My Grandma's Hot Chocolate Recipe Made by the Cup, Delicious, Easy, Inexpensive, and Versitle

I will admit to getting old insomuch as it would be quite impossible to deny at this point with children in their mid 40;s!  But further I do not mind it.  No, not at all really.  I think it is because I had such wonderful Grandparents and thought them the most wonderful and amazing people in the whole world! So they were beautiful to me.  I loved the snow white hair and the big smiles on softly wrinkles faces.

One of my favorite memories of my Mother's Mother was the hot chocolate she made us.  It makes me wonder why today people are buying mixes? They just must not know about this? The other beauty of this is that it is actually "warm" chocolate and not all that hot which works quite well for little ones who really do not like "hot" anything, but generally have to wait for things to cool before they can enjoy them fully.  Here is her pure and simple recipe.  You may tweak it for flavor intensity and sweetness. Heat in the microwave to warm it more and just generally enjoy!

Ingredients for Grandma's Hot Chocolate:

1 t. unsweetened cocoa powder (Grandma used Hershey's Cocoa Powder)
1 T. sugar
pinch of salt
1/3 C. very hot tap water or boiling water (Grandma used hot tap water)
1 1/2 C. whole milk ( Grandma used right from the refrigerator but you can warm it if desired)
marshmallows, optional

Place the first 3 ingredients in a 2 cup glass measuring cup or other large mug. Stir together and add the very hot water and stir until the dry ingredients are dissolved.  Stir in the milk and serve.
Garnish with marshmallows if desired.  Yield 2 cups.  Yummy!  May you never buy mix again!

Chai Tea Concentrate, Homemade to take the chill off my bones! Another fall favorite.

Chai tea ingredients simmering away.

I love the flavors and aroma of Chai tea.  Recently I made a delicious Chai tea using instant tea as the base and Mother loved it when I split my batch with her as did I......Here is a link to that recipe.    thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2013/08/fall-is-just-around-corner-and-this.html

Then I saw this made from scratch concentrate and I just had to make it.  The only thing slowing me down was I had used all of my cardamom pods and failed to get more.  Nobody carries them here in our little town so I went to one of the wonderful Asian markets in Evansville and readily found them.  What threw me was there were two varieties.  The green which is what I have always gotten and there was also black.  If anyone out there knows the difference in use please leave me a comment.  I shall have to investigate!

This recipe was adapted from tasty-yummies.com who adapted from numerous recipes floating the blog-a-sphere.

Ingredients for Homemade Chai Tea Concentrate:

4 1/2 C. good water (I use water from reverse osmosis but if you are lucky enough to have good water that is fine too.)   Note:  Our water is so bad that from the tap it smells like a chlorinated swimming pool!
8 bags of black tea
2 cinnamon sticks
1 vanilla bean split in half (or 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract can be added at the very end.)
1/2 C. raw cane sugar, or more to taste(or if you prefer coconut sugar or date sugar.)
1-3" piece of fresh ginger cut into pieces
10 whole cloves
8 cardamom pods
1/2 t. freshly ground nutmeg
2 whole star anise pods
1/2 t. whole black peppercorns
1/2 of an orange jest peeled with a vegetable peeler
1 T. raw honey or more to taste, or add more sugar

Combine all of these ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Line a strainer with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and strain into a bowl to cool.  After cooling refrigerate in a lidded one quart container or jar.

To serve mix 1 part concentrate with 1 part milk.  Serve warm or cold.  Yield about a quart of concentrate.  Keep up to 1 week refrigerated.

I am in hopes this will also act to settle Brian's stomach as a 3" piece of ginger should have that effect.  Not sure if the  fact we eat late is the problem or that he takes several meds in the evening.  I can't help but think this is one of those "chicken soup" sort of things.  It just is good for you all around!  He loved the flavor  of it served up warm before bedtime.

The concentrate would make a great Holiday gift or assemble the ingredients less the water and package along with the directions.  Also it would be a great used as a flavoring....say Chai ice cream?? Or muffins?? Or tea bread??  YUMMM.

Fall is just around the corner and this Chai Tea Mix is delicious! Plus this might be what heaven smells like?

Chai Tea not only is delicious but it must be what heaven smells like!

Sometime ago I got the "2013 tasteofhome ANNUAL RECIPES" cookbook.  This is one of the best recipes I have found and adapted, just a bit.  This mix makes delicious Chai tea.  In fact, it was my lunch today along with a bowl of fresh peaches.  It makes a large batch and would be lovely given in a pretty glass jar with a ribbon as a very thoughtful gift.

Ingredients for Chai tea Mix:

2 C. sugar
2 C. unsweetened instant ice tea powder
1 1/2 C. powdered French vanilla nondairy creamer
1 1/4 C. powdered nondairy creamer
1 1/4 C. packed brown sugar
3/4 C. nonfat dry milk
2 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 t. ground nutmeg (I grated in 1 whole nutmeg.)
1 1/4 t. ground cardamon
1 1/4 t. ground cloves
1 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground white pepper
1/2 t. kosher salt
FOR EACH SERVING 
1 C. hot 2% milk (I used vanilla soy milk.)

Warning this smells delicious as you make it and made me smile a lot!

In a large bowl combine the first 13 ingredients.  Using a blender or food processor process the mix in batches until powdered.   Store in an air tight container in a cool dark place for 6 months.

To prepare Chai tea:  Place 1/4 C. mix in a mug.  Add hot milk and stir until combined.

Yield 32 servings, 8 cups tea mix.  Plenty for gift giving or just to share.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies with a Kiss!

These cookie kisses might just be a great Valentine for the chocolate lover in your life.

