Homemade Creamy Eggnog Recipe

I'm not sure what started it, but the kids were really excited to make homemade eggnog this year.  They kept talking about it during the weeks leading up to Christmas, and I loved the idea since A) eggnog is de-licious, and B) I have fond memories of helping my dad make it on Christmas morning.

I haven't made any since I was young though, and had no idea what recipe to use.  I asked on Facebook and looked a few up on Allrecipes.  In the end I used them for inspiration and made my own recipe based on what I had on hand.  It was super easy and was a big hit - and a super savings!  The kids and adults loved how it turned out, so I knew I had to share with you guys!

I've been following Trim Healthy Mama since April and have improved my health (and weight) greatly! I've been making some really yummy and healthy holiday drinks (like Coconut Malted Nog, Java Chip Frappe, Winter Wonderland Sip) so I didn't feel deprived in the least....but I also made sure to allow for a few splurges...this eggnog being one of them! =) 
(Eventually I'd like to try to "THM-ify" it! The kids have been begging for me to make more, so it may not be long!)

Homemade Creamy Eggnog Recipe
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 quart half and half
1 quart coconut milk
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 cup heavy cream

1. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes.
2. Gradually stir in half and half, coconut milk, and nutmeg.
3. In separate chilled bowl, whip cream to a peak. Fold into egg mixture.  Refrigerate overnight if possible. Shake before serving. 


Notes:

• I made sure to get some great quality free-range eggs from the farmers market since they would be consumed raw.
• We only had time to refrigerate for a couple hours, and it was great - though it was definitely better chilled than right after mixing. I would imagine overnight would be even better to let the flavors develop more and allow the frothiness to settle.
• I do think you could sub coconut milk for the half and half and the heavy cream to make it dairy-free. It would be much thinner, but I'm guessing still really yummy!
• Some of the original recipes I looked at included bourbon and/or rum in the ingredients. Since kids would be drinking it, that obviously wasn't an option, but I added a bit of rum to my own glass and it was delicious!  ;)

photo credit

Java Chip Frappe Recipe (THM friendly! "S")

I found a couple recipes online for yummy blended coffee drinks that were sugar free, and Trim Healthy Mama friendly, so I whipped one up with a few modifications and was so thrilled with it I had to share!  It's healthy (won't spike my blood sugar and pack on pounds!), creamy, delicious -- I'm in!  This was such a treat!


Java Chip Frappe

1/2 c. almond milk
1/4 c. heavy cream
1/3 c. cold coffee*
2 1/2 T. sweetener (I used a combination of erythritol, xylitol, and Truvia)
1 T. cocoa powder (I used organic cacao powder)
1/2 t. xanthan gum (or 1/8 t. glucomannan)**
1/2 scoop protein powder
1 1/2 c. ice (approx. 18 ice cubes)
1 square of 85% dark chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli 86% Midnight Reverie)

Optional topping: (I was too busy drinking it to bother making it pretty, lol)
whipped cream
sugar-free chocolate syrup
chopped/shaved chocolate

Blend all ingredients together in blender.  Add toppings if desired.  Serves 2.

Notes:
*I had leftover coffee to use up, but you could use water + instant coffee, or coffee ice cubes instead (if you use "coffee cubes", you may need to add some water or almond milk to thin it a little, depending on your preference - or your blenders' preference ;) ).

**The xanthan gum/gluccie is to thicken it, but it would taste just fine without it, only thinner.  Next time I'm going to try it with Great Lakes gelatin instead of the xanthan gum and protein powder because I love finding ways to get grass-fed gelatin into my diet (if you used gelatin and also subbed coconut milk for the cream, it would be allergen friendly).

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

If you don't know what Trim Healthy Mama is, I highly recommend checking it out!  I've been following this delicious way of eating for almost 2 months, and I've lost about 20 pounds without even exercising! (*although I have now joined an exercise challenge group and taken on Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred to get stronger and toned)

If you do follow Trim Healthy Mama, check out Jen's post about the Sweetener Sale they're having until September 15th, 2014!  I just happened to have those very packages in my "cart" when I found out about the sale - they'll be delivered any day and I'm so excited to try them!


*This post may contain affiliate links.  When you click on those links and make a purchase, it won't cost you anything extra, but we may get a small percentage to help support our blog and family. Thank you!

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Cookie Cupcakes -- Quick, Easy, and SO Yummy!

