At Home My Way

  RECIPE AT THE TOP; CHITCHAT AT THE BOTTOM!

Our weather is ridiculously cold!  We had snow falling, snow blowing, wind howling, Little House on the Prairie cold last night.  Our wood stove was cranking but still having trouble due to some sort of extraordinary Arctic blast.  This morning, on the way to work it was -9 on my car temperature gauge.  The radio said that our wind chills are -36.  Brrrr is right! I haven't always been a huge hot chocolate drinker.  I tend to drink coffee for the most part.  But, last night, after a delicious supper of pot roast and potatoes, seasoned green beans, little dumplings in roast gravy, and School House Rolls , I wanted a little something sweet.  Yes, I had already had honey on a School House Roll, but that wasn't cutting it.  I decided to make myself a cup of hot chocolate.  I may be barking up the wrong tree but every weekend another person I know gets diagnosed with the Big C and I just couldn't bring myself to open a packet of hot...

My older daughter recently tried a version of Homemade Bloody Mary Mix that knocked her socks off!  She loves the stuff and actually prefers it without the alchohol!  Her friend who makes it, adds a little of this and a little of that but she was bound and determined to try to find a recipe that she could make "at Home her way" (smiling Momma here..)  While Rebecca was describing this drink to me, I told her that I thought what she was drinking sounded like a great savory breakfast or snack beverage.  What are all those spinach and juice green smoothies after all, but a bunch of juice and veges blended up together?  Bloody Mary Mix is typically made with lots of tomato juice which is high in antioxidants anyway.  Add in some seasonings, lemon juice, lime juice, hot sauce, and you've got a spicy drink that is a great alternative for someone who is trying to avoid sugary drinks and snacks.  Add in a stalk of cel...

I grew up in central Florida.  I don't remember drinking much of anything EXCEPT sweet tea and the water from the hose outside!  Well,... maybe some Florida orange juice (ha-ha).  Sweet tea was  just one of those things that we always had in the fridge.  And we had NEVER heard of drinking it hot for heaven's sake!  Nor with lemon in it (ick!). Sweet Tea is also the "dish" I have to take to every family dinner.  People sometimes ask, "What are ya famous for at family dinners?"  Well... that would be the sweet tea for me!  How easy is that?  And I never bring home any empty containers so I must be doing something right.  This is how I make Sweet Tea AT HOME MY WAY: Sweet Tea 2 family-size tea bags (I use decaff-generic) 4 cups of hot water A medium sized pot (you will need a lid) 3/4 to 1 cup of granulated white sugar  ( Personally, I use just a little more than 3/4 cup - because as i...