Sep 23, 2012 |
This is one of my favorite recipes. This is what every coffee drinker in my family gets each year. This is what gets me through the holidays.
HOLIDAYS?!
That’s right. I said it. And I’ll say it again.
HOLIDAYS!
For weeks, I’ve been working on my Holiday Gift Basket Giveaway: scrounging up sponsors, writing reviews, and just plain getting into that Ol’ Holiday Spirit.
It can’t be avoided… and I don’t want to.
I’ve spent the last week reorganizing my kitchen, and today we decorated for Fall. I’ve tweeted it, Facebooked about it, and shown my beautiful dishes on Instagram. Didn’t see it? Well… here you are:
And now I’m ready to cook. Bake. Make. And taste.
Sounds exhausting? You would think… But don’t worry. This Girl’s got ya covered with some great tasting caffeine.
Mocha Flavored Coffee is one of those really great, easy, oh-so-appreciated recipes. You can add as little or as much as you want to 8 ounces of hot liquid. I prefer to embellish my basic coffee with it, others add it to hot water. Either way, it’s sure to please.
RECIPE: Mocha Flavored Coffee
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup instant coffee
- 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
- 1 Cup powdered creamer
- 2 TBSP Cocoa powder
- 2 TBSP instant hot cocoa mix
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Add 2 rounded teaspoons (or more) to 8 oz. hot water or coffee.
- Stir thoroughly.
Notes
Embellish with whipped cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate shavings, sprinkles or candy canes.
Store in air-tight container for months (if it lasts that long!).
Use decaffeinated coffee grounds and a sugar substitute if desired.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2012/09/23/recipe-mocha-flavored-coffee-mix/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
Now here’s a little bonus idea for you (call it an early Christmas gift): How often do you wish you could just take a small break from the day and enjoy a blend of your favorite cafe mocha? But you’re busy. Working. Running errands. Taking care of the Home Front. There’s not always time or money to treat yourself.
Well, now you can!
I bought my OXO Good Grips Salt and Pepper Shakers for just this purpose!
See that great little pour spout on the side? Just Take and Shake!
They’re called Good Grips for good reason: These little dandies fit perfectly in the palm of a hand, making them easy to hold. They’re solidly built, but not bulky. They’ll fit in your cabinet, desk drawer, and bag. And because they’re clear, there’s no guessing if there’s enough mix left for one more Mocha. They’re perfect.
Carry one of these lightweight shakers with you throughout the season, and you’ll enjoy several mugfuls of this great drink recipe. (Be sure to keep the shaker holes covered or put a small round of paper under the cap so it doesn’t sprinkle all over the inside of your tote!)
As you can see, I also like to add layers of cinnamon and nutmeg to my personal stash. A few shakes of the shaker and it blends quite nicely. Each shaker holds enough mix for three regular cups of Mocha Flavored Coffee.
So whether I’m at work, in my own kitchen, or busy running errands, I always have a great cup of coffee with me.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
[Disclaimer: Frankly, My Dear.. has joined up with OXO and their Blogger Outreach Program. I have not been compensated for this post in any manner. All reviews and opinions are my own.]
Jan 5, 2012
1. Colored lights are beautiful no matter what time of year it is.
2. Christmas is December 25, the Christmas Season runs from Labor Day through a week after New Year’s Day; with a few other holidays mixed in as well.
3. Being vocal about a Christmas wishlist can be really beneficial.
4. It is better to give; but it’s oh-so-fun to receive.
5. I like putting effort into making holiday treats: baking cookies, crafting gifts.
6. Books make the best gifts.
7. Nutcrackers make the best guardians.
8. Christmas colors are red, green, and white.
9. Holiday colors are silver, gold, and blue.
10. Cats like to climb trees, even the fake ones.
11. There’s a Keurig for every moment.
12. “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a year-round lesson.
13. “Miracle on 34th Street” is a year-round wish.
