Mexibo Hot Chocolate Recipe

Ingredients
4 oz. Hot Cocoa Mix
½ oz.  Coffee Liqueur
Whipped Cream
Method
Pour all ingredients into a coffee cup.
Stir well. Finish with dollop of whipped cream.

(source: Whattodrink)

Easy Mexican Beef Chilli Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 cups Kitchen Basics® Unsalted Beef Stock
• 3 small red onions, diced
• 3 fresh jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 cups kernel corn
• 2 (28 ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
• 1 pound 97% lean ground beef
• 2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, drained
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Method

• Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Brown beef with onion and jalapenos. (reserve some fresh jalapeno slices and red onion for garnish.
• Add garlic, tomatoes, beans, chili powder, corn and Kitchen Basics Unsalted Beef Stock. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle the chili into serving bowls and sprinkle each bowl with 1 tablespoon of cheese.
• Garnish with peppers & onion. Serve hot.

(source: Allrecipes)

5 Best Dinner Ideas for Busy Moms

In the midst of busy schedules and hectic routines, most of us usually couldn’t be able to catch up time for family gatherings and spending quality time with our family members. The culture and tradition of arranging family gatherings and family reunion is getting lesser day by day, which is eventually raising many serious problems in youth, especially teens.
Most of the ideas of family gatherings are dropped by thinking that much planning would be required to implement the plans. Generally, people wait for someone in the family to plan some family activities and family gatherings and invite them to the venue, however, no one step forward as an initiator.
There are many hidden and obvious advantages of family gatherings and family reunion that can make huge difference in your life, but only if they could be realized. Some of the advantages for healthy family gatherings include:
The combined family activities and family reunion parties bring family members close to        each other and help in building positive understanding.
The interesting family gathering offer great opportunities for family members to connect and communicate with each other, and filled the communication gap that they have been experiencing in their relationships.
The opportunity to share memories and values with one another in the family gatherings give a lifetime golden moments to cherish about.
The celebration time is the most ideal occasion of throwing and arranging family gatherings. The beautiful thought of planning family dinners is an interesting way to bring families closer and to make the event more memorable and enjoyable. To plan out family gatherings on occasions like Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year is an amazing way to build up memories that you can remember and cherish for the whole year. To arrange family dinners and family reunion parties, here are the few ideas:
Be the initiator:
If you are willing to throw a family party to bring the family members closer, don’t wait for anyone to take the first step. Always try to be an initiator in implementing a great idea of family gatherings.
Count the guests:
To arrange a family dinner, it is very important to count the family members that are going to be part of your family reunion party.
Call to invite:
Call your family members to invite them for your family reunion party, so that they don’t make any other plans on that particular day.
Decide the Menu:
According to the number of guests decide the menu within your budget limits and in accordance with the taste priorities of the invited guests. If you have lesser budget, you can still have family dinner with less number of dishes in big quantity.
Plan Properly:
For the planning of family gatherings, make a checklist of the things that you will need for the family reunion party. Figure out all the requirements including the kitchen and cooking necessities, seating arrangements, home and interior planning and the sequence of activities.
When you are done with all the steps of organizing a family reunion party, all you need is to be organized and manage your time and work well with each other, so that your arranged family dinner won’t become any hassle and tragic experience for you.

Red Capsicum Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

• 4x 25 cm pizza base
• 6 tbsps prepared pesto
• 1 1/2 cups roasted red capsicum strips
• 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes
• 1 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

Method

• Preheat oven to 200oC
• Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Place bases on trays.
• Spread each pizza base with pesto, and then top each with pepper strips, tomatoes and gorgonzola cheese.
• Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the bottoms are nicely browned.

(source: YahooLifestyle)

Freid Potatoes at Home

Ingredient

• 4 red potatoes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft; about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
3. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add potato cubes, salt, paprika and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned; about 10 minutes. Stir in the onions, green peppers and parsley and cook for another minute. Serve hot.

