILI

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef or turkey; browned, drained & rinsed
1 14.5 oz cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 small can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1-2 can(s) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, drained (I used a can with no salt added)
1-2 sweet red bell pepper, deseeded & diced
1 beef bouillon cube
1½ cup dark roast/strong coffee, brewed
½ cup minced onion or 1 small sweet yellow onion, diced - divided
½ chili dark chocolate bar; broken into much smaller pieces
3 T cumin
2 T parsley
2 T oregano
3 T flour
3 T cinnamon
1 T nutmeg
1cup brown sugar
2-3 T vinegar
3 T liquid smoke
3 T smoked paprika
3 T chili powder
3 pinches ground cayenne pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
garlic powder to taste
3 T honey
3 T vanilla extract
½ tsp anise extract (you seriously don't want too much of this, but just enough to give umph)
2 tsp cardamom
2 T each: unsweet cocoa & dark cocoa
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T ground black pepper

Directions:

~ in a large pot, brown meat thoroughly, adding half the onions; drain, rinse & add back into the pot

~ turn heat to mid-high heat, then add the beans, corn, bell pepper, the rest of the onions, and tomatoes (sauce, diced & paste) to the meat; stir

~ add in the coffee, liquid smoke, honey & extracts, then stir

~ begin to add all the other ingredients, stir & allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes

~ stir again & take a test taste to figure out where you might want to adjust seasonings & such, depending on how spicy, sweet &/or smokey you want it, then allow to simmer again to get those flavors all blended

* if you cannot live without a couple shimmy-shakes of tabasco sauce or chipotle seasoning, put it in...they are very fitting for this dish
* serve with cornbread or tortilla chips; sprinkle the top with cheese &/or sour cream, if desired

* use it as a hearty dip at your next fiesta

*serving suggestion: ladle the chili into a pottery mug (or any mug)...cuz...mocha should be in a mug

~~~~~~~~~~

This a different, yet yummy flavor for a chili. Perfect for a cold night (cuz...uh...chili) &/or for something like Cinco de Mayo, Dios de los Muertos, or even a different twist to for your Navidad fiesta...or any other night.

There are some surprising ingredients in this chili, but I really did take lead from my hubby's chili & a yummy Mexi-mocha. I even used the mocha idea as the basis for my Mexi-cocoa cake, too (recipe HERE)!

I mean...in ancient times, cocoa was mixed with spices & peppers before sugar & cream. So this is right on track with all of that!

As for the pepper, you can also mix it up by adding orange &/or yellow to make it more festive, too.

ENJOY!

New Year's Ham & Beans

Happy New Year, everyone! Looking forward to a brand new start...

And, to start the new year, we decided to take in some of the long-standing traditions. In case you need a reminder of what some of the mainstays are, here you go:

= black eyed peas - to bring you luck in the new year for nourishment & survival

= pork - pigs are the animals who root forward while they eat & are associated with their girth size; symbolized moving forward in the new year & prosperity 

= greens - to bring you money in the new year

= cornbread - the color of gold

= round foods - the shape of coins, in hopes of bringing money

Well, I incorporated all of these things in our noon-day meal for New Year's Day! One dish to cover all of this? Perfect!

What might have been that perfect dish? It's my Lazy-Cooker Ham & Beans (my original recipe HERE), but with a twist. I kind of touched on it in the original post, but here's what I ended up doing:

~~~~~~~~~~

NEW YEAR'S HAM & BEANS

Ingredients:

~ 1-3 lbs. ham, cubed or chunked (the pork)

~ 1 bag dry beans (I use the 15 bean mix), soaked, drained & rinsed

~ 2-3 cans white beans (Northern, Navy, Cannelli), drained & rinsed

~ 1 can black eyed peas (tradition covered), drained & rinsed

~ 32 oz. chicken broth

~ 1/2 C apple cider

~ 1/4 C lemon juice

~ 2 T liquid smoke

~ 2 T honey

~ 2 celery stalks, rinsed & chopped

~ 2 carrots, rinsed & sliced (left in rounds...for the coin shape)

~ 1 parsnip, rinsed & sliced (left in rounds...for the coin shape)

~ half to 1 whole sweet yellow onion, chopped

~ 1 large kale, cabbage, collard greens, Swiss chard leaf (or more - green of choice), rinsed, spine removed & chopped (greens tradition); massaged in ground sea salt & a tsp lemon juice (may add more greens if desired)

~ 2 handfuls brown sugar

~ handful minced onion (optional)

~ handful smoked paprika

~ handful cinnamon

~ handful garlic powder

~ handful dried parsley

~ sprinkle chili powder

~ sprinkle allspice

~ sprinkle McCorrmick's Smokehouse Maple seasoning

~ 1-2 pinches ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes (optional if more heat desired)

~ 2 bay leaves

Directions:

