Easy Chocolate Covered Raisins

   Today I was hungry for something chocolate, but not anything that you can get out of a box.  I decided to make this easy chocolate candy recipe.  It has many variations, and I usually add whatever I am craving at the time!  You can adapt this recipe to include your favorites too.


Easy Chocolate Covered Raisins

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
2 T. chia seeds - optional

Melt the chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave for about 30 seconds.  Stir, and if not melted, try 15 seconds more.  When completely melted, add raisins and chia seeds.  The chia seeds add protein, but you could add your favorite nuts.  Stir well and drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.   Refrigerate until firm.  Store in the refrigerator. 

This is a great recipe for the kids to do  too.  I'm sure they'll enjoy making their own special candy!

I have tried using chopped peanuts, pecans, and almonds.  They are all delicious.  You could leave out the raisins and just do a nut version of this also.  There are no rules- just try whatever you like!

Enjoy!

Happy Mardi Gras!

    

     It's that time of year again in Louisiana.  Time to go to parades and best of all, eat king cake!
There are so many variations and fillings in our king cakes, but today I decided to make a plain one.  The recipe is pretty easy, it just takes time to let the dough rise for a few hours.  The end result is Delicious!

King Cake Ingredients:

·         1 envelope active dry yeast

·         1/4 cup warm water, about 105 to 115 degrees

·         2 tablespoons milk, scalded and cooled

·         4 to 5 cups flour

·         8 ounces butter , softened

·         3/4 cup sugar

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         4 eggs

·         4 teaspoons melted butter

             cinnamon sugar mixture- 1/2   cup sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon

·         icing, colored with food coloring pastes: green, purple, and yellow

              Make with approx. 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1 tsp. vanilla

 

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add milk and about 1/2 cup of flour. In a large bowl, blend butter, sugar, salt and eggs. Add yeast mixture and mix thoroughly. Gradually, add 4 cups flour to make a medium dough. Place in a greased bowl and toss dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and allow to rise until double in volume, about 3 hours.

 

Use 1 cup or more flour to knead dough and roll into a narrow, long rectangle. Spread 4 teaspoons melted butter on dough.  Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture on top.  Roll dough like jellyroll.   

 

 

 

Form into an oval on a 14 x 17" greased baking sheet.

 

 

 

Cover dough ring with a damp cloth and let rise until double in volume, about 1 hour. Bake at 350° for about  30-45 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool.   Drizzle colored icing over top of cake.

I add the baby after it is cooled.  Hide it when no one is looking!  The tradition is that whoever finds the baby has to buy the next king cake for all to share. 

My family and I also went to a Mardi Gras Parade in Lafayette this past weekend.  We like the Lafayette parades because they have such a family atmosphere to them.  The best thing is, we usually come home with quite a few beads too! 

Carrot French Fries

     If you are like me, many of you made a New Year's Resolution to lose weight, get healthy, or exercise.  With that in mind, I haven't been cooking all of our delicious Cajun dishes because they aren't always the healthiest! 

So, if you are missing french fries like I am, here is a carrot french fry recipe that fills the craving.  It's so easy and with the salt and pepper on them, they make a GREAT substitute for potatoes!


Carrot French Fries

4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick sticks
3 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt
Ground pepper

Cut carrots into 1/2 inch sticks.  In bowl, mix olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss in carrots and mix well until coated.  Place on baking sheet sprayed with cooking oil.  Bake at 450 degrees for about 20-30 minutes until soft.  Toss about half way through the cooking time.  Serves 4.

I was really amazed at how good these were!  Enjoy....

I'd love to hear about any of your healthy recipes, so please share!!!

Let's Talk Laminate

     Laminate flooring

As many of you have probably thought while considering flooring, laminate flooring is perfect! Or so we thought.... On the decorating shows, they make laminate flooring looks like the greatest thing since sliced bread. NOT SO! Granted, it looks great, but if you put it in a high-traffic area, there will be much despair!

When we built our house a few years ago, I thought laminate would look great so we put it everywhere except the kitchen, dining, baths and laundry room.  It's fine in the  bedrooms (didn't want carpet).  The problem is the living area.  I got a medium brown color but it still shows so much dust and dog hair on a DAILY basis!  I have to pass a dust mop or Swiffer nearly everyday!