You guys, I am so excited to share these treats....crispy, chewy, coconut sugar cookies, topped with a sweet cream cheese frosting, sprinkled with pretty coconut and sugar....and devoured!  Two words: "dangerously delicious"!  They are a great bite-size for the kiddos....and for you to have more than one and still enjoy yourself.  ;)

We had a last-minute get together for the 4th of July, and at first I was going to make our 4th of July fruit kabobs (....big hit with the kids, and a favorite on the blog!)....but then I realized we were out of blueberries and I couldn't find our wooden skewers, lol. 

I wanted a fun treat for the kids though, so with strawberries in hand, off to Pinterest I went!  I found this recipe for "Red, White, and Blue Sugar Cookie Cups" and it was perfect -- it's an easy one to make and easy to have all the ingredients on hand!

After baking the sugar cookie cups, I frosted them with cream cheese frosting - just put it in a Ziploc bag, snip off the corner and do a swirly-whirly on top for a pretty look.

I had red sugar that was clearanced after Christmas, and I dyed some coconut blue for the topping.  To make the blue coconut, I just tossed some shredded coconut and a couple drops of blue food coloring (I'd like to try a natural food coloring like this) in a Tupperware container - the kids liked helping with this!  Then we added some fresh strawberries...

The red, white and blue was perfect for a 4th of July or Memorial Day treat, but my mind was racing with other color possibilities -- birthday parties, sports teams, other holidays, pink and blue for baby showers or gender reveal parties...

I did leave some plain for those who don't love coconut - just as yummy to keep it really simple with just the colored sugar....

They were super delicious!!  Seriously, how can you go wrong with sugar cookies, cream cheese, fresh fruit, and anything in a mini muffin tin?? It was very similar in taste to a fruit pizza, but in a cute bite size.  (My mouth is watering just typing this up!)

Directions

For the Cookie Cupcakes:

• 1 (17.5 oz.) package Sugar Cookie Cookie Mix (I used Betty Crocker)
• ½ c. coconut oil
• 1 egg

1. Mix cookies according to package instructions, substituting coconut oil for butter.
2. Grease mini muffin tin (24 muffins) and divide dough evenly among tins.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
4. Cool completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ½ c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 c. powdered sugar

1. In a large bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, & vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth & blended.
2. Add powdered sugar, mixing until smooth, then beat on medium speed for 1 minute to lighten the frosting.
3. Top cooled cookie cups with cream cheese frosting, using a plastic bag with the corner cut off to pipe frosting (a smaller hole gives you more control). Top with blue coconut, red sugar, and strawberry piece (or whatever you'd like).

Optional Toppings:

• ½ c. sweetened, shredded coconut (dyed with a couple drops of food coloring)
• colored sugar
• fresh strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (if using large strawberries, divide into smaller segments)
• candies (nerds, gummies, etc)

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Igloo Cheeseball and Penguin Pals - cute and easy appetizer!

I don't remember where I first saw this idea (it was a few years ago), but the little penguin pals were just so cute!  They instantly won me over and I knew I had to make this cute appetizer at the first opportunity, which was a New Years Eve party at my sister's house.  They were such a hit though, I think I might make them again for Christmas this year.

*As an extra bit of fun, during the party, one of our friends "kidnapped" one of the penguins and left a ransom note.  After a lot of laughter and a house-wide search, he was found in the freezer. What a fun night that was!

Alright, to make yours, you start by spreading a little cream cheese on the plate, and I drew some "tracks" where the penguins had been skating around.  =)

Igloo:
Make your favorite cheese ball (I think I just made the recipe up....cream cheese, shredded cheddar, jalapenos...something like that - you can finds lots of ideas at Allrecipes), form it into a dome shape on a plate/platter, and carve out an opening for the "door".

Soften some cream cheese and spread a layer over the cheese ball.  Use a toothpick or knife to draw the "ice blocks" in the cream cheese.  Then roll a "rope" out of cream cheese, shape it into a U, and press into the ball over the doorway.


Penguins:
Each "Penguin Pal" will need a toothpick, 2 black olives (one jumbo, one small), a slice of carrot, and a bit of cream cheese.

• Feet: Cut a "V" into the slice of carrot to make his little feet, and stick the toothpick into the carrot to create the penguins' base.
• Body: Slice a jumbo olive lengthwise and stuff with cream cheese, then slide onto the toothpick.
• Head: Cut a little slit in a small olive and give him a tiny carrot wedge for his mouth, then place it on top of the body.

*You could even dress him up with a little pimento scarf if you want. I tried giving one of them a little beret with a cap of olive, but didn't totally love how it turned out.

Serve them up with some crackers and enjoy your fun little friends!  If you make these I would LOVE to see how they turn out!

{how cute are these guys in their Winter Wonderland??}

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Zucchini Pancakes -- easy and healthy breakfast! (or lunch, dinner, snack...)

