Tag Archives: chocolate

So I went in for groceries

Posted in 365, the little moments by

Sometimes grocery shopping is a beating.
Sometimes I give up and give the Baby Girl my phone and the boys my Kindle so I can actually go to the store and think while I shop.
Sometimes I make a menu and grocery list. Rarely do I actually stick to it.
Which brings me to today.
I ran to the store to grab some food for this weekend.

Menu
Southwest Egg Bake
Grilled Pork Chops and Green Vegetable
Roasted Chicken with salad greens
Venison

New Menu
Southwest Egg Bake – which I STILL haven’t made
Homemade Supreme Pizza with Italian Sausage, uncured pepperoni, bell pepper, green olives, and sliced mushrooms and Easy Chocolate Truffles
Grilled Porterhouse Pork Chops with Beurre Blanc, a sauté of Broccoli Crowns and Green Beans & Heart Shaped Strawberries drizzled with milk chocolate (who has time to dip a bunch of strawberries)
Chipotle Lime Marinated Chicken Breasts for easy toquitos and to mix with salad greens for a quick lunch
Taco Ring – one of Man’s favorites from Pampered Chef

And that’s how my grocery trips go.
80% of the time.
How about you?
Stick to the list?
How do you entertain the kids while you try to shop?

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Today, Make It a Milkshake

In honor of National Chocolate Milkshake Day today, a homemade chocolate syrup that would mix wonderfully with some Braum’s or Bluebell…just saying…

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Chocolate Syrup

Gather:
1 cup water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

to make:
Combine the water, cocoa, salt, and sugar in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Pour into a squirt bottle or jar and refrigerate until ready to use.

Variations:
I like to add a dash of good quality cinnamon (1/8-1/4t)
Add in 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Stir in some flavored liquor
Drop in a chili with the other ingredients for a fiery kick
Mix in a pinch of cayenne and sprinkle of cinnamon with the vanilla

The Milkshake
Usually for a shake, 1:3 ratio of milk to ice cream. Then add 2-4 T syrup depending on desired chocolate (or other flavor) strength.

Where have you been?

Posted in The Meals by

Come….to….mama….

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It broke 95 today. I broke a sweat grocery shopping. I had three little helpers. I needed chocolate. No, I needed a drink. Oooo….I need both. Think daiquiri, not milkshake. Now, I know there is the infamous Serendipity frozen hot chocolate, but I’ve never been to NYC, so I have no aspirations to reach. (That’s a lot of commas in one sentence). My version is cold, chocolate ridden, and super quick. There’s enough to share, but it keeps in a jar for a couple days in the fridge cause you’re not gonna want to. Just reserve some before you add ice or it will dilute too much. I used Ghirardelli chocolate and cocoa, but if you want to send me Godiva, I’ll be happy to use that next time.

In a double boiler, melt one bag chocolate chips (your choice strength), 2-3T sugar depending on chocolate’s darkness, and 2T sweetened cocoa. Stir until smooth, remove from heat and stir in one cup of milk and 1t vanilla extract. Allow to cool to room temperature.

In a blender, mix chocolate syrup, and an additional 1c milk, and 2-3c ice. Blend thoroughly.

Go find a quiet spot by yourself and relax. Breathe. Sigh. Enjoy, because when you’re finished, chances are there’s laundry waiting on the couch.