Fancy Pants Hot Chocolate

Although Boston has been less-than-frigid this past week, I'm never one to hesitate from indulging in a soothing cup of hot chocolate. Inspired by a gift of delicious homemade hot chocolate mix from a friend, I've been finding new ways to spice up my plain old Swiss Miss:

1. Almond Extract. I've inherited this first one from my mom (who keeps almond extract in her purse for plain lattes picked up on the go). I am the next Alexander that will add almond extract to just about everything from my morning coffee to late-night hot chocolate.

2. Coconut Extract. On a similar note, if dreams of tropical climates are what keep you warm in January, I also keep coconut extract on hand for hot chocolate and whatever else I deem needs some summer-y flavor.

3. Orange zest. Oranges are one of my favorite fruits, so when they're in season I can't help but use them in everything I cook. Orange zest is no exception, which makes ordinary hot chocolate nothing short of magical.

4. Nutella. Inspired by Nutella Hot Chocolate at the Crepe place down the street from me, I added an embarrassingly brilliantly large spoonful of Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter to tonight's hot chocolate. The extra-saltiness of Justin's is the perfect accent to a warm cup of sweet hot chocolate.

Any brilliant additions out there I should know about?

Photo of Mexican Hot Chocolate from Hilah Cooking.

Quick Dinners with Kale

Don't cha just love kale? It's not just for garnish anymore. Oh no. It's wonderfully crunchy and has such a unique, buttery-salty-garlicky kind of je ne sais quoi. Yup, that's how I feel about kale. And here's how I used it this week. 

On Sunday night:

My little black dress of weeknight dinners, whole wheat noodles with broccoli and Parmesan, got dressed up with some sautéd kale. 

And on Monday night:

Quinoa tossed with roasted sweet potatoes and (more) sautéd kale was the perfect combination, and has made awesome leftovers for the week.

P.S. Kale in the news recently!

Chicken and Dumplings

It's cold and rainy in Boston and I'm just getting over a cold. That means it's time to talk comfort food.

About a week ago I stumbled upon a recipe for homemade chicken and dumplings on Eat, Live, Run and knew I had to try it. It's a new-to-me comfort food, something perfectly warm and soothing, and, as if that weren't enough, it's so easy! And now I'm hooked.

For all I know this recipe is a truly authentic representation of good 'ole fashioned, southern chicken and dumplings. That being said, I'm not an authentic Southerner, so I feel no remorse in saying the following: I made a few minor changes to the recipe. And when I make it next I'm going to make some more.

I was worried that it would be too plain, and that using 8 cups of store bought chicken stock alone wouldn't end up with a great, homemade flavor. So I started by sautéing some onions before bringing the broth to a boil. That helped. And I added some oregano. Other than that, I was compliant :)

But I missed the vegetables. And then I saw this picture and got soup envy. So next time I think I will start with carrots and celery in addition to my onion, and I might even add some frozen peas. And then, since I've already made an abomination of a southern staple, I think I'll just go ahead and make the dumplings with whole wheat flour.

I hope everyone stayed warm and dry today! The only thing that got me out of my sweatpants and cozy socks was a trip to the grocery store so I could make Ina's Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting for my roommate's birthday. Good motivation, huh?

Overnight Oatmeal

I have always loved the idea of soaking oats overnight for a really easy breakfast in the morning but until recently hadn't done much experimenting. I've seen everything from water to apple juice and milk or yogurt used to soften the oats. I think all of those options sound equally delicious. Last night I tried a version of this recipe from Eat, Live, Run. Here's exactly what I did:

1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
A handful of raisins

I combined those ingredients in a bowl and popped it in the refrigerator to get delicious overnight. The next morning I added a big spoonful of peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. It was great! I love that it requires such little prep in the morning.

In the past I've tried this muesli (meant for overnight oats), but I didn't get very experimental and only ate it raw on top of yogurt. It was delicious though, and I would definitely recommend trying it in overnight oats.

Top photo from Rummey Bears

Secrets of a Poor College Kid

Cabbage. I should say CABBAGE! It has been the answer to all of my lettuce woes since I've been cooking for one. I really love salad but it's hard to finish a whole head of romaine by myself before it goes bad. Cabbage is really inexpensive (I can usually find it for $0.50-$0.60 per pound) and super hearty. A head of cabbage can stay in your refrigerator for a week or two before turning brown and mushy.

I usually slice it really thin and top it with chopped veggies for salad or cut it in pieces a little bit bigger to steam it for a quick cooked veggie! Cabbage used to be one of those things that I had to be forced to eat as a kid, but now I love it! It has such a mild taste when eaten raw in a salad, and is also delicious steamed. I promise!

National Popcorn Day

Happy National Popcorn Day! What could be better than a whole day dedicated to one of my favorite whole grain snacks? I just got home from a day filled with 7 ½ hours of class and am about to kick back with my bag of Smart Pop to celebrate :) I'll secretly be dreaming that it's freshly popped and topped with parmesan and kale chips. Doesn't that sound divine?

Photo of gourmet popcorn gift set from Etsy.

Ch-ch-ch-chia Seeds

Is that the first thing that came to mind? It was for me. So imagine my surprise when I learned that in addition to making Shrek look stylin', these seeds are packed with awesome nutrients like calcium, fiber and omega-3s. So, when I saw them in the bulk section of Whole Foods a few weeks ago, I knew I had to give 'em a try.

I added about a tablespoon in the blender with raspberries and yogurt to give my morning smoothie an extra punch. They added no taste but just a little bit of a grainy texture. Along with the raspberry seeds, I hardly noticed they were there! I would highly recommend adding some to a smoothie or maybe a bowl oatmeal to try.

P.S. They are Joy Bauer approved!

Top photo from As Seen on TV Guys, middle photo from Starwest Botanicals.