HOT Drinks for a Cold Evening

Ever want something hot to drink and don't want the usual coffee or tea, not your normal hot chocolate or cider either?  Here are a couple of hot drinks you might enjoy!

Hot Buttered Cider

1 Quart apple cider

2 Tbs brown sugar

4 Tbs butter

Place all ingredients in a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar.
(4 servings)

Mint Chocolate

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
4 Tbs water
2 c milk
3 Tbs mint syrup or creme de menthe

Put chocolate squares in a pan; add water and melt, stirring occasionally, over low heat.  Scald milk over med heat in a second pan, then slowly whisk it into chocolate.  Add mint syrup or creme de menthe and whisk again.
(2 servings)

Honey Cocoa

1 cinnamon stick
4 c milk
1/4 c powdered, unsweetened cocoa
1/4 c honey

Scald the milk with the cinnamon stick over medium-low heat.  Remove from heat.  Discard the cinnamon stick.  Place cocoa in a small bowl and dribble in 1/2 c milk, stirring constantly.  Add the cocoa mixture to the milk and warm over low heat.  Stir in the honey and heat through.
(4 servings)

Warm White Russian

2 1/2 c brewed coffee
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c coffee flavored liqueur
1/4 c vodka
Whipped cream for garnish

Combine coffee, cream, coffee liqueur, and vodka in a saucepan.  Simmer until hot.  Divide mixture among heated mugs and garnish with whipped cream.
(4 servings)

Lights Out Grog

1 jigger vodka
1 jigger cognac
2 jiggers light rum
1/4 c orange juice
1 c boiling water
1 tsp sugar

Combine vodka, cognac, rum and orange juice in a heated mug or heat-resistant glass.  Fill mug with boiling water and stir in the sugar.
(1 serving)

Happy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is almost upon us.   Macy's parade in the morning; Dallas Cowboys in the afternoon, I think (not for me)    We are all so looking forward to our big dinner together down at my church hall.  We have a definite 37 to 40 people at this point.  My contribution:  lots of sweet potato souffle, many mini-cheesecakes topped with cherries or peaches, cranberry stuffing and meatless gravy for my darling daughter.   Included in our feast:  turkey, stuffing, hams, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, turnips (a wonderful recipe that my husband used to make that my daughter is putting together this year), creamed onions, eggplant parm, eggplant with veggies and chicken, relish trays and vegetable trays, pies and breads and soooooooooooo much more.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

TODAY'S KITCHEN - Al Roker's Chili

I don't think my mornings could be complete unless the TODAY show clicked on at 7 o'clock each morning.  I really enjoy the hosts and their stories of what's going on in the world TODAY.  I bought TODAY'S KITCHEN Cookbook quite a while ago; there are recipes from the hosts as well as from the hottest chefs and  celebrities.  Here you will find the recipe for Al's Chili (Al Roker), which would be real tasty on these cool fall evenings.

2 lbs chuck steak, cubed into bite size pieces

1 lb hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
2 large onions, diced
12 cloves garlic, diced
1 Tbs cumin
1 Tbs paprika
1 Tbs pure chili powder
1 32-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 16-oz can pinto beans
1 16-oz can northern beans
1 16-oz can dark red kidney beans

Brown the beef and sausage in a large dutch oven.  Remove meat from pan and reserve.   Drain off the fat, reserving about 2 Tbs.  saute' the onions and garlic until translucent, about 7 to 8 minutes.

Add the cumin, paprika, and chili powder.  then add the tomatoes and the meat into the Dutch oven.  Stir the whole pot, and simmer on the stove for about an hour and a half.  at that point, add the three cans of beans, simmer for another 30 minutes.

Serve with dishes of chopped scallions, sour cream, and shredded cheddar cheese.  a nice warm corn bread would be nice as well.

Broccoli and spaghetti Squash - two of my favorites

Another great sounding recipe from Broccoli by Brody that sounds yummy and easy to make.   This recipe calls for a sweet Spanish or Vidalia onion.  Vidalia onions are readily available in the spring but you can sometimes find them in your market year-round.  If you cannot find them, simply substitute a sweet Spanish onion.  The combination of colors here - bright yellow squash and the deep green of the broccoli - makes this a visually stunning dish.

1 large (2-3 pounds) spaghetti squash
3 Tbs water
1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion (or sweet Spanish), thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small zucchini, thinly sliced
3 c broccoli stems and florets, stems peeled and thinly slice on the diagonal
2 Tbs water
1 scallion, green and white parts, chopped

Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the seeds and invert the squash halves on a plate.  Sprinkle with the 3 Tbs water, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 5 to 7 minutes.  (The spaghetti squash halves can also be placed in a shallow aluminum foil lined baking pan with water and baked at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes).  The skin should be tender when pricked with a fork.  Cool slightly.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and saute' the onions and garlic until just tender and transparent but not browned.  Add the zucchini and broccoli  and the 2 Tbs water.  Cover and steam over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the broccoli is crisp-tender.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Gently separate the spaghetti strings from the squash by scraping the insides of the squash with a fork.  Remove them to a serving bowl and gently mix with the other vegetables.  Garnish with scallions and serve.

Broccoli-Chicken-Cheese Roll-up

I was talking with my cousin Kathy this morning about broccoli - how long would it keep in the refrigerator; should she blanch and freeze it or what?  Broccoli crowns are on sale through today and she wants them for one of her Thanksgiving veggies.  Since we were on the subject of broccoli - I went to the bookshelf and retrieved Broccoli by Brody, by Lora Brody and here is a recipe I came across that sounds like it would be pretty darn good!

Broccoli-Chicken-Cheese Roll-ups (Serves 8)

8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 c bottled Italian dressing
1 c chopped broccoli stems and florets, stems peeled and steamed or microwaved for 2 minutes or until just tender
1 c regular or skim milk ricotta cheese
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1/4 c sliced scallions, green and white parts
1 large egg or 1/4 c egg substitute
1/2 c dry white wine or chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place the chicken breasts in a shallow dish; pour the salad dressing over the chicken and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F with the rack in the center position.  Spray and 9 x 13 inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

In a bowl, mix together the broccoli, ricotta, parsley, scallions, egg, salt and pepper.

Divide the filling among the chicken breasts and spread it out almost to the edges.  Roll the chicken around the filling, secure with a toothpick, and place seam side down in the prepared baking pan.

add the wine, cover loosely with foil, and bake for 45 minutes, removing the foil during the last 10 minutes of cooking.  Remove the toothpick before serving.

Shopping and Lunch with the Seniors

     Today I've arranged for the Senior Center bus to take a group of 24 seniors to Colonie Center (a local shopping mall) where we'll visit the Christmas Tree Shop and whatever else we have time for.  I know that I will make a stop at The Children's place and Crazy Eights to see if they have any buys for my granddaughter.  Adison will be 3 on January 21st and she just loves clothes (she likes shoes even more)!!

     After our shopping we'll meet back on the bus and then head to the Olive Garden and Red Lobster (next door to each other) for lunch.  We have 19 ready to eat at the Olive Garden and 5 will dig in at the Red Lobster (Olive Garden for me because I love their soup, salad and bread sticks)!!

     Hope all the seniors enjoy their day!!

Cookies and Treats

How does that cookie jar empty so quickly?   Guess it's time to bake some Cinnamon Sugar Cookies for my little Miss Adison to enjoy!

Ingredients
1/2 c butter, room temp
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 1/4 c sugar
2 eggs
2 Tbs milk
2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, salt, lemon rind and 1 c sugar.  Add eggs and milk; mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and baking soda and gradually add to the wet mixture; mix well.  Drop mixture onto greased cookie sheets, one round tablespoon at a time, 2 inches apart.  In a small bowl, mix 1/4 c sugar and cinnamon.    Butter the bottom of a glass, dip into cinnamon sugar mixture and flatten one cookie.  Repeat until all cookies are flattened.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes until light golden.  Transfer cookies to wire racks and let cool.

Makes two and a half dozen cookies