Monday, October 28, 2013

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Refined Sugar-Free)




If I had to pin Fall down with one word, it would be 'cozy'. Wearing long johns feels like a novelty (ask me again in a few months if I still feel the same), the only produce I crave is pumpkin and apples, and walking outside means the constant crunching of leaves.

Plus, hot beverages are not as stifling and rich flavors sooth instead of weigh you down. When given the option, I'll almost always choose the rich over the sweet. I cram real whipping cream into an unreasonable amount of foods and the answer to "Butter?" is always "yes!"

Having a hot cocoa mix on hand that makes me happy is going to be essential to getting through this winter. I kept it sickeningly simple and used xylitol instead of sugar.

The homemade marshmallows and spoonful of whipped cream on top isn't necessary, but highly encouraged. That's where real living happens!

I made The Urban Poser marshmallows because they're loaded with gelatin and sweetened only with honey. Truly fun! Plus, not a drop of corn syrup!
 


Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix (Refined Sugar-Free)
Yield: about 12 8-ounce servings of hot cocoa

1/2 cup cocoa powder (darker the better)
1/2 cup xylitol, powdered

Whisk together cocoa and xylitol and store in a airtight container. If your xylitol granules are large, powder them in a blender or coffee grinder before combining with the cocoa.

To make hot cocoa, heat milk in a pan until steaming (8 ounces per serving). Whisk in 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of dry mix for every 8 ounces of milk. For example, 16 ounces of milk will yield 2 servings and use 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons of dry mix.

Serve topped with a spoonful of whipped cream and homemade marshmallows (at least once)!



Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Green Chicken Chile Enchiladas



My hubby bases the quality of a Mexican restaurant solely on their fajitas. He can remember the taste of pretty much every fajita he's had and can compare them to the one he's eating. It blows me away.

I judge the quality of the restaurant on the enchiladas; one of the things that always appeals to me when I go. If I ever landed my butt in Mexico, these would be the first thing I'd settle down with.

These enchiladas lean away from the creamy end of the spectrum and land more towards the meaty and filling end.

I made mine large-and-in-charge, but feel free to restrain yourself if you have the ability.

These green chicken chile enchiladas come together pretty quickly and I left them pretty tame (spice wise) because of my daughter. So feel free to up the cayenne if you need to!


Simple but delicious!


Green Chicken Chile Enchiladas
Yield: 6-8 enchiladas


5 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less depending on heat tolerance)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 white onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 ounces diced green chiles (from a can)
1 1/4 mild green taco sauce or enchilada sauce
1 tablespoon sour cream, plus more for serving
1 cup cheese, shredded (Mexican or cheddar are nice)
6-8 large flour tortillas

Chop chicken into 1-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl with lemon juice, salt, chili powder, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (if using), and pepper. Stir around with your hands to distribute the spices and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so.

Melt 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat until shimmering. Dump in half of the chicken and spread into a single layer. Cook until no pink remains in the thickest piece, turning pieces about halfway through.

Move cooked chicken to a pan and add more coconut oil if necessary, cooking the remaining chicken the same way.

Leave as much liquid in the pan as possible when moving the second half of the chicken to the plate. If the liquid doesn't cover the bottom of the pan, add more coconut oil and cook the onion and garlic until some pieces have turned crispy on the edges. Remove from heat.

In a medium bowl, combine the green chiles, 1 cup of taco sauce, and the hot onions and garlic, and 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Pour a little of the green sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and spread to coat. Just enough to keep the tortillas from sticking as they bake...

Divide the chicken between 6-8 tortillas in a fat strip down the middle, but keep it from the edges by at least an inch. Then pour a few tablespoons of green sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with shredded cheese (reserving some cheese to melt over the top).

Place the tortilla in front of you so the ends of the filling are pointing left and right. Fold the left and right sides in to cover the ends of the filling, then fold the side closest to you over the filling as well. While holding all this together, roll the enchilada away from you, tucking in any ends if necessary. Place in the pan, seam side down.

Repeat for all enchiladas and top them all with 1/4 cup taco sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered on a middle rack for 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve warm and topped with additional sour cream.




Friday, October 4, 2013

"Handmade Beauty - Natural You" E-course Introduction

Drumroll, please!

Rolling, rolling, drum-rolling...
 
Image via Heather Anderson

Finally getting to reveal what my big sister and I have been brewing up for you!

Other than food, one of my most intense passions is making things from scratch; And that includes cleaning supplies and beauty products.

We decided to put together a class containing all of our favorite handmade beauty recipes called "handmade beauty - natural you". Not only will you get the recipes (about 20 of them!), but we'll also teach you how to create your own unique creations based on your favorite scents or your individual skin needs.

With the Christmas season approaching, our stress levels tend to climb and we need to take time on purpose to take care of ourselves. I can hardly think of a better way to do that than creating your own homemade spa!

Sure, it would be great to head off to the mountains for a weekend and have someone do this all for you, but how realistic is that? Plus, this way, you know exactly what ingredients you are putting on your skin. No background in chemistry required!

Want to join in our nerd-fest and learn how to treat yourself using simple ingredients?

Anything I've said so far make your heart go pitter-patter?

If you want to be the first to know when the class goes live, sign up here (make sure to confirm to the email we send you). I'd be absolutely thrilled to have you!

How thrilled, you ask? This thrilled!