Homemade Hot Chocolate

My daughter was begging me for hot chocolate the other day. The only problem -- I don't have any mix in the house. I've been disappointed to find that most homemade mixes call for non-dairy creamer, which is a lot of partially hydrogenated icky stuff. But I figured that I could probably make hot cocoa with milk, cocoa powder and some sugar. Sure enough I managed to concoct the best hot chocolate I have ever had (my husband concurred). The measurements are guesstimates -- I just dumped stuff in. I really can't believe it is this simple.

Hot Chocolate

2 cups whole milk (I think, I just dumped some in the pot)
1 Tablepsoon cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons sugar
A few drops of almond extract or vanilla, if you want

Warm milk on stove over low, low heat. When it's warm, stir in sugar to dissolve. Add cocoa and dissolve (whisking helps). Add in drops of extracts if desired.

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Salmon (broiled with a dab of butter and lemon pepper) with Asparagus Rice Pilaf
(I load it up with other veggies!)
Tuesday: Chicken Parm with spaghetti and broccoli (my husband's mother's recipe)
Wednesday: Italian Wedding Soup with homemade bread
Thursday: Lazy Man Chili with green beans
Friday: Meatloaf (in the freezer) with assorted veggies that need to be eaten

Italian Wedding Soup
4-6 servings

24 Italian meatballs, premade or homemade
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 box of frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out excess liquid
1/2 cup small pasta (like orzo but whatever is fine), uncooked
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
grated Parmesan cheese

1. In large sauce pan, heat broth to boiling; stir in spinach, orzo, carrot & meatballs. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium.

2. Cook at slow boil for 10 minutes or until orzo is tender. Stir frequently to avoid sticking. Serve with additional Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Classic Meatloaf
I saw this on a Better Homes and Garden TV show one day. I went to their website to find the recipe, but it wasn't there! So my measurements are estimates! This is the best meatloaf I've ever had! This makes one gigantic meatloaf so I usually cook half and freeze the other half.

Finely dice 1/2 cup onion, 1/3 cup celery, 1/3 cup mushrooms. Saute with thyme (1/2 tsp) in butter. Add in some garlic (paste or diced0. Stir in 1/2 cup grated carrots and cook until all is soft. Set aside and let cool completely before mixing in to meat.

Mix together 3 pounds of beef, 1 pound pork, and 4 slices of cooked bacon chopped finely. Season with 2 tsp kosher salt.

Soak 1 cup breadcrumbs in 1/2 cup half and half; add in 2 eggs and mix.

Mix meat, breadcrumbs, and veggies together.

Form meat in to loaf using wet hands in a 9 x 13 pan. Form lip around edge (for topping). Pour topping on top of loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.

Topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup ketchup


Lazy Man's Chili
Serves 8-10

2 Lbs. ground beef
1 package ranch dip mix (1oz)
1 package taco seasoning mix (1.25oz)
1 can tomatoes and green chilies drained (10oz)
2 cans tomatoes with onions (14.5oz/ea)
2 cans chili beans (12oz)
1 can golden, whole kernel corn drained (11oz)
1 Tbsp. Tabasco brand pepper sauce
1 package shredded cheddar cheese (8oz)(optional)
1 package sour cream (8oz)(optional)
1 bag corn chips (optional)

Brown the ground beef in large pot. Drain the beef and return it to the pot. Add the ranch mix, taco seasoning, drained corn and Tabasco brand pepper sauce to the pot with the beef. Cover and cook on medium heat for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cheese in your own bowl to top the chili off.

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at I'm An Organizing Junkie!

Off My Needles

Lacy Girly Fancy Hat child size in Patons Wool, size 6 needles. This was a BUGGER but it's gorgeous and I love it! Too bad Ella refuses to wear it (and it's a tad long)!

Veteran's Day Specials

I'm noticing a new trend of offering free food to active duty military and veteran's this year for Veteran's Day (next Wednesday). You will need to show proof of service.

