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My favorite new thing helps me with my migraines but can totally be used for pure pleasure! To be fair- peppermint hot chocolate isn’t new or even new to me. The new part is my ability to make it myself.
A certain famous, very expensive, coffee shop has it every winter and not only is it cost prohibitive, it’s also seasonal. I need it all the time!!!! so I’ve been perfecting making it for myself all winter. Here’s what I learned… 5 peppermints (more or less to taste) 4-5 scoops of hot chocolate mix (I scoop with a common teaspoon not a measuring teaspoon) about 12 oz of hot water I bring the water to a near boil or boil. Next, I drop the peppermints into the water and stir it until they dissolve. Then, I pour in the chocolate mix and stir. Enjoy. *If the suggested mix is too sweet or chocolaty for your taste, dilute with more water. **One thing you should note- I like sweet things. The more peppermints you add, the more sugary the drink will get as well. You may want to substitute some peppermints for a drop or two of peppermint oil- it’s widely believed to be safe to ingest.
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I make sweet potato pie two ways- with and without roasted bananas. This is the version with roasted bananas. Putting bananas in sweet potato pie may seem weird but both bananas and sweet potatoes are Caribbean staples and the bananas are sweet and cuts down the amount of refined sugar necessary for the recipe.
Ingredients • 4 large sweet potatoes • 4 bananas • 2 sticks of butter softened (salted or unsalted) • salt • 2 teaspoons nutmeg • 3 tablespoons cinnamon +/- to taste • 1/2 cup brown sugar • 1 pack frozen pie crust * you will need aluminum foil and cookie sheets Take the pie crusts out of the freezer, separate and allow them to defrost. Boil water and pre-heat the oven to 375 (temperature varies by region). Skin and boil potatoes. I like to cut them in halves or fourths so they will boil quicker. Put the potatoes in the boiling water with a couple pinches of salt. Boil the potatoes until they are soft. I like to poke them with a fork to check. When the sweet potatoes are almost soft, place the bananas in the oven to roast for about 10 minutes (time varies by region). When the peels of the bananas are all dark brown, they are ready to remove. Carefully remove the bananas from the oven; they will open and fall apart easily and the juices are very hot. Set the bananas to the side. When the sweet potatoes are completely soft, drain the water from the pot and put the potatoes in a large bowl. Use a fork to break the potatoes apart. At this point, I put the cookie sheets in the oven. Use a cake mixer to whip the potatoes until creamy. Start the mixer on low then increase the speed as the potatoes soften. Whip on high for at least a minute or two. Use a fork to check for lumps; continue to mix as necessary. Add the roasted banana, softened butter, and a couple pinches of salt. Use the mixer to combine. Add the nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Use the mixer to thoroughly combine and then taste. Add more cinnamon and sugar to taste. Pour the mixture into the pie crusts. Tear or cut one inch strips of aluminum foil. Use the strips of aluminum foil to wrap the edges of the pie crusts; this stops the edges from browning too quickly. Place the pies on the cookie sheets. The purpose of doing this is that the preheated sheets brown the bottom of the pie crust while the pie cooks. Bake for 15-20 minutes (time varies by region). After baking the pies, I like to turn the broiler on and let the pies broil for about 2 minutes (or until the top of the pies brown slightly). This creates a film on the top of the pie. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Bag any left over pie filling in a freezer bag and freeze. Be sure to label the bag before you fill it with what it is and the date you are bagging it. Enjoy! I make sweet potato pie two ways- with and without roasted bananas. This is the version without bananas. (Putting bananas in the pie adds sweetness with less refined sugar).
Ingredients • 4 large sweet potatoes • 2 sticks of butter (salted or unsalted) • salt • 2 teaspoons nutmeg • 3 tablespoons cinnamon +/- to taste • 1 cup brown sugar • 1 pack frozen pie crust * you will need aluminum foil and cookie sheets Take the pie crusts out of the freezer, separate and allow them to defrost. Boil water and pre-heat the oven to 375 (temperature varies by region). Skin and boil potatoes. I like to cut them in halves or fourths so they will boil quicker. Put the potatoes in the boiling water with a couple pinches of salt. Boil the potatoes until they are soft. I like to poke them with a fork to check. When the sweet potatoes are completely soft, drain the water from the pot and put the potatoes in a large bowl. Use a fork to break the potatoes apart. At this point, I put the cookie sheets in the oven. Use a cake mixer to whip the potatoes until creamy. Start the mixer on low then increase the speed as the potatoes soften. Whip on high for at least a minute or two. Use a fork to check for lumps; continue to mix as necessary. Add the softened butter, and a couple pinches of salt. Use the mixer to combine. Add the nutmeg, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon and 1/2 cup of brown sugar. Use the mixer to thoroughly combine and then taste. Add more cinnamon and sugar to taste. Pour the mixture into the pie crusts. Tear or cut one inch strips of aluminum foil. Use the strips of aluminum foil to wrap the edges of the pie crusts; this stops the edges from browning too quickly. Place the pies on the cookie sheets. The purpose of doing this is that the preheated sheets brown the bottom of the pie crust while the pie cooks. Bake for 15-20 minutes (time varies by region). After baking the pies, I like to turn the broiler on and let the pies broil for about 2 minutes (or until the top of the pies brown slightly). This creates a film on the top of the pie. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool. Bag any left over pie filling in a freezer bag and freeze. Be sure to label the bag before you fill it with what it is and the date you are bagging it. Enjoy! I make this gnocchi soup recipe once a month or so; but definitely in the Fall and Winter. It’s super easy and tastes delicious! If you cook the vegetarian variation in a slow cooker, it should be ready in 30 minutes if you put it on high. This, like most of my recipes, this can be frozen and reheated.
