Hooray for slow cooker season! I love a good slow cooker (paid link) recipe, and this Slow Cooker Venison Chili is no exception!
I decided it was about time to update my original recipe for Slow Cooker Venison Chili; I figured after 13 years it could use some sprucing up!
The ingredients haven’t changed much, but the method used to develop the flavors is updated. This hearty Slow Cooker Venison Chili will definitely be a family favorite!
Ingredients:
Chili Seasoning:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Venison Chili:
4 strips bacon, cooked
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon reserved bacon fat, or 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 lbs ground venison
2 (15.5 oz) cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (28 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup beef stock
1/2 cup coffee
Toppings:
Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Sour cream (omit for dairy free)
Cheddar or Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (omit for dairy free)
Note: I was sent a DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother in order to write this Iced Latte recipe. Opinions are mine alone.
We had a little bit of a respite from the heat, but those August temperatures are back! So it’s the perfect time to test out DREO‘s BaristaMaker Milk Frother’s Cold Foam option; Iced Latte time!
This Iced Latte recipe includes a recipe for an espresso simple syrup to add some sweetness to the latte without taking away from the bold coffee flavor. You can make the espresso syrup ahead of time and store in your fridge until ready to use.
If you want to learn more about DREO’s BaristaMaker Milk Frother, check out my last post featuring this snazzy appliance: Ube Au Lait.
Ingredients:
Espresso Syrup:
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 cup hot water
1 cup sugar
Iced Latte (makes one serving, multiply as needed):
Note: I was sent a DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother in order to write this Ube au Lait recipe. Opinions are mine alone.
I am fairly serious about my coffee. I genuinely cannot think of the last time I did not start my day with a home brewed coffee, or a coffee or espresso-based beverage from a local cafe. Despite my love of coffee, I have rarely tried to make fun coffee drinks at home. The frothers I have tried in the past just don’t really seem to cut it; the handheld frothers have trouble creating the microfoam desired for lattes or creating a thick enough foam for my favorite beverages. Not to mention, they don’t do anything to get that foam to the proper temperature!
I was recently contacted by DREO, a leader in smart home innovation, about their launch of the DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother, and I couldn’t wait to try it out! The BaristaMaker is the most professional smart milk frother capable of creating latte art with all types of milk (dairy and non-dairy), delivering barista-quality microfoam at the touch of a button. BaristaMaker also offers multiple frothing settings, allowing you to choose from microfoam, thick foam, and cold foam, depending on your preference and the type of beverage you are making.
DREO is not messing around with this BaristaMaker. DREO BaristaMaker is the culmination of extensive research, patented impeller combo design, and tailored algorithms meticulously developed to replicate the technique of professional baristas. After thousands of simulations mimicking the frothing process of expert baristas in their Beverage R&D Lab, DREO has developed a milk frother capable of emulating the froth quality found in commercial coffee shops, surpassing the capabilities of most traditional, off-the-shelf home frothers with unmatched froth quality and texture.
DREO BaristaMaker Milk Frother will be available on Kickstarter from August 13th, with a Super Early Bird offer of up to 30% off the suggested retail price of $99. If you join the DREO community now, you could win a grand prize worth $3,200! Plus, if you sign up for the BaristaMaker launch on dreo.com, you can now enjoy a $15 storewide discount. On September 15th, the BaristaMaker Frother will be available to the wider public at full price on dreo.com and more trusted retailers.
I am still trying to master my latte art making with the snazzy BaristaMaker (and am having a ton of fun trying!), but wanted to share a recipe that shows how easily you can make a cafe-quality cafe au lait with minimal effort.
I wanted to try out the BaristaMaker’s blending abilities as well as highlight the Hot Thick Foam option. I’m pretty sure an Ube au Lait isn’t a “thing,” but it’s too pretty and tasty to not share! (Plus, “ube au lait” is super fun to say.)
This Ube au Lait recipe is so simple to make and tastes as good as it looks! Ube is one of my favorite flavors to incorporate into, well, anything I can. If you’ve never had ube before, the flavor is similar to vanilla, with a bit more nuttiness, so it is a perfect complement to coffee.
Ingredients (makes 2 coffees)
1 cup (8 oz) milk of your choice (I’ve used whole milk and oat milk)
I am having way too much fun making all these different types of ice cream! Homemade ice cream is so SO much better than store bought, and this Homemade Coffee Ice Cream is absurdly delicious!
If you’re a coffee lover like I am, you may have just found your new favorite ice cream.
Note: I was sent samples of various shochu for a virtual tasting and in order to make this Shochu Coffee Seltzer Cocktail. Opinions are mine alone.