Funny how I NEVER heard about the upkeep of this flooring!  If I had, I would have put something different in the living area.  Of course, having a dog that sheds 365 days a year doesn't help!  Also, when it rains, and our dog goes in and out, we are left with little dog paw prints on the floor (see photo) cute isn't it???? I don't think so....

So before anyone else makes the same mistake I did- I just wanted to tell you what apparently no one else will!

I would appreciate any suggestions or comments about this.  Have a wonderful day!

Deer Roast

     Today's menu is smothered deer roast and gravy from the deer that my son got during hunting season....  Some people don't like deer (also known as venison) because of it's wild flavor, but we soak it for a few days in water (changing the water daily) in the refrigerator before cooking it.  That takes most of the wild flavor out.  Soaking the meat works on most wild game including duck and hog.


Deer Roast

3-5 pound deer roast, seasoned with garlic powder, salt, red and black pepper and/or Tony's
1 chopped onion
1/4 cup oil
2 cups water to start,  plus more as needed
Salt, pepper or Tony Chachere's to taste

In large pot, brown onion in oil until soft.  Add deer roast and brown on all sides.  When brown, add water and seasoning.  Cover and let cook for 2-3 hours, checking and adding water as needed to make gravy.   I usually cut up the roast during the cooking time so that it gets tender quicker.  Check the seasoning also, and add more if needed. 

We like it when the deer meat just practically falls apart!  That's why I cook it for so long.  You could probably do this in the oven too, just make sure there is plenty of water.  Deer doesn't have much fat in it, so you need to keep it moist or it will dry out! 

We usually have leftovers, so we make poboys with it too.  Just heat up some of the deer and gravy in the microwave.   Add mayonnaise to the poboy bun, top with deer roast (and gravy) and lettuce if you like.  It is so moist and delicious!!

Enjoy!

Banana Bread Muffins

     This is a great recipe for the morning rush when you don't have time to make breakfast!  I make these ahead of time so they are ready when we need them.  You can freeze them, and take out as many as you want at a time and heat them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Makes a great on the go breakfast!


Banana Bread Muffins

1/4 c. canola oil
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2-3 mashed bananas
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 Tablespoons milk
1/2 c. chopped nuts- optional


Cinnamon - Sugar topping:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix oil, sugar.  Add egg and set aside.  Mix flour and baking powder in another bowl and set aside.  Mash bananas with the baking soda and add milk.  Add this to the sugar and oil mix, and add flour mixture.  Mix until all is blended.  Add nuts if desired.   Put into a greased cupcake pan (or use cupcake liners) and sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Makes about 24 cupcakes.

You can also bake a loaf of banana bread with this recipe.  I put all the mix into a greased loaf pan and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.  Let cool before slicing!

I think it's the sweet topping that my grandchildren love about these muffins....

I'd love to hear from you -Thanks for stopping by!!!


Have a wonderful day!

Holiday Trip

     I've been away for awhile visiting my Army son, daughter-in-law and my grandchildren on the east coast.  Being a military family, we must schedule holiday's together, because we never know if one of the boys will be deployed the next year.  So my husband, Navy son and I drove to meet them around New Years and spent a week there.  It was a wonderful trip!

     We were able to rent a cabin for a couple of nights, so we did our Christmas celebration there.  The grand kids had a great time playing around the cabin, everything was a possible toy....tree branches, rocks, wood for the fire- nothing was off limits!  You know how kids are, nature is a playground only limited by their imagination. 

     After visiting a few museums, touring the Army base,  baking cookies with my granddaughter, playing monopoly, watching Tangled, cooking gumbo and potato salad, and eating more than we should have, it was time to say goodbye. Goodbye is never easy for me, I just try to focus on the next visit or Skype call. ( I don't know how people got along without Skype before...it makes you feel like you are actually with them!)  Next week, I will be Skyping during my youngest granddaughters third birthday....isn't technology wonderful?

    So now that vacation's over, it's time to get back into the swing of things.    I'd love to hear about your holiday traditions...    I hope you and your family had a wonderful holiday season!