Show Some Love - Sweet Love!!

I love sweetened condensed milk. Versatile tastiness should be its name.

Today I will share two "show some extra love" tips that involve this tasty treat that comes in the "oh so cute" 14 ounce can.

If you have a coffee lover in your house who likes their java a little sweet replace the sugar with the sweetened condensed milk (SCM). My friend, Deb, who grew up in Africa, shared this little gem of an idea with me. Thank you, Deb. You are a true friend.

This weekend I will add some to Kind Sir Bill's mug and he will feel very much loved (just as a note, he likes his coffee a little creamier, so I add a bit of half and half also.) Nothing says "extra love" to a coffee drinker more than SCM and half and half!!!!

My next tip will show some love to all the crafty painters in your household. Take a look at the heart painting below. This my friend was painted with, yes..believe me....Sweetened Condensed Milk!!

Open a can of SCM and divide it into four or five different bowls. Add some food coloring to each bowl (Anna used neon colors). Begin painting. The end result is shiny and puffy and dries like plastic. The paint is very tasty but there is one warning. Your tongue may be neon colored for the rest of the day!!!

Have some fun and definitely share any Sweetened Condensed Milk secrets with me!!!

Show Them Some Love - A Little Bit More Love

I thought for the month of February I would write about how to turn everyday opportunities of love into ones that offer a bit MORE love! And before I go on......yes, that is me in the attractive 1970's snow suit. Don't judge. It keeps me warm. Enough said. For my first February "show them some love" post I would like to talk about Hot Chocolate!! Yes, everyone loves hot chocolate on a cold day.....especially after hitting the sledding hills. See Anna's excited face below? She was thinking, "Hot Chocolate is calling my name!!!". Well, that's pretty close to what she was thinking.

On these cold, cold days we could treat our kids and ourselves to a packet of hot chocolate. After all , there is quite a bit of love in serving this when it is not an everyday treat. But here is where I will tell you how to turn this into an opportunity to show "a whole lotta love". I'll let you in on a little secret about me that was inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire..........

"I can hip-hop..... be-bop.....dance till ya drop, and yo yo, make a wicked cup of cocoa."

And you can make a homemade wicked cup of cocoa, too, in 5 minutes!!!! Believe me.. you can and your family will treasure your efforts!!

Before you think I am some Julia Child and came up with the "lotta love wicked hot cocoa" recipe myself, I will stop you. This recipe is from Paula Deen and I will forever love her for it. And now I will share the love with you........

1 can sweetened condensed milk (low fat for us!)

1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa ( I use half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of salt

6 1/2 cups hot water (I get mine from the tea kettle)

In a large saucepan, combine condensed milk, cocoa, vanilla and salt - mix well. Over medium heat slowly stir in water. Heat through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. Store leftovers up to five days in fridge. And believe me the leftovers are even yummier!!!

Let me know how yours turns out!! Remember, a little love goes a long way and a little more love goes even further!!! Enjoy!

Apple Picking Time!!

Well, actually, September is apple picking time!! I'm just a little late in posting! Anna and I went with our home school group to an apple orchard out in Midland, Ohio. Where is Midland, you ask? I can't even tell you. Oh, I drove and we found the place but it seemed like it was in the middle of nowhere!! But, we were very happy we travelled all the way to Midland.

The orchard is called A & M Farm and is one of the only U pick orchards in our area. Not too many in our area since I had to drive an hour!! The people who worked at the farm were great and their little store which sold already picked apples, farm produce and their own cider was very cute. We were able to pick a variety but our all time favorite was Empire. Usually we are fuji, honey crisp or braeburn people but we took a liking to this little beauty!

The farm allowed us to taste the apples before we decided if we wanted that type. Very thoughtful and excellent marketing strategy!! We were able to keep what we liked.

We came home and immediately pulled out our apple recipes - I'll share two with all of you.

Apple Dip

1 can sweetened condensed milk (fat free is fine)

1 cup butterscotch chips

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat milk, butterscotch, and salt on stove until chips are melted. Remove from stove and stir in the next two ingredients. Store in Fridge!

No Peel Apple Cake

4 cups chopped apples with peels

2 cups flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup applesauce

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons each of cinnamon and baking soda

Mix all ingredients by hand (will be thick batter). Pour into 9 x 13 greased pan and sprinkle with additional sugar and nuts if desired. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes. Even better on day #2!!

Enjoy!!