Christmas Morning Beverages

Christmas morning breakfast is a really fun meal at our house.  Once the gifts are opened, then everyone changes into their new jammies and/or Christmas clothes - it isn't long until everyone looks around for the food.  

For Christmas breakfast to be a hit - it involves a little prior preparation & thought on my part.  We usually have orange juice and/or cold chocolate milk, with maybe a little egg-nog - not a big deal.  But I've tried two drinks that I now want to make part of our normal routine in the future.  

I usually have a green smoothie every day - and love it.  (Makes me less anxious about getting enough green veggies)  I decided to try layering my normal green smoothie with a red strawberry smoothie.  If watermelon was in season now - I'd know exactly WHICH recipe to use (see this post on Strawberry/Watermelon Smoothies HERE).  I used similar proportions, but eliminated the watermelon.  Still delicious.  Layering takes two blender jars - but you could quickly rinse out and reuse the same jar if you only have one.

We also love hot chocolate.  But that involves another pan on the stove, and careful attention so it doesn't boil over.  Milk has that annoying quality of foaming when heated.  Crockpot hot chocolate doesn't have any of these problems.  It sits in the background quietly warming until you are ready for it.  

I (personally) thought this hot chocolate was not sweet enough.  But others disagree, and love the fact that it is rich and chocolatey without being overly sweet.  You can always ADD sugar (or marshmallows) and remedy that yourself.  Using a crockpot is genius on a busy morning like Christmas.  

Crockpot Hot Chocolate:  (recipe found on SEVERAL websites)

10-oz can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated!)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup dry baking cocoa - (should not be sweetened)
1-1/2 tsp vanilla (real vanilla is a must, not artificial)
7-1/2 cups warm water

Combine all ingredients in crockpot.  Cover and cook on high (for 2 hours) - OR - low (for 4 hours).

Depending on your individual crockpot, you may notice the edges start to burn.  The hot chocolate isn't ruined, but be careful not to scrape the sides or bottom when stirring and serving so the burned bits don't get distributed throughout.  Serve with whipped cream, marshmallows, peppermint bits, and/or any other thing you enjoy with hot chocolate.

Christmas Red/Green Smoothies

In two separate blender jars, combine the following:

RED layer:
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks
1-2 cups water
1 tsp vanilla

GREEN layer:
2 handfuls green spinach
l large banana
1/2 cucumber (optional)
1 cup frozen mango chunks
1-2 cups frozen pineapple chunks

Blend using "smoothie" or "ice crush" setting on blender.  You may need to run it through the cycle a few times to completely combine/crush frozen ingredients.  If your smoothie gets stuck (being frozen) - simply stir and add a small amount of water to loosen it and make it easier to blend.

Carefully layer each color alternately in short drinking glasses.  Insert a red striped straw and serve.

Pineview Punch

I’m not sure exactly where this recipe originated, only that my family has been enjoying it for over 20 years now.  We call it “Pineview” Punch because we always made it on vacation when we spent a week at Pineview Reservoir.  It makes a LOT, and the “secret ingredient” makes it so refreshing when the weather is hot and everyone is parched & thirsty.


We used to have a condo in the Ogden Valley (Utah) in a beautiful city called “Eden” - and that little town is aptly named.  We spent lots of time in the pool and at the lake as a family.  

When I’ve made this for other events - everyone always asked “What’s IN this??”  It’s citric acid - available at most restaurant supply companies and also pharmacies.  I’ve also heard you can substitute Fruit Fresh (although it isn’t quite the same).  

We mix this up - 5 gallons at a time - in a large orange cooler with lots of ice.  When the ice runs out, I add a frozen milk jug filled with water and it keeps it nice and cold.  Then we make more as needed.  I keep it right next to the kitchen sink and the kids have their paper cups labeled with their names so we don’t go through so many glasses.  

This is a simple, refreshing drink that everyone loves.  I made it for the family reunion I was in charge of this past Saturday.  Always a hit.  

You'll find the recipe at:
www.changeabletable.com

Rosy Pink Grapefruit Slush

A perfect cool drink to end a warm day, or a pretty addition to a shower menu - this slush recipe is one of my favorites.  Just a few easy steps to get it ready for the freezer, and then it’s there anytime you need it.  All you do to serve it is use an ice cream scoop to portion it into a cup, then top with Sprite.

I first tried a similar slush at a buffet years ago, but then I couldn't ever locate the person who made it.  I was thinking of it when we planned my daughter’s baby shower last February.  I googled the ingredients and found it (at least I think this is the one... sure tastes like it)

This is perfect when you want a little something sweet after dinner (but not quite dessert).  It keeps a long time in the freezer in a standard ice cream bucket.

You can use canned or fresh grapefruit, but I prefer fresh.  It’s easy to find in the grocery or warehouse store (such as Costco or Sam’s Club)  I also located PRE-chopped maraschino cherries (at Orson Gygi’s in SLC)  That saves a lot of chopping time (and red fingers & cutting board)

My daughter-in-law Rachel made this for the brunch at Whitney’s baby shower and it went so well with the other items there.  Such a beautiful rosy color.

