Coconut Iced Coffee

To Make  Iced Coffee
5 ounces cold brewed coffee
2 tablespoons chocolate sauce (optional)
1/3 cup coconut sweetened condensed milk (or regular sweetened condensed milk)
2-3 tablespoons coconut milk (or regular cream/milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee Ice Cubes
5 cups brewed cold coffee
Coconut Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Sauce
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup honey (use brown rice syrup if honey is an issue)
1/3 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coffee ice cubes
Pour the cold coffee into ice cube trays and freeze overnight. Store in the freezer until ready to use.

Coconut Sweetened Condensed Milk
Add the coconut milk, sugar and vanilla to a small sauce pot. Bring to a low boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer on low for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 2 hours. Once the milk has thicken and reduced by half remove from the stove and allow to cool. Pour the milk into a glass jar and store in the fridge until ready to use or up to two weeks.

Chocolate Sauce
Add the cocoa powder, honey, coconut milk, salt, chocolate and coconut oil to a small pot and place over medium heat. Slowly melt the chocolate and milk into each other. Continue stirring until they become a smooth sauce. Remove from the heat and store in the fridge until ready to use. Re-warm on the stove or in the microwave.

To Make ONE Iced Coffee
Mix together the sweetened condensed coconut milk, coconut milk and vanilla until smooth. Dip a large tall glass into 1 tablespoon chocolate sauce. Drizzle the remaining chocolate up and down the sides of the glass. Place a few coffee iced cubes in the glass. Fill the glass with coffee. Pour in the milk mixture and use a spoon to mix it all together. Place a straw in the glass and drink the coffee!

Halloween

Halloween
[hal-uh-ween]
noun
the evening of October 31.....observed especially by children in costumes who solicit treats, often by threatening minor pranks.

October Recipes

Savory Slow Cooker Chicken

2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces, skinned

1 lb. fresh tomatoes, chopped or 15-oz. can stewed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. salt
2 cups broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces

1. Combine all ingredients except broccoli in slow cooker.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours.
3. Add broccoli 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings
Ideal slow cooker size: 4-5 quart

Per serving:
Calories - 230, Total Fat - 7g; Sodium - 427mg, Carbs - 3g, Sugars - 7g, Protein - 30g

from the Fix-It and Forget-It Diabetic Cookbook

A new day

Today is a new day.

Make the most of it.

Tell someone you love them.

Smile at someone.

Give a hug.

Hold a hand.

Or just listen for a moment and be a friend.”

                                                           ~unknown

Dill & Sea Salt Roasted Chickpeas

1 can (15 oz) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained, rinsed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt, to taste
Dill, to taste

Heat oven to 400°F. Line cookie sheet with foil. Pat chick peas dry with paper towel; place on cookie sheet. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.
Roast 35 to 40 minutes or until crispy.
Pour chick peas into medium bowl. Sprinkle with more sea salt, and dill; toss to coat.

Easy Crock Pot Orange Chicken

4-5 Boneless Chicken Breasts - Thawed3/4 cup Orange Marmalade3/4 cup of BBQ sauce2 tbsp. Soy Sauce

Cook the Chicken in the crock pot for 3 hours - coveredDrain the Juice from the Crock PotMix the BBQ sauce, Orange Marmalade, and Soy SaucePour Mix over chicken, cover and cook on high for an additional 30 minutes.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp seasoned salt

Remove seeds from pumpkin.
Wash completely.
Dry using paper towels.
Lay flat on cookie sheet and allow seeds to dry overnight.
Mix pumpkin seeds in bowl with olive oil and seasonings.
Stir until completely combined.
Pour seeds onto a cookie sheet and bake in a 250 degree oven for 60-90 minutes.
Turn seeds every 15 minutes.
Cook until desired brown-ness.
I like ours crispy!

 Enjoy!

8 things you didn't know about the autumnal equinox

If you've ever wondered what hamsters and the French Revolution have to do with the first day of fall, we've got the answers.

The Northern Hemisphere will bid an official farewell to summer on the evening of Sept. 22 and welcome in the fall. At precisely 10:29 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, the sun will be directly in line with Earth's celestial equator (the equator projected onto the sky,) and day and night will last roughly the same amount of time. From there, the days will gradually grow shorter until the winter solstice, at which point they will begin their journey back in the unending cycle that marks our four seasons.

Welcome to the autumnal equinox.

While most of us realize that this special September day marks the start of sweaters-boots-and-pumkin season (known to some as “fall”), there’s much more to know about the date than first meets the eye. Consider the following facts:

1. The term equinox comes from the Latin “aequus” for "equal" and "nox" for "night," since the equinox (both in the spring and the fall) is the point where day and night are equal.