Homemade Pumpkin Pie Recipe

There is nothing better than a homemade pie and with a pumpkin pie recipe from scratch you can create the perfect pumpkin pie everyone is sure to love. Although store-bought pumpkin pies are not bad, they lack that extra bit of something special that a homemade pie has. When you make your own pie at home, you can have complete control over what ingredients go into the pie. Making your own pumpkin pie from scratch takes a little more effort than simply buying a pre-made pie, but the hard work is definitely worth it in the end. 
Ingredients:
You will need the following ingredients to make a pumpkin pie from scratch:

• 1 medium-sized pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 package of pastry or pie crust
• 2 tbsp. of unsalted margarine or butter
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1 tbsp. of molasses
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon
• 1 cup of whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

• Make pumpkin puree. The puree from the pumpkin will be used inside of the pie's filling. To do this, take the medium-sized pumpkin and cut it down the middle. Remove all the fibers and seeds, and bake the pumpkin for about one hour. Scrape away the pulp from the pumpkin's skin and throw away the skin. Place pulp in a blender and blend it until the mixture is smooth in texture. For this recipe, you will only need 1-1/4 cups of pumpkin puree.
• Preheat oven. After you have made your pumpkin puree, preheat the oven to about 350 degrees. This will ensure that the crust is baked to absolute perfection. 
• Slowly heat milk on stove. Pour the milk in a saucepan and place over medium heat until small bubbles form around the edges. Remove the milk immediately when it begins to bubble. 
• Mix eggs and milk. Beat the eggs until they are frothy and bubbly in texture and slowly stir in the heated milk. Stir the mixture well. 
• Add pumpkin puree, molasses, butter or margarine, cinnamon, sugar and salt. Make sure the butter or margarine is melted before mixing. Use a whisk to blend the mixture together and make sure all of the ingredients are evenly blended before moving on to the next step. 
• Add the mixture to the pie crust. After adding the pie crust or pastry mixture to the pie pan, pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared crust and distribute it evenly throughout the pan. 
• Bake until firm. Place your pumpkin pie in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until the pie filling is firm. Once the pie is baked, let it cool for several minutes before moving on.
• Add whipped cream and enjoy! Once the pie is baked and ready to eat, add the desired amount of whipped cream (optional) and eat up! You and everyone else is sure to love this recipe for homemade pumpkin pie and it will taste even better knowing you made it yourself. 

Learning to Make Jelly Shots

Learning how to make Jello shots is so simple, the hardest thing will be to not make them for every party or gettogether. You can use almost any type of alcohol for your Jello shots, but there are a few things to remember. Higher proof alcohols require more cold water to help the Jello set. Also, try to pair certain alcohols with certain flavors of Jello, such as banana rum with strawberry Jello. This will ensure delicious tasting shots. In the following recipe, vodka will be used for the alcohol.
Ingredients:
To make Jello shots, you will need:

• 2 packages of 3oz. Jell-O mix
• 2 cups boiling water
• 6 oz. cold water
• 10 oz. vodka
• 1 can whipped cream
• Tray
• Paper or pl
• astic shot cups

Directions:

1. Prepare your mixtures. In a medium bowl, mix the vodka with cold water. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill for at least one hour. The colder the mixture, the stronger the Jello shots will be, as the alcohol will not evaporate as easily during the mixing process later.
2. Make the Jello. In a medium pot, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add Jello mix and stir until the powder is completely dissolved. Remove the pot from the heat. Add the cold water and alcohol mixture to the Jello, stirring for two to three minutes.
3. Pour the shots. Line up your plastic or paper shot cups on a tray. Using a ladle or a measuring cup with a spout, carefully fill each cup with the Jello liquid. Be sure not to fill to high, as the Jello may spill out while moving the tray.
4. Chill, serve and enjoy responsibly. Once all the shots are filled, place the tray in the refrigerator and chill for two to three hours. When the Jello has set, you can remove from the refrigerator, top each shot with a quick squirt of whipped cream, serve, and enjoy.