I plan to keep this in the freezer all through the coming summer.  This time I halved the recipe, and it made half of a gallon-size ice cream bucket.

You'll find the recipe at:
www.changeabletable.com

Refreshing Cucumber Limeade

I can see your reaction as you read this recipe title (no WAY!)  This isn’t a vegetable drink (and no - it’s not even healthy, sorry about that)  But it IS a way to use your bumper crop of cucumbers so you feel better about not wasting them - and it's a refreshing drink to boot. No long list of strange ingredients either.

Last summer I posted an unusual summer drink - Allison Dastrup’s Summer Punch.  This recipe is it’s close relative, with just a few changes in how it’s prepared.  I think it’s much easier to make and just as good.  

I have been educated on Sonic crushed ice.  It makes a (big) difference in drinks like this.  If you have a Sonic near you, consider yourself extremely privileged.  If not, check out your local grocery store meat department or deli.  It’s the same pebble ice they use to line their display cases - very pretty.  If you can’t find pebble ice, do the best you can with other crushed ice.  Once it melts down slightly, it will still work well.

The main difference in this version, is that there is no tedious chopping and/or peeling of the cucumber to get it’s flavor into the drink.  Thin slices all around the perimeter of the punch bowl help the ice and water take on the cooling flavor of the cukes.

It’s also nice to be able to get it all “on ice” an hour before you need it, so you have time to worry about the rest of the menu.  That alone scores points with me for simplicity.

This makes enough for 10-12 people, plus a little extra to keep in the refrigerator.  But once the ice melts, it’s like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight.  It’s no longer irresistible, and you need to start over!

Enjoy while cucumbers are still hard to give away - but it only takes ONE cucumber to make an entire punchbowl.

The full recipe with instructions can be found at:
www.changeabletable.com

BMP (Berry/Melon/Pineapple) Smoothie

After a major Summer holiday (such as the 4th of July) - I would bet the majority of us have at least a few slices of watermelon hanging out in the refrigerator.  Combine it with two other ingredients for a fabulous smoothie that will leave you wondering “what’s in this?”  One little trick makes it even better.

My daughter Aryn introduced this (very simple) smoothie to us at our family reunion last week.  We had spent a long day playing at the lake - and we returned very sunburned, hungry, and thirsty.  

Earlier in the week, Aryn asked me to pick up just three ingredients so we could make this.  I did as she asked - and for convenience, I cubed the melon and pineapple beforehand, then stored them in ziplocs to take on our trip.  

Although I had cubed the watermelon beforehand, we used up the leftover slices of watermelon we had taken to the lake that day.  Normally it would have been long forgotten in the refrigerator after a few days.  This was a nice way to use them up and not let them go to waste.

I took along my blender (my favorite kitchen appliance lately), and it made short work of these smoothies.  Two batches fed 19 of us.  It was perfect served alongside the Cafe Rio spread she had made ahead of time (that recipe is here).  

I’ll tell you - that was a terrific meal.  It really hit the spot coming home wasted after being in the sun all day long.

No amazing photo-op... it was consumed in a flash!

Just make sure your strawberries are frozen - that’s what makes it just the right texture of ‘slushiness’ - if you know what I mean.  I guess it would still be great with fresh berries, but it was just frozen enough.  No brain freeze, not too thick, and SO refreshing!

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Peppermint White Hot Chocolate

This is a dreamy white hot chocolate, with just a hint of peppermint.  Easy to mix, using either spearmint or peppermint candies.  Add a squirt of cream from a can, or whip your own, then sprinkle with colored sugar - red for Christmas, or green for St. Patrick’s Day.

A good friend shared this recipe, and it is the ultimate hot chocolate.  In the time it takes to warm milk on a stove, you’re practically done.  

She did tell me that she tried it with mint extract, and it tasted just a little ‘off’ - so peppermint was just the right flavor.

Reduce the amounts to serve fewer (or just yourself).  Since this contains extract - the flavor will evaporate if you refrigerate it and reheat it later - so it’s best served right after you make it.

For the recipe, go to:

www.changeabletable.com

  

Allison Dastrup's Summer Punch

This is yet another one of those “who knew?” recipes.  Who knew that the humble cucumber could add such a refreshing flavor to a beverage?  Although the original recipe makes enough to serve several people - I’ve adjusted it down substantially to make just enough for one person to enjoy.

I’m sure you are perusing the ingredient list here and you’re temped to brush this one off.  A few of my children really don’t appreciate cucumbers in anything.  But once I got them to try this, they were surprised they liked it.  My 84-year-old mother (who never drinks soda of any kind) said that “this grows on you”.  

The only word I can describe this with is “refreshing”.  You might want to file this away for when your garden is producing in high gear and you don’t know what to do with all the extra cukes.  Keep an extra bottle of lemon-lime soda and a frozen can of limeade concentrate on hand and you have an awesome light, summer drink.

My son-in-law Cameron is an awesome addition to our family - and he came with a bonus:  a brother that is a fabulous cook.  And this brother (Callin) likes to share his recipe finds with me.  So I’m thanking him for this one - and also the person who shared it with HIM - Allison Dastrup.  I know of several ‘Allisons’ who really have amazing recipes in their stash.  Hmmm... And my newest granddaughter has that name as well!  Must be providential!

