CrockPot Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

Day 293.

Skip the coffee house today and make pumpkin spice lattes at home. This recipe really does taste like the real thing----even though it doesn't leave a fluorescent orange stain when you dribble it down your sweater.

updated 11/23: I just learned that the coffee house Pumpkin Spice Lattes are not gluten free. Yet another reason to make them at home!


The Ingredients.
adapted from Taste of Home's Halloween 2008 edition

--2 cups milk (I used 1%)
--2 T canned pumpkin
--2 T white sugar
--2 T vanilla (not a typo. it asks for tablespoons)
--1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
OR: 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, and a teeny tiny pinch of ground ginger
--1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

--garnish with whipped cream (optional)

The Directions.

This will make enough for 2 people to have a big mug with a bit leftover. If you are having friends over, adjust the recipe accordingly. I used a 4-quart crockpot, but as small as a 1.5 quart will work with these amounts.

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar, and vanilla.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.

Ladle into mugs, and garnish with whipped cream and additional cinnamon. I added a cinnamon stick to be fancy.
(if I rinse it off, can I re-use it? It seems wasteful to toss.)

The Verdict.

Adam and I really enjoyed these. We had them for breakfast yesterday, and the kids were jealous.

It would be fun to put this out for the adults at a Halloween party, holiday gift-wrapping party, or to serve guests while you're waiting for the turkey to cook.

I'm thinking of making some pumpkin cookies with the leftover canned pumpkin.

CrockPot Wassail (Spiced Punch) Recipe

Day 322.

I got this fun recipe from Wendy. I put it together last night, and after dinner we sipped our wassail out of mugs while watching A Murder She Wrote marathon on the Hallmark channel. Although it was in the seventies yesterday, we pretended it was cold and needed warmth from the hot mug of cider and the heat from the vanilla Glade candle.

It was a good night.

The Ingredients.

--2 quarts apple cider
--1 cup pineapple juice
--1/2 cup honey
--3 sticks cinnamon
--2 whole cloves
--1 whole orange, cut in rings
--brandy, optional

The Directions.

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. This makes 9 cups of juice.

I had *just* watched an Unwrapped episode where they explained the difference between cider and juice: you can't see through cider, because they use the whole apple. I headed to Safeway with that knowledge, and didn't find 1 bottle in the whole store labeled cider (other than the sparkling Martinellis), so I brought home a bottle of organic apple "juice" that I couldn't see through.

Put all of the ingredients into the crockpot (not the brandy). Wash your orange well, and cut off each end. Slice the remaining orange into rings, and float the pieces on the top of the juice.

Cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for about 4. You want the juice completely hot, and the flavor of the cloves and the cinnamon to have permeated.

Ladle into mugs. If you are going to add the brandy, put a shot into each mug, then top with the hot cider.

If serving to guests, provide a ladle, and keep the crockpot lid off, and the pot turned to low. If on warm with the lid off, it won't stay quite hot enough.

The Verdict.

Delicious and soothing. One of my kids has a sore throat, and she drank a lot, and was happy with how it made her throat feel better.

We're having some more for breakfast.

Thank you so much, Wendy!

CrockPot Mulled Wine Recipe

This recipe is part of Oprah.com's Holiday Food Blogger Roundup. Welcome Oprah.com readers! Thank you for stopping by. xoxo steph

Day 329.

It's day three hundred and twenty-nine, and it's my birthday.


I have a lot to be thankful for this year. It's been a total trip.

Last Friday, Adam called and said that he invited a bunch of friends over to celebrate my birthday. He told me not to ask questions but that they were coming, and that he'd handle it all. It's a good thing our house is always thirty-minutes-away from being company-ready.

I put on a crab dip, and this mulled wine for our friends. I had fun fiddling in the kitchen, and the kids went to town making decorations.

When everyone was settled and had some of the mulled wine (quite enjoyable!) Adam laid out his surprise: he was dropping the six ladies off at a restaurant and the boys were going to watch all of the kids. My friends were in on it, and we all piled into the mini van. When we got to the restaurant, a table was waiting piled with appetizers and champagne.

Wow. The night couldn't have been any better. Thank you Adam, and thank you so much to Jennifer, Karen, Claudia, Nancy, and Carol. I love you all so much.

And now I'm crying. Again.

The Ingredients.

--2 bottles dry red wine (I used Cabernet Sauvignon)
--1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (about 3 oranges)
--2 more oranges (one to float on top, and one for garnish wedges)
--3/4 cup white sugar
--1/4 tsp allspice
--1/4 tsp cinnamon
--4 cinnamon sticks
--4 whole cloves

The Directions.

