Friday, February 6, 2015

Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipes

Sweetened Condensed milk has been around for a loooong time.   Mr. Gail Borden created it after there was a scare about bad milk with icky things in it being sold in the US.   Mr. Borden made his fortune supplying the sweet canned milk to the Union Army during the Civil War.  It went overseas to Germany in 1940  and is now big in the Asian markets as well. From its humble beginnings, as a way to keep milk longer and free from contaminants, it is now used worldwide in many, many recipes.  What I love about it is how easy it is to use!  The recipes it is used in are usually simple and many are non baking.  While living in our RV this is huge.  I can whip up some sweet treats for the family in no time and with little fuss. While there are several canned versions on the market, I prefer to make my own. It is such a simple recipe and takes so little time. I don't really see the point in buying the ready made stuff. It's also much cheaper!
Here is the recipe I have used for years. Tried and true!

My Sweetened Condensed Milk Recipe-    printable recipe here.
1 cup of powdered (dry) milk
1/3 cup boiling water
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup of white sugar
3 tablespoons of melted butter or margarine
Combine all the ingredients and blend until smooth. That's it! Pretty easy, eh!
This recipe makes 14 ounces, the same amount in a can you would buy at the store. It keeps in the fridge for several weeks.

So, now that you know how to make it, here are some recipes to use it in!



This is a recipe straight from the Eaglebrand Sweetened Condensed Milk website.  Peanut Butter Fudge. Yum! Super easy to make. Obviously, there are tons of recipes on this particular site as it makes the milk. Check out the other recipes they have and use the store bought or homemade variety.
Click here to go to the site.

Next up is a to die for Caramel Slice. This recipe is found on Nestle's Baker's Corner website. Lots of great recipes here too. This one in particular is amazing!

Recipe here!
No round up for sweetened condensed milk would be complete without a recipe for Key Lime Pie! This one is super easy and delicious! Found on About.com.

Find it here!
Here's one from one of my favourite recipe sites, Allrecipes.com.  It's not called Magic Cookie Bar for nothing! It is so good it's magical! The photos for this weren't great, but you get the idea.

Find the Magic here.

Last, but certainly not least, and possibly the funnest to eat is Broken Glass Jello, or Stained Glass Jello.  It will definitely be a hit with the kiddos! I found this version on Just a Pinch.  

Just a Pinch website.
So, now you have a recipe for making your own sweetened condensed milk and a few recipes to get you started! I'd really love to hear what you think! Did you try any of the recipes out? Did you buy a can or make your own sweetened condensed milk with my recipe? Share in the comments!



 

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Create Your Own Printable Valentines Cards!

Why give the same cards as every other kid in class when you can easily create your own unique ones?!?!  This is such a fun way to make your own cards and you can even let the kids help design them. I used PicMonkey to make these, which you can use too...for free...as there is a free version that anyone can use!
First, open up PicMonkey in your browser.
At the top of the screen you will see several options to choose from. For this project, we are going to click on the 'Collage' tab.


You will be asked to choose a photo to start the collage with. Just chose one of theirs from the top right side, unless you have a photo you want to use in your cards.
Once you are at the create screen click on the 'layout' button on the left hand side menu.


On the top of the layouts menu is one called Ducks in a Row. Click it! The 2nd choice in from the left is a layout with 3 blocks. Choose that one.


Now you have the layout for the cards you can decide what kind of background you would like to use. On the menu there is a little picture of what looks like tags. This is the 'swatches' button. Click it!


At the top of the swatches samples you will see a drop down menu where you can choose what theme you want for the background. I chose "Sweethearts". Simply click on the background you likened drag it to the square you want it in. You can choose a different one for each square or all the same.



When you have your backgrounds all set, choose the 'Edit' button from the top menu.

Then choose to send it to the Editor.


Now you can start to create your card designs. Choose the butterfly for lots of different options. This is the 'Overlays' button. There are tons of different things you can add to your cards. 


 Below I chose the Doily Hearts overlays.


Click on a heart (or whatever you choose) and it will one in the centre of the work screen. A menu chart will also open. You can click on the little square boxes in the chart to change the colour of the design you opened. If it is a multi coloured design you can change both the colours. You can also select the 'transparent' box to make part of the design see-thru, so you see the background instead.


The corners of the design has little dots. Drag these to make the design bigger or smaller. The top dot that sticks out of the top is for turning or tipping the design. Play around and discover all the things you can do with these tools!
I played with hearts for awhile!


And characters!


See how I made the pig pink!?


And the kitty orange?!


Now I'm going to add some text to my cards. The 'Tt' is the link to the text tools and fonts.


You can use the fonts in the program, or you can choose to use the ones on your computer. This is where it is so fun to download free fonts from the internet. I show you how to do that here.


