Hot Chocolate-y Goodness

I wrap the needed items for our Advent Calendar and put them on our mantle
so we can enjoy our adventures each day! 

   As a part of our family Advent Calendar every year we do different things to help teach our son that Christmas is about so much more than just Santa and gifts. It is about family, helping others, and (most importantly) about Jesus. One of the ways we encourage family time is with our favorite Christmas movies. We all pile on the couch with popcorn and Hot Chocolate and Nache food and we enjoy watching a good movie together. But let's face it...hot chocolate out of the pouches is pretty bland and no one wants to spend a lot a time making hot chocolate from scratch on the stove. So I spent some time researching hot chocolate recipes and found one on Pinterest (shocker, I know :D) that I printed out. I haven't been able to find it since then though so I'm going to include for you a PDF as well as the recipe here. 
   The original is from FamilyFun.com and is called Best Hot Cocoa Mix. They suggest using it for gifting mainly but I find with a few tweaks and additives it becomes quite delish and amazing for both family time and gifting! 
              Homemade Hot Chocolate

   ~2 Cups Nonfat Dry Milk Powder ( I prefer a higher milk content)
   ~3/4 Cup Sugar
   ~1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa
   ~1/2 Cup Mini Semisweet Chocolate Chips
   ~1/2 Cup Powdered Non-dairy Creamer (french vanilla flavored is pretty good too!)
   ~1/8 Teaspoon Salt

Mix everything together until evenly blended. You can split into fourths at this point and put into Ziploc baggies or you can store in an airtight container for individual use. 

To make one cup: Mix 8 oz of boiling water with 3-4 tablespoons of mix. Stir well.

Additives: Candy Cane Stirrers, Mini Marshmallows, Big Marshmallows, Homemade Whip Cream, Liquor (if your old enough), Chocolate Straws, etc. Let your imagination run wild!

I find that boiling water in the coffee pot and adding to the mix in the cup works best. Everyone's tastes are different so you may like a little more or less mix so play around with it a little.

Christmas is crazy regardless of where you are and how you celebrate. Sometimes taking a moment and just relaxing with a steamy cup of Hot Chocolate surrounded by family is just the thing to take the "Christmas Crazy" edge off. I hope you enjoy this great little way to cut the work out and get straight to the family time!

Warning: Hot Chocolate may cause extreme Sugar High's that
produce Parental Silliness and Toddler Laughter.

Best Wishes,

Jules and Monkey

Taco Boats

    I have found my new favorite go-to meal for my family. It's fun, versatile, and takes less than thirty minutes start to finish to get on the table. The best part is that it caters to everybody and

their particular tastes. I call them Taco Boats. Now I will walk you through how I make my quick and easy Taco meat but if you have your own family favorite than feel free to use that. The key here is the idea of the boats.

What you need:

93% Lean Ground Beef - 1 lb
McCormick's Mild Taco Seasoning
Water
Small Tortillas (corn or wheat) - 6
Mexi-Mix Cheese
Skillet (I prefer my Cast Iron one)
Jumbo Muffin Pan
Toppings (Lettuce, Tomatoes, Taco Sauce, Sour Cream Guacamole, Etc.)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Start by browning your beef in the skillet on medium heat. I always use a fork and the back of my wooden spatula to sort of pull the meat apart so it gets nice and crumbly and then I put a lid on it and let the meat cook in its own juices for a few minutes before tossing it around a bit. 

Keep repeating the process until the meat is nice and brown and when you break a chunk apart there is no pink in the middle.

My family personally doesn't like the extra grease that you can see, so I drain it off the top.

 At that point I drain the fat out and down the disposal (run some hot water immediately down the disposal and run it so you don't have any issues later down the line with your pipes :D). The back of the McCormick's Package calls for 3/4 Cup of water and the whole pack of seasoning. If your family likes strong flavors that is fine but my family has found that that amount is too much for the toddler's stomach to handle so I use half the package and 1/2 a cup of water. Add that to the meat and stir it around and leave uncovered. The meat is done when the juice has thickened up.

While all of this is happening I wrap my six tortillas up in a paper towel and pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds. when they come out they are soft enough to mold. Push them into the muffin cups like little liners.

Once the meat is done spoon some meat into the tortillas until about 1/3 full.

                   Top with some Mexi-Mix Cheese and pop into the oven.

 I only bake it for about 5-10 minutes. It is enough to melt the cheese and crisp up the edges of the tortillas. While they are baking put the rest of  your toppings in bowls and heat up some more tortillas if wanted. Pull out the plates, napkins, drinks and call the family together.

Do you see the delish crisp on the edges?

Pull the boats right out of the muffin pan and place on a serving tray or directly on their plates.

Our Cat Sgt Sasha scheming how to get her paws on one...

 There is enough room for your family to put their toppings right into the boats and eat with their hands. The best part? It has a little crisp at the top but the bottom is still like a soft taco. and there is enough meat left over to make actual tacos still if your family has that one picky member. :)

Obviously I have some crazy characters in my little world :D

I found him in the fridge one day like a preggo...Apparently he was hot.
Random Pic of your day :)

My son eats his boat with his "poon" because he likes to feel like a big boy but I love diving into them without silverware. They make great appetizers for the football parties or you can dress them up with chicken for the holiday get together's too! The versatility of these are really what I love about them.

One meal, Three ways. My kind of cooking!

