Drinks for a Cold Winter Night

Candy Cane Hot Chocolate
1 quart Organic Whole Milk
1 quart Organic Low-Fat (1%) Milk
3/4 cup sugar
8 ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
4 ounces red-and-white striped peppermint candies
1 cup Lucerne Heavy Whipping Cream
Peppermint schnapps or peppermint extract (optional; see notes)
8 candy canes, each at least 4 inches tall

Directions:
1. In a 5- to 6-quart heavy pan over medium heat, combine whole milk, low-fat milk, and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk often, just until milk is steaming, about 10 minutes; do not boil. Reduce heat to low and add chocolate chips. Whisk constantly until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth; keep warm.

2. While milk heats, place the 4 ounces of peppermint candies in a food processor and whirl just until coarsely crushed. (Or place candies in a heavy resealable plastic food bag and pound with a mallet or rolling pin until coarsely crushed.) Set aside.

3. Pour whipping cream into a medium mixing bowl. Beat on high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, gently fold crushed peppermint candy into whipped cream.

4. To serve, divide hot chocolate among mugs. If desired, add peppermint schnapps or extract to each mug to taste. Top each with a dollop of whipped cream and garnish with a candy cane.

Note: You can tailor this to appeal even more to grown-up tastes: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons peppermint schnapps to each adult portion. For increased peppermint flavor for kids, add 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract to each child's mug.


Peanut Buttercup Hot Chocolate
1 (1 ounce) envelope instant hot chocolate mix
2 teaspoons creamy peanut butter

Directions:
In a mug, prepare chocolate mix as directed on package. Stir in 1 or 2 teaspoons peanut butter.



Hot Spiced Cider
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 large orange, quartered with peel
2 quarts apple cider

Directions:
Place filter in coffee basket, and fill with brown sugar, allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, salt, nutmeg, and orange wedges. Pour apple cider into coffee pot where the water usually goes. Brew, and serve hot.



Hot Spiced Cranberry Cider
2 quarts apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 1/2 teaspoons whole cloves
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Directions:
In a large pot, combine apple cider, cranberry juice, brown sugar, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon slices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove cinnamon, cloves, and lemon slices. Serve hot.

Texas Caviar with Avocado

2 (15.5 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
8 fluid ounces Italian dressing
cayenne pepper to taste
2 avocados - peeled, pitted, and chopped

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix black-eyed peas, tomatoes, sweet onion, jalapeno peppers, Italian dressing, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the avocados just before serving.

Cinnamon Rolls

1 1/2 C. milk, heated
1/2 C. sugar
1/3 C. shortening
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 pkg. yeast
1/2 C. warm water
4 C. flour

Heat milk with sugar, shortening, and salt. Cool and add egg and yeast, dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water. Add flour to make a soft dough, but not sticky. Refrigerate over night. Take out of refrigerator. Let rise until double. Roll out and spread with soft butter or margarine, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Bake for 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven.

Apple Butter

5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
4 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate or freeze.

Creamy Raspberry Punch

2 (64 fluid ounce) bottles raspberry cream soda, chilled
1 (12 fluid ounce) can frozen concentrated raspberry juice
1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream

In large punch bowl combine both bottles of raspberry cream soda and raspberry juice concentrate. Stir until concentrate is dissolved. Carefully add ice cream. Stir briefly. Best served chilled.

Chicken Toscani Soup

1 small finely diced onion
1 boneless skinless chicken thigh cut in 1 inch THIN strips
1 tsp garlic
2 tablespoons EVOO
1/2 stick butter
1 tablespoon flour
2 cans fat free chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
fresh ground pepper
ground sea salt (Also McCormick)
1-2 cups store bought gnocchi
2 cups fat free half and half
2 cups fresh spinach cut into thin strips
5 or 6 leaves of fresh basil, finely chopped
1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh diced tomato, for garnish

1-In large stock pot place EVOO, add onion and chicken and sauté.
2-Once cooked through add garlic and stir through.
3-Add butter and flour, stirring until combined and lightly brown.
4-Stir in 2 cans of chicken broth, taking care to scrape the browned bottom of the pan to let in all that flavor.
5-Add gnocchi and parsley and let simmer for a few minutes to cook gnocchi through.
6-Add half and half, spinach, and fresh basil.
7-Add about 1 cup of fresh grated parmesan cheese at the very end before serving.

Puppy Chow For People

1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Chocolate Chips
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
8 cups Crispix Cereal
2 cups Powdered Sugar

In a medium sized pan, melt first three ingredients over a low to low-medium heat. Place cereal in a large bowl, and pour melted chocolate, butter, and peanut butter over cereal, and stir well. Once everything has been mixed together well, an the cereal is evenly coated pour powdered sugar in a brown grocery bag and add cereal and shake well to coat evenly.