Do you love egg nog? Don't you wish you could have it year round?
Although egg nog is a traditional, seasonal drink, it is only sold in stores from about late October through January.
If you make it yourself, you can enjoy egg nog any. Time. You. Want.
And it's gluten free, soy free, and can be vegan!
I have seen powdered egg nog online, but really wanted to make my own. What is great about a powdered egg nog mix is that you can add it to your milk of choice, yogurt, milk shake, or smoothie.
It also makes a great gift.
After more searching, I found this recipe and was surprised by one of the ingredients...
Well, yeah - I've made vanilla pudding and yes, it does use eggs...
But boxed pudding doesn't use eggs to thicken; it uses cornstarch to thicken.
Custards are made with eggs, puddings are made with cornstarch. I learn something new every day!
Boxed pudding is gluten free, soy free and vegan!
Saco Buttermilk Powder Blend is an ingredient that I have used often for many of my recipes. It is a blend of buttermilk, sweet cream, dairy whey, and lactic acid. It's great, as it is gluten free & nut free. This helps bring a creamy texture to your egg nog, with a very slight tang.
Instant Powdered Milk is what you will want to use for this recipe. Instant powdered milk dissolves more easily than traditional powdered milk that needs hot water to help it dissolve. You can use regular or sugar free pudding, but it must be instant, not the cooked kind. Instant milk powder is not vegan, but you can try a vegan substitute for powdered milk.
Ground nutmeg is traditional for making egg nog. If you have access to whole nutmeg, and a microplane grater, even better! You would be amazed how wonderful freshly grated spices taste in cooking and baking.
Granulated sugar is added to the mix, but you can use your choice of an alternative powdered sweetener.
That's it - five simple ingredients is all that it will take to make this Egg Nog drink mix.
Put everything together in a 7 cup or larger blender or food processor.
Pulse till fully combined.
Put your mix in a container, with a well fitting lid.
Or find a cute jar...
You can use Avery.com to design some custom labels, download a template, or use stickers from a craft or office supply store.
Use a light spray of E6000 adhesive to stick craft paper labels to your glass. This is the only stuff I have found that works. If you use too much, it will saturate the paper and cause it to wrinkle.
Use a little or a lot, let it sit for a minute or two, stir and enjoy!
Egg Nog Drink Mix adapted from M. Hansen, Taste of Home
Ingredients
3 1/3 cup Instant non fat milk powder (or vegan substitute)
1 (5.1 oz) large pkg of Instant Vanilla Jello pudding (can be regular or sugar free)
1/2 cup SaCo Buttermilk Blend powder
1/3 cup granulated sugar - or alternative sweetener of your choice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
Instructions
Put all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Pulse until completely blended.
Store in an airtight container in a cool dry place for up to 6 months.
To make your egg nog:
1 cup of cold milk
3-5 heaping teaspoons of Egg Nog Mix
Stir the egg nog powder into the milk and let it sit for a minute or two, to help dissolve any lumps.
Stir again, till smooth and creamy.
You can use a blender or immersion hand blender to smooth out any lumps.
Try adding egg nog mix to your yogurt, milkshake, smoothie, or in baked goods.
Every time we go to our favorite Mexican restaurant, we have to get a tall glass of ice cold horchata, a refreshing milky drink made with rice and cinnamon.
Horchata can be time consuming to make, as the rice needs to be soaked. Soaking gives the rice grains a head start in cooking and yields a better flavor and texture. The rice for horchata is normally soaked for 3-24 hours.
Then the thought came to me - if beans can be quick pressure soaked, why not rice? I experimented with a couple of cook times using my Instant Pot pressure cooker. Cooking too long produced a thick sludge, which my son remarked that he was 'chewing' his drink.
White long grain rice is normally used for making authentic horchata, but you can use any rice that you want. A brown rice will give you a nutty flavor, and may need a slightly longer quick-soak time. I used inexpensive (Western Family Enriched) long grain white rice for this recipe.
*UPDATE* I used a long grain brown rice with a longer cook/npr time, and it is now our favorite version!
