Spicy Taco Seasoning

I love making tacos, but I never buy taco seasoning.  I have everything I need, so I make my own.   I usually make it with sausage, so I don't put much salt in this.  Feel free to add to it if you need. 

Here is my recipe. 

Spicy Taco Seasoning 

2 Tb Cayanne Powder

2 Tb Cumin Powder

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Onion Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Dried Oregano

Mix all ingredients in a coffee grinder and mix together.  

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

While eating at my favorite Thai restaurant my husband ordered some Mango Sticky Rice.  I am not a mango fan.  Personally, I think mango is pretty gross.  However, I have found myself wantin nothing but bowls of this stuff.  So, I want to share the recipe. 

Thai Mango Sticky Rice

1 1/2 cups short grain rice (sushi rice works)

2 cups coconut milk or water

1 1/2 cups coconut milk

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1-2 tsp tapioca starch (aka tapioca flour)

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp tapioca starch

2-3 mangos; pealed and sliced. 

Rinse and drain uncooked short grain rice until liquid is clear.  Drain well. 

Combine 2c coconut milk or water and rice.  Bring to boil.  Cover and simmer 15 min.  Remove from heat and let sit 5 min. 

While rice is cooking, combine 1 1/2 c coconut milk, sugar, salt, and tapioca starch.  Stir constantly.  Bring to boil over Med heat.  Boil 1 min.  Remove from heat.  Combine with cooked rice. 

Set aside until cooled.  About 30 min to 1  hour.  

Combine 1c coconut milk, sugar, salt, and tapioca flour. Bring to boil over Med heat.  Boil I min.  Combine with rice.  

Serve with mango slices on top. 

Serves 8

Homemade Almond Milk - So Easy!

Do you like to drink almond milk?  Have you ever wondered how had it is to just make it yourself?  Come to find out, it's so very easy!

For 2 cups of almond milk you need: 

1 cup almonds

2 cups water

Nut Milk Bag or Cheese Cloth

Blender

First, put your almonds and water in the blender. 

Turn it on to the highest setting and blend until almonds are blended up into little bits. 

Get your nut milk bag ready. 

Pour the mixture through the bag into a container. 

Strain it through and squeeze the excess milk out. 

Pour the milk into a jar or container and store in the refrigerator.  

I then put out the nuts that was strained, lay them to dry, and use them for cooking. 

Crockpot Baked Potato Soup

I made this recipe a while back and loved it.  I can help but share it with you.  I'm including the link where I found it. 

I do it a little different and shred the potatoes, instead of dicing them, to get them to cook faster. I push them into the liquid to coat them a little before putting the lid on. 

Slow Cooker Baked Potato Soup

• 5 pound(s) Russet Potatoes, Washed but not peeledDiced into 1/2 in cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 10 clove(s) garlic, minced
• 8 cup(s) chicken stock or broth
• 16 ounce(s) cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon(s) seasoned salt
• bacon, shredded cheese for garnish

1. Add potatoes, onion, garlic, seasoning, and chicken stock to slow cooker.
2. 
   
   

1. Cook on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours.
2. 
   
   
3. Add the softened cream cheese and puree soup with an immersion blender until the cheese is incorporated and about half the soup is blended. (Alternately you could remove half the soup and the cream cheese to an upright blender, then re-incorporate).
4. Stir well, top with your choice of garnishes & enjoy!

http://www.myrecipes.com/m/recipe/ugc/u-slow-cooker-baked-potato-soup-3/

Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

I'm doing a recipe someone I know shared. My batch is smaller than hers, though. She had 3 gallons.  I only have 1. 

I had a gallon of peels and cores. Put them in a clean jar. I had kimchi in my gallon jar, so I had to use 2 half gallon jars. 

Add 1/3 cup sugar to each 1/2 gallon (2/3 cup per gallon). 

Fill with water about 1-2 inches over the top of the peels. 

Cover with a cloth to keep bugs/dust out, but allow to breathe. 

Stir daily for 2 weeks. 

Once the alcohol smell starts to go away, strain it. The apple will be pretty broken up at this point. 

Bottle, but it still needs to breathe to avoid exploding. Leave the jar lid loose with cloth between the lid and ring to allow it to release the gas/alcohol. 

Wait 12 weeks. Then take the cloth out, recap and done. 

We will see how it goes. I'll blog it as it goes. 

Day 1

Day 7

On Day 16 I strained it.  Then let it set overnight while I prepared the bottles (cleaned them up from being stored).

Day 17 I bottled them, but the caps are not sealed so the gasses don't cause the jars to explode. 

Brent's Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

My husband likes a flat and crispy, yet still chewy, chocolate chip cookie.  He came up with this recipe, and it's become a favorite in our house. 

Brent's Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

1 stick butter; softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup walnuts; chopped

1/2 cup Gheridelli semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven 350°

Whip butter until light and fluffy.  Add in brown sugar and whip until mixed and light. 

Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together. 

Slowly add to sugar mixture. 

Add egg and vanilla extract.  Mix until combined. 

Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips. 

Drop onto greased cookie sheet (a silpat baking mat is recommended) by tablespoon. You want a lot of space between the cookies.  You can get 8-10 per batch. 

Bake 10 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Let them sit 3-4 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.  Otherwise they will smash into itself and fall apart if moved when too hot. 

**These are also really good if you add 1/4-1/2 cup shredded coconut to the mixture.**

Whole Wheat Lemon Ginger Cookies

I was wanting some cookies, and thought I'd throw together some whole wheat cookies.  I had some lemon ginger coconut oil and decided to use that to see how the flavors turned out. It's a pretty basic recipe, but is delicious. 

Whole Wheat Lemon Ginger Cookies

1/2 cup coconut oil (Ziggy Marley's Coco'Mon Lemon Ginger)

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 

Preheat oven 375°

Mix coconut oil and sugar about 2 minutes until smooth and slightly fluffy. Add egg and mix until combined. 

Sift dry ingredients together and add to sugar mixture.  Stir until combined. 

Drop on cookie sheet or muffin tin if you want them taller (as mine are  in the picture) by tablespoon or cookie scoop.  Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden around the edges. If you used a muffin tin, let cool 30 sec to 1 min. Then run a butter knife around the edges before they harden. 

These are a little oily, so you'll need a napkin.