Serves 6-8 (sort of. it really depends if you want your guests to have a taste, or a bunch. I'll double this next time.)

I used a 6 quart crockpot.

Open the wine. This was really very hard for me. I need one of those fancy wine opener thingies. It seriously took a good twenty minutes for me to open one of the bottles, and I got all sweaty and frustrated. ugh.

Squeeze the oranges to get 1 cup of juice. I'm sure you could get away with using store-bought juice, but the pulp floating around is what's kind of neat about mulled wine; it's more rustic this way. And oranges are in season.

Stir in the sugar, and add the ground spices. Float the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves on top. Slice one of the oranges in rings, and float the rings on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4.

You want the wine to get as hot as a traditional hot beverage.

Ladle into mugs, and serve with a fresh orange wedge.

When serving, leave the lid off and the crockpot on "low."

The Verdict.

I liked this much more than I thought I would, and look forward to making it again. I will on Thanksgiving. I like that you can use terribly cheap wine (Adam went shopping the night before and Trader Joe's was already closed, but this is a great use for 2 Buck Chuck---although he assures me that the Sutter Home was on sale for $3.99) and still wow even the toughest wine snob.

CrockPot Peppermint Hot Chocolate/ Peppermint Mocha Recipe

Day 326.

Good morning! I am having severe internet issues, so fingers are crossed that this is going to post properly...

typing with crossed fingers is actually quite hard. I'm going to cross my toes instead.

The Ingredients:
serves 10-12 people.

For the basic peppermint hot chocolate:

--3 cups nonfat dried milk

--1 cup powdered sugar

--3/4 cup cocoa powder

--1/4 tsp salt

--1/2 cup chocolate syrup

--1 to 2 tsp peppermint extract (my kids thought 2tsp was too strong.)

--7 cups water

--marshmallows and candy canes for garnish

for a "mocha":

--pour the cooked hot chocolate over a shot of espresso or a half-cup of very strong coffee

for an "adult drink":

--omit the peppermint extract and pour the hot chocolate over a shot of Peppermint Schnapps

The Directions.

I used a 4 quart crockpot.

Combine the dry ingredients into your crockpot and stir with a spoon. Squeeze in a half-cup of chocolate sauce, and add the peppermint extract. Add the water, a cup at a time, and stir well. The chocolatey mixture will be bubbly and look powdery. It's okay---it will cook together.

Cover and cook on high for 2-3 hours, or until completely hot. Serve with marshmallows and candy canes. If serving to guests, keep the pot on low with the lid off, and provide a ladle. If kept on warm, the hot chocolate will not stay warm enough.

The Verdict.

Very tasty. I tried it plain, and with a half cup of strong coffee. I did not try the Peppermint Schnapps version, but assume it would taste good. It was 10am.

The kids thought that the 2 tsp of peppermint extract was too strong, but that 1tsp was perfect. I recommend starting with 1 tsp, and add 1/4 tsp at a time to taste.

CrockPot Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Day 342.

I'm not a big fan of tea---it comes across as sort of bland and non-committal, but I like a Chai Tea Latte once in a while. I have gotten a few emails asking if I could make them in the crockpot, so yesterday I did. I ended up combining a few recipes because many of the ones on the Internet ask for "chai spices" or some sort of "chai concentrate" that I didn't want to buy (and it sort of seemed like cheating). I did have to buy cardamom pods, and was surprised at how expensive they were (they're less expensive than the ground, but oh my, this must be a luxury-spice or something.) I'm going to head over to Lydia's later to figure out what to do with my leftover cardamom.

The Ingredients.

--4 cups milk
--4 black tea bags
--1/4 tsp ground cloves
--1/2 tsp ginger
--4 sticks cinnamon (or 2 tsp ground)
--4 cardamom pods
--1 tsp vanilla extract
--1 T sugar (I like the Baker's because it dissolves nicely)

The Directions.

This will serve 2-4 adults, dependent on how much they like tea.

Put everything into your crockpot. I used a 4 quart. Anything over a 2 quart will work just fine. Float the cinnamon sticks, cardamon pods, and tea bags on top.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or until heated through. I cooked ours on low for 2 hours and another hour on high.

Press the tea bags against the side of the crockpot with a spoon to release the last bit of tea-goodness and ladle into mugs.

The Verdict.

