Chai Tea Concentrate

 I got this recipe from jamhands.net

 and since I like chai tea lattes iced... I made mine with milk!

Note: For Chocolate Chai Concentrate, add about 3 Tablespoons of chocolate syrup (more if you want it extra chocolaty)

Chai Concentrate 

Makes many servings (you can make a double batch and it filled three jam jars)

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Empty condensed milk into a jar or plastic container with tight-fitting lid. Stir in the sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Store in refrigerator.

To use: Brew a cup of strong black tea, such as Assam, then add two heaping teaspoons of concentrate or more to taste. Stir well until concentrate has fully melted. I added mine to milk with ice because I like iced Chai Tea lattes!

To give: Pour into small jars with lids and tie with an attractive bow, or wrap the jar first. Attach a tag with instructions to keep the mix refrigerated and how to use it.

To keep: Store in refrigerator for up to 6 months.

Poor Boys Plate

Poor Boys Plate...

 Saute the onions, set aside, mix up the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar...

 Mix in beans and Worcestershire sauce...

 mix in ketchup and all ingredients together... pour in baking dish..

 peel apart 8 biscuits to line on top of the meat mixture..

 2 cups of grated cheddar cheese goes on top..
Bake in oven at 350 for 25-30 minutes... check while baking cause I baked too long and the cheese was too melted and crusted on top... would've been better... I might even check at 20 minutes..

Serve with a fresh salad... yum..

Poor Boys Plate

Saute the onions in a skillet over medium heat; cook until softened then remove the onions from the pan set aside. Brown the beef in skillet over medium heat. Once the meat is browned, drain grease (if necessary) and add the onions back into the pan. Add the can of baked beans and Worcestershire sauce; blend together; set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar; stir into the mixture. Salt to taste. Pour the beef mixture into a 9×13 inch casserole dish.

Peel the biscuits apart and place a layer of the thin biscuit layers over the casserole. If biscuits aren’t available, use a sheet of flaky pastry and cut into circles or squares. Top casserole with grated cheese.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes. Serve with a fresh green salad.

• 1 whole Onion, Diced
• 1 pound Ground/minced Beef
• 12 ounces, weight Can Of Baked Beans
• 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 cup Ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 can Buttermilk Flaky Biscuits (8 Count) Or A Sheet Of Flaky Pastry
• 2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese

Caprese Salad

Caprese Salad

Basil

tomatoes chopped up

fresh mozzarella

Mix in balsamic vinegar and Olive Oil, salt and pepper to taste

Edible Arrangements

 I bought the green tin at the Dollar Spot in Target, bought foam filling in the flower/craft section at Walmart...bought the skewer sticks at the grocery store...

 I used cantaloupe, strawberries, watermelon, pineapple, red and green grapes and then I chocolate covered strawberries.... arrange as you wish, some sticks I had to break in half to fill it out towards the bottom.

Makes a great gift to bring to someone who was in the hospital or just delivered a baby, or a great bday gift! :)  Costs WAY less to make and this size was $60 if you ordered it from edible arrangements and I made it for $15 or less with the cost of fruit and everything!

Amaretto Cake

Sorry I forgot to take a picture, made this cake for a cooking party and we all ate it all before I got the picture, it turned out great and was even better the next day after it had cooled... very moist and delicious!

Amaretto Cake
very slightly adapted from allrecipes.com
(Printable Recipe)

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 eggs
1 (5.1 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 Tbsp amaretto liqueur
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. (I used Pam for Baking spray)

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, instant vanilla pudding, water, oil, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons of the amaretto; blend together well. Pour batter into the prepared pan. 

Bake in preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Remove cake from oven and while it is still warm, poke holes in the surface. (I didn't poke holes in it) Drizzle with the Amaretto Glaze, insuring that some of the glaze fills the holes. Let the cake cool for at least 2 hours before removing from the pan. 

To make Amaretto Glaze: Sift the confectioners' sugar, and combine it with the remaining 1/2 cup amaretto. Blend until smooth. You may add more amaretto as needed. 

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

 Daniel of course had 2... so don't think it was the pregnant girl who ate both! :)

Hawaiian BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches 3 pounds Boneless Chicken Breast, Thighs Or A Combo Of The Two 1 whole Onion (large), Sliced Into Chunks 1 can (20 Oz. Size) Pineapple, I Recommend Crushed, Drained But Reserve The Juice If Using (See Note Below) 1 bottle (18 To 20 Oz. Size) BBQ Sauce Of Your Choice (Our Favorites Are Sweet Baby Ray's Or Open Pit If We Want To Give It A Little More Of A Kick) Hamburger Buns Or Kaiser Rolls If you use frozen chicken, make sure it is completely defrosted. If you cook it frozen, it will indeed cook but it will make a very “wet” sauce. Place your chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Top with onions, then pineapple. Pour the entire bottle of BBQ sauce over the whole thing. Note: If you want a sweeter BBQ, add up to half a cup of the pineapple juice you drained, depending on how sweet you want it. This is optional. Turn your crock pot on LOW and cook for 8–10 hours (or on HIGH for 4–6). An hour or two before it is finished cooking, carefully remove the chicken from the crock pot and shred it using two forks. Watch out, it will be hot! Place chicken back in the crock pot and stir well to combine. Finish cooking an additional hour or two so the chicken can absorb most of the sauce. Serve on hamburger buns and top with coleslaw if desired. Note: When I had made it with Sweet Baby Ray’s and pineapple juice, it was a very sweet Pulled Chicken. It was great, and everyone loved it. But I have to say, using Open Pit BBQ Sauce and no pineapple juice was hands down our favorite! It had just the right amount of sweet and vinegar that we love in a good BBQ. If you are making this for kids, children tend to like the sweeter variety.