Chai Concentrate

Best with fresh ingredients, but powdered forms work well also. Adjust the spices and sugar to taste. This is very good hot or cold. Also good for iced chai latte treats.

After Dinner Tea

Instead of buying new teas, were experimenting with ingredients we already had and really enjoy this blend.

Apple Cider

A friend invited us over to pick some (Macintosh?) apples. They were bruised and cracked, but had a wonderful taste.

This freezes well.

Instant Mocha Mix

Mark and Katie gave us this recipe. Everyone likes as is, but I prefer it with whipping cream to make it creamer and thicker.

Experiment with different powdered creamers and omitting or swapping the spices.

Hot Chocolate Mix, Dairy free

We wanted something to drink that was different from tea and coffee. I had a bag of store bought dairy free hot chocolate mix that we liked, but was more expensive then I could afford very often. So we attempted to make our own. It is near enough to the mix that we are happy.

I prefer this with whipped cream, but have not found a dairy free alternative that I like.

Egg Nog

At a Christmas party this year, one of my children tried store bought egg nog. He was so disappointed that it was nothing like this recipe that Allan has been making us for years. He was sure to request that Daddy make some “real” egg nog soon.

I know that some people prefer alcohol in egg nog, but I think it is non essential! Using freshly grated nutmeg is the best, but use powder if that is what you have.

If you are concerned about eating raw eggs, either buy pasteurized eggs, or look online on how to make them yourself.

Chocolate Chip, Cherry, Walnut Bagels

While living in Slovakia, Allan was gone many nights. Often I would go to the office with him, play on the computer a little and just be lazy while he worked in the other room. I found a few bagel recipes that were good, but this is my favorite.

Hot Chocolate Mix

Momma used to make this mix for us in her extra large yellow popcorn bowl. I never got the recipe from her. Many years later, Allan’s Mom gave me this recipe. I made sure to pass this recipe to my children 😉

The recipe card is the original recipe but for a smaller batch. However, the printable recipe has been adjusted for our personal tastes.

Homemade Kahlua

Kahlua is a coffee flavored liqueur that is used in tiramisu.  I am sure that it is used in many other recipes, but tiramisu is our favorite way to use it.