14. Family memories mean more when they’re wrapped in pretty packages.
15. The internet and phone are not replacements for absent family, but they help.
16. Santa may or may not be real. The Holiday Spirit always is.
17. Ham and potato salad will always be the best Christmas meal at our house.
18. It doesn’t have to be cold and snowy to be Christmas, but it helps.
19. January 1st is a great day to experiment with new recipes.
20. Resolutions are made to be broken.
21. The New Year offers a clean slate. Keep only what you want. Wipe the rest away. Add to your foundation. Turn the page. Start over.
22. If you’re alive, you have a purpose. Find it. Reach for it. Achieve it. Share it.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 24, 2011
It’s not Christmas Eve yet. Not for me.
I’m writing this a day early because even if I have time to write on Christmas Eve, I don’t want to have to write on Christmas Eve. This is my gift to my family: to not behind my laptop during our time together today.
And what a time it will be!
My daughter is taking me to the local movie theatre this afternoon so that I can see one of my favorite movies on the big screen: Frank Capra’s “It’s a Wonderful Life”. This is a really big deal to me. This is not my daughter’s favorite Christmas movie, so I only watch it when she’s not around. Except this year, I haven’t had a lot of time to myself unless it’s sleeping. So, obviously, I’ve yet to watch the movie.
So when I saw the marquee poster for this, I squealed in girlish delight and embarrassed her by loudly announcing, “This is what I want for Christmas from you!” To which she agreed. Her presence in the theatre, for a movie that means so much to me, with no joking or comments. Just her, me, popcorn, jalapenos, and Jimmy Stewart. Joy to the World!
Now, the movie is a before-and-after marker. Because ever since we agreed to go, everything we talk about has been qualified with “Before we see the movie…” and “After the movie is over…” Things like, call her Uncles who won’t make it to town. Bake cookies. Go to church. Eat dinner at In-n-Out. Watch “Scrooge” (the musical with Albert Finney). Pack for Christmas Eve. Mix up a chocolate martini. And enjoy food. Lots of food. And whatever else we can fit into the Before-and-After categories.
That’s what my Christmas Eve Day will be; at some point or another. That doesn’t include visiting friends the day before, or arriving at my mom’s that evening.
Even though we only live a mile apart, we’re keeping up with the tradition of sleeping over at my mom’s house. There’s only been one year in my entire life that I haven’t spent Christmas Eve night at my mom’s house. It was about ten years ago, in our apartment when Dot and I thought we’d wait for Santa at our place. Considering once he stopped at our abode, he also left instructions to find more loot at Grandma’s, it definitely wasn’t a restful night.
Ever since, it’s been back to Grandma’s for some Family Togetherness. The kind that makes our family glad these events only happen once a year. But the kind we look forward to nonetheless.
Once Dot goes to bed, my mom and I will stay up and talk about the beauty of her tree. We’ll listen to music, or watch Christmas shows on the TV. We’ll talk about the weather back east and wish we had a White Christmas. When we’re sure Dot’s asleep, we’ll put out her stocking. Then I’ll go to bed.
Somewhere around 3 a.m., Dot and I will wake up and sneak into the living room. We’ll spy where our stockings from Mom are, and see what other small goodies she’s hidden around the room. We’ll try hard not to giggle loudly, we’ll avoid touching anything that makes noise. Then we’ll make our way back to our beds and try hard to fall back asleep.
Enter Christmas morning: we somehow manage to all wake up around the same time. Mom will have the coffee ready, and orange danishes will be baking. Once we grab our morning snack, we’ll meet again in the living room and open our stockings. I’m excited because this year I was able to put together a stocking of goodies for my mom as well as my daughter. I’d tell you what she’s getting, but she reads this so I can’t. Yet.
Then we’ll open a few presents. After a short time, we’ll break for another danish and refill on the coffee. Then we’ll open the One Gift: you know the one. The One that’s saved for last. The Big Hurrah. The One that is bound to render the receiver speechless. That One.
It will be over too soon. It always is. But we’ll sit back, sip the cider, and enjoy the day. Before and After will take on a new meaning as Christmas comes to a close. But we’ll always have the memories we make.
