Category: Food

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Smoothie Packs

Now, I ask you…

Smoothie Packs 2

who doesn’t positively LOVE smoothies? Nobody–that’s who!

Around here, it’s getting to where every time I sit down, one of my little sweeties says, “Hey mom–wanna make us some smoothies?” Of course, I don’t mind one little bit–but here’s the thing…it’s kind of a pain to lug all the frozen fruit bags and the yogurt and the juice and whatever else we want in them out all the time. What to do…what to do…

Then, after a quick trip around the Pinterest page I found several clever ways to solve the problem. With a quick little tweak, we came up with this hit.

Load a muffin tin with yogurt–I used peach and strawberry and  put about 4 Tablespoons in each cup. Next freeze them overnight–or until they are frozen solid.

Choose your conglomeration of frozen fruit. You really can make any combination you want–it’s all fabulous. We had raspberries, strawberries, cranberries, blueberries and peaches. Yum-mo.

If you have fresh fruit that you’d like to freeze–like bananas* or canned pineapple, cut it up and spread it, single layer on a cookie sheet, then pop it in the freezer.

*If you dip the banana slices in orange, lemon or pineapple juice–they won’t turn brown.

Scoop 2 cups of frozen fruit into a Ziploc bag.

After the yogurt is frozen, just poke a spoon or table knife in one side and pop them out.

Drop one big or two half sized yogurt “pucks” in each bag and seal them up.

Label the the bags if you like, but we didn’t feel the need. Seriously, any of them are heavenly and you can pretty much see what is in each pack. So it seemed silly to worry about it.

Store in the freezer until someone says, “Hey, wanna make a smoothie?” Then all you have to do is pour a pack in the blender, add 1-2 cups juice or milk and whirl them up.

Best of all, nothing to clean…

except all the empty cups.

Heh.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Smoothie Packs
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen fruit
  • ¼ frozen yogurt "pucks"
  • 1-2 cups milk or juice
Instructions
  1. Whirl in blender.
  2. Drink. It. Up.
  3. :}
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If You Smell Peppermint…

it’s coming from my place.

As I mentioned the other day, in the last few months, I seem to be having some sort of…thing…with peppermint. It happened slowly enough, almost without my noticing. But then, as I looked more closely, I realized that the crisp-and-clean-and-no-caffeine scent of Peppermint is positively everywhere I turn. It can’t be an accident. Lemme show you.

~I’m drinking it for breakfast and sometimes before bed–luscious soothing peppermint tea with an itty bitty–ok sometimes huge–spoonful of honey. Ummmm….

~Starlight mints and peppermint balls are in the candy jar on the shelf–where I can get at ’em quick and easy on my way out the door. That’s very important.

~Apparently, I need candy cane flavor on my lips too…you know…just in case. Baahahaa!

~I’m quite fond of washing my grubby little mitts with Winter Peppermint hand soap. Oooh…chilly.

~Then, before bed, my tootsies get the full treatment–Peppermint lotion with essential oils–which makes it that much more cool. La-te-da.

All I know is that it makes my toes all tingly and smells divine. Yes, that’s what I said.

~Cleaned out my purse yesterday and to my utter horror, there was a huge, mysterious pile of peppermint taffy just kicking around. Now, how did THAT get in there?

Shameful.

Sheesh.

~Lastly, I should mention the annual hording of the “after Christmas” discounted candy canes. Because as everyone knows, you just can’t have too many candy canes…especially when they’re ten cents a box.

At least, I don’t think you can.

I have 4 cases in the storage room, so I should know.

They’re sitting next to the Costco size box of Peppermint Patties.

Whaat?

I’m holding them for a friend…I swear.

                                                 Counseling might just be in order.

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Egg Nog Fudge

If you’re like me, and still have a bit of Egg Nog left in the fridge and you’re just dying to figure out something clever to do with it– here’s a lovely idea.

Smooth, creamy, Egg Nog fudge. Incredible. In fact, you may just faint and wake up to find half the pan gone.

Yeah…not responsible for that.

Heh, heh.

 

 

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup eggnog

10.5 oz. white chocolate chips

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

7 oz. marshmallow cream

1 tsp. rum extract

Butter a 8 x 8 Pyrex pan. In a 3 quart sauce pan, combine sugar, butter and eggnog. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate chips a little at a time until melted and smooth add nutmeg. Move to mixer and add marshmallow cream and rum extract. Beat until well blended and pour into pan. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of nutmeg over the top. Allow to cool then cut into squares.

