Dark Hot Chocolate

Do you love a delicious hot chocolate drink in the winter time? This Dark Hot Chocolate is a great choice! It has a rich, creamy chocolate flavor that is perfect for a warm hot chocolate.

My kiddos love to go outside and play in the snow during the winter. They build forts, have snowball fights, and love to go sledding. I always like to have a nice cup of warm hot chocolate ready for them when they come inside. What a great way to warm up!.....and delicious!

This recipe is simple, and you'll have several cups of hot chocolate mix to have on hand. If your making hot chocolate several times during the winter like I am, it sure won't last long.

First you'll need to break up the unsweetened baker's chocolate, and add to the food processor. This will break it up more and create a powder out of it. There may be some small chunks, which is ok, it will melt when the drink is prepared for serving.

Add all the ingredients to the food processor to blend and mix well. This recipe makes 4 cups of hot chocolate mix, so there will be plenty to keep for later use. Place the dark hot chocolate mix in a jar or container for easy keeping to make hot chocolate in the future.

What a great idea for a simple Christmas gift as well!!

For one cup of dark hot chocolate, use 2 Tbsp dark hot chocolate mix per 4 ounces of boiling hot water. Make sure to use boiling water, so that it is hot enough to melt any chocolate chunks that are in the mix.

To make a large batch of Dark Hot Chocolate, bring 5 cups of water to a boil. Add the water to a slow cooker and add 20 Tbsp of the Dark Hot Chocolate mix and stir together well. Use the slow cooker, on keep warm setting, to keep the hot chocolate warm. Ladle out when needed.

Top with your favorite toppings: mini marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate drizzle, or cinnamon.

Dark Hot Chocolate

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Dark Hot Chocolate

Hot Chocolate Mix

3 oz. unsweetened baker's chocolate

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup Dutch Process (Euorpean-style) cocoa

1 tsp powdered vanilla, optional 

1 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch 

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Toppings 

-Vanilla Marshmallow Kisses or Marshmallow Bits

-Whipped topping, 

-Ground cinnamon

Directions for Dark Hot Chocolate

1. Add all mix ingredients in a food processor and blend together until well combined. Makes about 4 cups of dry hot chocolate mix. 

2. Use 2 Tbsp dark hot chocolate mix per 4 oz. boiling hot water. It is important to use boiling water, as it needs to be hot enough to melt the baker's chocolate. 

3. Let the mix sit for one minute, then stir the beverage to be sure that all the chocolate is melted. 

4. Top the prepared hot chocolate vanilla marshmallow kisses, or marshmallow bits, whipped topping, and cinnamon. 

5. To make a large batch of dark hot chocolate, bring 5 cups water to a boil.

6. Mix boiling water with 20 Tbsp Dark Hot Chocolate mix in a slow cooker, and stir well.

7. Keep slow cooker on keep warm setting, and ladle out the hot chocolate drink as needed.

8. Top with your favorite hot chocolate toppings.

Note: For 1 cup of Dark Hot Chocolate, use 1 cup of boiling hot water with 4 Tbsp mix. 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own. 

Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower is packed full of flavor! The pepper-garlic roasted cauliflower paired with the savory sauce makes for a delicious combination.

The versatility of cauliflower has great increased in recent years, as there are so many creative ways that it can be transformed. For this recipe, the raw cauliflower roasted with the olive oil, pepper, and garlic salt transforms into golden tastiness in the oven. It is delicious as is, but adding the savory sauce.

We love to grow cauliflower as part of our Spring and late Fall garden. It's a cool crop so it loves the cooler weather.

My family is big fans of cauliflower as part of our meal! Everyone likes it. We like to prepare it different ways. We always like to change up our side dishes and this Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower doesn't disappoint. It is always sure to be a favorite at dinner-time.

I love honey garlic flavors and paired with the roasted cauliflower makes for a delicious side dish to pair with any meal.

Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp garlic powder

pepper to taste

6 Tbsp honey

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce 

6 Tbsp water

2 tsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch

Directions for Honey Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

1. Clean and cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces and place into a medium sized bowl. Add the olive oil, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix together so the cauliflower pieces are evenly coated. 

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the cauliflower pieces out evenly. Roast in the oven at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes or until cauliflower is cooked tender. Remove baking sheet from oven and allow the roasted cauliflower to cool for about 10 minutes. 

3. Make the sauce while the cauliflower is roasting in the oven. Using a small sauce pan on the stove, add all the sauce ingredients except for the Clabber Girl Corn Starch and the water. Bring to a low boil and stir until well blended. 

4. In a small bowl, combine the water and the Clabber Girl Corn Starch, and stir until the corn starch is completely dissolved in the water. Then add the mixture to the other sauce ingredients in the pot and stir in well. 