This weekend a new friend blessed us with a whole BIG bag of zucchini - 16 of them! They were fresh out of her moms garden, and I'm determined to use every bit and not let any go to waste!
(I'm especially thankful because we have a mystery pest in our own garden eating the leaves of all of our squash! ....and cucumbers ....and parsley)

I was going to whip up some zucchini fritters, but discovered just before breakfast that we had no eggs.....sooo, I went to Pinterest to find a "zucchini-breakfast-with-no-egg" recipe.  Not as easy as I thought, but I came across this recipe for Zucchini Pancakes and decided to try it -- SO glad I did!  I made just a few changes and they were fantastic!

They were a perfect texture - not too fluffy, not too dense, just right....and really filling!  They had just a hint of sweetness, and while we tried it with some butter and real maple syrup, the boys said they both preferred it without the syrup (yay)! It would be great to make a big batch, freeze the extra, and have on hand for a quick and easy breakfast when school starts.  They're perfect to grab on your way out the door.

It was just me and the boys at home this morning and they loved them!  Here are some quotes from breakfast....
Lucas (3), after taking one bite:  "Make again!" (which he then repeated every few bites from the highchair, lol)
Jacob (9): "Waaay better than normal pancakes."  "Those are the best pancakes I've ever had in. my. life."
Elijah (13 - and tough to impress): "Wow, those are really good."

Now that I've done my best to oversell them, lol, here's how to make your own...


Zucchini Pancakes (makes 24)

4 cups all purpose flour (I used non-GMO, unbleached, all-purpose)

4 tbsp sugar

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

4 cups milk (I used coconut milk because that's what was in the fridge, but you could use any other kind of milk -- and use a little more or less if you want to change the consistency)

4 tbsp coconut oil*

3 cups shredded zucchini (I shredded with my KitchenAid, then pushed it into a wire sieve to get rid of excess liquid. You could also squeeze it out with a kitchen towel or cheesecloth after shredding)

Mix together all the dry ingredients, then add the milk and coconut oil. Stir in the zucchini until combined.

Grease the pan/griddle (you could use a spray, but I used coconut oil, and my favorite pieces were the ones that got a little crispy on the edge from the oil) and heat over medium heat.  Drop by 1/4 cupfuls, then after about a minute (or when bubbles start forming around the edges), flip and cook other side.

*I used this coconut oil because it's what I have on hand, and because it's refined it has no coconut flavor, but still has the benefits of coconut oil.  This unrefined oil is one of my favorites though, and I think the hint of coconut would just be delicious with these!



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Easy Rice Pudding Recipe

We had some leftover rice from dinner the other night, and since then, all I could think of was how good rice pudding would be!  For some reason I always thought it was difficult to make, but I'm not sure why...this could not have been easier!  It was so good - exactly what I was hoping for!!

It's a great way to not let leftover rice go to waste, but rice pudding has to be one of the cheapest desserts too! Deliciously frugal and easy peasy!  ;)

I found this recipe online, but tweaked it just a little.....

Easy Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked white rice (I used jasmine rice)
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup raisins (you could omit if you don't like raisins)


Directions:

1. Mix all of the above in a heavy sauce pan.
2. Bring to a gentle boil over medium low heat. Stir often to make sure it doesn't burn.
3. Cook for 15-20 min., or until thickened.
4. Let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Serve hot or cold, and enjoy!

I love this hot, warm, cold...room temperature - you just can't go wrong!

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Caramel Apple Cake recipe - so yummy!

As the weather's gotten cooler and the leaves are starting to change color, I have begun to crave yummy fall treats - especially anything apple or pumpkin! 

I was on Pinterest the other day and came across this incredible looking recipe for Caramel Apple Cake and oh.my.yum......it did not disappoint!  It's originally a Paula Deen recipe and I haven't tried anything of hers yet that wasn't delicious!  She is such a genius/monster!!  ;)

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil (I used coconut oil instead)
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (I used 1/2 c. pecan bits)
2 1/2 cups diced apples, canned or fresh (I used fresh, and next time would add more)

Preheat oven 350 degrees.  Cream together sugar, eggs, and oil.  Add flour; mix together until well blended.  Add vanilla, nuts, and diced apples.  Spread into a lightly greased and floured 13 x 9-inch baking dish; bake for 45 to 60 minutes.  Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  When cake is done, punch holes in it with a knife and pour topping over.

Poke holes in the cake before drizzling with caramel topping

Caramel Topping:

(this is half the original topping recipe, but I thought it was plenty!)

1 1/2 stick of butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1/8 cup of milk

Pour topping over warm cake (this picture doesn't even do it justice!)