* soak dry beans in enough water to cover the beans by 1 & a half inches over for about 8 hours

* when beans have soaked appropriately, drain, rinse & discard any pebbles

* spray the lazy cooker insert with cooking spray, then add the beans (not canned) & ham

* pour in the chicken broth, apple cider, lemon juice, liquid smoke & honey

* add in the veggies except the greens of choice

* add in the spices except the bay leaves

* give the mixture a really good stir

* pop in those bay leaves & close the lid

* either set the lazy cooker on high for 4-5 hours

OR

set the lazy cooker on low for 8 hours (if wanting for lunch, so do all of this before bed after you've toasted in the new year)

* remove the bay leaves, add in the canned beans, give a good stir, add the bay leaves back in & close the lid

* set lazy cooker on low for 4 more hours

* in the last 20-45 minutes, remove the bay leaves & discard, then add in the greens, stir & close lid

* give one more really good stir, ladle into bowls & serve with cornbread

~~~~~~~~~~

Since we were serving this for lunch on New Year's Day, I started soaking the dry beans at lunch the day before, then started getting everything assembled & started after we toasted in the new year (as a tip: I would have everything already sliced, chopped, cubed, etc. so that you are not trying to do all of the slicing, chopping, cubing, etc. with a champagne buzz at 1:00 in the morning). The beans & ham were cooking for about 12 hours, total. When I got up in the morning, things were smelling like ham & beans, and I got to go right into the last steps.

We had a get-together to start out the new year with great friends...so I doubled this recipe. Yep! I had two lazy cookers going! But I'll tell you what...not everyone showed up and we went thru 1 whole lazy cooker & half of the other one. Many got seconds, too!

If you have someone who cringes at the thought of consuming black eyed peas &/or the greens...you could not taste a difference in this version from my original one! My hubby is not fond of black-eyed peas OR the kale/greens. He is one that got seconds!

And...it was perfect for the super cold day that set it while it filled us up for the rest of the evening.

I also had the whiners covered: I had my daughter make up some cole slaw for the greens, and I made up some canned black eyed peas with a stick of butter, a handful of brown sugar & some [turkey] bacon bits (had to be fake pork due to my non-pork eater).

For something a bit sweeter, I made cheater Danish pastries (my variation of the recipe HERE, but used the original recipe) & added a strawberry half to the top to resemble a heart to bring love in the new year.

bowl of ham & beans with black eyed peas & kale
served with cornbread
and shown with Love Danish Pastries

What a great start to the new year! I think we may have found a new tradition in these traditions! And they were delicious!

Hope this inspires you to keep up & find ways to work in these traditions...even if you have whiners. 

ENJOY!

Rich & Creamy Cheater Hot Chocolate

My family began a tradition where, in the time between Thanksgiving & Christmas, each family member of the household would draw a number (before Thanksgiving) to decide which order we would go in to watch their Christmas movie & enjoy a Christmas treat of choice. Then the whole family partakes in the family member's indulgence.

When my turn came around, I picked one of my very favorite Christmas movies (based on my favorite children's book), "The Polar Express." Now, I was going to do a treat mixture of gingerbread cookies with eggnog. But when I realized my movie still hadn't been chosen & I had the chance to pick it...you gotta have hot chocolate with this movie!

So I took in the best of all of it! I brought back my Eggnog Mousse (recipe HERE) topped with my Gingerbread Streusel (recipe HERE). Since that's all edible, I made my drink of choice be hot chocolate!

My hubby had a pretty good idea of getting pre-made chocolate milk & heating it up. OK...not a bad thought. But I got thinking...this needs to be a decadent chocolate drink. But there wasn't a lot of set up time. So, here's what I made:

~~~~~~~~~~

RICH & CREAMY CHEATER HOT CHOCOLATE

Ingredients:

* half gallon pre-made chocolate milk
* 6-8 packets hot chocolate mix (without marshmallows)


Directions:

~ in a large pot, pour in the half gallon of chocolate milk

~ heat the milk on medium to medium-high heat to just boiling, stirring occasionally

~ once the milk has just hit boiling, reduce heat to lo to simmer & add in the hot chocolate packets

~ whisk vigorously until hot chocolate mix is dissolved

~ begin to ladle into mugs

OR

~ fill microwave-safe mugs with pre-made chocolate milk

~ place in microwave on high for one & a half to two minutes

~ pour in 1 hot chocolate packet into each mug, and stir vigorously



~ garnish your hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream, if desired

~ serve


Yield: 6-8

~~~~~~~~~~

Oh-me, oh-my! This was so rich & chocolatey! And perfect for a super cold night with the family!

You're welcome.

Make it a cheater mocha! Pour in the chocolate milk instead of creamer with your coffee & stir in the hot chocolate packet. YUM!

ENJOY!