New Years Eve is Here!

Wow, it's hard to believe that the year is already over! I'm ending it with a bit of a cold, but I have a feeling that if it's not gone by tonight, the alcohol will get rid of it for sure. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a big drinker! In fact, I hardly ever drink, but it's New Years Eve, so I consider it a special occasion!

Speaking of alcohol, I have to say that the old wives tale of drinking a hot toddy to cure your illness really is true! Why haven't I had one the past few days while I've been sick you ask? Well, it's because they taste horrible! Did I mention that I'm not the biggest fan of the taste of alcohol? That may explain why I don't drink often. Sometimes a good wine will complement dinner nicely, but if I'm drinking, I like the good tasting stuff, like this daiquiri I had on my honeymoon, OH MY! It was made with rum and bananas and who only knows what else, but it was AH-MAZING! I digress... so if you are ever sick and you need a cure, drink a hot toddy! Here's a recipe that has worked for me.

1 cup and a good nights rest and you'll be on your way to recovery! Enjoy, or at least enjoy the outcome! 

Hot Toddy Recipe

Ingredients:

1 - 1/2 teaspoons of honey
Juice from 1/4 - 1/2 of a lemon, including a little pulp
2 ounces bourbon or brandy (some like rum)
Very hot water or hot tea (better, I think, with tea)
A cinnamon stick or three-four whole cloves

Directions:

Mix first three ingredients in a mug

Top off with very hot water (if it boiled, let it cool a minute or two)

Add the cinnamon stick or cloves and serve (breathe fumes, sip slowly)

Apricot Pork Roast Recipe

Is it just me, or is everything better in the slow cooker? I fell in love with this recipe when I was looking for lower carb meals that didn't taste like cardboard, and I'm happy to announce that this tastes nothing like cardboard! Since there are only two of us, we normally just get a little pork shoulder and end up finishing it off in one meal. Now that I think about it though, it would be a tasty lunch the next day too! Time to start buying bigger pork shoulders!

Apricot Pork Roast Recipe

Ingredients:

1 3lb pork shoulder roast, boneless, fat trimmed
1 16-oz jar low-sugar apricot fruit spread
1/4 cup low salt chicken broth
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 large onion, chopped

Directions:

Place pork roast in slow cooker. In a small bowl combine apricot fruit spread, broth, mustard and onion pieces, stirring well. Add to slow cooker pouring over top of roast. Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.

Transfer pork roast to cutting board. Skim fat from top of slow cooker broth, then serve over pork roast.

Enjoy!

Free Yoplait Yogurt

Woo-hoo for us! Yoplait is giving out ONE MILLION free cups of yogurt! Want to get yours? Click here to go to their site! The chocolate mousse style is my FAVORITE! I like to freeze it and eat it as my own little frozen yogurt. Yum! 

50 Percent off Coupon at Borders

What a great time to get 50% off any item! You only have until December 16th (Thursday), so take advantage of this deal quickly! 

As a heads up, you have to become a Borders Rewards Perks member to use this coupon, but that's free and you can easily sign up for it here. 

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

While the hubbs and I were on our honeymoon, I was introduced to chocolate mousse for the first time ever! It was AHH-MAZING!! Seriously, it's up there with crème brûlée and red velvet cake on my favorite desserts list! Back to topic though, at first taste, I knew had to find out how to make this dessert. After digging around the internet, trying to find the best tasting one, I found this recipe that I swear is to die for! I like to serve it in either shot glasses (make sure that your spoons fit!), or martini glasses for a glamourous look. You can even top it with a little whipped cream and raspberries, or chocolate shavings.

Chocolate Mousse

image from: www.theworldwidegourmet.com

Ingredients:

4 ounces (115 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter, cut in small pieces
2 large eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream

Garnish: (optional)
Whipped Cream
Fresh Raspberries
Shaved Chocolate

Directions:

In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Then whisk in the two egg yolks. Refrigerate while you whip the egg whites and whipping cream.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), whip the two egg whites with the cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add two tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, yet the whites are still glossy and not dry. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip the heavy cream, remaining one tablespoon sugar, and vanilla extract until soft peaks form.

Remove the chocolate mixture from the refrigerator, and stir a couple of spoonfuls of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and then fold the remaining whites into the chocolate mixture, gently but thoroughly. Fold in the whipped cream.

Spoon the chocolate mousse into six individual serving dishes or glasses. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Can serve with additional whipped cream, fresh raspberries and/or shaved chocolate.

Makes 6 servings.

Enjoy, but beware, it's addicting!! 

Cornish Game Hens Recipe

On the last night of my honeymoon with the hubbs, we had a dinner on the beach. Marty had lamb, and had a cornish game hen for the first time and I don't know if it was just the love in the air or what, but I though that it was a very tasty meal! A few months ago I decided to try it out on my own. It was surprisingly easy, and turned out moist and tasty. Here's the recipe that I used, enjoy!

Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary

image from: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

4 Cornish game hens
salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, quartered
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 tablespoons olive oil
24 cloves garlic
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Rub hens with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lightly season hens with salt and pepper. Place 1 lemon wedge and 1 sprig rosemary in cavity of each hen. Arrange in a large, heavy roasting pan, and arrange garlic cloves around hens. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a mixing bowl, whisk together wine, chicken broth, and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil; pour over hens. Continue roasting about 25 minutes longer, or until hens are golden brown and juices run clear. Baste with pan juices every 10 minutes.

Transfer hens to a platter, pouring any cavity juices into the roasting pan. Tent hens with aluminum foil to keep warm. Transfer pan juices and garlic cloves to a medium saucepan and boil until liquids reduce to a sauce consistency, about 6 minutes. Cut hens in half lengthwise and arrange on plates. Spoon sauce and garlic around hens. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Serves 4.

Easy Razzleberry Pie Recipe

A ways back, the hubbs told me how much he liked razzleberry pie. Dumbfounded, I had to find out what this was. I'm sure I've had it in the past, but had never heard the cute name before. I ended up finding a super easy and tasty recipe. I need to warn you, it's probably not that healthy, but dang, it is good!!

Razzleberry Pie Recipe

image from: simplyrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 box of ready-made pie crusts with 2 crusts
1 bag of frozen raspberries
1 bag of frozen blackberries
1/3 cup sugar
2 1/2 Tablespoons flour

Directions:

Thaw fruit almost completely and pour in colander to strain juice.

In large bowl, mix fruit, sugar and flour together. Line bottom of greased pie tin with crust. Fill with fruit. Before adding top layer cut design into crust (as vents) Lay over top of crust, moisten edges with water to "glue" the two crusts together. With the back side of a fork, pinch edges together, or pinch with fingers.

Lightly brush top crust with water. Sprinkle sugar over the top.

Cover edges with 1 1/2" strip of aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees.

Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes until crust is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Dinner

Way back when I was a nanny, I would fix this chicken recipe at least once every couple of weeks, it is delish! Since you're cooking it in foil, it makes for a speedy clean up as well, you can't go wrong with that, right?!

image from: www.kraftrecipes.com

Foil Pack Chicken & Broccoli

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1-1/2 cups water
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), 1/2 inch thick
4 cups broccoli florets
1-1/2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Bacon Bits
1/2 cup Ranch Dressing

Directions:
Heat oven to 400°F.
Combine stuffing mix and water; spoon onto centers of 6 large sheets heavy-duty foil (spray with Pam first to keep it from sticking). Top with remaining ingredients.
Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place in 15x10x1-inch pan.
Bake 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is done (165°F). Remove packets from oven; let stand 5 min. Cut slits in foil to release steam before opening packets.

Voila! Dinner's ready!