This is a recurring theme on this blog and we all know it by now but "family comes first". This meal is quick and easy, it caters to the picky tastes of every one in your family, and you can easily enlist the help of your little ones in the kitchen so they learn about responsibility and you get time with them all at the same time. What more could you ask out of a meal? I know we have enjoyed this new little gem and experimenting with it and I hope you will enjoy it too!

Best Wishes,

Jules and Monkey

Shepherd's Pie Kid Style :D

Shepherd's Pie!

   I have a thing for tater tots. It's not a secret and frankly it's no small "thing". If you can add tater tots to something I probably have and I will choose them over french fries pretty much any day of the week (except for Arby's curly fries cause let's face it...they're addicting and a-MAZ-ing!) So all that to say this Shepherd's Pie has an awesome kid loving layer of them on top just toasting away :)
    So for starters this is not a difficult recipe it will just seem like it is due to the several steps. Please don't be scared. Just dive in!

Ingredients:
Mashed Potatoes
    3-4 large Idaho potatoes, peeled or 4-5 small red potatoes, washed but unpeeled
   2 Tbls 2% milk
   2 Tbls butter
   Salt and Pepper to taste

Meat and Veggies
    1/2 lb lean ground beef (or turkey, sausage, chicken, your choice)
    1 can green peas
    1 can corn
    1 Tbls flour
   2 Tbls 2% milk
   1/4 Cheddar Cheese, shredded
   salt and pepper to taste
   the usual spices  (check Picky Eaters Approved to see)
        Garlic, Onion, Italian
   
Toppings
    Cheddar Cheese, shredded
    Tater Tots

Items needed:
   A large boiling pot (for the potatoes) - 5qt at least
   A large skillet (10 inch) or a 2 qt pot (for the veggies)
   Hand Mixer
   A Pie Plate

Side Note: Those who know me know I love love love all things Pampered Chef and all things old school. I would recommend spending a little more on some quality cooking and baking pieces that will last for years over saving money in the short run. It's my one true splurge area so most of the pictures you will see will feature Pampered Chef or Cast Iron. If you want to save money but still be able to buy from certain companies than message me and I will let you in on the secrets and sites that I love and used for all my stuff!

Now to the recipe!

   Wash and quarter your potatoes, peel first if they are Idaho, and place in your large pot. Cover with water and add salt. This is one area you can add flavor without adding calories so salt the water with a good Tbls of salt. Place on the burner and turn on high. Cover and heat to boiling. You want to boil them until they are "fork tender". That just means until you can cut through them with a fork :)

Potatoes just boiling away!

    Heat your skillet to medium high and place your meat in there. Shred it while it is cooking so it is nice and crumbled. Add your Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Salt and Pepper all to taste while your meat is cooking. I prefer about 1 tsp of each. I personally use a low 93% lean ground beef so I don't drain the fat off once it is done cooking but if you feel that there is too much grease please drain at this point.

still cooking down...

    With the meat still in your skillet add your veggies. I use peas and corn solely because my child is at that stage right now. You can substitute any veggies you want and make it seasonal even! Out of the two cans I only use one cup of veggies from each. I put the rest in a Tupperware container for other meals or snacks. Another option is the frozen bag of veggies just make sure you get the ones with no added sauces or seasonings. Add 1 Tbls of milk and flour into the pan and stir it together till it thickens up. Add the rest of the milk and stir slowly. It will create a roux. This will help keep your mixture from being to soggy and still have a great sauce for your pie! Add about a 1/4 cup of cheese to the mixture and stir until melted. Set aside.

Final stage...nice and thick.

    Take your potatoes, which should be done by now and drain them. Put them back into your pot and place back on your burner. Turn your burner off. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to it and mash with a hand mixer. Once blended add 1 Tbls of milk at a time and mix. Once they are mashed to how you like them set them aside.

   **Please note that you should always taste your food during prep as long as there is no raw meat or eggs. Everyone has different tastes so please adjust accordingly.**

Favorite ever! Cranberry Stoneware from PC

 

Take your pie plate and butter it. I use Pam Butter Spray but use

whatever you like. 

Take your potatoes and spread them on the bottom of the pie plate. 

Next spread your veggies and meat mixture on top of that.

 



Spread a layer of cheese on that and then it is time for the Tater Tots! I always line the rim of the plate with frozen tots kinda like a wall to help keep the juices in. After that place them however you want but line them all over the top. 

   
    Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until your tots are nice and crispy.

   

Tater tots done and baked!

    One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is versatile. You can change the meats for dietary needs, the veggies for seasonal or tastes preferences, and the milk and cheese even to make it more luxurious. During the winter I'll use fresh green beans and corn, buttermilk, and an italian mix shredded cheese. It's amazing how little changes can make a big difference. The other great part is that if you use disposable pie plates (deep dish of course) you can put it together then cover and freeze it. Just pull it out the morning of and by that evening you can cook it like normal! It is seriously a favorite of mine :)

  




    I know that by now easy is a bit of an expectation but sometimes I like to spend a little more time in the kitchen and make something truly comforting. Just remember that at the end of the day our missions as moms and wives are still the same. It is to provide an environment that our family wants to be in. It is about the smells and sights and sounds of family and happiness and sheer comfort. And sometimes a few extra minutes in the kitchen when we can helps bolster those tough days, rainy evenings, and sad little faces. Just don't forget the hugs to go with it ;)

Christmas 2012, Beau Rivage Casino Lobby

Best Wishes,

Jules & Monkey