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* add other seasoning and ingredients to taste; I add salt and pepper You will begin by pouring the cream of mushroom soup into the slow cooker. Then, fill the large soup can with water and pour it into the slow cooker twice. Stir the soup until it is consistent. Now, stir in the remaining ingredients. If you want this meal quickly, put the slow cooker on high; otherwise put it on low and let it simmer for hours. (If you use raw chicken , it will take several hours to cook.) After the soup is cooked, I remove all except what I plan to eat that day from the baking dish and I let it cool in a bowl to prepare it for bagging. Bag the food in a freezer bag the sized bags needed to feed your household. Be sure to label the bag before you fill it with what it is and the date you are bagging it. Enjoy! I LOVE any type of organization because it helps so much. I have had a weekly meal planner on the refrigerator so that I can plan meals and list missing ingredients I need to buy for the meals. I also have a list of food in the freezer so I can plan meals.
Now that my children are older, we take turns making meals so that the responsibility doesn’t all fall on me (disabled mom). My family marks the meal planner with their name, what they plan to make, and what ingredients they may need to make it. Everyone has different cooking abilities so the meals vary greatly, and that’s fine. What this does for me is not only self care and organizational but financial. It helps us not buy duplicate items, therefore saving money. If we do not have money to buy groceries, we can look at the the contents of the refrigerator and freezer and figure out what ingredients we have to make meals. When my family writes what they believe we need to buy, it’s like opening negotiations. I can search for the items they say they need or even suggest substitutions. On my Patreon account, I have included a picture our weekly meal calendar as well as how I make it reusable. This post will be for my patrons only. My lowest tier is $3; please consider becoming a patron. I wanted to clean out the closet where we keep our trashcan because it gets cluttered and dirty. I’ve shared my some natural cleaning recipes that I use previously but I thought I’d share what I did today.
It’s important to note that all of our floors are tile because they can come completely clean; with my allergies, that’s extremely important. However, I wouldn’t necessarily say tile and grout are easy to clean. Some people think cleaning tile is difficult and requires a lot of scrubbing. That’s not the case. After I cleaned out all of the crud my family had been throwing on the floor in the closet, I mixed my go-to cleaner. I sprayed white vinegar all over the tile and grout on the floor then I sprinkled baking soda onto the grout lines. On a high-energy day, I’d use a retired toothbrush to gently rub the mixture into the grout but today I couldn’t do it. I let that sit for about 30 minutes to an hour. I wiped the mixture up with a warm rag and the closet floor was cleaned and deodorized. Since I was in the mood to clean, I grabbed my metal trivets (for my pots) and the metal basket I use to drain greasy foods and I found a couple containers large enough to submerse the greasy parts. I filled then about three-fourths with water then I added about a half cup of white vinegar and a fourth cup of baking soda. I let that sit for about thirty minutes to an hour. The grease was visibly loosened and I used a nonabrasive scrubbing pad to remove the grease. I’m not going to say it didn’t take energy because everything does, but it was easy and I didn’t have a chemical reaction so it was a win. I make smoothies for my family and myself often. None of these recipes are for weight loss or control, just condensed nutrition. I only prepare what can be eaten in a single sitting because in the refrigerator it may separate or get watery and in the freezer, it’ll get too hard. I freeze most of the ingredients so that I don’t have to worry about having fresh ingredients. This also means I don’t need ice to make the smoothies cold. I know many people hate spinach and kale. Believe me; you can’t taste it. A smoothie is a great opportunity to incorporate foods you hate to eat.