 To add text to your card, first get into the text area. Then choose a font. Click the font style, then the 'add text' box at the top of the list. Next click in the box that will open on your card. Now type! You can use the little dots on the corners to make the text bigger, smaller or turn it on an angle. You can change the font colour in the pop up menu too. Don't like the font you chose? Click anywhere outside of the text box and the dots will disappear. Then click inside the text box and it will highlight the letters in blue. Now click on another font style and your text will change. You can keep clicking on new fonts until you find the one you want. Drag the text box around and place it were you want it. Click the screen outside of the text box a few times to remove the menu and the dots. 

Now you are ready to save your cards! Hit the 'save' button on the top menu.


Name your fie and then save it.  Now you can print out as many as you want, cut them into separate cards and give them to friends and family!
It's is tons of fun to play with PicMonkey. Let the kids help design their own cards for schoolmates! Here are a few I made! I'd love to see what you come up with! Share them in the comments!


Tuesday, February 3, 2015

How to Make French Press Coffee

Hi. My name is Susan and I am a coff-aholic. Or a coffee addict?  Caffeine dependant? You get the picture. I like me some of that stuff. Tim Hortens, Blenz, Starbucks....even McDonalds! (Don't knock it till you try it!)  I enjoy a good cup of coffee with lots of cream and Splenda. (I try to keep my sugar consumption down where I can). It's like dessert. Or a midday treat.


Living out at the Little Shack, the closest coffee shop is about 50 kilometres away (31 miles for those in the US of A) and I don't often have time to enjoy the 'coffee shop culture' on our trips into town when it's rush, rush, rush to get all the things done that need to be done. A run through the drive thru is about it for me. So, I need to be able to make a good cuppa joe at home.  We've run the gamut of various coffee makers. Drip and perk. Then one day, I discovered the French Press ( #FrenchPress !).  Since then, I have used several different makes and models, all with great results. Then one Christmas, my Mom gave me the ultimate French Press! This beauty (and it really is a beauty!) is made by Epicure .  Epicure is a BC, Canada based company founded by a Mom trying to make ends meet.  The company has grown huge with consultants all over the country. They sell spice mixes as well as some awesome kitchen accessories. And who doesn't love accessories!!  I've added several of their products to my cupboards over the years and can't say enough positive things about them!
Back to the coffee!
This lovely thing not only makes great coffee, it's beautiful!!


There are lots of different types of french presses out there. You can pick them up at just about any department store now, as well as the specialty shops.  Ikea even makes one! Mine is an insulated stainless steel one.  Most are made of glass with a metal frame holder and handle attached.  I bought my very first one at a garage sale and it was love at first plunge! They also come in different sizes.
There is an art to making coffee with a french press, but it certainly isn't rocket science.  Although there is some sciencey stuff behind it. If you are interested in that side of it, check out this site where Nick Cho, co-founder of Wrecking Ball Coffee Roasters writes about all that stuff.  He does a great job of explaining the science behind a great cup of coffee!
French presses may all look a little different, but they will all have the same kind of plunger on a long stem under the lid.  There is a fine screen sandwiched between 2 'holey' disks, the top one will have a coil type lip around it. (Or something like it). This part will be on the end of the sliding stem and makes up the plunger.


On with the 'how to'.
First you will need to boil the kettle.


Then, measure your coffee into the french press.  The amount of coffee will depend on the size of your press.  You need 2 heaping tablespoons for each 8 ounces of water.  I use 6 tablespoons in mine. The coffee grind is important. You want a coarser grind. Somewhere between drip and perk is about right. It needs to be coarse enough that it can't go through the screen in the press.  So get your coffee measured and into the press while you wait for the water to boil.


When the water comes to a boil, let it cool slightly for about 10-15 seconds. Pouring boiling water on the grounds is a no-no.
Allow it to sit for about 30 seconds.  The coffee will be floating on the top.


 Now, give it a quick stir, and then put the top on, but DO NOT PLUNGE!!! The plunger should be up against the lid.  With the handle and stem up in the air, like a submarine telescope! Like in the picture below.


Now set your timer (I use my phone) for 3-5 minutes. The finer the grind the shorter the time. I generally wait about 4 minutes.
After this time is up, it's plunging time. But, do it s-l-o-w-l-y. It should take about 20 seconds to do the whole plunge. Slow and steady wins the good coffee.
Now, it's ready to enjoy! Don't allow it to sit in the pot as it continues to brew even after it's plunged. This is what will make coffee bitter tasting. On a side note: You should always remove the grounds from above your drip, perk or pour-over type coffee pots right after brewing. The remnants of water in the grounds will drip into your great coffee and make it bitter and not so great.


There you have it! Now I'm off to enjoy my delicious coffee and feed my addiction!