Homemade Chocolate Syrup

First of all, let me point you in the direction of Small Notebook.  Small Notebook is a beautiful blog about simplifying life, getting organized, and saving money.  That's where I first saw a post about homemade chocolate syrup that caught my eye.  I knew I had to try it.

But why?  Why would someone want to make homemade chocolate syrup?  I can think of three reasons right off hand.

1)  It's probably cheaper than buying store-bought.  I haven't taken the time to analyze the actual cost of homemade versus store-bought myself, but this recipe first ran in Amy Dacyczyn's book The Complete Tightwad Gazette, and there is a cost comparison in there.  From scratch wins by quite a bit. 

2)  It's NOT full of stuff that you can't pronounce.  Now, I like my processed food.  I like my store-bought ice cream and my Taco Bell and my Oreo cookies.  But I have been more concerned about eating processed foods lately, and I am trying to limit the amount I eat.  Yes, I'm trying to limit the amount of sugar I eat too, so chocolate syrup is still a splurge for me. But I had bought a bottle of off-brand chocolate syrup not too long ago, and the first ingredient in the list was high fructose corn syrup.  I had no idea what some of the other ingredients were.

3)  It tastes as good as the canned stuff.  Really!  I didn't think it would.  I really didn't.  But it does.

Here are a few tips if you make this:

-This boils over easy.  Use a medium to large saucepan and watch it.

-I made three versions.  The first version was made with regular Hershey's Cocoa Powder.  The second version was made with Hershey's Special Dark 100 % Cacao Powder, which I am absolutely in love with.

The one on the left was made with regular cocoa powder and the one on the right was made with dark. 

Personally, I loved the dark the best, but both were delicious.  The third batch was made with Splenda.  I did not like it at all and I'm going to have to work on it to get it right.

-The original recipe in the Tightwad Gazette says that this will keep for months in the refrigerator.  I don't know about months, but I'm sure weeks.

-This syrup is very sweet.  That's not a problem for me, but it may be for some.  I think the sugar could probably be decreased according to taste.

-This syrup gets thicker when it's cold, so don't judge it before it's really cooled.

Homemade Chocolate Syrup

Adapted from The Complete Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn

Printable Recipe

1/2 cup regular cocoa or dark cocoa powder

1 cup water

2 cups sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whisk together the cocoa, water, and sugar in a medium heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, whisking constantly, and cook for 3 minutes being careful not to let  boil over.   Remove from heat and add the salt and vanilla.   Pour into a sterilized jar and store in refrigerator.  Will keep for several weeks.  

Classic Chicken Tetrazzini

I was thumbing through some recent copies of my Southern Living magazines a few weeks ago, and this recipe caught my eye, mostly because of it's short list of ingredients.  I flagged it but forgot all about it until the other day when I noticed that the huge hunk of Parmesan cheese I had bought at Sam's a while back was looking kind of moldy.  I needed to use it up quick and this recipe was perfect for it.

The verdict?  It was cheesy, pasta goodness on a Sunday afternoon. I don't like to come home from church and face an hour or two of cooking in the kitchen.  I made this the night before and while it baked in the oven, I threw together a simple salad and some garlic bread.  It was just right.  I give this recipe two thumbs up and will definitely be making it again soon.  Like next week when some of my family visits.

Here's some things to consider:

-I made this with all dark meat, and I don't think I put in 4 whole cups, but it was enough.  I've been on a dark meat kick because, my goodness, the flavor.

Plus I had a freezer full of leg quarters that I had bought on sale for 29 cents a pound.  But still, dark meat is delicious.

-I used sliced almonds instead of slivered. No biggie except that they will burn a little bit faster, so watch it if you put this under the broiler like I did for a little bit of golden brown cheesy goodness on top.

-If you don't have white wine you could certainly substitute chicken broth or stock.  I love the flavor the wine gives, though.

-Oh yeah!  The magazine article said this would freeze wonderfully.  I didn't try that, but I would let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking. 

Classic Chicken Tetrazzini

Slightly adapted from Southern Living

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 (8-ounce) packages vermicelli

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups milk

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

4 cups diced cooked chicken

1 (6-ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained

3/4 cup sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 35o degrees.  Prepare pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet with high sides over low heat; whisk in flour until smooth.  Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Gradually whisk in milk and wine; add bouillon cubes and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Stir in pepper and 1 cup Parmesan cheese until melted.

Remove from heat; stir in diced cooked chicken, sliced mushrooms, and hot cooked pasta.   

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish; sprinkle with sliced almonds and remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Venison Tacos with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

We're big fans of Mexican food at my house and since I have a freezer full of deer meat, I came up with a quick and easy recipe for deer tacos.  And since I can be seriously lazy in the kitchen, all the magic happens in a crockpot so I'm not slaving over a hot stove.

Now listen up and listen up good.

-If you don't have venison you can use beef.  I've done it thousands of times.  (Slight exaggeration there.) A chuck roast will do nicely.  Or a cheaper cut of steak.  Just change the name to beef tacos and don't worry your pretty little head about it, okay?

-The seasonings are completely adjustable.  Do what you like.  Like what you do.  That's what I always say.

-There is no need to add any liquid to the meat in the crockpot.  The venison gives off enough juice to baste in while it cooks.  I wouldn't put the crockpot on high and go spend the day at the mall, though.  The juice will eventually evaporate out.  I speak from experience.

-I like cilantro.  Do you like cilantro?  I just don't understand the people who say cilantro tastes like soap.  I don't get that at all.  To me, it's not a taco unless it has cilantro on it.

-The sauce can be processed in a food processor which is how I prefer to do it, but my mini food processor bit the dust the other day and I had to throw it away.  Note to self:  spend more than $8.00 on a mini food processor next time.  Also, I put my sauce in a squeeze bottle to make taco assembly move a little faster.

-I strongly recommend squeezing a wedge of lime juice onto your taco.  In fact, I demand that you do.

- I prefer corn tortillas for a more authentic flavor, but they can tear easily, so I usually use two corn tortillas per taco and double wrap them.

Venison Tacos with Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce

Printable Recipe

1 1/2 pounds venison ham, shoulder, or backstrap

2 heaping teaspoons chili powder

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Cilantro-Lime Sauce:

1 heaping cup sour cream

3 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 cup very finely chopped cilantro

3 tablespoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Warm flour tortillas, and/or corn tortillas that have been lightly fried in vegetable or canola oil just until soft

Shredded cheese (I like Monterey Jack), finely chopped red onion, chopped cilantro, lime wedges for topping

Cut the venison into very small cubes.  Place in a slow cooker.  Add the chili powder and next five ingredients; stir well to combine.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours or until tender.

To make the sauce, whisk together the sour cream and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.  Refrigerate until needed.  The sauce can also be processed in a food processor.  (I like to transfer my sauce to a squeeze bottle.)

Fill tortillas (use two tortillas if using corn to prevent tearing) with meat, then add cheese and sauce.  Top with chopped red onion and chopped cilantro.  Serve with lime wedges for squeezing.

Think small when you're cutting up your deer meat.  It will shrink quite a bit during the cooking process, but it needs to fit nicely in a tortilla.

Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat, then give it a stir.  Easy.