One of my favorite things about having this food blog is that I am sometimes given the chance to learn more about ingredients and products that I have never heard of before. Shochu is certainly one of those items, and I am glad I now know about it!
A few months back, I had the opportunity to attend a virtual shochu tasting hosted by Christopher Pellegrini, author of the Shochu Handbook (paid link) and one of the co-founders of Honkaku Spirits. Shochu is a Japanese distilled spirit made from grains and vegetables, typically sweet potato, barley, or rice. Despite being widely available in Japan, shochu isn’t very well known in the US. Apparently less than half of 1% of shochu made in Japan is exported!
Depending on the ingredients in a specific shochu, the flavors can vary wildly. Koji, a mold used to break down the starches into fermentable sugars, can also impact the taste. There are three kinds of koji that are used in making shochu – black, yellow, and white, with white being the most commonly used in shochu. Yellow koji results in a fruity and floral flavor, and is commonly used to make sake, while black koji imparts an earthy, mineral taste to the shochu.
Shochu is typically enjoyed diluted either with hot water or cold water but can be used to make various cocktails as well. For our tasting, we tried eight different shochu, with quite a range of flavors. Nishihira Distillery’s Kana tasted faintly like a bourbon due to being aged up to one year in oak casks. Another from Fursawa Distillery, Motoko, had almost a mushroom-y note to it, very earthy and funky. The one that stood out to me the most, however, was from Tensei Distillery. Mugi Hokka is a dark roasted barley shochu that has dark chocolate and coffee notes to it.
I am about to share with you my new favorite cake. Not only does this Tiramisu Cake taste amazing, but it is actually just a more spiffed up cake from a box!
I made this cake originally to celebrate my mom’s birthday, and everyone loved it so much, I decided to share it here too (my husband wasn’t upset at all to have this cake show up in our house again either!)
Ingredients:
1 package white cake mix (I used a Super Moist French Vanilla Cake Mix)
Note: I was sent a bottle of Black Button Distilling’s Bespoke Bourbon Cream in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
If you’re a fan of creamy cocktails, I have the perfect cocktail to share with you today! The team at Black Button Distilling sent me a recipe for a Maple Chai Latte Cocktail that sounded so tasty I knew I had to pass it along.
Black Button Distilling, based out of Rochester, NY, was actually Rochester’s first grain-to-glass distillery since prohibition when it was established in 2012. The cocktail is made with Black Button Distilling’s Bespoke Bourbon Cream, which combines their hand finished bourbon and local farm fresh New York State cream — it’s similar to Irish Cream but the bourbon brings a different (and delicious!) flavor profile.
This Maple Chai Latte plays up the vanilla and caramel notes in the Bourbon Cream with the addition of maple syrup, a chai simple syrup, and coffee liqueur.
You can buy chai simple syrup (paid link), but I’ve included a recipe below in case you want to make your own at home, like I did.
Ingredients (serves 2):
ice
3 oz Bespoke Bourbon Cream
4 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz Chai simple syrup (recipe below)
1 oz maple syrup (I used a bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup to really up the flavor!)
Note: I was sent some baking tools from OXO in order to write this post. Opinions are mine alone.
It’s that time of year again – OXO’s Bake a Difference Campaign is live! Every year, OXO supports Cookies for Kids’ Cancer and the fight against pediatric cancer. Before I share my cookie recipe, I wanted to tell you a bit about Cookies for Kids’ Cancer.
Cookies for Kids’ Cancer (CFKC) is a nonprofit founded by two OXO employees after their son, Liam, was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. Through grassroots bake sales across the country, CFKC raises funds to develop new, improved and less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. Liam Witt’s legacy lives on as the organization works toward a cure for pediatric cancer, helping children and families everywhere.
For every cookie baked, OXO donates $1 to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer up to $100,000, so here is my new cookie this year to support the cause and spread the word!
Here are some of my old cookie swap and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer posts, in case you’re in a baking mood:
To help support, you can also register for the Bake a Difference campaign and host a virtual bake sale or an in-person event!
Moving to this year’s cookie: These Creme de Menthe Cookies are chocolate crinkle cookies with a chocolatey mint center. It is based off a cookie recipe I found in an Amish Community Cookbook (paid link) I’ve had for years.
I’m really in canning mode recently! I’m still a relative novice to canning, so I stick to sources I trust so I can preserve safely.
Freshpreserving.com is the ultimate source, so when I saw this recipe for Caramel Apple Coffee Jam, I knew I had to try it!
Using coffee in a jam intrigued me; I was interested to see what the flavor of this jam was like!