2. That said, day and night equality is not exactly the case. While the very center of the sun does indeed set 12 hours after it rises, the day begins when the upper edge of the sun reaches the horizon (which happens a little before the center rises), and it doesn't end until the entire sun has completely set, explains The Old Farmer’s Almanac — meaning that the days are still a bit longer. It is a few days after the September equinox when the span of equal day and night occurs.

3. While the autumnal equinox usually falls on Sept. 22 or Sept. 23 every year, sometimes it goes askew. In 1931, it fell on Sept. 24. Why? Because the planet takes 365.25 days to travel around the sun, meaning that every so often, the Gregorian calendar and the sun’s orbit collaborate to push the equinox back a day — but not very often. The next fall equinox slated to happen on Sept. 24 will not be until 2303.

4. The full moon nearest the autumnal equinox is known as the "harvest moon." During this time of year the moon rises earlier in the evening, allowing farmers to work further into the evening. In years when the harvest moon occurs in October, it is called the “full corn moon” because it often coincides with the corn harvest.

5. Along with the vibrant flood of fall leaves ushered in by the September equinox, the sky often has a colorful display of its own. According to NASA, during the fall, geomagnetic storms happen twice as frequently than the annual average, meaning that it is prime time for viewing the aurora borealis.

6. Brilliant leaves and geomagnetic storms aren’t the only things that ramp up around the time of the autumnal equinox. The creature world responds as well. Case in point? Animals at high latitudes go through biological changes with the change of seasons. Take for example the male Siberian hamster, a rodent that experiences a swelling of the testes up to almost 17 times their normal size when the days begin to get shorter.

7. Between the years of 1793 to 1805, the fall equinox was the official start of each new year according to the French Republican Calendar. The French monarchy was abolished one day prior to the equinox in 1972, so the revolutionaries designed their new calendar to kick off on the equinox. By law, the beginning of each year was set at midnight, beginning on the day the autumnal equinox fell at the Paris Observatory.

8. The spring and fall equinoxes are the only two instances during the year in which the sun rises due east and sets due west. So if you aren’t that sure which way is which, use the equinox to note where the sun is rising and setting, set your inner compass, and never get lost again!

http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/climate-weather/stories/8-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-autumnal-equinox

New peanut butter sniff test used to detect Alzheimer's

Researchers find that patients with Alzheimer's disease tend to lose their sense of smell in this nostril.

Think you may be in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease?  Crack open your cupboards and break into a jar of peanut butter.  It's the test that researchers have found may help to indicate early stages of the disease.

Researchers at the University of Florida used peanut butter in a recent study to determine patients’ loss of smell in one nostril compared to the other.  They found that patients who were experiencing the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease tend to lose their sense of smell in one nostril more frequently than the other.  Which one?  The left.  

It turns out, peanut butter is what researchers refer to as a "perfect odorant."  In other words, it's a scent that is detected exclusively by the olfactory nerve.  In contrast, most other smells are also noted by the trigeminal nerve.  This nerve plays a key role in sensations that are felt in the face.  But when it comes to Alzheimer's disease, it's all about the olfactory nerve.  Dysfunction in this nerve is a good indication of degradation occuring elsewhere in the brain.

In other words, a problem here indicates other problems that might be going on in the brain.

Read more: http://www.mnn.com/health/fitness-well-being/blogs/new-peanut-butter-sniff-test-used-to-detect-alzheimers#ixzz3E5nhDjyD

Pancake Mix Recipe

The *Best* Instant Pancake Mix Recipe

yield: 8 CUPS OF MIX

prep time: 10 MINUTES

cook time: 0 MINUTES

total time: 10 MINUTES

INGREDIENTS:

6 1/3 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 1/3 cups instant dry milk powder
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Measure all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir to combine. Store in airtight containers before using.

Instant Pancake Recipe:
2 cups pancake mix
1 large egg
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup water

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Fry on lightly greased griddle until golden brown.

www.laurenslatest.com 

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil

1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

 

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

http://www.kevinandamanda.com

Perennials for Sun

Black-eyed Susan. This drought-tolerant perennial  produces a mass of late-summer and early-fall color in sites where many plants don't thrive, like dry hillsides and rocky terrain. Black-eyed Susans do best in average, well-drained soil. Divide every three to four years to keep the plants vigorous; expect reseeding. Attracts butterflies.

Purple coneflower. A dependable, drought-tolerant perennial, purple coneflower  blooms atop 2- to 3-foot stems in mid to late summer. The protruding flower centers (cones) are butterfly magnets. Cultivars come in a striking array of colors, including orange, yellow, raspberry and white.

Dianthus: Known for their long flowering season these gorgeous fringed flowers can last from spring to fall. Dianthus is a very fragrant plant working well in a scented, butterfly, cut flower or heirloom garden. The plants bloom not only solid colors, like white, red, rose, lavender and yellow, but also bicolor with interesting edging, darker centers and streaks. Stem rot is a concern so plant in a well-drained clay or sandy soil and do not mulch all the way around the plant.