For both versions of this recipe (single serving & enough to serve a crowd) go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Rich & 'Dreamy' Hot Chocolate

Sometimes I reward myself at the end of a cold day by wrapping up in a blanket in my favorite chair.  The only other things I need to feel complete is a cup of extra-chocolatey hot chocolate, plus a great book. 

Ganache is a French term for a mix of chocolate and cream - so it’s a natural solution to quick & easy, ultra creamy hot chocolate.  With the prep work done for you, all you need is a portion from the freezer dropped in a cup of cold milk.  The microwave does the rest.  Try it and see if you ever want to go back to a pouch of powder again...

Cocoa powder from a can is a great convenience, but it takes quite a bit of tweaking to get it just right.  First, it’s never rich enough (I always end up making it with milk instead of water, or adding twice the amount of powder it calls for).  Next, I can never stir hard enough to get rid of the clumps of undissolved powder.  

When I ran across this idea in Cooks Country, I was anxious to try it.  It really is rich and delicious - with no lumps to ruin the experience.  With a little advance preparation, you can have a bag of one dozen of these ganache portions in the freezer ready for you next time you have a hankering for the best hot chocolate ever.  

The only change I would make is to either add a little sugar, or use milk chocolate chips.  The food writer said it was more than sweet enough with semi-sweet, but I beg to disagree.  Also, if you don’t want to get chocolate all over your hands as you roll it into balls - leave the ganache in a sealed container and use a small ice cream scoop to portion it into your mug of milk.  

For this time-saving trick to having decadent hot chocolate in minutes - go to:

www.changeabletable.com

Brazilian Lemonade - unusually good.

If you require your lemonade to be “see-through” - you may have some issues with this version.  It’s also interesting that it isn’t even made with lemons at all - but limes.  If you’re open-minded about trying something different from standard American lemonade - you just may find this to be your new favorite.

I have no connections to Brazil - so I didn’t have any expectations at all about what “Brazilian Lemonade” even was.  My wonderful neighbor JoAnn introduced me to this refreshing change of pace drink - and I find it is growing on me.  Every time I make it, I like it even more.

Don’t be like the typical kid and turn up your nose when you see something out-of-the-ordinary in the list of ingredients.   Sweetened condensed milk seems to cut the bitterness of the limes, and adds a nice rich taste.  You’ll never know until you try it.

One recipe source I found suggested cutting about half the skin off the limes prior to blending them.  It had just enough punch, but tasted less bitter when I made it this way.  

I added a few more tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk to mine, and I liked that little extra sweetness.  Start with the recommended amount, and work up.  Apparently in some areas you can find mini-cans of sweetened condensed milk in the latin section of the grocery store, but not so here.  It isn’t hard to find a use for the leftovers from a 10-oz can (grab a spoon!)

JoAnn’s lime pitcher (shown at the top) was perfect for this drink!  You can see I used my random clear pitcher, which was fine - but not nearly as fun.  

You can find my adaptation of this recipe (which I found at ourbestbites.com) at:

www.changeabletable.com

Blackberry Lemonade - 'polar opposite' of straight lemonade...

There’s something hypnotizing about a big fat blackberry.  The price right now for blackberries reels me right in, and there are so many ways to use them.  Since I don’t need one more pie or cobbler - this dark, sweet lemonade was just right for a hot summer evening.  To enhance the color even more, all it takes is a few drops of blue food coloring.

Berries this time of year can take over your refrigerator - much the same as apples in the fall.  I just can’t pass them up.  After all the cobblers, crisps, pies, and cakes - I thought it was time for a beverage.  (I've grown accustomed to the beverage I use for everything - Orange Water - and needed a change)

The problem with blackberries is how they are packed with huge seeds.  A lot of fruits have seeds, but they aren’t as noticeable as those in a blackberry.  It’s hard to match blackberries for their rich color and flavor.  They are loaded with antioxidants, and especially fiber.  One serving is 21% of your daily value of fiber - not to mention all the nutrients.  A blackberry is not a true berry - but is an aggregate fruit.

My in-laws had an entire patch of these - and in Utah, they are sometimes called “Dewberries”.  Picking them was a labor of love - and you wore the evidence for several days after tackling the thorn-filled patch.  I remember we used to guard the Dewberry jam and only brought it out of the freezer once in a great while.  The kids used to cry when we told them we were going over to the Grandparents' to pick them (we were good at enforcing child labor...)

This beverage is not full of pulp and seeds, as most of it is strained out.  But - due to the nature of the fruit, it’s not crystal clear like a purchased beverage.  But you will probably not notice it (until you get to the last few drops anyhow)

I added more sugar than it called for (another 1/3 cup - probably because my blackberries were not overly ripe?)  You can also substitute artificial sweetener of your choice to lower the calorie count.

You may consider doubling this, in light of the fact that it takes the same number of dishes and amount of cleanup for twice the yield.  I keep it in my refrigerator in quart jars - ready when needed for a refreshing summery beverage.

For the recipe, hints, and photos - go to:

www.changeabletable.com