We have the day off of school and my husband is a retired Marine so we'll probably dig out his discharge papers and take advantage of at least one deal. We also live in a town with an Air Force base so I'm guessing these restaurants will be BUSY!

Outback Steakhouse is offering a free Bloomin' Onion and beverage.

Applebees is offering select menu items (full meals) for free.

Call ahead to make sure your local restaurant is participating!

Halloween Candy Clearance @ Target

My husband and I stopped in to Target last night to check on the Halloween clearance -- everything is now 75% off. We found a Thomas the Tank Engine and Darth Vader costumes for $5.00 each. Princess Leia was $7.50. In addition, they TONS of candy left ranging in price from $.60 to $1.27 per bag. My favorite find was large bags of M&Ms (not individually packaged) for $.75/each! I stocked up because I love to use them for baking. I'm also thinking of chopping up some of the candy and putting it in some homemade vanilla ice cream.

Growing My Stockpile Through Bulk Purchasing

I have always been one to stockpile anything that is a good deal. In our small 2 bedroom apartment I had groceries tucked under our beds! But I've always done my stockpiling in smaller amounts by purchasing multiple items. In the past month I've started stockpiling through bulk purchases. This month I placed a huge Azure Standard order which included 50 lbs of organic flour and 50 lbs of Sucanat. We purchased a 1/6 share of a grass-fed cow and will be receiving that in about two weeks. I'm hoping that by purchasing large quantities of food, I will be able to afford more organic food with my budget.

Now that I have all of this huge quantities of food, I had no idea how to store it. My sister and a few friends rant and rave about their FoodSaver so I bought one at a yard sale two weeks ago. Unfortunately, it didn't work (even though the seller told me it did!) and I passed up 3 others at yard sales that weekend. So I went ahead and purchased a new machine. I know have 40 lbs of Sucanat (my sister bought 10lbs from me) and 50 lbs of flour vacuum sealed and stored away.





Our beef arrives in two weeks and will take up approximately 4.4 square cubic feet to freeze. We have a lot of eating to do in the next two weeks to make enough space in our chest freezer!

Menu Plan Monday

Monday: Chicken and Asparagus Risotto
Tuesday: Cheese Soup, bread, broccoli
Wednesday: Tuna Noodle Casserole with green beans
Thursday: Macho Nachos with salad
Friday: Homemade Pizza with salad

Tuna Noodle Casserole
The original recipe is found at Real Mom Kitchen here, but I doctored it so I don't have to use canned soup.

3-4 cups uncooked pasta
3 Tablespoons butter
1 small can mushrooms, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onions
3 Tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 (6-ounce) cans tuna, drained
1-2 cups can corn (drain can if using canned)
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice

TOPPING (choose one of the following):
3/4 cup soft white or wheat bread crumbs mixed with
1 tablespoon butter, melted
or 3/4 cup crushed potato chips
or 3/4 cup french fried onions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Cook the noodles according to package directions.

Melt butter in a medium sized, heavy saucepan. Add in mushrooms and onions and saute until onions are clear. Add flour and salt into saucepan while cooking and stirring until bubbly. Using a whisk to prevent lumps, whisk in milk slowly.

Add in sour cream and mayonnaise and cook over low heat. Stir to combine. Mix in the tuna, corn or peas, 1 cup of the cheese, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir until heated through.

When the noodles are cooked, drain them and add to the tuna mixture. Mix, and pour into the prepared baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup cheese on the casserole and top with the topping of your choice. Bake 10 to 15 more minutes.

Macho Nachos
These are my husband's creation and are the best nachos I've ever had!

2-4 burrito sized tortillas
1/4 cup oil
1 lb taco meat
1 can refried beans (I make these from scratch)
2 cups cheese
Salsa, sour cream, guacamole

Heat oil in a large frying pan. Cut the tortillas into 8 wedges and fry until golden. Layer chips, meat, cheese; repeat. Warm in oven, microwave or toaster oven just until cheese melts. Serve with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole

Menu Plan Monday is hosted at I'm An Organizing Junkie.