Homemade Egg Nog

Let's face it Egg Nog is NOT cheap by any means. Just a quart can run about the same as a gallon of milk some times. YIKES!

A poster on the Lots of Kids board posted their family recipe for Egg Nog which sounded super simple and way cheaper than the store bought stuff.


2 eggs, beaten well *suggestion: blend in a blender, or food processor to get it very well incorporated*
3 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp nutmeg, ground
2 1/3 cups milk
container of whipping cream (or make whip cream out of as you would normally)

Preparation:
Blend all ingredients together and serve chilled. fold in some whipped cream till the consistancy you like .

Delicious Fudge

Ok. I have to hand it to the ladies at the Large Family boards, because they really do know how to cut down on time and really make things super simple!

I don't normally make fudge because I always felt it was way to labor intensive! Then someone posted this super simple fudge recipe. I tried it tonight with some of the Andes Mint chips for some minty fudge and it was delicious. My husband was shocked at how fast I made it too, LOL!

Seriously you have go to try this one and add it to your holiday baking list.


Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 C chocolate chips
4 Tb butter

Put all ingredients into a bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir well. Microwave again for another 30 seconds and stir again. If it is not thuroughly melted at this point then nuke for 20 second intervals, stirring inbetween until completely melted and mixed.

Pour into an 8x8 greased or lined pan.

Chill until set.

Cut and serve.

*You can add nuts, crushed up candy canes, mint extract, orange extract, flavored extracts of any kind, whatever you like. Try making two layer fudge with peanut butter fudge!


Peanut Butter Fudge
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C white baking chips
1/2 c peanut butter
1tsp vanilla

Prepare the same way as above.

Minty Chocolate Fudge

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 C chocolate chips
1 C Mint Chips
4 Tb butter

Prepare as above, but pour only half of the mixture into the pan then add a layer of the left over mint chips and then pour the rest of the mix on top. (This is what I did for the Andes mint fudge and it was delicious!)

Other ideas:
Cherry flavoring with some chopped up dried cherried added.
Orange extract or flavoring and add dried citrus with some chopped walnuts.
Raisins with peanuts for a Chunky Candy Bar effect.

Be creative and share the fun this holiday season.

Thanks to JoyofSix for this wonderful recipe!

Orange Cranberry Sauce

Growing up I never really cared for the gelatinous canned looking mass of supposed "cranberry sauce" that was sitting on the table during Thanksgiving. It did not taste anything like the jello it looked like.

But as I got older I thought I'd try some cranberry sauces, but homemade. My first homemade cranberry sauce was a bitter disaster. Blech. The Food Network recipes weren't completely working for me and I could never get it sweet enough. It seemed like a waste of sugar to me.

So I tossed the idea out the window.

Then a few Thanksgivings back I saw a recipe I think from Paula Dean that used canned whole cranberry sauce. At first I was amazed that canned cranberry sauce could have the berries in them too! LOL

So I tried the recipe and we fell in love with cranberry sauce for the first time ever!

I've tweaked it and modified it to our likings but it really is a great addition to the Thanksgiving table, when it tastes good.

Semi-Homemade Cranberry Sauce

*For best results make one day a head so it can marinate.*

1 can Whole Cranberry Sauce.
1 Large Orange (seedless preferablely)
¼ C finely chopped Walnuts *optional*
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp ground clove


In a bowl empty the can of cranberry sauce. Break up with a fork.

Cut the orange in half. Take one half of the orange and squeeze all of the juice you can from it into the cranberry sauce. Take the other half and cut off all of the rind. Don't peel it because you want to get to all of the juice pouches you can. Once the rind is cut off chop the orange into small pieces and add to the cranberry sauce mix.

Add the finely chopped walnuts, cinnamon, ground cloves, and the pinch of ginger. (You can add more or less of the spices you want to taste)

Mix together well.

Cover and chill for 6-12 hours (18-24 hours is best) so the sauce can marinate and absorbe all of the flavors.

Remove from fridge and either let it reach room temp or serve chilled with your Thanksgiving dinner.

Yummy!

