Homemade Chocolate Pudding

When cooking/baking I try to use as many organic ingredients as possible. ENJOY!!

HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE PUDDING

1/2 c. cocoa
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. powdered milk
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. water
4 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. butter
Mix first 6 ingredients together. Cook in microwave stirring every once in a while until thick.
When done, add vanilla and butter.

CHOCOLATE CREAM PUDDING
 Ingredients:
1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions:
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, cornstarch and salt. Stir in milk and chocolate. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate melts and mixture thickens. Remove from heat and stir in egg yolks. Return to heat and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Chill before serving.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chocolate-Cream-Pudding/Detail.aspx

Homemade Fruit-Filled Drinks & Popsicles + Kid-Friendly Recipe Blog Party

Welcome to the Fun in the Summer Sun event!

Each Monday until September 7th
Mama to 4 Blessings along with Harvest Moon By Hand,
Adventures of Mommydom, Sweet Diva, and Sweet Phenomena
will be hosting Fun in the Summer Fun link up events.

Here's the line up:

1st Monday of each month: link up your "Kid-friendly summer activities"

2nd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid-friendly summer crafts"

3rd Monday of each month: link up your "Kid-friendly summer recipes"

4th Monday of each month: link up your "How to stay cool in the summer heat"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

This week - with temperatures in the upper 90s and dewpoints in the 70s (like the tropics) - Sophia and Olivia will need some refreshing drinks and cold treats. 

One of the favorite drinks we recently made is Rhubarb Slush.  "Rhubarb...for kids?" you may be thinking. Surprisingly, the rhubarb is not the first flavor that you taste - it's actually the strawberries.

Rhubarb Slush

This recipe isn't, perhaps, the healthiest one since it contains sugar, gelatin, and ginger ale. However, it is refreshing and a special treat on incredibly hot days.

Rhubarb Slush

(Taste of Home magazine)

Ingredients:

8 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb

1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened strawberries

3 cups sugar

8 cups water

1 package (3 ounces) strawberry gelatin

1/2 cup lemon juice

11 cups ginger ale, chilled

Directions:

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, bring the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and water to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-8 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Press through a sieve; discard pulp. Stir in gelatin and elmon juice until dissolved.

Transfer to a freezer container and freeze, stirring occasionally, until firm. May be frozen up to 3 months.

To use frozen rhubarb mixture: In a punch bowl or several pitchers, combine equal amount of rhubarb mixture and ginger ale. Or, for one serving, combine 1/2 cup rhubarb mixture and 1/2 cup ginger ale in a glass. Serve immediately.

Note:

I froze the mixture in a 9"x13" pan. Once it was frozen, I took it out of the freezer and let it thaw just a bit so it could be easily cut into small pieces (each the equivalent of 1/2 cup). I placed all of the cubes of the frozen mixture on a cookie sheet and re-froze them.

Once frozen, I placed them in a gallon freezer storage bag. In that way, when the girls are thirsty or someone visits, a refreshing drink easily can be made.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next recipe is "Can't Be Beat Banana Ice Cream Pops" from the book Sneaky Fitness: Fun, Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness Into Your Child's Everyday Life.

The book says that each banana pop has a serving of fruit and calcium. They're a low-fat, low-calorie treat; and even appropriate for on-the-go-breakfasts.

The recipe calls for milk, yogurt, and chocolate chips. Since Sophia has a dairy allergy, I modified the recipe so that all dairy-free ingredients are used.

Can't Be Beat Banana Ice Cream Pops

(Sneaky Fitness)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup low-fat milk

1/2 cup vanilla (or banana) yogurt

2 large bananas

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (ideally "mini", optional)

Directions:

Blend all ingredients except chocolate chips in a blender until smooth. Pour equal amounts in popsicle molds, then drop about one tablespoon of chocolate chips into each pop, if desired (we used 1/2 tablespoon per pop). Insert stick, and freeze for at least three hours.

Olivia placing the dairy-free chocolate chips

in each banana ice cream pop.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The final recipe is for Orange Creamsicle Smoothies that we made into popsicles.  The smoothies and popsicles are not overly sweet.

I was envisioning the sugary creamsicles that are sold in the freezer section at the grocery store which I fondly remember from childhood. The smoothies/popsicles do not taste like that. This recipe is a healthier versions.

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt (we used dairy-free yogurt)

1/4 cup orange juice concentrate

1 banana

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

Blend ingredients until smooth and serve with a wedge of orange. You can also make the smoothies into popsicles by filling small cups and adding sticks or using popsicle holders. (I normally use these, but all the trays and holders are being used now.)