When I worked, I would prepare them at home and drink them over several hours or mix them in a single sized blender at school when I got up too early and didn’t want to disturb my family. (one note about the blender I’m recommending: I totally love it! The company sells individual parts if you lose the lid, want extra lids or break the cup) Suggested Ingredients: Some of my favorite ingredients are • Spinach or kale (fresh or frozen) • Orange/ Cranberry juice • Strawberries (fresh or frozen) • Blueberries (fresh or frozen) • Grapes (fresh or frozen) • Bananas (I use fresh out you can freeze bananas) * all ingredients shouldn’t be frozen, it’s harder to blend My only caution as someone with GERD, I’d watch the acidic products. You may want to substitute water or milk for the juice. The amount of each ingredient really depends on how many servings you’re making. I use about ¼ or less liquid (I start with as little as possible and add if the ingredients won’t mix), ½ a banana for a single serving, a whole banana for more. I add all of the other ingredients to taste. Always start by putting a liquid ingredient into the blender first. Chop large or harder ingredients before tossing them in. Enjoy! Variations and suggestion: Try adding vegetables you don’t like; you won’t be able to taste them- avocado, cooked carrots or broccoli or sweet potatoes, etc. Try adding different fruit; melons, pineapples or mangos, etc.
I make this broccoli and rice recipe once every couple weeks or so; it’s one of my favorites. It’s super easy and tastes awesome! I have always cooked it in the oven but yesterday; I decided to make it last minute so I did it on the stovetop. This, like most of my recipes, this can be frozen and reheated.
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Enjoy! I previously wrote about my love for bread and gave you an easy recipe. We don't always want out bread in plain, loaf form. There so many things you can do with that recipe.
Before you begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a large baking sheet. Bread Sticks I use the same recipe and I break off small pieces, roll them on a floured counter into tubular shapes, place these on a buttered or oiled baking sheet, then bake them. The bread sticks can be served warm as is or you can rub melted butter or melted butter with herbs like garlic for extra flavor. Dinner Rolls I break off small pieces of the bread from the recipe, roll them on a floured counter into tubular shapes then make a pretzel-like knot and then tuck the ends underneath, place these on a buttered or oiled baking sheet, then bake them. The dinner rolls can be served warm as is or you can rub melted butter or melted butter with herbs like garlic for extra flavor. Buns(for burgers or sandwiches) same recipe; I break off generous sized pieces, and follow the same process as I use for dinner rolls, Hot Dog Buns same recipe; and I break off medium sized pieces, put them on a floured counter and shape them into round pieces (1" thick, 5"-6" in diameter), then fold them over. Place these on a buttered or oiled baking sheet, then bake them. Obviously, since these are all different sizes so they require different baking times. They will need at least 10 minutes but you should watch them. After the first time, you'll know how long your oven will take to bake your desired breads. Enjoy finding new ways to use this bread recipe; I'll share more baking ideas with you soon! [Oprah voice] I love bread!
I love making bread. With chronic illness, I don’t have the hand and arm strength to knead the dough and I can’t spend too much time standing. Because of this, I’ve had to adapt my bread recipes so that I can make them and not over exert myself. I use an inexpensive stand mixer so that I don’t have to mix by hand. *before you ask, no, I’ve never used a bread maker. I have no idea how that works. To make quick bread, you will need: 5 1/4 cups flour 2 – 4 Tbsp. sugar (add depending on how sweet you’d like it) 1 1/2 tsp. salt 1 1/2 Tbsp. instant yeast (I like Fleischmann’s and I buy the jar because I use so much) 1 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 cups warm water Before you begin, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and butter a large baking sheet. Put dry ingredients into a stand mixer on low. The low setting is important so that the dry ingredients don’t end up all over the place. Add the oil and water. Mix on medium for about a 1 minute. The dough should be very sticky. If it isn’t you may need to add more water. Continue mixing for 5 minutes. The dough should be a smooth even consistency. But very important: Don't mix too long. Rub a little flour on the counter and your fingers so that the dough doesn’t stick. Remove the dough from the mixer and place it on the counter. Separate the dough into at least two pieces by tearing or cutting. Now shape the dough and place them on buttered baking sheets. Cover them with a large dishtowel and let them rise for 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, use a sharp buttered or oiled knife to make 1/4-inch deep cuts in the top. You can make one long one down the center or diagonal slashes. Bake the bread for 25 minutes, or golden brown. I let them sit and cool for a bit but I can’t help myself because I love warm, buttered bread. Remember that this bread does not have all of the preservatives that store bought bread does and it needs to be eaten quickly. The good news is it’s so good, I don’t think that will be a problem.I have no problem freezing fresh bread. I let it cool then put it in a freezer bag. Be sure to label the bag before you fill it with what it is and the date you are bagging it. Enjoy! |
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