Our Family's Rich Hot Chocolate Mix

Last year I found these wonderful tupperware like bins at Wal-Mart, and while I wish they were twice the size, they do well for most of my bulk foods; like Oatmeal, sugar, flour, rice, and more. This bin holds about 15-20 lbs of sugar or flour and this recipe pretty much fills this bin. But it is worth it in the end

BEST Hot Chocolate Mix
40.7oz/2.54lbs Can of Nesquick - (72 serving can)

58oz/2lbs Swiss Miss Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix in a can

22oz/1.6lbs Non Dairy Powdered Creamer

16oz Hershey's Baking Cocoa - Natural Unsweetened

2 - 11.5oz pkg Ghiradelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips

Mix together in a large bin (I also have used a 3gal bucket), until well blended and incorporated. You do this by sealing the lid and then rocking the bin back and forth and side to side until you can no longer see the layers. I usually do this in front of the TV for a good 20 minutes or so.










*Yes I know *well* is misspelled as *will*.Deal with it. :D*

We mix this together at the beginning of the season and - YUM! We just love this!

Once mixed
¼ Cup scoop for 8oz. of liquids (hot water or milk)
½ Cup scoop for 16oz of liquids




Okay! So, once you have the mix set this is how you make a mug of Hot Cocoa. In our house we have HUGE mugs and normal mugs. I'll show you how to prepare both.



In either mug, fill 3/4 full of water and microwave on HIGH for a good 3-4 minutes. You want the water as hot as you can get it to help melt the chocolate bits.


*I actually no longer add the Hershey Syrup, it is just optional now.*
In the normal mug add about 1½ scoops of the Hot Cocoa Mix, you of course can add more or less to it.

In the HUGE mug we use between 3-4 scoops depending on the chocolate mood I am in. Normally it's 4 scoops, which is, yes, 1C of the mix. - mind you the mug is 4 times the size of the smaller mug.

Now mix well, making sure the chocolate bits are melted as well as possible.

Then add in some Chocolate Syrup, to taste. It's not measured out so add as much or as little as you'd like. This is to help sweeten the bitterness of the baking cocoa and the bittersweet chocolate bits.



Now add in the milk to top off the mug, and stir again. This adds to the richness, and the creaminess as well as helps to cool it off enough to get to drinking! If you want it warmer then you can always microwave it again for another 30seconds to 1 minute.

I KNOW this is NOT a cheap mixture to make. I certainly wasn't going for cost effectiveness when I set out to make this mix. I was going for a perfectly rich and tantalizing mug of cocoa. It is one of my favorite winter drinks and those childhood packets never did anything for me. It always took at least 2-3 to get the richness I was looking for.

Even still a bin like this can last about 2-3 months, unless it's been really cold out.

Check out how to use this mix for an EXCELLENT Starbucks copycat Double Chocolately Chip Frappe!!

Quick Christmas Toffee Bark

1C Butter
1C Brown Sugar
1pkg Soda Crakers - aka Saltines
1C Chocolate Chips

Line Cookie sheet with parchment or wax paper, spray with cooking spray and line with saltines, completely covering the bottom of pan

Melt butter and brown sugar together and bring to a boil for about 5 mins, stirring constantly.
*It's done when a drop of mixture into a cup of water forms a ball and hardens.

Pour over crackers

Bake at 350ºF for 10min

Remove. While still warm sprinkle chocolate chips on top and spread when chocolate melts.

For added fun melt some white chocolate and drizzle on top of chocolate.

Cool completely in the fridge. Drop pan onto counter and break up the toffee. Store in a air tight container.

Gingerbread Dough

6C Flour
1¾C Sugar
2/3C Shortening
1Tblsp Cinnamon
1Tblsp Ground Ginger
2Tblsp Baking Powder
1¼tsp Salt
1tsp Vanilla Extract
1- 8oz Sour Cream
2 Eggs

Take 3½ Cups of Flour and add the rest of the ingredients, and mix well.

Knead in the rest of the 2½ Cups of Flour.

Wrap and refrigerate for about 2hours or overnight.

Roll out and cut on a floured surface. Use for a ginger bread house, or gingerbread people.

Bake 350ºF for 10min or until done.

Butter Cream Cookies and Icing

Buttercream Cookies

1 Cup Butter softened (or margarine)
1½ Cup Powdered (Confectioners) Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla

Mix together Butter, powdered sugar, egg, and vanilla.

2½ Cups flour
1tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cream of Tartar

In a smaller bowl mix together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar.

Blend together the four mixture with the butter mixture.

Chill overnight (minimum of 2-3 hours)

Roll dough, and use cookie cutters.

Bake at 375º for 6-8 minutes or until the edges just start to prown.

Makes about 2-4 dozen depending on cookie sizes.

Butter Cream Icing

Equal Parts Shortening to Butter
Add Powdered Sugar to consistency
Pinch of salt
splash of Vanilla
Milk to thin or to consistency.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 Cup Softened Butter
1 Cup Peanut Butter (cheaper brands work the best for this)
1 lb Confectioners Sugar

Cream butter and peanut butter together. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. You may have to add more powdered sugar if your peanut butter is too creamy.

Chill overnight.

Form into about ½" - 1" balls.

Dip in favorite Chocolate. We prefer Merken's chocolate or Dove.

Meringue Cookies

3 Egg white room temp
1 Cup Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
¼ tsp Cream of Tartar

Pre Heat oven to 300º

Whip egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff.
Add sugar slowly, then add the salt and vanilla.

Line cookie sheet with a brown paper bag (or brown packaging paper) Cut down to a single panel.

Drop spoonfuls of meringue onto the paper. Or you can pipe it in small mounds.

* optional * Add a piece of walnut unto each cookie.

Bake at 300º for 12-15 minutes.

*** You must do this on a low humidity day and a dry household. Too much moisture in the air can make the cookies too soft.

I swear only my mother knows how to make these. I am just horrible at it.

Chocolate Mint Snow Top Cookies

1½ Cup Flour
1½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Salt

Combine in a small bowl and set aside.

1 -10oz Pkg Mint Chocolate Chips
¾ Stick Butter
1 Cup Sugar
1½ tsp Vanilla
2 Eggs
Powdered Sugar

In large bowl cream butter and sugar.

Melt 1 Cup of mint chocolate chips.

Add melted Chocolate to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix together. Add vanilla and eggs. Blend together.

Add flour mixture in 3 parts, mixing after each addition. Add remaining Chocolate Chips.

Wrap dough in plastic and freeze for 20 minutes.

Shape dough into balls and coat with powder sugar.

Bake for 10-12min at 350º

Church Windows

1 Stick of Butter
1 -12oz Pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 -10oz Pkg Colored Marshmallows
Shredded Coconut

Melt Chocolate chips and butter together carefully.

Remove from heat and add marshmallows.

Place on Wax paper that is coated with the shredded coconut. Form into a log.

Chill 1 hour in fridge or 30min in freezer.

Peel paper off and slice.

**Coconut optional - You may also use finely chopped Cashews or a favorite nut.**

Caramel Brownies

1 Pkg Yellow Cake Mix
1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
¼ Cup Melted Butter
1 -12oz Pkg Chocolate Chips
4-5 Caramel Wraps (Or 40-50 Kraft Caramels with 1/3 Cup Evaporated milk melted and mixed)

Mix cake with 1/3 Cup Evaporated milk and melted butter.
Press half of the mixture onto the bottom of a greased and floured 9x13 baking dish.
Bake at 350º for 6 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle choclate chips on the hot dough. As it melts spread chocolate. Add caramel on top of the chocolate. Add remaining dough on top of the caramel. (you may need to add some extra evaporated milk to thin the mixture a bit)

bake at 350º for 12-15 minutes.
Remove from oven and score before cooled.

Cool completely - at least 1½ hours before cutting completely.

7 Layer Cookies

In a 9x13 greased pan layer the following.

1 Cup of Graham Cracker Cumbs
1 Stick of melted butter
*blend together in bottom of pan slightly
1 -12oz Pkg Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 -12oz Pkg Butterscotch Chips
1 Cup Coconut
1 can Sweetend Condensed Milk
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts

Bake for 25-30 Minutes at 350º