5. Bring sauce to a boil again and then cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Cool for a few minutes, it should still be warm, but not hot. The sauce will thicken more as it cools. 

6. In a small mixing bowl, add the cooled roasted cauliflower and pour the warm sauce over. Toss the cauliflower so it is evenly coated with sauce and absorbed. Top with fresh green onions when serving. 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Sweet Potato Fries with Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce

These Sweet Potato Fries are easy to make, baked to slightly crispy, lightly seasoned and paired with a delicious Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce to satisfy your salty and sweet cravings!

We plant sweet potato slips every Spring to harvest fresh sweet potatoes from our garden in the Fall. Any time we can use produce that comes out of the garden, that we've grown ourselves, I love. I sure enjoy that sweet potatoes can be prepared savory and sweet and taste wonderful both ways. For this recipe it is a nice and light mix between the two!

For sweet potato fries, I enjoy a little crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. Baking the sweet potato fries using Clabber Girl Corn Starch, will give you a crispy sweet potato fry that is perfectly crispy on the outside and still soft and flavorful on the inside.

This recipe is easy to make. You simply cut the sweet potatoes into long strips, about 1/4 inch wide. They then are soaked in water for about 30 minutes. This helps them to soften up a little for baking.

The dipping sauce comes together quickly.

Sweet Potato Fries with Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Fries with Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce

Sweet Potato Fries

2 Sweet Potatoes, peeled

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch

1/2 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Fine sea salt, to taste

Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce 

1 bag Large Marshmallows

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

1 tsp Cinnamon 

1 tsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Nutmeg 

Directions for Sweet Potato Fries with Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce

1. Peel and slice the sweet potatoes into long, thin strips. About 1/4 inch wide, so all the strips are evenly cut. 

2. Place the fry strips into a large bowl of water and soak for about 30 minutes. 

3. After the 30 minutes, remove the fries from the water and pat dry with a clean towel. 

4. Add the fries to a medium sized bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the fries and use a spatula and mix together so all the fries are well coated. 

5. In a separate bowl, add the Clabber Girl Corn Starch, garlic powder, and pepper and whisk together until well blended. 

6. Sprinkle the corn starch mixture over the prepared sweet potato fries and toss so they are all well coated. 

7. Evenly space on a Parchment paper lined baking sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. 

8. Remove the baking sheet, then using a spatula flip over the sweet potato fries, keeping them evenly spaced. Then place them back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. 

9. Remove the baking sheet and lightly sprinkle the sweet potato fries with the fine sea salt and let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm with the Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce.

10. While the fries are baking, is a great time to get the sauce started.

11. Evenly place the large marshmallows on a baking sheet and place in the oven. The same oven temperature is fine. Watch for the marshmallows to become lightly toasted, about 2 minutes.

12. Once the marshmallows are toasted, remove them from the oven.

13. Using a blender, add the heavy cream, marshmallows, cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg and blend together until well mixed and combined.

14. Pour the blended sauce into dipping bowl.

15. Enjoy the Sweet Potato Fries with the Toasted Marshmallow Dipping Sauce.

Recipe notes:
You will want to make the sauce right at the time you are ready to serve the fries, as the sauce will set up after a while.

This is a great snack to enjoy at home or to serve for a pot luck meal. The sweet and salty pairing is so yummy!

Chicken and Dumplings

Chicken and Dumplings is always a good go to meal that is a family favorite! It is a delicious comfort food meal. Juicy chicken, tender dumplings, in a flavorful broth bring this recipe together for an easy, one pot meal.

Chicken and Dumplings is a great fall and winter meal. So warm and comforting on a chilly day.

This recipe starts with cutting up three chicken breasts into chunks, preparing the onions, carrots, and celery.

Combining the chicken breast chunks together with the chicken broth, vegetables, and seasonings.

While the broth is simmering, prepare the dough for the dumplings. Add the dumpling ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Using a fork, press down on the shortening until it is blended into the mixture.

Next, you'll add the milk just a little at a time to the dumpling mixture. All the milk may not be used, but you will want the dough to be soft and not sticky. Use a fork to gradually mix the milk into the mixture to create the dough.

Then move the dough to a floured surface and knead it a few times. Then using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/8 inch thick.

The rolled out dumpling dough is then ready to be cut into 1 inch strips. Then cut the strips into 1-2 inch strips to create the dumpling. 

Add the dumplings to the simmering pot and let the simmer and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. 

Chicken and Dumplings 

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Chicken and Dumplings

For the soup: 

3 chicken breasts, cut into chunks

1 medium onion, diced

1 cup carrot, julienned

3 stalks celery, thinly sliced

8 cup low sodium chicken stock

2 bayleaf

salt and pepper to taste

4 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch (optional) 

For the dumplings: 

1 3/4 cups flour, plus extra for dusting when rolling out

1/3 cup shortening 

1/2 tsp Clabber Girl Baking Powder

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

Directions for Chicken and Dumplings

1. Using a large stock pot, add the chicken, onions, carrots, celery and season to taste with the salt and pepper. Also add the bayleaves. 

2. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. 

3. Reduce the heat, and simmer for 60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tender. 

4. Meanwhile, during the simmering of the broth, prepare the dumplings. 

5. To make the dumplings, add the flour, Clabber Girl Baking Powder, salt, and shortening in a medium mixing bowl. Using a fork, press down on the shortening until it is blended into the mixture. 

6. Add the milk a little at a time. Continue to stir in the milk into the flour mixture until it well combined. You may not use all the milk, so that is ok, just so the dumpling dough is soft but not sticky. 

7. On a floured surface, knead the dough a few times until smooth. 

8. Roll the dough out on a floured surface to roughly 1/8th inch thick. Cut into 1 inch strips, then approximately 1 to 2 inch lengths. 

9. Add the dumplings to the simmering broth. Simmmer for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until the dumplings are cooked and tender. 

10. If you desire the broth to be a little thicker, add 4 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch with 4 Tbsp water and mix together until well blended.  Then add this mixture gradually to the Chicken and Dumplings and mix in until desired consistency is reached. 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Beef and Noodle Casserole

This beef and noodle casserole is an easy comfort meal that is also perfect for feeding a crowd. This beef and noodle casserole is a delicious blend of ground beef in a flavorful creamy sauce, tossed with egg noodles and topped with a blend of Italian cheeses! For sure a meal the whole family will love.

I love a good casserole and I love having casseroles as part of our meal plan. It's a simple recipe that is great to fit in our busy schedule, but yet still having a nice meal. Perfect for a busy weekend or school night.

The egg noodles can cook in one pot at the same time as browning the ground beef. Set them aside after they are done and begin to make the sauce mixture. The sauce mixture quickly goes together. Then the cooked beef and noodles go back into the sauce and it is poured into a baking dish and topped with the cheese blend. Bake and serve.

I love that this recipe is one that you can do different variations to change it up a bit too. Add mushrooms or peppers to incorporate some vegeteables.

Freezer meals are also great and so helpful in the busy season of life. Make up this casserole in the 9x13, cover with foil and place in the freezer for a later time.

Beef and Noodle Casserole

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Beef and Noodle Casserole

8 oz egg noodles

2 tsp olive oil 

1 lb. ground beef, I used 85% lean

salt and pepper to taste

1 small onion, diced 

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp Clabber Girl Cornstarch

2 1/2 cups beef broth

3/4 cup sour cream

2 cups Italian blend cheese 

Directions for Beef and Noodle Casserole 

1. In a large sauce pan, cook the egg noodles al dente, just a few minutes shorter than instructed on the package. Drain and set aside. 

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook until its browned and cook through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

3. Once the ground beef is cooked, remove it from the skillet, leaving the grease in the skillet. With 85% lean, there is just the right amount of grease left. Set aside the cooked beef. 

4. Add the diced onion and minced garlic to the pan to saute in the grease for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. 

5. Then add the butter in and stir around in the onion/garlic mixture until melted. 

6. Add in the Clabber Girl Cornstarch and using a fork, stir it in continuously for about 1 minute.

7. Add in the beef broth and in until the mixture is well combined. 

8. Mix in the sour cream and 1 cup of the cheese and stir continuoulsy until melted and well combined. Let simmer for 3 or 4 minutes and sauce will thicken. 

9. Add the cooked ground beef back into the skillet and stir together with the sauce mixture. 

10. Then add the cooked egg noodles, and stir in carefully until they are well coated. 

11. Pour into a 9x13 baking dish and spread evenly in the dish. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of cheese over top of the casserole. 

12. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Then it is ready to serve.

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

General Tso Chicken

Do you have a favorite Chinese take-out? This General Tso Chicken is so yummy and SO easy to make at home! It's a crisp and tender chicken coated with a tangy sauce. A simple and flavorful meal that is ready in 20 minutes.

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General Tso Chicken 

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE 

Ingredients for General Tso Chicken 

For the Chicken Batter: 

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin, cut into small cube pieces 

1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1 egg, beaten

2/3 cup Clabber Girl Corn Starch 

For the sauce: 

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce 

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 chicken broth

3 Tbsp rice vinegar

3 1/2 Tbsp Clabber Girl Corn Starch 

5 Tbsp water 

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 

Directions for General Tso Chicken 

1. Prepare the chicken by cutting it into bite size cube pieces and place pieces in a mixing bowl. 

2. Add the low-sodium soy sauce, salt, pepper to the mixing bowl and mix well together. 

3. Add the beaten egg to the chicken mixture bowl and stir well so all pieces of chicken are coated in egg. 

4. Add the 2/3 cup Clabber Girl Corn Starch to the mixing bowl of chicken mixture. Stir together until mixed well and all pieces of chicken are coated with a layer of corn startch. Set aside and let chicken marinate for about 5 mintues. 

