Another week has reached its midpoint, which means it's time for What's for Dinner Wednesday. Tonight, I'd like to share with you a family recipe that might be useful to you as we forge through the chilly nights ahead...hot cocoa.
Ingredients: 1 cup milk, 1.5 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tsp sugar (or sugar substitute).
Combine cocoa and sweetener in the bottom of a microwave safe mug with a spoon:
Add about 2 tablespoons of the milk to the cup; combine to form a liquid-y paste. Pour in the rest of the milk and stir to combine. Microwave for 1 minute on high, then remove, stir, and microwave for another minute to minute and a half. Enjoy!
I love this recipe for several reasons:
1) It's simple and preservative free.
2) It's easily dressed up- top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings and maybe a peppermint stir-stick and you've got a fancy, festive treat!
3) It fits any diet- if you're watching your weight, use skim milk and Splenda for a happy ending to your day with 100 calories or less!
4) It makes a great gift- if you're looking for homemade gifts or party favors, combine cocoa, sweetener, and 1/3 cup powdered milk in ziplock bags (for individual packets...or multiply the recipe and put in mason jars). Give as gift along with instructions to add 1 cup water and the contents of the packet (about 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon of mix from a larger container) to a mug and microwave.
Over the past week, we've had several conversations with various folks about diets. The main thing I don't like about diets is the serious lack of desert that actually accompanies them, which reminds me of the summer before my freshman year of high school. I was pushing 150 lbs (at about 5' tall), so I decided that I needed to lose some weight. It was fairly easy for me at the time to cut out most of the fat I had been eating...except when it came to sweets. With that in mind, my mother showed me this recipe. I lost about 30 pounds that summer, and to this day this fake shake is my favorite shake to make for myself because I don't feel guilty drinking it.
Ingredients: ~1.5 cups milk (Mr. Poe and I have compromised at 1%, use Skim for less fat), 0.5 cup fruit, 2-4 Tbs sugar or substitute (not shown)
Slice the fruit into smaller pieces (approximately 1 inch chunks) and place in the blender. Pour in milk until it reaches the 2 cup mark on the side of your blender. Add sugar or substitute, then place the lid on the blender. Turn the blender on high for approximately 45 seconds, until the mixture is homogenized, frothy, and almost doubled in size (comes up to about the 3.5 cup mark when the blender is stopped).
Pour into chilled glasses and serve (makes 2). It tastes just like a milkshake, and the frothy texture is reminiscent of the real thing!
If you prefer chocolate: replace the fruit and sugar with 2 Tbs of chocolate syrup, and increase the amount of milk used to approximately 2 cups.
If you prefer vanilla: replace the fruit and sugar with 1 Tbs vanilla, and increase the amount of milk used to approximately 2 cups.
What are your favorite diet recipes?