Out of the different hot beverages I've made this year, this was our least favorite, but it's because we just aren't fans of tea. Adam and I joked that a shot of espresso would really liven it up. But! If you like tea, and are spending $4 for a grande Chai Tea Latte a few times a week, you should give this a try. I put it on before we left for the town's tree lighting ceremony, and the house smelled marvelous when we returned.

next on my list to try is a gingerbread latte. mmm.

AH! added 2.5 minutes after posting: Lydia does indeed rock. Here's a beautifully written explanation of cardamom pods. I have a new-found respect for them.

other coffee-bar type drinks you might enjoy:
pumpkin spice lattes
peppermint mochas/peppermint hot chocolate
gingerbread latte

Holiday Punch CrockPot Recipe (non-alcoholic)

Day 352.

This is the easiest hot drink I've ever made, and the kids liked it the most. Tristen, who is going through finals right now (good luck, Tristen!), found it in the Taste of Home magazine.

The Ingredients.

4 cups cranberry juice
4 cups pineapple juice
1/3 cup hot tamales or red hots candy (hot tamales are on the GF candy list)
1 cinnamon stick

that's it!

The Directions.

This serves 6. Combine juices in your crockpot, and add hot tamales or red hots. Cover and cook on high for 2 hours, or on low for 4-5. Stir. The candy will pretty much dissolve, leaving just a hint of cinnamony-flavor.

Ladle into mugs, garnishing with an extra cinnamon stick if desired.

The Verdict.

My kids loved this. They each drank 2 mug-fulls after school, and another after dinner. I really liked it a lot, too, and had 2 mug-fulls while watching Oprah. Adam only got a taste; he should have come home earlier!

more fun beverages:
wassail
peppermint hot chocolate/peppermint mocha
pumpkin spice lattes
mulled wine
chai tea lattes
gingerbread latte

CrockPot Gingerbread Latte Recipe

Day 359.

Santa doesn't want milk this year with his cookies. He'd like a gingerbread latte.

I think this might be my favorite coffee drink I've made. It really hit the spot yesterday around 3pm when I really, really wanted to climb into bed for a nap, but didn't have the time. After 4 or 5 sugar cookies and a latte, I was wide awake until 1am. With any luck, you too can have the same experience.

The Ingredients.

--4 cups milk (cow's, almond, soy, rice, hemp, etc. is just fine.)
--1/2 cup white sugar (I like Baker's sugar because it dissolves nicely)
--2 teaspoons ground ginger
--2 teaspoons vanilla extract
--1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
--1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
--1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
--cinnamon stick, whipped cream for garnish (optional)

--1/2 cup strong black coffee, or a freshly-brewed shot of espresso

The Directions.

This could serve 4, especially if you are adding the milk on top of coffee. Otherwise it serves 2 with a bit of milk left for kid cups.

I used a 4 quart crockpot, you could get away with going as small as a 1.5 to 2 quart.

Put the milk into your crockpot, and whisk in the dried spices. Don't add the coffee.

Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or high for 1-2. The milk should be quite hot, but if your crockpot tends to get hot enough to boil, keep an eye on it. Don't let the milk boil.

Pour over hot coffee or espresso.

Garnish with whipped cream, a sprinkle of nutmeg, and a cinnamon stick.

The Verdict.

These are wonderful. Very, very tasty. The kids each had a cup of the warm milk mixture with whipped cream and were delighted. Adam didn't get to try any, but I did save my mug for him to smell.

I'm thoughtful that way.

gingerbread not your thing?
peppermint mocha/hot chocolate
pumpkin spice latte
chai tea latte
mulled wine
wassail
holiday (non-alcoholic) punch

Hot Buttered Rum in the CrockPot

Day 361.

Good morning! We are recovering nicely from yesterday's festivities. The kids are still sleeping, Adam's making pancakes, and I'm pretending that it doesn't look like Toys R Us vomited in the living room.

My brother-in-law made/talked-me-into-making Hot Buttered Rum yesterday. I'd never had it before, but when it was brought up, I was happy to have a bookmarked recipe from Karen in Montana. So we went to Safeway on Christmas to buy rum. Which was weird and adventurous all at the same time.

Thank you, Karen! Your buttered rum is amazing.

The Ingredients.
serves 5.

--4 cups warm water
--1 cup dark brown sugar
--1/4 cup butter
--1 pinch salt (even if your butter is salted, go ahead and add it)
--2 sticks cinnamon
--3 whole cloves
--1/4 tsp nutmeg

to add later:
--shot or 2 of rum
--splash of egg nog (Karen likes the pumpkin egg nog, but we couldn't find it)

The Directions.