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Now it's your turn!  What recipes do your children enjoy making and/or eating?

Homemade Applesauce-Crockpot Recipe

 

8-10 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup water

1/2-3/4 cup sugar depending on kind of apples you use...I only used about 1/4 cup cup sugar and it was great.

Mix all ingredients in crockpot, cook on low for 4-6 hours

ENJOY!!!

Linking to:

Homemade Churros

When my hubby is not home for dinner, the kids and I tend to pick whatever is fastest and easiest for us and sometimes that means a dinner that is not exactly what you would usually have.

Whether it be pancakes, or cereal or even cake or pie....tonight though, we went for Churros.

Churros are extremely easy to make and even though they will tell you that in order to make them look better, you should really use a pastry bag and star tip, don't let that stop you from still enjoying them.....it's what happened with me tonight, I can't find my pastry bag so I went with a ziploc bag, cut the tip off and use it the same way I would with the pastry bag.

My churros don't exactly have the cutesy shape to them, but that really doesn't matter because the taste is phenomenal :)

Homemade Churros

Credit:  Dinner with Julie

Batter:
1 cup milk or water
1/4 cup butter
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
4 large eggs

canola oil, for frying
cinnamon sugar (spike granulated sugar generously with ground cinnamon)


In a medium saucepan, bring the milk, butter, sugar and salt to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the flour, and stir vigorously by hand until the dough comes together in a smooth ball that cleans the sides of the pot. Transfer to a bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes.

Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time. You’ll end up with a sort of smooth, shiny, sticky batter that’s thicker than pancake batter but thinner than cookie dough. If you like, you can let it sit at room temperature for an hour, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours, until you’re ready for it.

When you’re ready to cook your churros, heat 2-3 cups of canola oil in a pot until hot but not smoking – test to see if it’s ready by dipping a bit of bread in – it should bubble and simmer around the bread. Spoon the batter into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip, and squeeze a few inches at a time into the oil, nudging the batter off with a knife.

Don’t crowd the pot – cook maybe 3 or 4 at a time, flipping them as necessary as they turn golden. They should take a few minutes to cook – test to make sure they are cooked through (if they brown too quickly they might not – just turn the heat down). Transfer to paper towels to drain any excess oil.

In a shallow bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Roll the churros around in it to coat them well while they are still warm. Eat.

Makes lots (a few dozen, depending on how long you make them.)

Homemade Twix Bars

I love chocolate.  I am a true believer in that nothing can't be solved without some prayer and chocolate.

Another thing I love are Twix Bars.  *drool*  Twix Bars.... *sigh*

So anyway, when I came across this recipe at Fresh From the Farm, I just had to make it.

We loved them, now I'll say that they are not exactly the same as Twix bars though they are very close, the peanut butter kinda threw me off a bit, I think next time I'll omit it.

NOTES:  I used Ritz Crackers instead of the Club Crackers.  Not sure it would make much of a difference, but just want you to know what I changed in the recipe.

Homemade Twix Bars

Credit:  Fresh From the Farm

48 Club Crackers (24 for each layer)

Caramel Mixture
1 cup Graham Crackers, crushed
3/4 cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/3 cup White Sugar
1/3 cup Milk
1/2 cup Butter!

Frosting
2/3 cup Peanut Butter
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips

Put a layer of Club Crackers in a 13 x 9 pan most pans that size will fit 24 crackers.

In a heavy saucepan on the stove, combine all ingredients for caramel mixture.

Bring to a boil, continue to stir and boil for approximately 4 minutes. The mixture will be caramel like and pull away from the sides of the pan. Pour over the crackers. Immediately top with another layer of Club Crackers, pressing down slightly. Place in fridge to chill.

Combine frosting ingredients in a microwave safe bowl,

and melt for 2 minutes on medium power. Stir until all the chips are melted. Pour the mixture over the crackers, frost and place in fridge to chill until frosting is firm.

Cut and serve! For best results store in the refrigerator

Homemade Instant Oatmeal Packets

I leave for work a little after 6:00am, and by the time my break rolls around at 9:30 I'm ready for a breakfasty snack. Fruit is good, but having access to hot water made me think of instant oatmeal, the kind that comes in little packets flavored with yummy maple and brown sugar.

The problem is, most prepackaged instant oatmeal is full of junk, and I HATE oatmeal with salt in it. (My mom never put salt in our oatmeal; the first time I had salty oatmeal at a restaurant I gagged.)