This is the first time I’ve worked with pectin in a recipe, which is basically a gelling agent that gives jams and jellies their texture. It is a starch found naturally in fruits and vegetables, so a lot of recipes for canning use a bit of acid to create the thickening needed. (I’ve also used chia seeds to create this texture in the past too.)
Ingredients (makes about 6 half pint jars):
5 apples, peeled and diced (about 7.5 cups) – I used honeycrisp apples
Some mornings, I wake up and want to treat myself to something a little bit more special than my typical morning coffee.
Now that I’ve been working from home full time for 18 months, I don’t really go to coffee shops anymore, so in order to have a fancy coffee treat, I have to make it myself!
A frappe is perfect for those mornings where you need a pick me up. It is a blended coffee drink served cold, typically topped with a nice dollop of whipped cream, and is surprisingly easy to make. This Mocha Frappe recipe uses just 7 ingredients to make a chocolatey, frothy coffee concoction.
I suggest preparing the espresso the night before so that you can make it and enjoy it quicker the next morning.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings, multiply as needed):
I know I’m a little late to the “whipped coffee” or Dalgona coffee trend, but I wanted to hold out for St. Patrick’s Day to make this awesome Whipped Irish Coffee!
Whipped coffee became quite the trend early in the pandemic. It’s made by whisking equal parts instant coffee granules, sugar, and hot water until it holds stiff peaks. You serve it on top of hot or warm milk, and then stir to combine, so adding whiskey to this lovely mix seemed like a no brainer to me.
Irish coffee is actually traditionally enjoyed the opposite way… kind of. Whiskey, sugar, and coffee are stirred together and then topped with heavy cream, while this whipped Irish coffee has the milk on the bottom rather than on top (although with whipped coffee, you do stir the milk and coffee together before enjoying). This recipe is to make the whipped Irish coffee iced, but you can easily adapt it to use warmed milk instead. If you’re looking for another spin on an Irish coffee, I also have a recipe for a Frozen Clover Cocktail you might want to try.
Ingredients (makes 2 servings):
1/4 cup instant coffee granules (normal ground coffee won’t work!)
1/4 cup sugar (or brown sugar to make it a touch more of a traditional Irish coffee)
“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign withPollinate Media Group® , The J.M.Smucker Company, White Wave, and Truvia Natural Sweetener, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #CoffeeRoutine https://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”
No day of mine begins without a cup (or two) of coffee. My fiance and I are both early risers to get to work, so we tend to rush through the coffee drinking process during our commute. But on weekends, we get to finally sit down and truly enjoy our coffee and each other’s company.
Saturday and Sunday mornings are “reserved” for my fiance and I to catch up on each other’s weeks, and (unfortunately for him,) to discuss what is next on our wedding checklist. (We are just 100 days away from the big day. It’s getting REAL. Eep.)
We clearly have very deep, intelligent conversations over our coffee
Because coffee is always a priority, we both work together to get caffeine into us as soon as possible. This weekend, my fiance manned the Keurig, making us two piping hot cups of Dunkin Donuts Original Blend with one packet of Truvia Natural Sweetener while I heated up some International Delight French Vanilla Coffee Creamer in a small pot on the stove.
(Weekends are for relaxing and feeling fake-fancy, so I like to use an aerator/milk frother for my creamer. It makes me feel like we are in our own little coffee shop.)
This weekend was my bridal shower, so our Sunday morning coffee routine was a bit more festive than usual.
I took home one of the flower arrangements to add some color to our apartment, and we enjoyed our coffee while snacking on cooking-themed sugar cookies made by one of my fiance’s parent’s neighbors; aren’t they beautiful?? Cookies and coffee, a match made in heaven!
Although our weekend mornings aren’t usually filled with cookies and pretty bouquets (although they should be), “coffee time” is always a constant. It gives us a moment to catch up and recharge before beginning our day and week.
My perfect cup of coffee (frothed International Delight French Vanilla Creamer, one Truvia Natural Sweetener packet, and a healthy serving of Dunkin Donuts Original Blend) can all be purchased at ShopRite. Right now, ShopRite is having a pretty snazzy deal so you can continue your own coffee routine: Buy 2 participating coffee products and 1 participating creamer and get a free box of Truvia Natural Sweetener 40ct now through 3/12, while supplies last.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SplendaHoliday #CollectiveBias
Can you believe Thanksgiving is this week?? This year has just flown by!
Thanksgiving is my absolute favorite holiday. It’s a day spent with family and friends over good food, just enjoying each other’s company.
We spend Thanksgiving at my aunt and uncle’s house. Every year, I bring a little something up to contribute to the meal. For the past few years, I’ve done desserts. My sister put in a request for a chocolate cake this year because in her words, “there’s not enough chocolate at Thanksgiving.”
