Homemade Cream Cheese

Hi all,

I am one of those weird people that loves doing things at home even if I can buy it at the store. I recently found out that if you but cream cheese in a strainer (small strainer with thin mesh) or cheese cloth over night in the fridge you can make home made cream cheese!!!

1. Put yogurt -greek, plain or preferred flavor in a strainer and leave over night with a bowl under the strainer to catch the liquid.
2. Scrape the cheese out of the strainer
3. Add flavor if you would like such as jam, onions, etc.
4. Eat & Enjoy!

Thick & Chewy Triple Chocolate Cookies

Hi,

I don’t have much  of a sweet tooth but I love baking and wanted to make something new this weekend….I have to say these were easy and delicious.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa powder (any cocoa powder will work- I used unsweetened)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp instant coffee ( I used 2 Tblsp’s of brewed coffee)
• 10 TBlsp (1 & 1/4 sticks) butter
• 1 & 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 16 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled
• 12 ounces bag (two cups) semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

Tools

• Medium pot
• Spatula’s
• Parchment paper or paper bags
• 2 small, 1 medium and 1 medium/large metal bowls
• 3 Baking trays
• Electric mixer

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt chocolate. Boil water in a pot, put a metal bowl in the water. Chose a bowl which is large enough to rest in the pot but not fall in. Place chocolate in the bowl and stir until it melts.
3. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together in large bowl.
4. In separate bowl, whisk eggs, vanilla and coffee until coffee is dissolve.
5. In separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar together (preferably with an electric mixer on medium speed) until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in egg mixture until incorporated. Beat in the melted chocolate, until incorporated.
6. Reduce speed to low and slowly mix in flour mixture until combined. Stir in chips. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature until consistency is fudge-like, about 30 minutes.
7. Lay parchment paper on baking trays. If you don’t have parchment paper-cut up paper bags so they fit inside of the baking dish-coat with butter.
8. Working 3 Tblsp of dough at a time, scoop the dough onto baking trays. These cookies do not spread much so you can put them fairly close together. I made varying sizes. Try to space them 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking.
9. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. If you can keep people from eating them
10. Enjoy!

This cake holder was chalk full of cookies last night-so they will go fast!

Health Tip

Heidi Klum aka “The Body” (Supermodel, fashion mogul, TV host, and mother of 4) chews gum while she cooks to prevent before dinner snacking and keeps boiled eggs on hand as a filling snack.

Hot Toddy’s For All!

It seems as if everyone has just gotten over a cold or is currently struggling through one. My recommendation is stay home, cozy up in a large blanket, and demand hot toddy’s from your loved ones!

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 fluid ounces boiling water
• 1 1/2 fluid ounces whiskey
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 slice lemon
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Directions

Pour the honey, boiling water, and whiskey into a mug. Spice it with the cloves and cinnamon, and put in the slice of lemon. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the flavors can mingle, then sprinkle with a pinch of nutmeg before serving. I recommend doing a taste test, adding lemon or honey as needed. You can always skip the nutmeg, cinnamon or cloves if you dislike them or don’t have any. Just add more lemon and honey. Enjoy + feel better.