Use a 2-4 quart crockpot. Add water, brown sugar, butter, salt, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and nutmeg to the crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours, or until the butter has melted and the mixture is quite hot. Ladle into a mug with a shot or 2 of rum, and add a splash of egg nog.

Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg and cinnamon if you'd like.

The Verdict.

Delicious. My mother-in-law even liked this, and she doesn't drink. The one thing to keep in mind is that if your egg nog is right from the fridge, it will make the butter harden in the mug if you add too much. It might be best to take a bit out of the fridge and let it get to room temperature while the butter and sugar cook in the crock. My sister-in-law is pregnant, and she enjoyed plain egg nog with the butter and brown sugar. The kids were already so hopped up on chocolate I didn't offer them a virgin one to try.

Slow Cooker Witch's Brew Recipe

Happy almost-Halloween! We had a play date today, and my 5-year-old taste-testers couldn't get enough of this stuff. The comments I overheard were priceless:

"it doesn't taste like there are spiders or lizards or bugs in it"
"how did your mom even know how to make this?"
"is my tongue green yet?"
"I've never had ice cream in a drink before"
"I guess this is why witches have green faces"

This is a super easy hot beverage to whip up, and tastes like a lovely citrus cocktail. I'm sure you could put a shot or two of something in there if you are planning on serving adults.

The Ingredients.
serves 8-10


2 quarts apple juice
2 quarts pineapple juice (or thereabouts. the canned holds 1 quart, 14 oz)
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 box (6 ounces) lime jello powder
5-6 whole star anise *
orange sherbert (to add before serving)

* I wouldn't go out of my way to purchase star anise if you don't already have it in the house. It looks neat floating in the pot (like little spiders), and provides a touch of a licorice taste, but not enough to justify the expense. If you really want a tad bit of licorice flavor, throw in a few jelly beans and call it a day.

The Directions.

You will need a 5.5 quart or larger slow cooker. If you only have a smaller one in the house, you'll need to cut down the juice quantities.

Pour in the juices, and add the allspice. Stir in the jello powder, and float the star anise (if using) on top. Cover and cook on low for about 5 hours, or on high for about 3. Serve with a scoop of orange sherbert---it will cool the beverage down enough for small children to enjoy right away, and creates a fun foamy slimy film---perfect for Halloween.

The Verdict.

Delicious. It's quite limey in flavor, and a really fun color. I debated whether or not to thrown in a handful of grapes to mimic eyeballs, and am glad I decided not to. I think the possible choking hazard thing would worry me too much. My little friends were thrilled with their after-school snack (I promise I fed them lunch before filling them up with sugar!) and I received many sticky hugs and thank yous.

I also taught them my favorite joke of all time:

What's Ernie's favorite ice cream?

SureBert!

hahahahahahaa

P.S. don't look now, but the Holidays are right around the corner. They really, and truly are. Here's a round-up I did on Totally Together for Holiday Gifts that Support Bloggers.

also, if you have not yet entered the $200 gift card giveaway, it's still going strong over on my Review Blog.

Have a fantastic Halloween. Be safe!

Slow Cooker Boston Tea (book club) Punch Recipe

My friend Barbara wrote right away after I posted that I was interested in starting a book club. She told me that I must make her "famous" Boston Tea that she always serves to her book club.

Now this is a hot drink, which sounds weird in the middle of July, but I found it quite refreshing to sip on out in the yard after dinner.

Be careful.

this is um, powerful stuff.

The Ingredients.
serves 4

2 cups water
2 black tea bags
1/2 cup rum
2 ounces Triple Sec
2 tablespoons sugar
8 lemon slices (about 2 lemons)

The Directions.

Use a 2 quart slow cooker. Put water into your slow cooker, and add the tea bags. Pour in the rum and triple sec. Stir in the sugar. Wash lemons well, slice, and float the slices on top. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, or on high for about 2 hours. When thoroughly hot, remove tea bags (you can squeeze them just a bit to get out more tea flavor, if you'd like) and discard. Ladle into pretty mugs and serve.

The Verdict.

Barbara, thank you for sharing your book club tea punch! I'm thinking that the book clubs I've attended in the past have been kind of boring, but maybe the problem was that we never had anything like this to sip on!

My friends loved this. Maybe even a bit too much.