Not too long ago I posted a "Homemade Brownie Mix" that produces the best homemade brownie I have ever eaten!  And at 64+ years old that is a lot of brownies!!  Well anyway.......this is a drop cookie you can make from the same homemade brownie mix and sort it of broaden your horizons as they say.  The Homemade Brownie Mix was posted on 10/15/12 and the post is available if you just ask for it in the finder box toward the bottom of the right hand column,

Ingredients for Chewy Chocolate Cookies:

1/4 C. butter melted
2 eggs beaten
1/4 C. water
2 1/4 C. Homemade Brownie Mix
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 C. flour
1 t. vanilla
Walnuts or Pecans, Kisses candy, Chocolate chips, Diced cherries, all OPTIONAL additions.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease baking sheets if you are not using parchment or sil pat baking mats.

Combine butter, eggs, and water in a medium sized mixing bowl.  Beat with a fork until well blended.  Stir in brownie mix, baking soda, flour, and vanilla.  Blend well.  (You may add a few droplets more of water if needed.  Batter should be quite thick.)  Add additional nuts or other optional goodies stirring just to incorporate.

Drop by teaspoonfuls 2" apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Cool.  Yield 36 cookies.

Note:  This recipe was adapted from Make-A-Mix by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, & Madeline Westover.

Turkey & Bean Burritos with Homemade Seasoning Recipe

Last night I just didn't want to cook.  I was pooped and had emptied about a dozen huge boxes of fabric in the late afternoon and just wanted something easy and a hot shower.  I opened the cabinet doors to the spice shelves and spied my jar of homemade taco seasoning.  Out of corn chips,  but there are some large flour tortillas in the bottom of my frig., a case to be made for burritos!  I am cutting back on red meat and I think ground turkey will do just fine.  I have stocked up and have some in the freezer.  Oo-lay!

A thaw in the microwave for the turkey, a can of re-fried beans from the pantry and I am half way home!  I have the seasoning mix already made up and if you would like to try it here is how I make it.

Ingredients for Homemade Taco/Burrito seasoning Mix:

4 T. Chili Powder ( I like Mexainne)
4 t. Paprika
3 T. Cumin
5 t. Onion Powder
1 t. Garlic Powder
1/4 t. Cayenne Pepper or to taste

Blend these ingredients and store in jar with a tight fitting lid.  To use add 2 T. spices mix and 1 C. of water to one pound of cooked and browned ground meat, lower the heat to simmer, and cover.  Cook for 5-10 minutes then use in your favorite recipe.

Ingredients for Turkey Burritos:

1pound cooked and browned ground turkey
2 T. Seasoning Mix above
1 C. water
1, 16 ounce can of re-fried beans
4-6 large flour tortillas
1 diced tomato
3-4 leaves of romaine shredded
3-4 oz. cheese shredded
2-3 T. sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.   Prepare a large foil packet for the flour tortillas and wrap them well.

Prepare the seasoned meat filling as above directed and add 1, 16 ounce can of re-fried beans.  cover and turn the heat to simmer stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile place the foil package of tortillas in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes,  Prepare the tomato, lettuce, and cheese while they warm.

Place a warm tortilla on a flat plate and add in a long row about 3 tablespoons of the meat and bean filling.  Dollop a few half teaspoons of sour cream across the warm meat and sprinkle with a bit of the shredded cheese.  Strew the lettuce and tomato across the top keeping everything in a line about 2-3 inches from the top and the bottom. 

Fold up the bottom of the tortilla then I fold the side closest to me over then I fold again forming a wrap with an opening at the top.  The temptation is to overfill but they are so much easier to eat if you don't!!  So there you have it, quick, easy, one pan, paper plates, and heart healthy, low fat and I used no salt!

Yield 6 burritos.

Homemade Brownie Mix and Walnut Brownies

Homemade Brownies Piled on a Plate and made from Homemade Brownie Mix.

Some of you may recall how much I enjoy the blog, The Iowa Housewife,  as I visit it often and share some of the "finds" there!  One of which is a cookbook I sent off for after seeing some of it's treasures extolled there.  Make-A-Mix is the title and it was written by Karine Eliason, Nevada Harward, and Madeline Westover.

I was intrigued by the Brownie mix in particular because one of my daughter-in-laws, Julie 2 ( We have two daughter-in-laws with the same first name.) is an avowed chocoholic and I thought of this as a gift to her.  Both daughter-in-laws work full time and I try to do thoughtful and helpful things for them as I can.  After making my adaptation of the mix I noted 5 different recipes are given in which to use it.  Sure sounds like a plan to me!

Ingredients for Brownie Mix:

6 C. organic flour (you can use regular if you'd rather)
4 t. baking powder
4 t. kosher salt
4 pounds of sugar (8 cups)
8 ounce can of unsweetened cocoa powder (not drink mix)


Combine all of these ingredients in a large bowl stirring until very well mixed.  Store in a cool place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.  Note:  No preservatives, no artificial anything, and I can pronounce all of the ingredients and know what they are.   Use as directed for Brownies to follow.

Best Brownies from Homemade Brownie Mix:

1/4 C. melted butter
2 beaten eggs, (I use organic when I have them.)
1 t. vanilla
2  1/4 C. Homemade  Brownie Mix
1/2 C. chopped walnuts, optional

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 8" square pan and set aside.

Combine the cooled butter with the rest of the ingredients and stir until smooth.  Mixture will be quite thick.

Spread evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes until the brownie pulls away from the side of the pan.   Cool and cut into bars.  Yield 16,  2" brownies.

These Brownies are delicious and I know for sure as I just ate this one for my lunch.

This Brownie was my lunch today and it was delicious!

I have never enjoyed lunch more.   I hope you enjoy this posting as much as I have enjoyed doing it today.  I plan to adapt and try and share the other recipes for this mix too.