We usually have quite a few desserts for the taking, so I decided to make the cake with less added sugar with the help of SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend.
SPLENDA® Brown Sugar Blend works just like regular brown sugar, but with half the calories. I picked up a bag at Walmart (it can be found in the baking aisle with the other sweeteners, or on Walmart.com).
I love the flavors of Hazelnut and Chocolate together, so I tested out a recipe for chocolate hazelnut cake with chocolate frosting this past weekend.
The cake uses ground hazelnut in the batter to add a nutty, buttery flavor as well as a really nice texture to the cake.
This post is sponsored by Equal. All opinions are my own.
I love coffee. No, I need coffee. And in the summer, I crave iced coffee, but don’t want to have to go to a coffee shop every time I have a hankering (that can really add up!)
Really solid iced coffee is made strong enough to stand up to the ice as it melts. I also prefer a really strong brew so that I can add sweetener and half and half to make the perfect iced beverage. So overnight iced coffee is a simple and awesome option, plus it’s ready for you in the morning!
Overnight iced coffee is cold brewed; the ground coffee “brews” in the water overnight to give a rich deep flavor, and is really easy to make. I was sent a summer beverage kit from Equal to get ready for all the delicious drinks of summer and thought this would be the perfect time to try out an overnight coffee using the kit and Equal 0-calorie sweetener!
Equal 0-Calorie Sweetener pairs wonderfully with a strong brewed iced coffee. Equal packets are concentrated (1 packet = the sweetness of 2 teaspoons sugar) while Equal Spoonful measures cup for cup. Equal is a great option to sweeten recipes without adding calories! (For more recipes using Equal, check out their recipe page.)
Cool Peach Iced Tea Recipe Card from The Diabetic Chef® Chef Chris Smith
Equal® Recipe Guide Booklet
Equal® iPad holder
I decided to use the Takeya Flash Chill Tea Maker to make the overnight iced coffee and sweetened my coffee with Equal Spoonful. The Tea Maker has a built in Tea Infuser which also works great to hold the coffee grounds. (Equal is also providing one reader with a kit of their own! Details after the recipe…)
I wanted to have this post for Tiramisu Jars up for National Coffee Day (September 29th) but. Well. I didn’t. So instead, we will finish off the week with this yummy recipe! Also, honestly, isn’t every day National Coffee Day?
For the past three years, I have had the opportunity to help spread the word about World Vision, and each year they are kind enough to offer a giveaway to go along with the post! Last year, I made Star Anise Snickerdoodles to highlight the Prosperity Cinnamon and the year before I made Couscous with Dried Cranberries and Pine Nuts featuring beautiful Hand-Carved Serving Spoons. This year, I’m using Fair Trade Coffee to make a fun spin on Tiramisu.
World Vision is an organization that helps sponsor children in need and helps fight world hunger through your donations. One of the ways you can help the organization is by purchasing products within their Gift Catalog, which allows you to give a truly meaningful gift this holiday season. The 2014 Christmas season marks the 19th annual edition of the World Vision Gift Catalog. In the 2013 fiscal year, more than 186,000 donors purchased more than 475,000 items that raised over $33.7 million. These items help more than 844,000 people around the world!
The catalog is filled with items for every budget ($16 to $39,000) that help children and families in need worldwide. The World Vision Gift Catalog offers an alternative (or addition to) traditional holiday gift giving. You can choose a gift for these families that fits your financial abilities and personal tastes. For example, a gardener may enjoy donating $17 towards hybrid or drought-resistant seeds, which is enough to feed one family. With a financial contribution, the gift giver can select from more than 250 items at www.worldvisiongifts.org, as well as Handcrafted Gifts for those who want to give a tangible gift to a loved one.
The Fair Trade Coffee I used within this recipe is available with a donation of $65. The 12 oz. coffee set is blended by OneCup.org, using delicious flavors from Ethiopia, Sumatra, and Costa Rica, and is delivered in a gift bag of African fabric hand-sewn by local women. World Vision Gift Catalog has offered to give a Fair Trade Coffee Set away to one lucky reader! Details after the recipe.
I used the coffee to make a strong overnight cold-brewed coffee to use in place of espresso in Tiramisu. Because I am visiting friends this weekend and always try to bring them a treat, I decided to make individual mason jar Tiramisu Trifles because they travel better than a large baking dish. I adapted a recipe from Food Network to make these Tiramisu jars.
Ingredients:
6 egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 pound mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 cups cold-brewed coffee (recipe below)
1 tablespoon coffee liqueur
24 packaged ladyfingers, cut into small pieces (I cut mine into 1/6ths)
cocoa powder, for dusting
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish