Frozen Hot Chocolate

Frozen Hot Chocolate

*I found this recipe online at food.com. Luckily, it turned out great! Ever since I worked at Dairy Queen I have wanted to make frozen hot chocolate. We made it for other people there, but I never tried it. Some of my coworkers thought it was great; others hated it. I don't know why I never tried it. But this is a pretty good, easy, and fast recipe that satisfies chocolate cravings and battles heat waves at the same time! (And with my apartment temperature ALWAYS being somewhere in the 80's, it's nice to cool off with a chocolately treat).

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces milk
• 1/2 cup hot cocoa mix (or 2 packets...we use Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate flavor)
• 1 1/2-2 cups crushed ice cubes
• whipped cream (optional)
• additional hot cocoa mix (optional)

Directions:

1 Pour milk into blender.

1. 2 Add hot cocoa mix and ice.
2. 3 Blend first at low speed and then high speed until ice is finely crushed and slushy.
3. 4 Pour into tall glass and top with whipped cream and a dusting of hot cocoa mix, if desired.
4. 5 Serve with a straw and enjoy!
5. 6 P.S. This recipe was originally posted using small ice cubes. At our shop we have a commercial blender that has no problem getting through these. Since most people have regular blenders, I have changed it to crushed ice.

And there it is! Frozen hot chocolate. It's like a milkshake without the ice cream. Nice!!

Happy Guatemala Day! (El Dia de Chapin)

Since my husband served his mission in Guatemala, we have had the idea of having an official Davis family Guatemala day in our heads for a while now. Turns out that Saturday was the day we chose to celebrate our new holiday! I call it "Guatemala Day" and he is all Spanishy, so he calls it "El Dia de Chapin." I guess "Chapin" are what native Guatemalans are called? You'll have to ask him.

We started by taking "traditional" Guatemalan pictures next to a painting someone kindly made for my husband while he was on his mission. The pictures are traditional because we are not smiling...he says Guatemalan's don't smile in their pictures. Don't worry, we are smiling inside!

notice his tropical shirt. He refused to wear it all day, but at least I got a picture! :)

Then we  listened to Spanish music on the radio and read the Book of Mormon in Spanish (not at the same time). 

The rest of our daily activities included going to the library to check out Latin dance music and Spanish movies, eating out at an authentic Guatemalan restaurant, going to a latin food market to buy goodies, watching one of the Spanish movies (Carlitos: It was about a young orphan boy who wanted to play on the international soccer team. Luckily, it had English subtitles or I would not have been able to even tell you that much), and we ended the day with a trip up the canyon to roast hot dogs and make Platanos Fritos (see recipe below). What a fantastic first Guatemalan Day we had!

Happy Guatemalan Day, everybody! :)

(See the next post for a traditional Guatemalan recipe).

Platanos Fritos (Fried Plantains)

Guatemalan Platanos

*FIRST OF ALL!!! I must make a disclaimer: I did not make this dish, my husband did. :) He learned to do this on his mission in Guatemala, so of course we made them for Guatemala Day! Only problem: We tried to make them in the mountains over an open fire. It was a lot harder than we anticipated, but still tasted great!

Hint: when cooking over a fire, wear goggles so the smoke does not get in your eyes...it kills!
Note to self: Next time, use charcoal.

1. Buy plantains from the store (can usually find in a grocery store...we went to a latin foods market for fun). The plantains are ready when the skins are BLACK and look gross. Seriously, it's weird but true. Think of it as finding the ones that look like bananas ready for banana bread. Those ones are perfectly ripe!

Black Plantain skin...this is what it should look like!!!

2. Peel the skin off the plantain. This is sometimes harder than it looks, especially if the fruit is not ripe enough. With green plantains it can be almost impossible! Luckily, my husband is an expert. :)

3. Cut plantain at a slant to make fry-able pieces.

4. Put in a skillet with hot oil and fry both sides until golden yellow-brown.

5. Sprinkle sugar over the top and dip in sour cream. Enjoy!

MY REACTION: My husband first made these for me when we started dating. He wanted to impress me with his mission cooking skills...you know how that goes. I was hesitant at first, because  one of the only foods I hate are bananas. Luckily, fried plantains don't taste too much like bananas, and they have a much better texture (I think that's what I hate about bananas the most). Since then I have only been able to have this dish three other times. Two of those times were in the past few days. Cooking the plantains over the fire was such hard work that we saved the rest to cook at home the next day. I couldn't wait to eat it all! If I could have this once a month for dessert, I would be in heaven.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars-from allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup corn syrup (I've tried using half honey or maple syrup and half corn syrup. Both worked well) 
• 1/4 cup butter, melted (I used oil instead of butter one time I made these...just use a little less if you use oil)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/4 cup sunflower kernels
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3 tablespoons toasted wheat germ (never used this. I'm not even sure what it is!)
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• *Instead of using these last ingredients in red (because I never have any around the apartment), I usually throw in whatever crumbs are left in our cereal boxes or anything else that sounds like it would taste good in granola bars. If you leave out the last things, just put in a little extra oats or other dry ingredients so the bars aren't too soft.*

Directions

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in the oats, sunflower kernels, raisins, wheat germ and sesame seeds. Fold in chocolate chips.
2. Press into an 8-in. square baking dish (It works in 8x11 pan well too. Might be fine in 9x13 as well, but bars will be thinner) coated with nonstick cooking spray. It's easiest to press in the pan if your hands are a little wet. Then the gooey mixture won't stick to them. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-
3. 20 minutes (I usually do 18 minutes) or until set and edges are browned. Cool completely. Cut into bars.