So, I decided to try making my own instant oatmeal packets!

I started with this basic recipe (leaving out the salt), pulsing some of the instant oats into a coarse flour and mixing 2 tablespoons oat flour with 1/4 cup instant oats. I added different dried fruits and flavorings to taste:

• 1 TB raisins, 1 TB brown sugar, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 TB chopped walnuts
  
  
• one package (1/2 cup) freeze dried strawberries & bananas
  
  
• 1 TB date sugar, 2 TB freeze dried apples, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, and 1 TB chopped pecans
  
  
  
• 2 TB dried blueberries, 1 tsp. sugar, 1/8 tsp. orange zest, and 1/4 tsp. vanilla powder (found in the bulk spices section at my local health food store)
  
  
  
• and (my favorite!) 1 TB finely shredded coconut and 2 TB chopped dried pineapple

I have many more ideas: dried cherries, coconut, and chocolate chips; dehydrated pears with sugar and a pinch of mace or cardamom; dried peaches with sugar and powdered soy milkor powdered rice milk. I could even buy maple sugarand make maple-brown sugar oatmeal.


At work I can put the instant oatmeal in my little mug, add about 2/3 cup hot water, and let it sit for 2 minutes. A perfect mid-morning snack!

Homemade Hamburger and Hotdog Buns

So you're having a hotdog or a hamburger and realize you don't have any store bought buns in the house?

Do you just change your plans and go for something else?  Do you run out and spend money on something you can easily whip up at home?

Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I prefer Homemade anything....it is 10 times tastier than store bought and cheaper too, at least in my opinion.  So next time you're having hamburgers or hotdog buns, skip the store ones and just reach for the bread machine.

I've tried a few recipes but I always go back to this one from Craving Comfort.

This recipe is for Hamburger Buns, but follow it and just shape the rolls to look like Hotdog Buns when it comes to that step. :)

Homemade Hamburger or Hot Dog Buns
(using a Bread Maker)

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups milk, slightly warmed
• 1 beaten egg
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions
(hamburger buns, if you want hot dog buns. cut 'em to that shape)

Place all ingredients in pan of bread machine, according to manufacturer's directions.Select dough setting.

When cycle is complete, turn out onto floured surface.

Cut dough in half and roll each half out to a 1" thick circle.

Cut each half into six 3 1/2" rounds with inverted glass as a cutter.  Place on greased baking sheet far apart and brush with melted butter.

Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour. Bake at 350° for 9 minutes.

Note: Oven temperatures vary so check after 9 minutes to see if done.

As you can see the buns are not shaped perfectly, but that doesn't matter as long as you have long shaped buns, you're good to go. In my attempt to try different sizes until I found the right one, I ended up with extra bread rolls which are going to be delicious for breakfast tomorrow. :)

Homemade Laundry Detergent

This is from the Duggar Family website. 

We have been using this for over a month now and I love it...so economical!

4  Cups - hot tap water
1  Fels-Naptha soap bar
1 Cup - Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda*
½ Cup Borax

- Grate bar of soap and add to saucepan with water. Stir continually over medium-low heat until soap dissolves and is melted.
-Fill a 5 gallon bucket half full of hot tap water. Add melted soap, washing soda and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved. Fill bucket to top with more hot water. Stir, cover and let sit overnight to thicken.
-Stir and fill a used, clean, laundry soap dispenser half full with soap and then fill rest of way with water. Shake before each use. (will gel)

-Optional: You can add 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. Add once soap has cooled. Ideas: lavender, rosemary, tea tree oil.
-Yield: Liquid soap recipe makes 10 gallons.
-Top Load Machine- 5/8 Cup per load (Approx. 180 loads)
-Front Load Machines- ¼ Cup per load (Approx. 640 loads)

*Baking Soda will not work, nor will Arm & Hammer Detergent - It must be sodium carbonate!!

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

There are so many different recipes out there but this is the one I decided to try out.  

 

 

 

1Cup Borax

1 Cup Washing Soda

1/2 Cup Kosher Salt

1/2 Cup Citric Acid

 

(You can use "Fresh Fruit" produce protector (found in the canning isle)...or 15 packets of unsweetened Lemon flavored KoolAid/Wylers (which has lots of citric acid) the citric acid keeps the dishes from building up a cloudy residue)

*Put all ingredients into a container with a tight fitting lid, and shake it up

*Use about 1 TB per load

**DON'T FORGET- Pour some white vinegar into the "rinse aid" compartment of your dishwasher. This will help to keep your dishes from having a "cloudy" look!