I think that’s the best gift of all.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote.
Dec 11, 2011 |
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
And this is what it looks like in my house:
See that salty good mix? This is my version of the original Chex Party Mix. I’ve always known it as “Doo Dads”. A little this, a little that. How could you not want some Doo Dads?
You can deck the halls all you want, but in my house it’s not The Season until the Doo Dads are made.
We pretty much live on a diet of this mix and hot cocoa the week before Christmas. We have to parcel it out and make sure nobody comes in to steal all the Cheez-Its out of the container. Hence, the Security Patrol, otherwise known as Nutcracker. And believe me, there’s a lot of Doo Dads to guard. At least, at first.
It may not look like a lot from this shot, but that tin is 14 inches tall and 10 inches wide. And this is just one batch! I usually make two batches in one day, but this year I did the first one just before Thanksgiving and the second one earlier this week.
Wanna guess how long before we ran out of the first batch? Let’s just say I made the second batch when nobody else would be home for hours. Easier to guard with less snack attackers around.
Here’s a few helpful hints when making this recipe:
*20 cups of cereal and snacks can be a lot for one bowl to contain, so I usually put all the dry ingredients into a large trash bag for easier mixing. If you do this, make sure to use a regular plastic trash bag and not a “scented” or “clean fragrance” one. You don’t want your Doo Dads to taste lemony fresh. That’s so not part of the recipe.
*After mixing all the dry ingredients, pour the butter sauce into the bag. Make sure you have a tight grip on the bag and shake it, shift it, however you want to mix it. Just make sure you don’t crush the Doo Dads. You’ll know when it’s all coated once the bag itself has been coated on the inside.
*Use large roasting pans. To make clean up easier, I buy the cheap disposable ones. No matter how many batches I make, all I have to do when I’m done, is toss them out. No dishpan hands for me!
*If you’ve mixed the Doo Dads in a large bag, make sure you have a good grip on the bag, taking in all the excess and holding it like a pour spout. The mix will tumble out quickly so be careful not to overfill the pans.
*When stirring every 15 minutes, I take one pan out, stir it and set it aside. I take the next pan, stir, and put it where the first pan was; rotating each pan clockwise, and putting the first pan into the last empty spot. Of course, they’ll roast no matter where they’re placed in the oven, but this ensures that the roasting is nice and even.
And now, from my house to yours… The Recipe.
Merry Christmas. Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!
Ingredients
- 5 Cups Corn Chex
- 5 Cups Rice Chex
- 5 Cups Wheat Chex
- 4 Cups Cheerios
- 1 Bag (12 oz.) Pretzel Sticks
- 1 Box (13.5 oz ea.) Cheez-It Crackers
- 2 Cans (14.5 oz ea.) Salted Peanuts
- 1 Cup + 2 TBS Butter
- 1/3 Cup Worcestershire Sauce
- 2 1/2 tsp Garlic Salt
- 1 1/2 tsp Seasoned Salt
Instructions
- Mix together cereals, pretzels, cheese crackers and peanuts. Set aside.
- In small saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- Add worcestershire sauce to butter, stir.
- Add garlic salt and seasoned salt to butter sauce. Stir constantly until blended.
- Pour sauce over dry mix. Mix thoroughly.
- Spread into shallow baking or roasting pans.
- Roast at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
3.1
https://franklymydearmojo.com/2011/12/11/holiday-recipe-doo-dads/ (c) 2012 Frankly, My Dear... New Inklings Press
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Dec 4, 2011
The dual purpose word: COLD. It’s a feeling. It’s a virus. And right now, it’s both. At least, it’s trying to be.
All that to say, with the onslaught of winter winds, I’ve come under the weather so to speak, and am not feeling up to writing a conquering post.
Instead, here’s a few photos of my Christmas decorating.
How do you decorate for the Holidays?
This Year's Favorite Ornament
More Treats Under the Tree
Christmas Wagon
My Mantle at Night
Treats Under the Tree
Chocolate Martini made with Scharffen Berger Chocolate
Lights in the Dark
Easy Start
