Hot Fudge over Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted
Salt
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (1 cup)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:

Bring ream and butter to boil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugars and corn syrup, and heat, stirring, until sugars dissolve. Whisk in cocoa powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add chocolate, and stir until melted. Stir in vanilla. Use immediately, or keep warm in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Serve hot fudge over ice cream.

Recipe from Martha Stewart http://www.marthastewart.com/307410/hot-fudge-over-vanilla-ice-cream

Creamy Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1 cup baby spinach (stems ripped off)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp minced shallot
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese

Instructions:

Chop garlic cloves and shallot and put into food processor - process until minced. Add baby spinach and process until finely blended. Add cottage cheese and blend together until the mixture is green throughout. Pour into serving bowl, add dried onion flakes and mix together. Serve with pita chips.

Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

Two 14 oz cans of artichoke hearts
One 8oz block of cream cheese
1 cup of mayonnaise
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add one can of artichoke hearts, cream cheese and mayo to food processor/blender. Sprinkle in cayenne pepper to taste, add green onions and well. Pulse mixture 6-7 times just to chop the artichokes and mix the ingredients. Mix the Parmesan, salt, and pepper to taste and set aside. Now roughly chop the artichokes from the remaining can into bite size pieces. Add the artichoke pieces to the dip and stir together gently. Pour the mixture into an oven safe dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, until heated through and bubbly. Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

Toasted Baguette with Goat Cheese Spread

Ingredients:

Baguette loaf
One round of goat cheese
1 tbsp basil
1 cup roasted red pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees, broil. Toast the bread on a cookie sheet, five min or until toasted to your liking. Spray both sides of bread with oil, or butter.

Mix the goat cheese and basil together. Spread mixture on top of bread slices. Top with roasted red pepper. Serve immediately.

Pico De Gallo

For this recipe, you pretty much chop up however much of each ingredient you want and mix it all together. Serve with tortilla chips.

Lime juice
Red onion
Cilantro
Tomatoes
Red cabbage
Pinch of salt

Sparkling Strawberry Carrot Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups frozen strawberries
2 cups carrot juice
sparkling mineral water as desired

Instructions:

First blend the strawberries and carrot juice together. Add mineral water as desired to blended mixture. Serve and enjoy.

Chocolate Caliente - Spanish Hot Chocolate

Sweet Chocolate Version

• 2 8-ounce cups (250 ml) whole milk
• 4 ounces (113 gr) milk chocolate
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

Baking Chocolate Version

• 2 8-ounce (250 ml) cups whole milk
• 3 ounces=3 squares (93 gr) baking chocolate
• 1/3-1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cornstarch

With either type of chocolate, the process is almost the same:

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch. Whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Once the cornstarch is dissolved, heat the milk on medium heat just until it boils, then remove from heat. Add the chocolate squares immediately and begin stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. If the milk cools off too fast, place the pan back on the stove on low heat to melt the chocolate.

If you are using baking chocolate, which is unsweetened, pour the sugar into the chocolate milk mixture and stir until thoroughly dissolved.

Place the pan back on the stove on medium low heat, stirring slowly, but constantly. (Do not cook the mixture over high heat because it may cause lumping.) Taste the chocolate for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary. The mixture should thicken quickly. As soon as you see it thicken, remove the pan from the heat so the cornstarch will not thin. Ladle immediately into cups and serve piping hot.

Tropical Green Smoothie

1 cup water
2 cups spinach
1 mango
1 banana
1 cup pineapple chunks
ice (optional)

Blend water and greens first. Then add fruit and ice if desired. Blend all for one minute and enjoy!
Makes 2 quarts.

Orange Julius

6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup milk
1 cup water
a bunch of ice cubes

blend and serve

Mulled Apple Drink

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup vanilla ice cream
1 tbps cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine ingredients in mixer and blend well. Cover and store in refrigerator until ready to use. Place a dollop of mulling mix in each cup and add hot apple juice or cider. Stir and serve.

Pink Lassies

We drink this on Christmas morning, but it is yummy anytime

1 cup cranberry juice

1/4 cup orange juice

1 cup vanilla ice cream (serving consistency mini peppermint candy canes (the kind that have a non-connected hook, otherwise they won't hang over the edge of the glass)

Put a portion of ice cream, cranberry juice and orange juice in blender and blend. Add more of whichever ingredient you think it needs, we always just go by the taste.

Pour into a glass and hang the candy cane on the side for people to mix their drinks, adds a nice little peppermint kick!

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie

1 banana
1-2 tbps chocolate syrup
big blob of peanut butter
3 ice cubes

Blend and enjoy!