*If you triple this recipe it fits in a sheet pan. And, trust me, the more you make the better!

Footnotes

• Editor's Note: These granola bars are best if allowed to stand, covered, for 1 day before serving.
• Nutritional Analysis: One bar equals 239 calories, 12 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 10 mg cholesterol, 102 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein.
  
  
  I was literally dancing around the kitchen licking the spoon after putting these together and in the oven. I couldn't wait to try the finished product, because my little preview tastes were so so good. I love oatmeal, and I've been craving granola bars (am I weird?) So this recipe COMPLETELY hit the spot.
  
  
  Husband's Reaction: Well, he's eaten probably 20 bars by now, so I'm pretty sure he loves them as much as I do. :) He seemed a little sad when he found out I ate the last one yesterday.

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn

Sweet and Spicy Popcorn-From a recipe on allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• dash cayenne pepper  this was in the original recipe, but I didn't use it
• 6 cups plain popped popcorn

Directions

1. Place sugar, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper in a zip-type plastic bag or other 2-qt. airtight container. Mix. Add popcorn. Spray popcorn with nonstick cooking spray. Close bag and shake. Repeat one or two times until popcorn is coated.

Husband's Reaction: "Ah! This is spicy! That can be your popcorn. I didn't like it."


I admit, this popcorn is not for everyone. I'm pretty sure my dad would hate it. But my little brother would adore it! If you're the kind of person who likes spicy-sweet, then this popcorn is for you! (I'm eating some right now...husband is still at work, so it's the perfect time!)

Lemon Chicken (from Taste of Home Potlucks and Parties Special Edition)

Lemon Chicken
Yield: 6 servings

1 tsp dried oregano

½ tsp seasoned salt

¼ tsp pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules

¼ cup boiling water

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1-1  ½ tsp minced garlic

1-1  ½ cups (12 ounces) sour cream

2        tsp minced fresh parsley

Hot cooked brown rice, optional

Combine the oregano, seasoned salt, and pepper; rub over chicken.  Place in a 3-qt. slow cooker.

In a small bowl, dissolve bouillon in boiling water.  Stir in lemon juice and garlic.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

Remove chicken and keep warm.  Stir in sour cream and parsley; cover and cook for 15 minutes or until heated through.  Serve chicken with sauce and rice if desired.

Hint: wisk the sour cream into the sauce at the end. I didn't stir mine enough, and it turned out looking strangely lumpy, although it still tasted amazing! I remember the sauce being thicker as well, but my mom said she made it recently and it was runny too. I hesitated to put my picture on this post, because it does not look as wonderful as it really is. You should try it anyway. You can make the sauce (and entire dish really) on the stovetop if you would rather. This is one of my favorite meals, and it's very very easy.


Husband's reaction: He didn't love it as much as I do, but, of course, his sauce was lumpy. Poor guy. :) I'll make it again, and he'll see how wonderful it is. Promise.

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon and Garlic (from In the Kitchen with Rosie: Oprah’s Favorite Recipes)

Lemon Pasta
Serves 4

1 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup chopped tomato (1 medium tomato)

8 ounces angel hair pasta

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 Tb freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and maintain at a boil.

Put the olive oil and garlic in a sauté pan and cook over medium heat just until the garlic begins to brown.  Stir in the lemon juice and tomato.  Remove the pan from the heat.

Place the pasta in the boiling water and cook to desired doneness.  Drain the pasta and put it into a warm serving bowl.  Add the basil, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper, along with the tomato mixture.  Toss and serve immediately.

This recipe originally calls for white wine, but of course I deleted that part. J Perfect recipe for summer, when tomatoes are fresh and you want something light. You can use dried spices and bottled lemon juice, but fresh tastes so much better.


Husband's Reaction: "I LOVE it this way [as he piles it on top of the garlic toast I made to go on the side]. It's like a pasta sandwich!"

My Secret Love

Oh how I love allrecipes.com. There seems to be a reason every day to look up something on that website. I've used it to make frozen hot chocolate when I needed a chocolate fix. I've used it to help me dress up a can of pork and beans that didn't look very appetizing. I found a recipe for homemade fortune cookies on there that looks difficult, but I can't wait to try it. When I can't call my mom to ask how to cook something, I go to allrecipes.com.

I like that people write reviews of the recipes too. That way I can kind of get a feel for how difficult and yummy each one is, before spending money and time trying a recipe blindly. I have been pretty happy about how easy it is to find and compare recipes. You can even search by ingredients if you have a few things on hand but don't know what to make. You all probably already use this website, but in case you don't I'd like to introduce you. Go check it out, and it might just become your new secret love too.