Heat all ingredients together over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Let boil for about 2 minutes.  Pour over warm cake.

Serves 15-20

It was easy and the most delicious dessert I've had in a long time! We (um...I) ate the last piece today and it was a bittersweet bite.  I really want to make another pan, but I better wait....at least until tomorrow - it's dangerously good!  This is going on my go-to recipe list for sure!!

 

Strawberry "Lazy Cake Cookies" recipe - and 5-year old birthday fun!

I was looking on Pinterest for an easy and yummy recipe to whip up for my daughter's birthday last week, and discovered this fun website, I'm a Lazy Mom, where she shares all kinds of "lazy" tips and tricks - and she's funny too!  She says "lazy", I say "simplify"!  ;)

Emma's birthday was on Thursday, and I was leaving that evening for 4 days, so it had to be easy because I had so many things left to do (like pack!), but I wanted it to be special too!  This Lazy Cake Cookie recipe worked perfectly!

Here's the original recipe:

• 1 box yellow or white cake mix
• 2 eggs beaten
• 5 T melted butter
• 2 C M&M's or mini chocolate chips

Mix together, put in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20 min!

Once I put it in the 9x13 pan it didn't look like enough batter, so I almost switched to an 8x8 pan, but it was just fine.  It really helped to wet my hands before spreading it out, so it didn't stick to my hands at all.

Lucas was so happy to be part of the birthday fun!

It was just that simple!  It's so easy to change up however you like too!  My daughter wanted to use a strawberry cake mix with chocolate chips - it turned out yummy!

I'm excited about trying the other combination possibilities too - I'm thinking about a chocolate cake mix with Reese's pieces/peanut butter cups, spice cake mix with cinnamon chips....mmm! 
(They're similar to brownies in that if you want them to be a little "fudgy" make sure not to overcook them! I would cook ours a little less next time, but they were still great just like they were!)

Here's the birthday girl in her "My Little Pony" dress-up outfit and accessories I found clearanced at Target. They were originally priced at $34, but I found it for only $10!  Score!  ;)

While she was sleeping the night before her birthday, I taped pink and purple streamers to her doorway, so she'd start the day with fun when she woke up.  We had fans blowing to cool the house, so they danced around too.  =)  (I couldn't get a better picture since I was trying to be sneaky and not turn any more lights on, lol)

4th of July Fruit Kabobs Recipe! Fun, easy and healthy recipe for kids to help with!

Here's a really yummy way to celebrate the 4th of July (or Memorial Day) with a fun red, white, and blue treat!  Since it's Summer, many fruits are in season and this makes it a perfect frugal recipe/activity to make with the kids!  It's easy and healthy too!

I originally saw this recipe on Frugal Girls a couple years ago and when we had a family reunion over July 4th last year, I thought this would be perfect for both the oodles of little ones and the adults! They were a hit!

I started by assembling my ingredients:

• Skewers
• Star Shaped Marshmallows (I've seen them at Walmart and Meijer.  You could also use regular marshmallows too)
• Red and Blue fruit (I used strawberries, blueberries, and red grapes)

{^ that's almost exactly what my ingredients looked like, but I couldn't take a good picture with the cell phone - thanks Frugal Girls!}

Then I stuck the fruit and marshmallows on the skewers in fun patterns.  Done!
{I apologize for the poor quality pictures, I misplaced the camera - then found it about 30 minutes after these were gobbled up, lol.  So, cell phone pics will have to do}  =)

The skewers are sharp, so be careful!  But kids can help by:

• picking which fruits to buy/use
• washing fruits
• handing you fruits and marshmallows
• assembling the patterns of how they want them on the kabob (ie: 2 blueberries, 1 white marshmallow, 3 blueberries, 1 blue marshmallow....etc.)
• older kiddles could thread the ingredients onto the skewer

Other red, white, and blue ingredients you could use....
Red:

• Strawberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries
• Grapes
• Watermelon chunks/balls
• Red grapefruit
• Red Pears

White:

• Marshmallows (mini, large, stars...)
• Pound cake cut into chunks or shapes with a cookie cutter
• Dragonfruit (white and black inside)
• Banana (tossed with lemon juice to keep from browning)
• White nectarines or peaches
• Pears (peeled - and again, tossed with lemon juice)
• Pineapple (white-ish)  =)
• Angel food cake

Blue:

• Blueberries
• Blackberries
• Raisins

{Here's a great flag version Brianna made that I found on Pinterest!}

I think these would be really fun for other occasions too!  Rainbow colored for a birthday party - or use the colors of a favorite sports team for a game day party.  What do you think?  Any other ideas?

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