Tips:

• Adjust cold water accordingly.
• Alcohols with higher proofs require more water.
• Alcohol is absorbed in the Jello, so it may take some time to feel the effects. Drink responsibly.

How do they make Hot Dogs?

 What are hot dogs made of? Not all hot dogs are a great tasting horror show for the stomach. There are different levels of quality in the world of hot dogs. The best kinds of hot dogs are kosher hot dogs, because the ingredients and methods of making them are held to higher standards according to Jewish law.
Hot Dog Casings. The casing is the outer skin of the hot dog. There are two types of casings used to make hot dogs. Some hot dog manufacturers use cellulose casings, which are not meant to be eaten and are stripped off before packing and selling . Other hot dog manufacturers use all natural casings that stay on the hot dogs and are meant to be eaten.
What are Hot Dogs made of? Hot dogs are made from a variety of meat trimmings from beef or pork or a combination of both. Curing ingredients, ice chips, and spices are added to the meat trimmings before grinding the meat into a paste and filling the casing. Meat byproducts, which includes kidney, liver, or heart meat, may be used in hot dogs, but must be listed as ingredients on the package label. Hot dogs, by law, may contain up to 30 percent fat, ten percent water, or a combination of up to 40 percent of a combination of fat and water. Some hot dog manufacturers use up to 3.5 percent non-meat binder. Non-meat binders are nonfat dry milk, dried whole milk, and cereal products. Two percent soy protein may be added to hot dogs, but it must be clearly listed on the package label under ingredients.
Kosher Hot Dogs. Kosher foods are prepared with only approved meats and ingredients under the traditional Jewish Kosher laws. The Kosher hot dog manufacturer preparations are supervised by an official Kosher supervisory agency as well as the USDA inspectors. Kosher laws require the livestock not be stunned prior to slaughters. The animals must be slaughtered according to strict Jewish law. The meat is salted and thoroughly rinsed to remove impurities. All veins, arteries, and certain types of fat are removed. There is no pork in a Kosher hot dog. By Jewish law, the meat must come from animals (cattle, sheep, and goats) that have cloven hooves, chew their cuds, and are farmed raised.

Jello: Used for Making Sweet and Fruity Desserts

What Is Jello Made Of? Jello is a brand name for sweet and fruity gelatin desserts. The gelatin used in Jello is pure animal protein that is extracted by a process of soaking cow or pig bones, bovine skin, intestines, organ, and connective tissue in a bath of a diluted hydrochloric acid solution. It is an animal by product, not a vegetable substance.
Gelatin is the foundation of Jello. There are several steps of the gelatin extracting processes that includes filtration, evaporation, drying, grinding, and sifting of the gelatin. The byproduct of the entire process is pure gelatin, which is a yellow granulated powder. When gelatin is dissolved in hot water then cooled, it becomes a semi solid colloid gel, like a gummy bear.
The main ingredients in Jello are gelatin, sugar, and food coloring. Gelatin is used in confectionery, Jello desserts, as an additive in margarine, yogurt, and ice cream. Pharmaceutical capsules or vitamin capsules are made from gelatin. Various industries use heavily concentrated gelatin molds for things like colored gels on lighting equipment, different types of industrial glue, for testing munitions, and in cosmetics.
Kosher gelatin is made from processing fish bones and beef skins according to the ancient Jewish laws governing food preparation. Kosher law is very strict and dictates what animals may be used, animals must be farm raised, have cloven hooves, chew their cud, and slaughtered according to Jewish law. No pork is allowed in processing gelatin for Kosher Jello. A Kosher supervisor agency presides over the production of all kosher foods. Jello does make Kosher Jello and marks the package with a K to signify it is Kosher.