A reader tried Basmati rice, and it was cooked through with the 0/5 min npr time. If using Basmati, you may want to try a 0/quick release time.
Another reader used a medium grain white rice with the 0/quick release and it worked well.
Hubby commented, "Now, that's the kind of horchata you would get at a restaurant!"
Oldest son's comment? "I only go to certain Mexican restaurants for their horchata - I would definitely get this one. It has a different flavor than the traditional horchata, but this is very, very good!" Brown rice cook times are added in the recipe below.
1. First, you will want to rinse your rice. Why?
Rinsing rice is good for most long and medium grain rice, as it removes the starches on the surface, prevents clumping, and gives you a better, cleaner taste. The nutrient loss is minimal and you will avoid a "gluey" taste when you rinse your rice.
Simply add water to your rice, swish the grains with your fingers, and drain the milky looking water. Repeat this step 3 or 4 times, until the water looks clear.
If you have access to cinnamon sticks, or even better, Canela Mexican cinnamon, put it in to cook with your rice. Canela cinnamon is milder than other varieties of cinnamon. I added powdered cinnamon later on in the recipe.
4. Cover your pressure cooker, close the pressure valve, select High pressure and set the time to ZERO.
Yep. Zero. The cooker will still heat up, and beep when the pressure cooker reaches pressure.
Allow the pressure to release naturally by leaving the cooker alone for 5 minutes.
5. Open the pressure release, and pour the rice into a fine mesh strainer, as there may be some water left.
6. Combine 1 cup of your water (or milk, if you want a creamier texture), rice, and blend. You can use a stand blender or an immersion blender. I find that the stand blender does a better job of blending the rice than the immersion blender - especially if you have a powerful one - but either one will work.
7. Add the rest of water, milk or combo of both.
8. Strain your mixture over a large bowl or 8 cup measure. Push the rice through the strainer with a spatula until you cannot see any liquid coming through. Scrape any rice off the outside of the strainer to your horchata milk.
What to do with the leftover rice? Make rice pudding!
If you don't have a fine mesh strainer, you can use a clean, cotton pillowcase or t-shirt. You can use cheesecloth, but you will need to use at least 3-4 layers. A tea towel will work, as well. You can pick up the corners of the material and squeeze any remaining liquid from the rice.
You can serve this horchata right away over ice, for a refreshing sweet treat.
Store any remaining horchata in a container with a well fitting lid, as it will separate, and you will want to shake it or mix it very well before serving.
This recipe will make 5 cups of very yummy horchata.
You can definitely double the recipe without changing the cook times.
You can use water, milk, or any combo. You can use whole milk, evaporated milk, or some sweetened condensed milk (reduce the sugar if using sweetened condensed milk).
You can use any sweetener of your choice: sugar, a simple syrup (1:1 water:sugar cooked till sugar is dissolved), agave nectar, stevia, or warmed honey.
I was able to make this horchata start to finish, in 30 minutes. I think you should give it a try!
Enjoy!
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Horchata in a Hurry! - Pressure Cook or Stove Top
by Frieda Franchina, May 01, 2017
Enjoy a tall, refreshing glass of this sweet milky drink, with a touch of cinnamon, found at many Mexican restaurants. This recipe cuts down the long soaking time that it take for rice to soften and make this a creamy drink.
Ingredients
1/2 cup long grain rice, or brown rice, rinsed in cool water till clear
1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar, or sweetener of your choice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups of milk, or combo of milk and water. Milk will give you a creamier texture. My favorite combo is to use 2 cups milk, 2 cups water.
ice
Instructions
1. Put the rinsed rice in the pressure cooker. Add the one cup water, stir to make sure rice is covered.2. Close the pressure cooker and the pressure valve.3. For WHITE rice, select HIGH pressure for ZERO minutes. For BROWN rice, select HIGH pressure for 10 minutes. 4.When the cook cycle ends, allow a natural pressure release: WHITE RICE=5 minutes BROWN RICE=10 minutes. 5. Open the pressure valve, in short spurts, till you can open it fully. 6. Strain the water from the rice using a fine mesh strainer. 7. Add 1 cup of the milk to the rice and blend, using a stand blender or immersion blender. Add the rest of the milk (or water), blend well.8. Strain the rice/milk mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pushing the rice through with a spatula. Scrape off any of the thick rice off the outside of the strainer and put back into the milk mixture.9. Add sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Blend well. Chill & serve over ice.
