Nog, Nog...Who's there? Peppermint ice cream - Hot Chocolate!

'Tis the season of holiday drinks and parties, my friends! So I am here to share with you a little of both. Dick and I hosted an Ugly Sweater/White Elephant Christmas party over the weekend, and it was a hit, if I do say so myself. My parents were kind enough to let us borrow their house for the night - we would have been sitting on each others' laps in our tiny basement apartment, which would have made it a completely different kind of party! haha There was lots of yummy food and plenty of delicious treats - one of which Dick actually made himself! I'm so proud of him, that he'll be the star of my next post. Anyway, my brother-in-law, Scott, won the trophy for the Ugliest Sweater, and we all walked away with wonderfully useless gifts. I'm thinking we'll make this an annual party because it was just that much fun!

On to the drinks! Egg nog is a tricky thing. It seems like people either love it or they hate it. I tend to love it, but to each her own. My fabulous mother-in-law has her own recipe for the drink, but it calls for no eggs, which is why it is so famously called "No-Egg Nog," or just "Nog." It is loved by traditional egg nog lovers and haters alike. I actually tested it on a self-proclaimed hater last night, and she poured herself a second glass! If that isn't enough proof for you, you'll just have to conduct your own experiment. It's super fast, easy, and delicious!

For the Ice Cream Hot Chocolate, I also have to give my mother-in-law credit. She introduced me to this divine treat earlier this year, and I've never looked back. You may be thinking, "ice cream in hot chocolate, what's the point?" I was in the same boat, but once you taste it, you'll just know. The point is the perfect treat on a cold winter's day! It can be done with any kind of ice cream and any kind of hot chocolate. To be festive, we really like peppermint ice cream with just plain old chocolate flavored hot chocolate, but have fun playing around with it!

THANK YOU to my brilliant drink-whiz mother-in-law, Liz!

No-Egg Nog a.k.a. Nog

From Liz Smith

Ingredients

1 package instant french vanilla pudding

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

5 c. milk

2/3 c. sugar

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

nutmeg for garnish

Directions

In a blender, combine all ingredients, except the nutmeg and whipped cream. Blend the mixture into the whipped cream and chill thoroughly. Shake/stir just prior to serving, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Peppermint Ice Cream - Hot Chocolate

introduced to me by Liz Smith

Ingredients

Very hot water

hot chocolate mix, flavor may vary

ice cream, flavor may vary

Directions

Make your normal mug of hot chocolate, leaving a few inches at the top so it won't overflow when the ice cream is added. Add two big scoops of your ice cream to your hot chocolate. Enjoy!




Ugly Sweaters & BFF's...Merry Christmas!

sensational fruit smoothies

I don't know what the weather is like everywhere else, but for us the summer heat is still KILLER! One of our favorite summer treats to make (who am I kidding, we make these all year!) are fruit smoothies. I basically took the orange-julius recipe I memorized in Mrs. Wayman's 5th grade class & added to it, and the result is to die for! I'm 100% serious about the 5th grade thing - we went on a mini-field trip to some lady's house who taught us how to make cinnamon rolls & orange julius, and my life has been all the better for it. And now, yours will be, too!

Fruit Smoothies

Ingredients

5-6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate

1 c. milk

1 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1/2. tsp vanilla

1 c. strawberries

1/2. c. blueberries

1 ripe banana

15-20 ice cubes

Directions

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely mixed & smooth. If consistency is too runny, put in freezer for 10 minutes, or add more ice cubes.

*Add any other fruits you want!

SaLsA & tAcO sOuP

I've been looking at the Prudence Pennywise blog for well over a year now, and these two recipes are probably very close to our very favorite of hers! I'm not a big tomato fan - I mostly just don't like them chunky. So, the part where the blender comes in to mix the salsa is AWESOME! Both of these are super quick and super easy! They come in handy when you're asked to bring something to a party or pot-luck dinner, and they will always win you many many compliments! Also note, her recipe does not call for any meat in the soup, which I LOVE! But if you are looking to feed a lot of people, or just want to add some to make it a little more hearty, I recommend a can of chicken.

Blender Salsa

adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 white onion, chopped

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes w/ green chilies, undrained

juice of 1 lime

1/3 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

salt to taste

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a blender & mix until smooth.

Taco Soup

adapted from Prudence Pennywise

Ingredients

1 c. leftover smooth salsa

1 14 oz. can low sodium chicken broth

1 14 oz. can chili style beans

1 can corn, drained

3/4 tsp chili powder

1 can chicken, drained well (optional)

Directions

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer about ten minutes. Serve with sour cream & crumbled tortilla chips.