Caramel Apple Cider

Caramel Apple Cider

1/6 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/6 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups apple juice, or apple cider
Pinch of cinnamon or a cinnamon stick to garnish

Stir together the brown sugar and whipping cream in a small saucepan.  Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until it starts to bubble.  Stir in vanilla and apple juice.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring often.  Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pop a cinnamon stick into each cup.

Serves 2.

This is a seriously delicious treat!  Tastes like apple pie in a mug!  I found the recipe at justapinch.com and I am so glad I tried it.  :-)

Buttery Nipple

Buttery Nipple

1 oz butterscotch schnapps
1/2 oz Irish Cream liqueur

Layer the Irish Cream over the butterscotch schnapps in a shot glass.  Shoot it.

Oh Mama!  That is good!!!

Butterscotch Bedtime Warmer

Butterscotch Bedtime Warmer

8 oz milk
2 oz butterscotch schnapps
1 tsp honey

Heat the milk in the microwave until warm (about 1 minute in mine!).  Add the butterscotch schnapps and the honey.  Stir, sip and enjoy.  This is my new favorite bedtime drink!  Very yummy!

Brazilian Lemonade

I don't know why they call this lemondade, when it's made with LIMES! But it's really good! Might be the 2nd best "lemonade" I've ever had!

Brazilian Lemonade

2 limes
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
3 cups water
Ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off the ends and slice into eight wedges. Place limes in a blender with the sugar, condensed milk and water.

Blend in an electric blender, pulsing 5 times. Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove rinds. Serve over ice.

From allrecipes.com

Purple Monstrosity Fruit Smoothie

Purple Monstrosity Fruit Smoothie

2 frozen bananas, skins removed and cut in chunks
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place bananas, blueberries and juice in a blender, puree. Use honey and/or vanilla to taste. Use more or less liquid depending on the thickness you want for your smoothie.

After reading about how good bananas are for you, I decided to give this smoothie a try. Being as how there is no way I can EAT a banana...it's a texture thing, plus the fact that they made me sick once when I was a little kid I've I've never been able to tolderate them since that day - they make me gag.... so I thought I might be able to drink one! The minute I smelled the banana this morning I knew I wouldn't be able to drink this, but I made it anyway. I probably would have been better off trying this in the afternoon given that I've never been too fond of any food early in the day. However, I gave it a try...a very small try...and I admit that the flavor was decent and if it hadn't been so thick and if it had been later in the day, I might have been able to drink at least half of a very small glass. My husband, on the other hand, loved it and was quite happy to finish drinking the entire thing! He says it would be even better with strawberries instead of the blueberries.

Cinnamon Iced Coffee

Cinnamon Iced Coffee

Brew a pot of double-strength coffee, adding 1 tsp cinnamon to the coffee grounds. Chill at least 4 hours. To serve, pour cold coffee over crushed ice and add milk and sugar to taste. This is also really good with a shot of Kahlua!

Fierro Chicken and Margaritas

Fierro Chicken
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Cheddar (I used a 4-Cheese Mexican Blend)
1 (4-oz) can chopped green chiles
1 heaping tbsp chili powder
19-oz can enchilada sauce
15 -oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preheat oven to 350-degrees F. Spray a 9x13" pan with cooking spray and place the chicken breasts in the pan. Sprinkle the black beans over the chicken. Mix the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chili powder, and enchilada sauce until well blended and pour over the chicken and beans. Bake for about 1 hour. Serve over hot, cooked rice.

This was good, but since I had to hold it in the oven for almost 40 minutes after it was done, the sauce was a little too thick. The original recipe is at allrecipes.com. I left out the heavy cream (which probably would have made my sauce just about perfect had I used it) and I substituted the black beans for the button mushrooms.


Margaritas
6-oz frozen limeade concentrate
6-oz tequila
2-oz Grand Marnier
Crushed Ice
Kosher Salt
Lime wedges

Rub the rims of you margarita glasses with the lime and dip into the kosher salt. Fill your blender container about half full of crushed ice. Add the limeade, tequila and Grand Marnier and blend until smooth and slushy. Pour into the glasses, garnish with a lime wedge and serve.
These are SO good!