Egg Nog Fudge
 
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:
Ingredients
  • 2 cups sugar
  • ½ cup butter
  • ¾ cup eggnog
  • 10.5 oz. white chocolate chips
  • ½ tsp. ground nutmeg
  • 7 oz. marshmallow cream
  • 1 tsp. rum extract
Instructions
  1. Butter a 8 x 8 Pyrex pan.
  2. In a 3 quart sauce pan, combine sugar, butter and eggnog.
  3. Bring to a rolling boil and boil for 8 minutes.
  4. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir in white chocolate chips a little at a time until melted and smooth
  6. Add nutmeg.
  7. Move to mixer and add marshmallow cream and rum extract.
  8. Beat until well blended and pour into pan.
  9. Sprinkle a tiny pinch of nutmeg over the top.
  10. Allow to cool then cut into squares.

 

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Christmas Spritz

I’ve loved the buttery, melty taste of Spritz cookies since I was a little girl. I used to watch my dad shoot cookie dough from a pastry bag into fancy shapes that turned magically into stripes and flowers and stars–each with a different flavor too.

Now, I’m not so hot with a pastry bag, but even so, I’m happy to tell you that I made these little sweeties…

all by myself—no chef skills required.

What it takes is this lovely little Cookie Press from Wilton. I’ve always wanted to try one so today, I got really brave and to my surprise, it was easy! You simply make the dough, fill the press and click the dough onto the cookie sheet in any of a dozen different shapes. Sim-ple.

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1-1/2 cups butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 Tbsps milk

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well.

Fill cookie press with dough and fit with whichever disc you want.

Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Add sprinkles or sanding sugar or whatever floats your boat.

Bake 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the pan,

then transfer to cooling rack.

Won’t Santa just LOVE these? Of course he will!

Classic Christmas Spritz
 
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Ingredients
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1-1/2 cups butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 Tbsps milk
  • 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine flour and baking powder and set aside.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Add egg, milk and vanilla.
  5. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well.
  6. Fill cookie press with dough and fit with whichever disc you want.
  7. Press cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet.
  8. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on the pan, then transfer to cooling rack
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Peppermint Cream Corn Puffs

Perfect munchie for an evening of “Miracle On 34th Street,” or “One Magic Christmas,” or “Muppet Christmas Carol.” I could go on and on here. Sooo many incredible Holiday movies that we haven’t seen– in, well…a year.

Funny how that works.

If you love peppermint, and popcorn–but don’t like all the old maid surprises that come with real kernal-ly popcorn–then you are about to be saved! No, I mean it. This lovely stuff is crunchy and buttery and salty and then–you add creamy peppermint to it and…

well, all I can say is…

Oh. My. Word.

Here’s how to do it.

First, you pour corn puffs into a big bowl–I used about half the bag.

Then, crush about 20 candy canes–I used the blender so it was nearly a powder.

Melt one package of white chocolate–gently in a double boiler–or however you do it.

Now, mix the candy canes and the white chocolate. Add 1 tsp. of peppermint oil.

Pour over corn puffs and mix until pieces are coated. Allow to set on wax paper covered cookie sheet. If you’re in a real hurry–set it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes. Store in airtight container or large Ziploc bag.

If I could share a piece of this with you–you’d go right out and buy all the stuff to make it–this very minute. But since I can’t…you’ll have to just trust me on this.

 

 

Happy Birthday April!!

~ Oh, and if you’re inclined to do the “Twelve Days of Christmas” for someone special–here’s a lovely Nativity style— sure to warm a few hearts.

3.3 from 4 reviews
Peppermint Cream Corn Puffs
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 bag Corn Puffs
  • 20 medium candy canes
  • 1- 12 oz. package white chocolate morsels
  • 1 tsp. peppermint oil
Instructions
  1. First, you pour corn puffs into a big bowl--I used about half the bag.
  2. Then, crush candy canes--I used the blender so it was nearly a powder.
  3. Melt one package of white chocolate--gently in a double boiler.
  4. Now, mix the candy canes and the white chocolate.
  5. Add 1 tsp. of peppermint oil.
  6. Pour over corn puffs and mix until pieces are coated.
  7. Allow to set on wax paper covered cookie sheet.
  8. If you're in a real hurry--set it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
  9. Store in airtight container or large Ziploc bag.