Butterfinger-Banana Milkshake

On a hot summer day (even though fall is supposed to be coming soon!) nothing beats a delicious milkshake! This one is full of Butterfingers and bananas and is so yummy!

Butterfinger-Banana Milkshake

1 cup milk
3 cups vanilla ice cream
4 bananas
8 miniature Butterfingers

Place all ingredients into blender; process until smooth. Pour into glasses and top with crushed Butterfingers.

Egg Nog

I love egg nog. I mean, seriously LOVE it. And I love to make it. Yes, I know I can go to the store and buy a gallon of it, but, it's me. And I like to make things. Homemade egg nog is one of those things I like to make. :)

I have been making this egg nog for 2 years and am not sure why I haven't posted it before. It is thick and creamy and delicious. The addition of the orange and lemon zest gives it extra flavor, but if you aren't a fan of zests, you could leave them out.

And, please, forgive the picture. I wish I had stuck a cinnamon stick in it or sprinkled some nutmeg on top. Something. But, this was the last glass and it was 630 am and if I didn't get a picture FAST, there would be no picture. Yes... it is THAT good! :)

Enjoy!

Egg Nog
Williams-Sonoma

12 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
Grated zest of 1 orange
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream

In a large saucepan, whisk together the yolks, sugar, nutmeg, and zests. Stir in milk and cream. Place over low heat and, stirring contstantly, heat to 160 degrees, about 2o minutes. (If you don't have an instant read thermometer, you could also test by whether the mixture coats the back of a spoon.)

Immediately remove from heat and strain into a pitcher. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, about an hour.

Hot Cocoa Mix

Here is the recipe for hot cocoa mix that I promised in my marshmallow post. This makes for a great homemade gift and, since I have to perform quality control before food leaves my house, I can tell you that it makes a great cup of hot cocoa! The addition of a homemade marshmallow on top was great, too!

Enjoy!

Hot Cocoa Mix
AllRecipes

6 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 (5 ounce) package non-instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup powdered chocolate drink mix (I used Ovaltine; could also use Nesquick)
1/2 cup powdered non-dairy creamer
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

In a large bowl, combine powdered milk, chocolate pudding mix, chocolate drink mix powder, creamer, confectioners' sugar, and cocoa. Divide the mixture between two 1 quart jars. Seal, and decorate as desired. These can be stored in a dry area for up to 3 months.

Attach a tag with the following instructions: Dissolve 1/3 cup cocoa mix in 1 cup boiling water.

Pumpkin Latte

A few days ago I posted on Facebook that October is the month that I go crazy with pumpkin. I tend to make as many things with pumpkin that I can. I buy a few cans of pumpkin plus a couple pumpkins that I roast and puree just so I can have some in the freezer. I don't know why I go crazy in October... all I know is that I do! :)

I was surprised at how many people were exicted to see what new pumpkin recipes I was going to post and a friend requested that I post about a pumpkin latte that is similar to a Starbuck's latte. I haven't had one from Starbucks so I can't if this is identical, but I can say that this is a FANTASTIC latte that I will be enjoying over and over again!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Latte

Recipe slightly adapted from DIY Recipe

2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Brewed coffee (or hot chocolate)
Whipped cream

Warm milk, pumpkin, sugar, vanilla bean (scrape seeds out and add seeds AND pod) in pan. (If using extract, add once you remove from heat.) Once warm, add pumpkin pie spice and vanilla extract (if using). Beat with whisk until frothy. Pour some of the pumpkin mixture into coffee cup and the fill up the rest of the way with coffee. (Amount is up to you... I did 1 part coffee to 1 part pumpkin mixture. You may want to do more or less depending on how strong you like your lattes.)

Top with whipped cream and extra pumpkin pie spice.

SMS: Strawberry Lemonade

I am so excited about a drink for SMS this week! Don't get me wrong... I LOVE baking. It is my true passion but it is nice to have a little variety in a baking group. When the recipes for February were posted, I knew right away that I would be making this one.

It is exactly how you would imagine. A delicious strawberry lemonade. Not too sweet, not too tart. It is just right. And yes, I am channeling Goldilocks a bit! :)

Thanks to Jessica of My Baking Heart for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Homemade Pizza and a Smoothie

Mmmmm.... homemade pizza! It is so tasty! I found the crust recipe at Make & Takes. It was good, but a little too bready for me. It didn't ruin the pizza for me, but next time I will roll it a bit thinner to see if that helps. It was a very delicious!

Pizza Dough

1 T. Yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp. honey
2 T. Extra virgin olive oil
2-2 1/2 cups flour

Mix yeast, water, and honey in bowl. Let sit 5-10 minutes or until yeast is foamy. Add oil and flour. Knead until smooth and elastic. Place in well oiled bowl; cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down and roll out.

Bake at 400 for a couple minutes, then place toppings on and bake 10-12 minutes longer, or until cheese is bubbly.

And, yes, I realize pizza and smoothies aren't exactly synonymous, but I didn't want to do a whole new post for one little smoothie. Plus, I already have a blueberry smoothie posted, but this is different and delicious, so I wanted to post it, too. I found the recipe at Pioneer Woman.

Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup blueberries

1 TBSP honey

Milk and ice

Blend yogurt, blueberries, and honey in blender. Add enough ice and milk to reach desired consisitency.

*I use frozen fruit instead of ice. You could sub any fruit you want for the blueberries, too.*

Day 9 - Recipes 13, 14, 15, & 16

Today went much better than yesterday. No bombs! WOO HOO!

For breakfast I made MacGyver Waffle Sandwich. I found the recipe on Breakfast Blogger. It was such a great breakfast and a nice change from the traditional breakfast sandwich. Everything is cooked on the waffle iron which really cuts back on dishes. I decided to cook my bacon in a pan, though, just so I could have it all ready sooner. I've never seen an egg cooked on a waffle iron and I have to admit, it was kinda cool! I even made Anya come in to watch. She wasn't quite as impressed as I had hoped, but a 3 year old is the only audience I have! The waffles were great, too! I froze the extras so that I can throw these together later in the week.

Dinner was also a hit! We had Pork Medallions, Citrus Green Beans, Amish White Bread, and Strawberry Lemonade. With the exception of the bread, this meal took less than 30 minutes to prepare. It was delicious, too! I am so happy when I find meals that are good for my family and take little to no effort to get on the table! I am not counting the lemonade as a recipe because unless a drink is really complex, it doesn't really require a recipe. I will, however, post the "recipe" for it.


After 9 days I have realized that I need to work on my writing skills and find more ways to describe a meal other than "delicious". I will do my best.....

YUM!
A waffled egg

The MacGyver Waffle Sandwich

Cheddar Waffles:

1 cup milk

4 eggs

1/2 cup melted butter

2 cups flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shredded cheddar (any cheese will work, depending on your taste)

Whisk together the liquid ingredients. Add the salt and baking powder to the flour, and then stir the flour mixture into the liquid mixture. Lastly, add the cheese a quarter cup at a time, stirring lightly between each addition, so it doesn’t form a big cheesy glob in the center of the batter. This should make about 5 bread slice shaped waffles.

After the waffles are cooked, crack an egg (or scramble one and pour) onto the waffle iron and cook for about 1 minute or until the egg is done.

You can also cook your bacon on the waffle iron, but I chose to use a pan.

Assemble the sandwich with extra cheese, if desired.

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Strawberry Lemonade

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 cup pureed strawberries

Mix lemonade according to package directions. Add in strawberries and chill.

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Pork Medallions

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1/2" slices

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 cup flour

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

2 TBSP butter

2 TBSP olive oil

Flatten pork to 1/4" thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dip pork in flour, then eggs, then breadcrumbs. Heat oil and butter in pan. Cook pork until juices run clear.

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Citrus Green Beans

3/4 lb fresh green beans

2 tsp olive oil

1 - 2 tsp grated orange peel

Salt and pepper to taste

Steam green beans 8-10 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer to a small bowl. Add oil, orange peel, salt, and pepper. Toss to coat.

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Amish White Bread

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)

2/3 cup white sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

6 cups bread flour

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in warm water, and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Mix salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. Shape into loaves, and place into two well oiled 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans. Brush with egg wash. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Brush with melted butter while still warm.

Day 5 - Recipes 6, 7, & 8

Today was a busy day. Anya had swimming lessons this morning and a toddler fitness class this evening. So, it was easy meals for us today! We started out the day with Blueberry-Pomegranate Smooties, made a Munchie Mix mid-day, and Sausage with Broccoli and Rice for dinner.

I love the color!

I had some leftover blueberries from dinner last night and I had blueberry-pomegranate juice in the fridge and I decided to throw them together for a smoothie. The smoothie was delicious, but next time I make it I will probably use frozen berries. I just prefer using frozen fruit instead of ice in a smoothie. I like how the frozen fruit not only thickens the smoothie, but it adds flavor at the same time.

Anya's Munchie Mix

So proud of her creation!

Anya really enjoyed making the Munchie Mix. After making it, I divided it into snack sized Ziploc bags and added them to Anya's snack basket. You could do a million things with this mix. Just add what you like!

With having to rush out of the house at 5:15 to head to the post office and Anya's toddler class, dinner needed to be quick and easy. I had some kielbasa that needed to be used, so I threw this together. It was good and definately fit the requirement of being easy. It was a one pot meal, which meant I got the dishes done before we left, too! It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was a healthy at home meal instead of fast food!

As always... the recipes.....

Blueberry Pomegranate Smoothie

1 cup blueberries, frozen
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup milk

Blend together. Serve chilled.

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Munchie Mix

1 cup multi-grain Cheerios
1 cup granola
1/2 cup mixed nuts
1/2 cup peanut M&Ms
1/2 cup regular M&Ms
1/2 cup peanut butter chips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup craisins

Mix all ingredients together. ENJOY!

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Sausage with Broccoli and Rice

1 large onion, chopped

2 large celery ribs, chopped

4 cups cooked rice

1 lb polska kielbasa, chopped

4 cups broccoli florets

Soy sauce, to taste

Heat olive oil in skillet and add onion. Saute about 1 minute. Add celery and cook for another minute. Add sausage and cook until it begins to brown. Add rice and add more olive oil. Let cook, turning occasionally until rice browns. Add broccoli and soy sauce. Cover and let cook until broccoli is tender.