Details
Prep time: Cook time: 10Total time: Yield: 5 cups Stove Top Directions - Ready in under an hour
Combine the rice and water.
Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. For Brown rice, boil for 15 minutes.
Drain water from rice.
Combine milk, rice, and blend together.
Strain through several layers of cheesecloth or fine mesh strainer.
Add sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Blend well.
Egg nog is a favorite around the holidays. If you are concerned about using raw eggs in egg nog, you may want to try this 'cooked' or custard version. Cooking your eggs will ensure that your egg nog is free from any salmonella bacteria, which is great if you have guests that are young, pregnant, or elderly. It is important to use fresh eggs and fresh milk with this recipe. What works even better is using superfine sugar and freshly grated nutmeg.
This recipe is super easy, as you don't have to separate your egg/egg whites, or whip up some heavy cream to add later.
Put several ice cubes into your pot. This will help prevent your milk mixture from scorching or sticking to your pot. I didn't believe it till I tried it. Here's the science behind it:
"This will pre-coat the metal surface with water molecules and the coat will protect the surface from direct contact with the milk proteins when you pour the milk in. When the pot becomes heated, the molecules take longer to contact the hot metal and bond to it. So less protein sticks to the bottom of the pan and scorches." - NYT Yogurt Making Tips
Dump out the ice cubes and water, but don't wipe the pot dry.
Add your sugar. I started with 3/4 cup. If you have superfine sugar, that will mix in and dissolve more readily. If you want to use honey, you may want to add it after your milk has heated, as it will dissolve more easily.
Add your milk. I used 1%, but you can use any milk percentage you want. Whole milk will give you the creamiest texture.
Pour your mixture into the Instant Pot. Close the lid, the vent, and select Yogurt, then Adjust. Your display should read Boil. Yogurt and More will light up.
When the cycle is complete, take the temperature with an instant read thermometer. It should read at least 160°F. If not, select Saute, Adjust to Low, and stir the milk till you reach 160°F. This will give you a custard style egg nog and help thicken it.
Scrape out the cooked egg mixture from the bottom. Don't worry! The ice cubes have prevented the egg/sugar mixture from scorching and sticking. The egg mixture is very soft.
Push all of the the egg mixture through the sieve. Don't worry, your egg not will not be lumpy. It will be smooth and creamy. You may need to scrape the bottom of the sieve to continue.
*One reader doesn't use a sieve - she simply puts in in her BlendTec mixer until smooth and creamy.
Add your half and half to the warm egg/milk mixture. Stir till combined.
Put this mixture into a covered pitcher or container and chill for several hours or over night.
Shake or stir before serving.
Enjoy!
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Instant Pot Creamy Egg Nog
by Frieda Franchina December 18, 2016
Enjoy a glass of creamy egg nog, using the Yogurt setting on your Instant Pot! For the creamiest egg nog, use a combination of whole milk with heavy cream of half & half milk. Recipe Note: You can use any milk that fits your dietary needs. You may need to adjust the amount of sugar based on taste and if your milk is naturally sweet.
Ingredients
6 eggs (fresh is better)
1/2-1 cup granulated sugar, depending on your taste. I used 3/4 cup
2 cups fresh milk (whole milk will give you the creamiest texture)
2 cups half & half milk, or heavy cream (heavy cream will make it thicker)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4-6 ice cubes
Fine meshed sieve
Instructions
1. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the eggs.2. Add sugar, whisk to dissolve.3. Stir in 2 cups milk, mix well and set aside. 4. Put the ice cubes in the pressure cooker insert. Swirl the ice cubes to cover the bottom of the pot. Empty the ice cubes and the water, but do not dry the insert. 5. Pour in the egg mixture into the insert and put insert into the pressure cooker. 6. Close the pressure cooker, and close the pressure valve. Instead of using the pressure cooker lid, you can use a dinner plate, lid from your pots, or a flat silicone suction lid. 7. Select Yogurt More (boil) setting according to your model. The Ultra uses (HIGH or Customize setting) and will take about 20-25 minutes.
