Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

Ingredients
One 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk (I use the can of coconut cream from TJs, no water to drain)
1 tablespoon sugar or more to taste (optional, can sub stevia) 
1 teaspoon vanilla or more to taste (optional)

Equipment
Large bowl
Hand beaters or a stand mixer

Instructions

1. Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator and leave it there until well-chilled; I left mine in overnight.

2. Open the can of coconut milk. There will be a firm, waxy layer on top.

3. Scoop out this firm layer coconut cream that has solidified at the top of the can.

4. Stop as soon as you reach the water at the bottom of the can; don't include anything but the solid cream. (You can use the water in smoothies, or just drink it straight.)

5. Place this cream in the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl.

6. Turn your mixer or hand beaters to high speed, and whip the coconut cream for 3 to 5 minutes.

7. Whip until it becomes fluffy and light, with soft peaks. Mix in sugar or vanilla, if using.

8. Serve with fresh fruit, pie, or cobbler.

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-whipped-cream-from-152490

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

2 cans of unsweetened coconut milk (3 cups)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder
6 tablespoons agave syrup or sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a blender. Make according to your machines instructions.

I like to add about half a cup of shaved/chopped up dark chocolate. 

Yummy Oatmeal/Flax pancakes

These were a hit with my kids--they're new favorites! Adapted from allrecipes.com...

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)


Mix everything together and drop about 1/4 cup of batter at a time onto a griddle. Cook 1-2 minutes then flip.  I add the chocolate chips while they are on the griddle instead of to the batter.

Serve with real maple syrup.


Brie’s  Egg version

1 1/2 cups quick oats (can use regular but kids prefer texture)
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/3 cup ground flax seed
1/4 cup brown sugar (optional) 
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt 
2 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

Chocolate chips

Half version (makes about 10)

3/4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flax seed
1/8 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Caramel Corn

Mom and I made this last time she was visiting. SO GOOD!!

Ingredients:

• 10 to 12 quarts of freshly popped popcorn (1 lb. uncooked kernels) (Mom and I preferred 10-11 quarts)
• 1 1/2 cups butter
• 3 cups brown sugar (I prefer dark)
• 3/4 cup corn syrup or simple syrup (mom liked light corn syrup, I like dark corn syrup, it seemed to add more flavor)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F (120° C) . Place the popped popcorn in two very large baking or roasting pans with high sides.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Increase the heat and stir constantly until the mixture begins to boil. Allow the syrup to boil undisturbed for four minutes.
3. Stir in the vanilla and baking soda, and immediately pour the hot syrup over the popcorn. Stir to coat the popcorn evenly with the syrup.
4. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Each time the popcorn is stirred, rotate the pans from top to bottom and front to back. (I made it in a smaller oven once with one on top, and one on bottom, and they both burned within the first 10 minutes. Also, it really needs the whole hour)
5. Allow the popcorn to cool completely before storing in airtight containers. (Continue to stir while it cools so that it doesn't stick together)

http://party-food-recipes.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_make_caramel_popcorn

Taco Seasoning

Original recipe times 6

6 Tablespoons chili powder (3/8 cup)
3 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp black pepper (1/8 cup)
2 Tbsp salt (1/8 cup)
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp onion powder
6 pinches cayenne

 

If you want just enough for one time, weirdo

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• pinch of cayenne, to taste)

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container. I use an empty glass spice jar that has been washed out.

http://www.recipezaar.com/Basic-TacoFajita-Seasoning-81428

Scones

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 5 tablespoons salted butter**
• 1/2 cup dried craisins
• 1/2 cup milk**
• 1/4 cup sour cream**
• cinnamon sugar
  

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into a large bowl. Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rubbing between your fingers until it is in pea sized lumps. Stir in the craisins. Mix together milk and sour cream in a measuring cup. Pour all at once into the dry ingredients, and stir gently until well blended. Overworking the dough results in terrible scones!
2. With floured hands, pat scone dough into balls 2 to 3 inches across, depending on what size you want. Place onto a greased baking sheet, and flatten lightly. Let the scones barely touch each other. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Let them rest for about 10 minutes, and preheat the oven to 400 degrees during this time.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until the tops don't cave in easily when you press on them
   

Adapted from here
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Worlds-Best-Scones-From-Scotland-to-the-Savoy-to-the-US/Detail.aspx

**I used vanilla rice milk, earth balance, and either canola oil mayonnaise or apple sauce

“Buttercream” Frosting

*½ c. palm shortening (I use Spectrum brand, called All vegetable shortening)

¼ c. vanilla rice milk

3 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup cocoa (optional, for chocolate icing)

Cream shortening, milk, and vanilla. It takes a really, really long time. Add sugar, sifted if you don't want lumps. Add cocoa (again, sifted). Beat until smooth.