What do you like about allrecipes.com?

Spinach Burgers (from Dad)

Spinach Burgers
When a regular old beef burger just won't cut it.

1 pkg frozen spinach (thawed)

3 eggs        

½ onion, chopped

2-3 Tb oil

4 slices cheddar cheese (I used grated mozzarella, leftover from a pizza we made a few days ago) 

Combine spinach, eggs, and onion.  Beat together.  Poor into heated oil (should constantly make a sizzling sound).  Cover and simmer till almost cooked through.  Carefully flip over, cover with cheese, and brown other side.  Spread open hard rolls (It's IMPORTANT that the rolls are hard or the bread is toasted or the hamburger buns are dry, because these burgers make regular soft buns soggy pretty fast) with salad dressing and place long slices of spinach burger inside.  I like adding catsup and tomatoes to mine.

This was one of the few things Dad made us when he had to cook dinner.  We hated it.  But now I have come to like them, if not eaten too often.  It’s healthy too, which is a bonus. Try it. You might not hate it as much as it looks like you will hate it. :)

Husband's Reaction: "It's good, but I think I like real hamburgers better. . . .I wonder what turkey burgers taste like."

Pasta Carbonara

Pasta With Carbonara Sauce

My dad served a mission in Italy, and he brought this recipe back with him. Nobody ever complained at our house when we had this for dinner.

4 eggs

1/4 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup whipping cream (I used half and half again)

1/2 lb. Bacon, cut up (I used two strips...it was all we had left. Use as  much/little as you want.)

1 lb. Fettuccine or spaghetti

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Pepper

Parsley (to garnish--optional)

1-Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Let eggs, butter or margarine, and cream (half and half) stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours.

2-In a skillet, cook bacon till brown. Remove bacon and drain on paper toweling. 

3-Heat an oven-proof serving dish in a 300 degree oven.

4-Meanwhile, beat together eggs and cream (half and half) just till combined. Add pasta to a large amount of boiling, salted water. Cook 10-12 minutes or till tender but firm; drain well. 

5-Turn hot pasta into the heated serving dish; toss pasta with butter. Pour egg mixture over and toss till pasta is well coated and the egg is cooked. *If you are worried about the egg being cooked well enough, you can put the pan back in the oven to heat it up some more or do this step on the stove in a hot skillet. The pan should be hot enough to cook the egg if you everything around in it.*

6-Add bacon, cheese, and parsley; toss to mix. Season to taste with pepper. Serve immediately.

Tossing in the hot pan to cook the egg and cream mixture.

Husband's Reaction: "New favorite!" 

Me: "Really???"

Husband: "At least for today, yeah."

But really, it really was so so good.

Caramel Popcorn!

Easy Caramel Corn -From Char Mills

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup light Karo

1 square butter

6 qt. popped popcorn

Pop corn. Bring to boil the other ingredients. When it boils, pour over popcorn. Mix well. Enjoy! 

Very easy, even if it's not very healthy. 

Husband's Reaction: ...well, he didn't say much. His mouth was full, and his fingers were very sticky. Actions speak louder than words, right? :)

Ice Cream In A Bag (From Science Class)

Ice Cream In A Bag


1 cup half and half or cream (I preferred half and half. Cream sometimes leaves a greasy film feeling on my tongue).

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup sugar
      

Fill big ziplock bag ½ full of ice. Add in 1/4-1/2 cup of salt. I have used both rock salt and table salt before. Rock salt is best, but table salt also works...you just might need to add more or shake longer.  Fill a smaller ziplock bag with half and half, milk, vanilla, and sugar. *I have made this ice cream with only skim milk before. It works if it's all you have on hand, but it's more ice-crystally the less fat you use.* Seal the zipper part of the bag with tape (duct tape works really well).  Put smaller bag inside bigger bag. Then fill the big bag up the rest o the way with ice and add 1/4-1/2 cup more salt.  Seal with tape and mix up.

The above picture shows only half of this recipe. 

We did not have any big bags, so I could not make very much.

*Be sure to seal the small bag very tightly.  You don’t want salt water to get in.  Also, squeeze all the air out before sealing.


*It's fun to wrap newspaper around the bags with tape and play catch to mix up the ice cream. You want to constantly shake the bags until the ice cream is frozen. This takes about 10-15 minutes, but freezing time seems to vary based on how much ice and salt you add, how much you mix it, and how hot it is. Just squeeze the bad when you think it might be ready to judge the hardness of the ice cream. If it's not frozen enough, keep shaking.

*When you are ready to eat, wash the inside bag off a little with cold water so that salt water does not get in your ice cream. Then cut one of the corners of the bag off with scissors, push the ice cream out through the hole, and enjoy!

Used this when we went camping with the extended family. Very fun! Also useful for when kids are bored in the summertime.


Husband's Reaction:"This is great! It takes like a rootbeer float!" (Not sure how much it really tastes like rootbeer, but the consistency is similar to ice cream in a rootbeer float.)