Starbucks-style Frappuccino!

Oh my - this is yummy..............!

I adapted the below recipe slightly - instead of the ice and instant coffee (cause if you know my husband he doesn't do instant coffee in this house!) - I froze sweetened coffee in ice cube trays and used that. And because I wasn't sure if I had made the coffee sweet enough, I did go ahead and add another 1-2 TB of sugar to the mixture.

Oh - go try it - you'll love me!

Starbucks-style Frappuccino

makes 2 grande (16 oz each)

• 3 cups ice
• 1 1/2 Tbs. instant coffee - I use decaf. A good national brand tastes best, but even the cheap stuff will make you regret you ever paid $4 for a frap.
• 3 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup heavy cream - Not strictly necessary, but makes it even yummier. Try this at your own risk.

Blend til smooth and enjoy. Drink with a straw. Remember to share, because this was 2 large servings.

options:

1. Mocha: add 2 Tbs. of unsweetened cocoa powder.
2. Java Chip: blend in chocolate chips
3. Caramel Macchiato: replace the sugar with a 1/3 cup of caramel sauce.
4. Get really fancy and top it with real whipped cream.
5. Try drinking it all yourself.

thanks to This Blog!

a thought for this week

As I was cleaning out some stuff I came across this quote I printed and was reminded once again of it's timeless truth and thought I would share it.

"Busyness is not Godliness. God is not impressed with your production capacity as much as He is concerned that the product of your home--your own children--be chiseled and molded and perfected to the best of your ability. You may tire of this mundane task, but the Lord admonishes you not to grow weary and promises to supply the energy and strength as needed in this all-important task (Isaiah 40:28-31). God's strength is for what He plans for you to do--not stamina for everything you might want to do."

--Dorothy Patterson

Do not grow weary in doing good - Keep on keeping on - Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

Quinoa Taco Salad

This post is part of "Pennywise Platter Thursday" over at

The Nourishing Gourmet

I love making "taco-seasoned" quinoa and I decided to get creative this week and I made it into a taco salad. It turned out pretty good. This recipe would probably feed 4 adults, or maybe closer to 6 with some kids in the mix. Keep in mind when you make it though, it doesn't keep well, make what you can eat 'cause the leftovers get pretty mushy!

Quinoa -

Cook 1 cup of dry quinoa according to the directions (2 cups boiling water, add 1 c. quinoa- simmer and cook till water is absorbed)

Add taco seasoning -

I usually do something along the following, but add what spices you like - it's pretty forgiving!

1 can tomato sauce

1-2 TB BBQ sauce, chipotle flavor is my favorite

couple dashs of Chipotle Tabasco hot sauce

2-3 TB chili powder

1-2 TB cumin (vary depending on your preference for hotness)

1-2 tsp garlic powder - or fresh garlic

1-2 tsp onion powder - or fresh onion (I like red onion best)

Mix throughly

Prepare 1 head of lettuce in a large bowl

Add a couple chopped tomatoes (fresh is best but especially in taco salad you could get away with canned if you had to, I would add to the quinoa above and mix there)

Add 1-2 cups crushed/broken up tortilla chips

Add 1 cup cheese

Add 1 cup of kidney or black beans

Add quinoa mixture

Mix everything together and serve immediately.

We all enjoyed this and even my 2 year old ate a full serving and my 4 year old declared it his favorite salad!