Doubled, this makes enough to frost and decorate a 2 layer round cake, with some left over. I also made 1 1/2 times for a 2 layer cake that wasn't going to be decorated, and it made just barely enough. Unless you like a ton of frosting, in which case you might want to make more.

http://www.kathysrecipebox.com/?p=64

*I substitute 1/4-1/3 of the shortening with earth balance. Makes for a more buttery taste.

Allergen free Chocolate Cake

1 c. sugar

1 ½ c. flour

½ tsp. salt

¼ c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbs. vinegar

1/3 c. canola oil or coconut oil melted

1 tsp. vanilla

1 c. cold water

1/4 cup heaping of apple sauce (optional)

Mix in order given. Pour into ungreased 8″ square pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 minutes (21 minutes for regular cupcakes, 15 minutes for mini cupcakes).

http://www.kathysrecipebox.com/?p=49

Lemon Squares

1 cup flour
1 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, softened**
2 beaten eggs
1/4-1/2 cup lemon juice (I prefer a little more than 1/3)
2 tsp grated lemon peel
powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Stir 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup sugar together. Cut in 1/3 cup butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture into greased 9in pan (or if you are like me and don't have one, a pie pan works fine). Bake 15 min or until light brown. Remove from oven. Stir together eggs, lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, and lemon peels in a bowl. Pour over crust. Bake 15 min or until set. Cool in the pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (really, wait until it's cool, otherwise the sugar just soaks in looking like mine in the picture). Cut into squares.


**Make it dairy free with earth balance

Pulled Pork

I'm posting this so you don't think that all I think about is chocolate (according the my last 4 posts). Not as easy as Kristin's "Easy Southern BBQ" but since I have yet to find a soy free bbq sauce, I make this one. This is awesome, and Hy wants me to just make the sauce so he can put it on other stuff. Not hard, but when you are boiling it down, make sure to NOT FORGET ABOUT IT. Hyrum did, and it all boiled out, and burned, and the acid in the air permeated our entire house making it difficult to breathe because of the burning in our throats (poor Claire was taking a nap upstairs and started coughing).


Pulled Pork

2 cans plain seltzer

1 ½ c. black cherry juice (Knudsen’s)

1 ½ c. red wine or apple cider vinegar

2 c. palm or brown sugar

1 Tbs. dry mustard

2 tsp. crushed red pepper

2 bay leaves

3 tsp. sea salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. chili powder

1 3-4 lb. pork roast

You can cook this in a 300°F oven for 4-5 hours or a crockpot for 8-10 hours on low.

Bring everything but the pork roast to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Place pork in crockpot or heavy Dutch oven and pour half the liquid over the roast. Cook in the oven or in crockpot for above times. Boil remaining liquid on med. heat until thickened (about 45 minutes to an hour). Discard bay leaves. When pork is done, pull apart using two forks. Put the meat in with the syrup sauce, and add about 1 c. of the liquid from the Dutch oven or crockpot. Great with baked beans and/or over rice.

It also freezes well.

From here

Old fashioned fudge

2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup milk*
4 TBS butter**
1 tsp vanilla

Grease an 8x8 square pan
Combine sugar, cocoa and milk in a medium saucepan. Stir to blend and bring to a boil while stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer. DO NOT stir again.
Candy should reach 238 degrees F or the soft ball stage. Soft ball stage means you put a small drop of the candy in cold water and instead is dissipating, you are able to form a squishy little ball in between your fingers, kind of like a melty tootsie roll.
Remove from heat and let cool to 110-115 degrees (or just wait a few minutes if you don't have a thermometer).
Add butter and vanilla and beat with a wooden spoon until it loses it's sheen. This may take a long time. Do not under beat.
Pour into prepared pan and let cool.
Makes approximately 60 pieces.

Adapted from here

To be dairy free:
*full fat coconut milk
**earth balance

Hot Chocolate

If you have a craving and run out, or if you are like me and can't drink commercial hot chocolate

1 TBS cocoa
2 TBS sugar
2 TBS water
1 cup milk*
vanilla (optional)

Mix cocoa, sugar and water in a saucepan on low heat for a few minutes and then add milk and a dash of vanilla. May also add a drop or 2 of peppermint extract. Heat to desired temperature.

Originally from here

*I use rice milk

Tropical Paradise Smoothie

Frozen strawerries, mangos, pineapples, and peaches (I buy a blend of these fruits by Dole at Walmart)
Knudsen's Coconut Pineapple juice (main ingredients: pineapple, apple, and white grape juice, coconut milk, creamed coconut)

Blend ingredients
Devour the deliciousness

Gramma's Brownies

2 sticks of butter*
4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate OR 3/4c cocoa and 4TBS butter
2 cups Sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups flour
1 bag of chocolate chips

Melt the butter and baking chocolate together. When it's all melted, remove from heat and add the other ingredients in order that I wrote them. (I added the sugar last once and it was a very weird texture) Pour into a greased 9x13 and cook for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. They taste better slightly underdone.

Brie, did I forget anything?

*1 cup earth balance