Shasta daisy. Its large, cheery flowers and troublefree foliage make Shasta daisy a natural addition to a sunny garden (also great for a moon garden). This clump-forming, perennial blooms from early summer to fall on 2-1/2-foot-tall stems. Provide support to keep the taller types from falling over. Tolerates a wide range of soils; provide consistent moisture.

Blanket flower. An excellent choice for the novice gardener, blanket flower is easy to grow and drought tolerant. Vibrant blooms come in red, yellow, orange or a combination of the three. Plant the flowers in masses for brilliant color from late spring to fall; deadhead to prolong bloom. These daisy-like flowers attract butterflies, bees and birds and are deer-resistant. Reseeds freely.

Perfect, Creamy, Fettuccine Alfredo

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbsp steak seasoning
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb linguine noodles
1 tbsp salt
1 scant cup chicken broth
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves minced garlic
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
8 basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Layer chicken between wax paper and pound breasts to even thickness. In a small bowl, mix the egg, milk, lemon juice and garlic powder. Pour mixture into ziploc bag with chicken. Seal and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours. After marinating, whisk together flour, bread crumbs, salt, baking powder, and steak seasoning in a medium bowl. Remove chicken from milk mixture, shake off excess, and coat in flour mixture. Add 1 tbsp of salt to a large pot of water and bring to boil. Boil noodles according to package. Then, in a medium saucepan, heat chicken broth over medium high heat, bringing to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in heavy cream, cornstarch, and garlic. Bring to a soft boil and stir for one minute. Reduce heat to low, add parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 10 mins to melt cheese, let thicken, and incorporate flavors. Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When butter just starts to turn brown, arrange chicken in skillet. Cook 4-5 mins each side until juices run clear and chicken is cooked through. While chicken is cooking, chop fresh herbs and stir into Alfredo sauce right before serving. Serve sauce over pasta and chicken.

www.kevinandamanda.com 

Beef and Biscuit Casserole

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 (1 oz) packet taco seasoning 
• ¾ cup water
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup light mayonnaise
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cups biscuit mix (I used Bisquick)
• 1 cup water
• 2 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 (4 oz) can green chilis

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Brown ground beef until no longer pink, then add taco seasoning and ¾ cup water and let simmer for 3-4 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, mix sour cream, mayo, half of the cheese, and half of the onion together and set aside.
4. In another bowl, mix together biscuit mix and water to make a soft dough. Press dough into the bottom and ½" up the sides of greased 9x13" pan.
5. Saute remaining onions and green peppers until barely tender.
6. On top of the biscuit, layer the remaining ingredients in this order: ground beef, diced tomatoes, green peppers and onions, green chilis, sour cream mixture, and remaining cheddar cheese.
7. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.

www.sixsistersstuff.com

Slow Cooker Cream Cheese Chicken Taquitos

• 
  
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• salt + pepper
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• ⅓ cup water
• ½ cup shredded colby or Mexican blend cheese
• 12 6 inch corn or flour tortillas
• optional: cilantro, salsa, sour cream, or other toppings as desired

1. Add chicken, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper to taste, cream cheese, and water to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
2. minutes before serving, remove chicken from crock pot, shred with two forks, and return to slow cooker. Give it a stir. Let it cook about 15 minutes longer.
3. Preheat oven to 400. Place about ¼ cup of the chicken mixture onto the middle of each tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded cheese. Roll tightly and place in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes, until tortillas are slightly browned and shredded cheese is melted. Serve with desired toppings and sauces.

lecremedelacrumb.com

Painted Dragonfly Made From Maple Tree Seeds

Here's a cute idea from Pinterest, these little dragonflies were made from twigs, maple tree seeds and paint. Imagine them in a myriad of different colors... Not only would these be a great craft to do with the grandkids, but I think I could have plenty of fun making these myself! 

Dragonflies made from maple tree seeds, paint, and twigs by Filth Wizardry

The photo below was her inspiration.  

I have to say I like the painted one above!

Original idea from Parents online  image by Ed Judice

August Recipes

Kitchen Hints

• Peel your bananas the way the monkeys do it—from the bottom up—so you don’t get those little strings. Also, take the bunches apart when you get them home—they’ll last longer.
• Sweet peppers with three bumps on the bottom are sweeter and better for eating. Peppers with four bumps are firmer and better for cooking.
• If measuring something sticky, like peanut butter, first rinse your measuring cup with hot water—the peanut butter will slide right out!
• To easily chop dried fruits, place them in the fridge for ½ hour first, then cut them with a knife dipped in hot water.

July's recipe