Friday friend recipe numbesr 315 and 316, Deb E's Hot Cocoa and Vegetable Puff

 

 I am under 60 recipes* now--I must get this done!  At least to prove something to myself if not the Handyman...

 because...

...about 22 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an

  e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.

I decided to count those down!

Why?

because one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."

The Handyman/Mayor, who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said "you'll never EVER do that."

Well, maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings us to Debbie E's Hot Cocoa and Vegetable Puff Casserole!

(these are two separate recipes--it sounds as if it is one. 😛 Trust me--the hot cocoa is not in the Vegetable Puff)

**********************************

I just need to hurry up and 'get 'er done'

Then I'll show him!

And as always, it's not about the quality of the photos, it's about the family, friends and fun we have all had together!

Before you go any further, let me give you an update--Debbie now makes a variation of  this 'puff' with fresh vegetables.  times, they are a changin'

 But I made the original recipe with the frozen veggies, because I think that is the whole idea of the countdown, right?

We do love the Vegetable Puff...  but the Hot Cocoa mix is just the perfect thing to do for gift giving.

I forgot to take a photo of the powder once it's done (and I made this and took pictures months ago--it has been sitting in my drafts for months.  Hmmm---perhaps this is why this cookbook countdown is taking FOREVER)

It tastes great and is easy to make and it makes a lot--perfect!

And look at my pretty, pretty Hot Chocolate Pot.  At least that's what my mother-in-law called it when she gave it to me.  My friend April might say it's a coffee pot?

Whatever it is, I rarely get to use it as one doesn't have people over for coffee like that much anymore.

Speaking of times a changin',

see what 15 years can do?

Below is a photo of Debbie and her daughter Kelsey, taken 15 years ago.

Beautiful!

And this one?  

Taken of Debbie and Kelsey, two weeks ago at the Mayor's Ball.  Also Beautiful!

Then one of the with me and April (who knows her antiques and might say my hot chocolate pot is a coffee pot)

If you have followed this countdown for any amount of time, you'll know that I've been friends with Debbie for over 35 years.  We used to be neighbors when the kids were young and now that we don't, we have coffee (DAMN! I never thought to bring out my cool hot chocolate/coffee pot.)

every Tuesday morning at 6am.  Come rain or shine. (Excluding Christmas day) We've been doing this for well over 20 years now--been through so much on Tuesdays, marriages of kids, birth of grandchildren, death of our parents, divorcés of kids, and everything else you could imagine.

We solve the problems of the world with a cup of coffee.

Someone should have written a book and called it, 

"Tuesdays with Debbies"

You can see all of Debbie's recipes/stories here.  Just click.

When we lived next door to Debbie and her family, my youngest son Mark was best friends with Kelsey and her twin sister Katie.

There was lots of running back and forth between houses (we had 7 kids between us) both adults and children.

We lived on a corner and well---I can only explain it by this little scribble  (and it is a scribble) of the street and our houses.

So you can kind of see how our backyards could see into each other's?  

One day when I was working in my garden, Debbie opened her back door (the kids were playing in the backyards, but Kelsey was having a meltdown--she was 3) and Deb yelled,  Mark! (she also had a son named Mark)  you give Kelsey back her YOU right now!!!

Now some other neighbor might have thought this was crazy-- her you? What?

Well, I didn't think much of it--he really should not have taken her you.  But the boys thought it was hysterical to torment the little girls.

Their "you" was --well, their you.

You wouldn't want anyone taking your YOU, would you?

You know how you steal or get a little kid's nose?

I've got your nose?

For some reason their dad, Charlie, would make a motion like he was taking something from them and he would say "I've got your you", and they would want it back and he'd give them back their you, right away and they'd laugh--  It was a funny thing between the girls and their dad, BUT their older siblings would steal their you and send it to California to make the girls cry.

This day it got out of hand---her brother Mark forgot to give Kelsey back her you--and the backyards were in an uproar--hence Debbie yelling--GIVE KELSEY BACK HER YOU RIGHT NOW!!!

I hope this story didn't lose too much in the translation.

I feel all is good at this point-- Kelsey looks like she has her YOU.  At least she did at the Mayor's Ball.

And that my friends is my story.

*Now I have some good news--

I think I have made a counting mistake and I only have 40 more recipes to go--I think.  

I'm not doing these in any order, so I have to flip thru my falling apart Friday Friend Cookbook each time I cook and cross off and count.  I hope I didn't miss any that I've checked off this time, because 40 sounds so good to me!

My friends I bring to you recipes #315 and 316.

Only 51 or 40 left to go! 😂

Hot Buttered Rum on a cold winter's night

Hot Buttered Rum's and Ginger Cookies

I thought I might as well chime in on the "hot" drinks that everyone is blogging about. I've seen recipes for mocha's and hot chocolates, but one of my favorite holiday drinks are Hot Buttered Rums. I make the batter around Thanksgiving and if I'm lucky it will last until the middle of January. It's a very sweet drink, so you can't drink more than one in a sitting. Usually. I guess there are always exceptions to the rule. But they are really, really sweet.

Christmas time, when I was young, would be spent between my maternal and paternal grandparents homes. They lived one block from each other. My paternal grandparents would make Tom and Jerry's during the holidays, my maternal grandparents would have Hot Buttered Rums. Honestly, I've never made the Tom and Jerry's. I guess because I just love the HBR's so much.

They are best on a snowy day, of course. And with a good homemade cookie.
An old movie, or a good book, don't' hurt much either. If it can all come together at the same time, it's heaven!

Hot Buttered Rum

1 lb real butter
1 lb brown sugar
1 lb white sugar
1/2 gallon real vanilla ice-cream

melt together over slow heat. Store in a jar or Tupperware container in the fridge for a few days, then freeze and use when you need it.

I like mine with hot milk, but most people like their's made with just hot water. With milk, it's like a warm butterscotch treat. Mmmmm.

Use 2 Tbls of the batter
1 oz light rum
mix together in a coffee mug and add boiling water or hot milk.
Sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon.

The cookie you should make?

Spicy and Soft Gingersnaps.(a combination of 3 recipes) (if it sounds similar to your recipe, it probably is...thanks. I give you credit. I just can't remember exactly who I borrowed this combination from. but they are really REALLY good)

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves
2 cups flour, plus 2 tblsp
cinnamon and sugar for rolling

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, cream together the oil, sour cream, sugar and molasses. Stir in the egg. Add pepper, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Stir in flour. The dough will be soft and sticky. Form dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in cinnamon/sugar and place on cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until cookies are spread and looking crackly. for softer cookies, under bake slightly, for crispy ones, let them go a minute longer. Let cool on cookie sheets for two minutes. Transfer to rack .
Mmmmm.....good.

My Back yard Birds in last week. They are right outside my kitchen window. One thing I love about my kitchen. I could bake and watch the snow fall all day!