How to Make Irish Cream Coffee in the Slow Cooker

 

We are given a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream every year for Christmas, and every year it sits and sits in the pantry until we re-gift it to whomever happens to spot it in the cupboard and says: ooh, Bailey's Irish Cream!

This year, it happened to be my friend Georgia, and since it was a rainy day and we weren't planning on going anywhere I decided we should treat ourselves to a bit of Irish Coffee.

In the slow cooker. 

Georgia's an awfully good sport... :-)

The Ingredients.

serves 4

3 cups strong black coffee

1/4 cup  Irish Cream Liqueur* (unless you're feistier than I am and want to add more!)

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream (the stuff in the can, or make your own)

* There are different accounts on the Web about whether or not Bailey's contains gluten. This is what their website's disclaimer reads:

I am allergic to Gluten/Egg/Lactose/Nuts - does Baileys contain Gluten/Egg/Lactose/Nuts?

We are not qualified to give medical advice. If you are a person with a serious food allergy, you should consult your doctor before consuming Baileys who can contact us for a more detailed list of component ingredients if required. The information below is intended as a guide only.

Gluten: 

Please be advised that the whiskey used in Baileys is manufactured by fermenting grain which contains Gluten. Due to the presence of gluten in the whiskey components before distillation we cannot absolutely guarantee that there are no effects to coeliacs. As we are not qualified to give medical advice persons requiring a gluten free diet should consult their medical adviser before consuming Baileys.

Saint Brendan's IS gluten free. Their website says:

Q:Is Saint Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur gluten-free?
A:Yes. Saint Brendan's Irish Cream Liqueur is gluten-free.

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker for this one, or double everything for a 4-quart (might be a fun idea for bunco or scrapbooking night). Combine the coffee and Irish cream in your slow cooker. Stir in the whipping cream and cocoa powder. Cover and cook on low for 3 hours, or until the liquid is as hot as you like your coffee to be. Serve in mugs with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream.

The Verdict.

OH MY GRACIOUSNESS. I really liked this! The sweetened whipped cream is important---the coffee and the Irish Cream is too strong without a bit of sugar to cut it.

Now I want to play bunco!

Feel like pork? How about a Smoky Barbecue Pulled Pork Sandwich? Pop on over to the Smithfield.com site!

Happy Day 20 of Crocktober!!

Quick and Easy Caramel Apple Cider CrockPot Recipe

A friend of mine treats her kids a few times a week to a caramel hot cider at Starbucks, and my kids are were jealous and kept bringing this up each time we drove by the strip mall.

So I evened the score. I made a boatload.

and the kids WERE THRILLED.

save yourself $3.50, and dig through the cupboards. You can do this. It's super easy.

The Ingredients.

serves 4, (can easily be multiplied --use a larger cooker though!)

4 cups apple cider

3 tablespoons caramel syrup (the ice cream topping)

1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 tablespoons sweetened whipped cream (optional; I leave it off for my kids)

The Directions.

Use a 2-quart slow cooker. Now this is sweet---I've modeled it after the stuff they serve at the store. After making it this way a few times, I've successfully cut back on the syrup without my kids (and their friends!) knowing---do what is right for your own family.

Mix it all in together---stir, and cook on low for about 4 hours. I like to put it on after I clean up the breakfast dishes and then leave it alone until our after-school snack. I've also made a large pot for Girl Scout events and  playdates. The kids really like it, and it's a nice change of pace from hot chocolate with marshmallows.

Leftovers refrigerate and reheat well (in the microwave).

The Verdict.

The only drawback to this recipe is that when we have caramel sauce in the house, it tends to get everywhere. Chris always says that she has an eighth child named "Not Me" who is the main mischief-maker in her home. "Not Me" is evidently to blame for sucking syrup right out of the bottle and leaving sticky fingerprints all over my doorknobs and couch cushions.

hmmph.

other coffee-house copycat recipes:

peppermint mocha

gingerbread latte

pumpkin spice latte

chai tea latte

I've got a new interview with Erin Chase, the $5 Dinner Mom up on stephanieodeaTV. Erin is a great friend and a true mommy mogul. I appreciate the way Erin puts her family in front of her business and doesn't apologize for it. Ever. She's also got a brand new cookbook out!

have a great day!

2008 flashback:

January 16: chili and cheese afternoon snack

January 17: homemade chicken broth

January 18: salmon and green beans

January 19: sausage and veggie medley

January 20: lazy chicken

January 21: hot and spicy artichoke dip

January 22: company's coming potatoes augratin