Easy Tips to Make Mojito

The mojito, a refreshing rum based drink, originated in Cuba, a major source of rum. No one’s exactly sure when the mojito was invented, though the conventional wisdom is that it was invented at La Bodeguita del Medio in Havana. The name mojito may have come from the word mojo, which is a sauce, or it may be a diminutive version of the word “mojado” which means wet. The mojito was a favorite tipple of Ernest Hemingway, that lush, as well as Brigitte Bardot, Nat King Cole and many other folks, famous and obscure.
Ingredients:
To make a mojito, you'll need:

• 1/3 cup of sugar,
• 1/2 cup of roughly chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup of fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 cup of white rum
• Club soda
• Fresh mint sprigs
• Slices of lime
• Crushed ice
• 4 to 6 10 ounce highball glasses
• A muddler or a wooden spoon
• A strainer
• A pitcher
• Glass swizzle sticks

Directions:
Muddle together the sugar, mint, and lime juice. A muddler is a tool that mashes ingredients together, but the handle of a wooden spoon works as well.
Add the rum. Strain into highball glasses.
Top with crushed ice and club soda.
Garnish with sprigs of mint and lime. Put in a swizzle stick.
Enjoy your mojito. It's the best thing on a hot day.
There are many versions of the mojito, including the virgin mojito, which is also refreshing but not as much fun, because you give the rum to someone else to drink and only use the other ingredients. The Mexican mojito uses tequila instead of rum, the apple mojito uses an apple liqueur along with the rum and an English mojito uses gin instead of rum and Sprite instead of club soda.

3 Chicken and Broccoli Recipes

Chicken and Broccoli recipes represent a smart combination of protein and fiber. Fiber-rich broccoli is known for its anti-carcinogenic properties in helping to prevent cancer. And organic chicken fed on omega -3 rich grains provides a nutritious boost.  So make quick, delicious and nutritious chicken and broccoli dishes to impress your lady. Healthy is the new cool.
1. Quick stir-Fried Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 1 frozen package of  broccoli florets
• 3 scallions
• 1/4 cup of fresh carrots
• 1 large spanish onion
• Fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1/4 sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of cashews

Directions:

1. Preheat wok or skillet.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into strips.
3. Slice carrots and scallions lengthwise  pieces. Dice onion, garlic and ginger. .
4. Coat the heated wok with sesame oil.
5. Add chicken strips to wok and stir fry for five minutes. 
6. Lower the flame under the wok and stir in broccoli. Add the other  vegetables.
7. Toss chicken and vegetables to cook evenly. Add cashews.
8. Sprinkle in brown sugar and pour in soy sauce. Simmer until chicken is tender.

 2. Fast Chicken and Brocccoli Pasta Salad
Ingredients:

• 2 cups of chopped leftover baked or boiled chicken
• 1 cup of  chopped raw broccoli
• 1/4 cup diced white onion
• 2 cups of spiral spinach pasta
• 1 tablespoon of minced dill
• 1 cup of mayonnaisse
• 1 tablespoon of  chopped parsley.
• Ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the pasta for ten minutes until slightly firm.
2. Mix in quickly the chicken, broccoli, onion and dill with the pasta.
3. Stir in the mayonnaise and grind in the fresh pepper.
4. Garnish with parsley

3. Chicken Pot Pie
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of cooked diced chicken
• 1/4 cup of peeled cubed cooked potatoes
• 1/3 cup of frozen chopped broccoli 
• 2 tablespoons of minced dried shallots
• 1 can of creamy chicken soup
• 1 tablespoon of  softened butter
• 2  8 inch thawed frozen pastry pie shells

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325
2. Mix chicken, potatoes, broccoli,  shallots and soup. 
3. Pour  soup-chicken-broccoli mixture into one pasrty pie shell. Dot with butter.
4. Lift the pie crust carefully out of the second pan and top over the pastry shell.
5. Pinch the edges of both crusts together to seal. 
6. Prick the top of the crust with a fork to allow air to esacpe.
7. Bake for 40 minutes.