Christmas Chocolate Spoons

This recipe has moved to Cherishedbliss.com, click here for recipe!

Merry Christmas Pancakes

Every Christmas I make a traditional breakfast of Chocolate Chip Pancakes and Homemade Whipped Topping, but this year I am adding cocoa!
I would love to share this recipe with you so let's get started!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes
makes approximately 10 pancakes
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBS sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup milk or buttermilk ( add a little more if needed)
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
4 TBS vegetable oil
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Combine dry ingredients together. Then mix in milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until all lumps are gone and then gently stir in chocolate chips.

Heat a lightly greased griddle to medium heat, adjust heat as needed. I use an electric griddle and set the temperature to 350 degrees.  Pour or scoop approximately 1/3 cup of batter onto the griddle, use more or less batter to create your desired size of pancakes. Brown pancake on both sides and serve warm!

Top pancakes with...

Chocolate Whipped Topping
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
5 TBS powder sugar (add more or less to your liking)
3 TBS cocoa powder
1 tsp of vanilla extract

Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Then in a large metal bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form.
Then beat in vanilla, sugar, and cocoa powder until peaks form.

Decorate your pancakes with festive sprinkles, chocolate chips, and a dusting of powder sugar! I hope you and your family will enjoy these very yummy Christmas pancakes this year!

M&M Kissed Pretzels

This recipe has moved to Cherishedbliss.com, click here for the full recipe!

Latkes to Eat

This past weekend my family and I celebrated the last night of Chanukah with yummy latkes and applesauce. The most wonderful thing about Chanukah is remembering the miracles of long ago. If you have not had a chance to read the Chanukah story I challenge you to read a piece of history that will never be forgotten.
This year I experimented with a yearly traditional potato latke recipe and it turned out wonderful. I would love to share this recipe with you so lets get started!

Ingredients:
4 medium sized potatoes
1 zucchini
1 small red onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
pepper to taste
5 heaping TBS flour
*oil for frying

Wash, peel and grate potatoes, zucchini, and onion. Strain potatoes, but not too dry. Add grated onion, zucchini, salt, pepper, and the egg, mix well. Add flour and beat into potatoes, mixing well. Heat enough oil to cover bottom of frying pan, about 1/4 inch of oil. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Carefully drop by heaping tablespoonful's into hot oil. Adjust heat as needed. Press on the latkes as they are frying to create a pancake like appearance. Brown on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper. Serve immediately or keep latkes in a warm oven until ready to serve.

Delicious served with applesauce or sour cream. For a wonderful Easy Slow Cooker Applesauce recipe click here.

Cilantro Lime Sour Cream
8 oz light sour cream
juice of 1 lime
zest 1 lime
1 TBS chopped cilantro (add more if you like)

Mix all ingredients and dollop over latkes.

Enjoy! :)

Guest Post {Morgan from Color in Motion 5K}

Hey guys! This is Morgan from Color in Motion 5k. I am so excited to join you on Once a Mom, Always a Mom to tell you about our 5k race coming to Houston and offer Audra's readers an awesome deal for the Color in Motion 5k fun run on February 2. Color in Motion 5k is the funnest color 5k run and a great event to bring the whole family to! This race also benefits the local Houston charity, Girls on the Run.

**Use the discount code- ONCEAMOM to register and get 10% off race registration at colorinmotion5k.com/event/Houston

If you'll allow me, I'd love to share with ya'll one of my favorite recipes that you should try the night before your Color in Motion 5k. This recipe is wonderful for moms because it is easy, filling and can be easily adapted for picky kids. This is a great meal to share with your family before a Color in Motion 5k as it has the carbs and protein to keep you going.

Chicken Burritos

2-3 chicken breasts, cut into small chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 cups cooked white rice
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can corn, drained
salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the chicken breast chunks in a couple tablespoons of butter for 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat. Add onion and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is done. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the cooked rice and taco seasoning. Mix in the rinsed black beans and the can of corn. Continue to cook until the mixture is heated thoroughly. Spoon into flour tortillas, and serve.

So you may be asking what makes a Color in Motion 5k race than other races you may have participated in. Well let me tell you...

Color Chasers, the runners, being the race in a clean, white t-shirt. At each kilometer there is a color pit where our wonderful volunteers throw powder color on the Color Chasers as they go by turning their sparkly white clothes into a bright palette of color. The Color in Motion 5k race is is not a timed, so run, walk, jog, whatever your prefer. This 5k is less about competition and speed and more about being active and having fun.

What also makes Color in Motion different than your average 5k race is the awesome after party. The Color in Motion 5k run is followed by an after party where there will be music, dancing, vendors and a color throw.

Doesn’t that look fun? Having participated in one, I can promise you this is an event you DEFINITELY don’t want to miss out on.

So what do you have to do to join in on this fun?

Go to colorinmotion5k.com/event/Houston and register using ONCEAMOM to get 10% off, get your white t-shirt ready, bring your friends and get ready to have a great time and support a great cause while doing it.

Turkey Cranberry Salad

What to do with all the turkey leftovers?
Make Turkey Cranberry Salad, of course!

Ingredients:
*I used the leftovers of my Breast of Turkey Roast, click here for the recipe. This is my first recipe for Turkey Cranberry Salad, but next time I am going to omit the pickle relish and add fresh parsley.

2 cups shredded or cubed turkey
1/2 cup dried cranberries
3 TBS purple onion finely chopped
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 celery stalk finely chopped
3 heaping TBS sweet pickle relish (optional)
1 hard boiled egg, smashed well
2/3 cup of light mayo
juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Boneless Breast of Turkey Roast Prepared in the Slow Cooker

The holidays are in full swing and the best time to bake and cook is right now. Family and friends enjoy nothing more but to have delightful memories and delicious food to treasure each holiday :) Well today I am going to give you my recipe for A Herb Breast of Turkey Roast prepared in the slow cooker. Cooking this turkey in the slow cooker is a great alternative to roasting a turkey in the oven, always comes out juicy and tender. Let get started...

Ingredients:
3lbs Boneless Breast of Turkey Roast, thawed
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of oregano
(optional, I had oregano available in my herb garden so I used it)
3 sprigs of thyme
1/2 red onion, cut into wedges
2 stalks of celery, cut into 3 sections
3 carrots, cut into 3 sections
4 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 to 1/4 tsp sage (or fresh sprigs)
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

First, pour white wine and chicken broth into the slow cooker. Add turkey roast and place skin side up.

Next, rub  the top of the turkey with nutmeg, sage, salt and pepper.

Last, add all the fresh vegetables, garlic and herbs around the turkey.

Cover and cook on low 8 hours until the internal temperature of the turkey reaches 170.

After 4 hours, check temperature at center, ends and near top for food safety. Turkey must reach 140 degrees within 4 hours.

When ready to serve remove turkey from slow cooker and strain the broth. Serve broth over sliced turkey. The turkey is so tender I couldn't even get full slices on the plate in this photo!



Enjoy!