by jphilo | Dec 3, 2014 | Recipes
Christmas movie time is here, and that means it’s time for sipping hot cocoa, all cozy and snug before a roaring fire, just like they do in the movies. Even if a person has to drink dairy-free hot cocoa.
Which is why I pulled down the old Betty Crocker Cookbook (circa 1976) and adapted my childhood favorite made-from-scratch hot cocoa recipe. A little less sugar. Almond milk instead of real milk. And voila! I was sipping hot cocoa all cozy and snug, pretending to be sitting in front of a roaring fire.
Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa*
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in large saucepan. Add water and heat until boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 2 minutes. Add almond milk. Heat through, but do not boil. Add vanilla and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator and heated in the microwave by the cupful.
*Next time, I’ll use only 1/4 cup cocoa as this was V-E-R-Y chocolatey.
by jphilo | Jun 17, 2010 | Recipes
Yesterday was an absolutely glorious day, sunny and warm after a week of gloom and rain, so Anne and I took advantage of it. We made out a long wedding shopping list and went to so many stores, we eventually lost count of how many we visited.
We ordered lunch at Panera’s and ate our food and frozen strawberry lemonades at one of the tables outdoors. No bugs, no wind, and just the right amount of sunshine. The food was delicious, and the frosty drinks were tasty. But, the lemonades weren’t nearly as good as the orange juliuses (or is it “jului” like cactus and cacti?) a dear friend in South Dakota taught me to make.
If you’re looking for a good summer drink, not to sweet and not to rich, but very satisfying, give this recipe a try. Most blenders are big enough to hold the ingredients if you double the batch.
Orange Julius
1 – 6 ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Put all ingredients in the blender and add 8 – 10 ice cubes. Blend well and serve immediately. Makes four 8 ounce servings.