8. Open the pressure cooker, whisk, and take the temperature. If the temperature reads 160°F or higher, remove the insert from the cooker. If the temp is less, use the Saute Normal setting, and whisk until you reach this temperature.
9. Set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl.* Put the hot egg/milk mixture into the sieve, pushing the egg mixture through with a silicone spatula or spoon. *You can use a blender to mix the egg nog, instead of a sieve.
10. Stir in the half & half milk or heavy cream. Add vanilla extract and nutmeg. Pour egg nog into a covered pitcher or container and chill for several hours or over night. Egg nog will stay fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Smothered Sweet Pork burritos are $5 all day long ... and ...
FREE HOT Tortillas fresh from the comal to every guest! I love fresh, hot tortillas. I tear a strip off at a time, stuff it in my mouth, and relish every carbolicious bite.
Last week, I was invited to Costa Vida at American Fork, met the chef and see what's new and happening. Costa Vida is a Mexican grill restaurant that uses fresh ingredients and caters to local tastes.
Did you know... Everything at Costa Vida is GLUTEN FREE? Well, except for the flour tortillas, of course, but this is WELCOME news to those with celiac and gluten intolerance!! Let the person who is going to prepare your meal know and they will change their gloves. Sweet!
Chef Geoff
First, we were introduced to two new drinks: Limonada & Watermelon Agua Fresca. These drinks are a great choice for those who do not want to drink carbonated soda. The Limonada is a perfect balance of tart and sweet and is made daily with freshly squeezed limes. Fresh watermelon is delicately balanced with water and tastes just like watermelon.
Next up... salsa. Pico de Gallo, Honey Habanero, Green Chile, and Guacamole with pico de gallo and cheese. The habanero was definitely a wee spicy for me, but it is balanced out with the sweetness of honey.
My fave was the Queso. I could live on that stuff... hot, creamy deliciousness on a crunchy chip.
Shrimp Tacos are a popular favorite, served in a thick flour tortilla with honey butter, Mango salsa and a lime wedge. Not spicy at all and I found plenty of shrimp.
I was a little hesitant to try the Raspberry Chipotle Chicken salad. I hear the word chipotle, and I immediately think "spicy!" You have a choice of dressings: vinaigrette or Costa Vida ranch and I was pleasantly surprised by the vinagrette. Light, slightly sweet and not spicy at all. It was really good.
A trio of enchiladas came next. I LOVED the Grilled Chicken on a flour tortilla with Tomatillo Lime Sauce.... it was seriously lick the plate good. Sweet Pork was good and lived up to its name. What was different was the Braised Beef enchilada, served in a corn tortilla with enchilada sauce. The texture and taste reminded me of a smothered tamale. It would be my second pick next to the Grilled Chicken.
Check out this Grilled Steak Taco ~ I am in love with the thick, homestyle flour tortillas! There is plenty of steak, cotija cheese, and a little kick from the Honey Habenero salsa. Don't worry, you can choose to have a green chile sauce instead.
Don't go away just yet. You need to leave room for dessert!
We sampled a trio of the classics: Flan, Tres Leches, and Key Lime Pie.
The key lime is very tart, but I could NOT stop eating the flan. Smooth, creamy, and swirls of caramel had a party in my mouth. Seriously ~ where have you been all my life?
Hey! Here's the best part! Want to win a $25 gift card to Costa Vida? All you have to do is enter!
I was treated to a sampling of their menu in exchange for posting and hosting a giveaway. All the opinions expressed are 100% mine and in no way influenced by the yummy food....
Disclosure: I was invited to review the new menu and provide my opinion. No other compensation was provided.
