Hot Cocoa Mix

In the spirit of the upcoming Winter months and Christmas, I thought it would be nice to post a recipe for a Hot Cocoa mix that can be stored and used when the weather is cold and dreary or just whenever you feel like a hot cup of chocolatey goodness!  I must admit, however, that this is not my own recipe.  This is Alton Brown's recipe. He's a professional and I only wish I was as good!!  Enjoy!

2 cups powdered sugar

1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)

2 1/2 cups powdered milk

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste

1 air tight container to store cocoa mix in

Mix all ingredients together.  Heat 4-6 cups of water to boiling.  Fill coffee mug about half-way with cocoa mix and pour water to near the top. Stir and enjoy.  You can stir with a candy cane for fun or add marshmallows or whipped cream for a special treat as well!

I'm so ready for the Christmas goodies!

Cracker Candy

Ok, so this time of year is a great time to make these salty, sweet cracker candy cookies.  They suit any craving you may have and make a great gift around Christmas!


1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
40 saltine crackers
1 - 2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheet with foil. Place 40 crackers in one layer on cookie sheet.  In saucepan on low heat, combine butter and brown sugar. Heat until blended. Boil 3 minutes.  Pour mixture evenly over crackers.  Heat in oven for 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle crackers with chocolate chips.  Place in oven until chips melt.  Spread the chocolate over the crackers evenly and sprinkle with chopped nuts.  Break into pieces once cooled.  Store in airtight container.  

Zesty Sausage Dip

This is my son, Nick's favorite dip! It's creamy and a little spicy and great with tortilla chips!

1 lb Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage
1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies

In medium saucepan, brown and crumble sausage then drain.  Add cream cheese and Rotel to drained sausage and cook until heated through.  Serve with tortilla chips!  This will be gone in no time!!  Enjoy!

Turkey and Dumplings

There is always that last bit of turkey left over from Thanksgiving and in my house it is usually the dark meat, however, I always find use for the leftovers! So this year I decided to make Turkey and Dumplings. 
3 cups shredded leftover turkey (white and dark meat)
6 cups chicken broth
1  tsp dried sage
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Dumplings

2 1/4 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk

Simmer the turkey and seasonings in the chicken broth for 30 minutes on medium heat in large saucepan.  In the meantime, mix the bisquick and milk until dough is sticky.  Drop by spoonfuls into boiling soup and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.  Cover and cook for 10 more minutes.  This so yummy on a cold day!!

Watching Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.....Yummmmm!

I love this show! I want to take a driving tour of all these places that Guy Fieri visits!! I want to try Chicken and waffles and 1/2 pound corn dogs and real philly cheese steaks!! It would be fun to learn to make them, but I seriously want to travel and just try them one time.  By the way, how does he stay somewhat average in weight going to these places??  For that matter, how does Adam do Man vs. Food and not weigh over 400lbs??? He isn't thin by any means, but seriously, what must his labwork look like?? I love food, and if I could travel and eat like that, I would definitely have to travel in a custom made trailor to support my new found weight!! I wonder if they purge after the taping of their shows? Hmmmm. Any thoughts?

Cody's Potato Skins

I call these Cody's Potato skins because I've discovered he loves anything that combines potatoes, cheese and bacon! Cody is Noelle's boyfriend and he is absolutely the sweetest boy! I could not have chosen a better person for her so I always try to make him feel at home.  One way I did this is by creating my own version of cheesy potato skins.

6 small to medium russett potatoes
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 pound bacon cooked and crumbled
chopped green onions (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Rinse potatoes well and pierce with fork.  Place in microwave and heat until tender, but not too soft (5-8 min). Cook bacon and drain.  When bacon is cool, crumble.  Remove potatoes from microwave and let cool slightly.  While cooling, whisk together the last 5 ingredients.  Cut potatoes in half and remove most of the insides, leaving about a 1/4 inch edge. Save pulp for another use.  Brush entire potato with oil mixture and place cut side up on baking sheet.  Place in oven and bake approximately 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and fill each potato with cheese and top with crumbled bacon.  Return to oven and bake until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven and top with green onions and sour cream!  Yummmm!

Cody uses Honey Mustard instead of sour cream!

Our little outing to Nokomis Groves!

I woke up this morning in the mood to go somewhere different.  I actually decided to take my daughter, Noelle and her boyfriend, Cody to Snook Haven for a fun canoe ride amongst the lovely alligators of the Myakka River.  It's actually a very cool place that one can experience the "raw" nature of Florida that is virtually in our own back yard.  So, we arrive only to discover the canoes are two seaters and well, I wasn't so comfortable letting the kids experience the raw nature alone! We had a not so fun experience about 6 years ago that consisted of Noelle and I struggling to paddle against the tide in our canoe and my friend Mike and my son Nick getting lost in a small pontoon and having to be searched for by the Snook Haven staff in a John Boat.  Anywhooooo....back to today's outing!  So, we ended up at Nokomis Grove, where we had yummy ice cream and tasted juicy, freshly picked grapefruits and oranges from the grove.  Now, I have never been a fan of grapefruit, but let me just say, I bought grapefruit!! My favs were the Red Navel and Ruby Red.  Noelle liked the Star grapefruit.  So, if you are ever in Nokomis, Florida, you must stop by the Nokomis Groves and try the ice cream and taste the many varieties of fruits!  You can also order the fruit and have it shipped as a gift to your loved ones at Christmas!