Mocha Hot Chocolate with Baileys

13 inches of snow equals a good reason to have hot chocolate and add some Baileys!!! I adapted a recipe I found in one of my Taste of Home cookbooks.

4 tbsp baking cocoa
4 tbsp sugar
1/3 cup water
2 cups milk
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla
Bailey's (optional)

In a saucepan stir together the cocoa and sugar. Mix in the water and then bring to a boil. Stir in milk and coffee and heat through.  Add vanilla and stir. Top off each cup with Baileys if desired. Makes two cups.

Ham, Egg and Cheese Cups

Fly Boy was out shoveling the 13 inches of snow we got so I decided to make him a yummy brunch.  I have seen these a few times in several magazines so I read the recipes and came up with my own version of these cups and they came out really well.

6 slices of deli ham
1 piece of bread
4 eggs
1 slice of cheese

Spray six cups of a regular sized muffin pan with non stick cooking spray.  In each cup place one slice of ham so that it covers the bottom and sides of the cup.  Tear the bread into six pieces and place the bread in the bottom of each cup.  Tear up the slice of cheese and place equal amounts on top of the bread in each cup.  Beat the eggs together with water or milk and pour equal amounts into each cup.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Product of the Week: KitchenAid Knives

When we registered for our wedding gifts I wanted to register for a knife set that was nice but not too expensive in hopess that we would actually get it.  We registered for the KitchenAid 16 piece knife set at Target and I love it.  It was affordable and has a wide variety of knives.  The knives are sharp and hold up well in use and in the dish washer.  If you are looking for a decent set of knifes at a affordable price, then I would recommend them.   We got ours through Target. Thanks to my lovely roommate Jenn and her boyfriend Joe for the set. 

http://www.target.com/

Click here to purchase!

"Healthy" Chicken Tortilla Casserole

This recipe is from Betty Crocker and it uses reduced fat ingredients to make it "healthier". It was really good! I did not use the green chilies, peppers or tomato but instead used two cups of salsa.  This would be good over rice if you left out the tortillas.






1 can (10 3/4 oz) 98% fat free 45% less sodium condensed cream of chicken soup

1 can (4.5 oz) chopped green chilies

1 container (8 oz) fat-free sour cream

1/2 cup fat-free (skim) milk

2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

8 yellow corn tortillas (6 or 7 inch), torn into bite-size pieces

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

1 large tomato, chopped (1 cup)

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend (6 oz)



1.Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix soup, chilies, sour cream and milk until blended. Stir in chicken, tortillas and bell pepper. Stir in tomato and 1 cup of the cheese. Spoon and spread mixture in baking dish.

2.Cover with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes.

Spicy Oven Baked Ribs

This is another recipe I made from my friend Emily's blog.  It was really good and really easy to make.  I used boneless pork loin ribs.

3 to 4 pounds pork loin back ribs

3/4 cup ketchup

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup finely chopped onion (1 large)


Directions

1. If desired, cut ribs into serving-size pieces. In a large shallow roasting pan place the ribs with the bone sides down. Bake, covered, in a 350 degree F oven for 1 hour. Carefully drain off liquid in roasting pan.

2. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the ketchup, water, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, chili powder, black pepper, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in onion. Pour mixture over ribs. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes more or until ribs are tender, basting once with sauce.