As a bread/carb lover, the name "Roll Up Cafe" conjured images in my mind of cinnamon rolls, sticky buns, danishes and buttery dinner rolls. I was invited to #Taste Life at the Roll Up Cafe as a blogger and invited my husband to come along.
To my surprise, this cafe is all about crepes. Morning, Noon and night.
Breakfast is served on Saturday mornings with stuffed French Toast and
crepes filled with eggs, mushrooms, spinach, tomato, goat cheese or the
more tradition filling of egg, bacon and cheese.
In addition to sweet and savory crepes, the menu includes soups, salads, paninis, and Nutella milkshakes.
Yep. Nutella. A must have condiment in my house.
The Roll Up Cafe is located at 1605 South State Street in Orem, Utah and is not hard to find if you look for the Owl right on the corner.
Located near Utah Valley University, this place is sure to be a crowded place during the school year.
We came on a Tuesday night and saw people of all ages and even a few kids. What caught my eye was this cool tree "planted" right in the middle of the cafe. The atmosphere is small, casual and intimate.
It was a little warm inside, but the windows and door were open and we were assured that the AC would be fixed soon. To our delight, we were immediately served an ice cold Nutella Milkshake...
Not your super-thick over the top milkshake, but plenty rich with fresh whipped cream and streaks of Nutella painted on the side of the cup, I was busy scraping Nutella with every spoonful.
For our first course hubby choose the Summer Garden Gazpacho soup... a cool, refreshing combination of watermelon, tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, mint, basil and spices. He picked up the lime wedge, gave it a squeeze and ate every bite. He enjoyed the savory/sweet combination. This menu item is seasonal and offered for a limited time. Good to know that the menu changes with the season, offering only the best fruits and veggies available locally!
I picked the Tomato Bisque, a warm, creamy soup with shaved Parmesan. I loved the fresh creamy texture, but felt it was a little too salty. Gave hubby a taste and he didn't think it was too salty at all. It wasn't too overwhelming and could taste the fresh tomatoes in every spoonful. I enjoyed the entire bowl...
For our entree, I choose the Heartthrob: a savory crepe filled with roasted turkey breast, apple wood smoked bacon, mozzarella cheese, and drizzled with their house Cilantro Lime Dressing.
This is a great flavor combination on a classic turkey sandwich. No skimping here on portion size and the ratio of REAL turkey to REAL bacon was perfect. I ate half to save room for dessert, which was a good thing...
Hubby chose the Hot Mess: a savory crepe stuffed with Jasmine rice, curried chicken and smothered in their Thai Pineaple Coconut Curry, garnished with julienned snow peas and roasted peanuts.
This dish was rated "medium" on the heat scale, but once I tasted hubby's entree, I made him trade plates....it was SO good! It was an incredible tropical blend of sweet and savory and was not spicy at all....when we go again, this is what I am going to order and keep every bite to myself...
I was beginning to feel like I was eating gourmet food, but not in a fancy schmancy restaurant. The chef, a recent graduate of culinary school, has revamped the menu to include these dishes alongside family favorites. The Hot Mess, she described as a seven year project to bring all the flavors to a perfect balance. So, so worth it!
Drum roll, please....here comes dessert.
Both of us chose to try the Single with Vanilla Ice Cream. Oh. My.
This is a treat to share and savor. A savory crepe is served warm, cinnamon-roll style, filled with sweet cream cheese, drizzled with salted caramel sauce and sprinkled generously with crunchy granola and cinnamon sugar.
I really, really, wanted to lick the plate clean. Seriously. Right then and there. Instead, I scraped off as much of the delicious salted caramel sauce I could with a plastic spoon.
O.K., now you're wondering. With such gourmet food, it's got to come with a high price tag, right? What if I told you that the soups are $4.95, the savory crepes are $6.95 and this gorgeous cinnamon-roll crepe with ice cream is $4.95? The portions are generous, making these prices so affordable. You'll want to come back for the taste AND for the price.
**HINT** Follow Roll Up Cafe on IG or FB, share their promotional post with 2 friends on IG in the comment. Show the cashier and get 15% off the Single! Yep, that mound of deliciousness you see above...Do it. Now.