5. For the sauce, combine the low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, and sugar into a medium size mixing bowl and stir together until well blended and set aside. 

6. Create a slurry but combining the Clabber Girl Corn Starch with the water. Using a whisk , stir it together until well blended and set aside. 

7. In a large sauce pan, heat 2 Tbsp olve oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and chilis and stir together. Once the sauce  Once you are able to smell ginger and the ginger, its time to move on. 

8. When sauce mixture boils, add the corn starch slurry and stir it in well. The sauce will thicken. 

9. In a large pan, add about 1 1/2 in. of oil. Heat on high. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken one on one to the the pan. 

10. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove chicken and drain and cool on a paper towel.

11. Add the fried chicken to the sauce mixture and toss until all the chicken pieces are well coated. 

12. Top with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over cooked rice and with broccoli and/or carrots. 

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own

Mixed Berry Shortcake

These Mixed Berry Shortcake are such a beautiful and delicious summer dessert. A fun way to enjoy all the summer berries in a dessert as a shortcake. A classic dessert that is prepared in a unique way, in the jelly jars, to have a whole summertime feel to it!

Shortcake desserts are one of my favorites! I love the combination of the fruit, the juices, shortcake and whipped topping all in one! For this recipe, Mixed Berry Shortcake, what a fun way to celebrate so many types of berries that are ready for picking in the summer!

I love taking my kids to local berry farms and picking fresh berries right from the plants. I think it sort of stems back to when I was growing up too, my mom and grandma took us kids to the berry farms to pick often. Of course its always fun to taste a few while you're picking!

For this recipe, I am using strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries, for the mixed berries. They are mixed with just a little sugar and lemon juice to be slightly sweeter for our dessert.

The shortcake is made from scratch, dense with a sweet flavor, that really soaks up the delicious juices from the berries.

This Mixed Berry Shortcake is paired with whipped topping layers to really finish off the dessert!

Preparing these Mixed Berry Shortcakes in jelly jars really gives a fun unique feel to dessert and is perfect for summer picnics! Made to perfection showing all the delicious layers of the bright mixed berries, the dense shortcake, and the fluffy whipped topping. Your mouth will be watering just looking at them! So good!

Mixed Berry Shortcake

PRINTABLE RECIPE HERE

Ingredients for Mixed Berry Shortcake

Shortcake: 

1 1/2 cups flour 

1/4 cup sugar 

1 tsp Clabber Girl Baking Powder

1/4 tsp Clabber Girl Baking Soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter, cold and cut into cubes

1/2 cup plain yogurt

3 Tbsp milk 

1 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Coarse sugar sprinkled on top 

Mixed Berries: 

4 pints of each different berry, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cut and hulled. 

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

Whipped topping 

Directions for Mixed Berry Shortcake 

1. In a stand mixer, add the flour, sugar, Clabber Girl baking powder, Clabber Girl baking soda, and salt and mix together until well blended. 

2. Add the cubed butter to the mixer bowl and mix into the flour mixture. 

3. In a small bowl, add the plain yogurt, milk, egg, and vanilla. Mix the wet ingredients together until well blended. 

4. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour/butter mixture in the stand mixer gradually and mix together on low speed until everything is blended well together. 

5. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and using a large scoop, portion out the dough for the shortbread. One scoop of dough from the large scoop, make a nice size shortbread for jelly jars. 

6. Bake shortbread at 400 degrees F for 18 minutes or until golden. Remove and place on cooling rack to cool completely.

7. While the shortbread is baking, prepare the berries. Place the berries all together in a small bowl and add the sugar and lemon juice. Stir together well. Let sit until the shortbread is baked and completely cooled. The berry juices will come out. 

8. When the shortbread is cooled, it is time to prepare the mixed berry shortcakes in the jelly jars. 

Cut each shortcake in half. I did have to trim down each half slightly to fit better into the jar. I saved the trimmings for a middle layer of shortbread. 

9. Add the whipped topping to a piping bag to add it to the mason jar easily. You can also use a Ziplock bag and cut the tip off to pipe it out of the bag. 

10. Layer the shortcake, mixed berries, and whipped topping in the jelly jars and then add additional berries and whipped topping to the very top of the dessert. 

Recipe makes 10 Mixed Berry Shortcakes in jelly jar size jars. 

Now that they're all put together, let's enjoy!

This post is sponsored by Clabber Girl but my

 thoughts/opinions are always 100% my own