Sunday, December 13, 2009

Holiday Lattes Recipes

So, here they are! The wonderful creations from GOT MILK's holiday latte promotion. I adore them. The pumpkin spice is my favorite. Enjoy them this holiday season.

Tres Leches Latte
Hot Latte Recipe




Ingredients:

8 oz. milk 2 tbsp. sweetened condensed milk 2 oz. fresh espresso or strong brewed coffee 4 oz. heavy whipping cream 2 tbsp. powdered sugar To finish: whipped cream and maraschino cherry

Directions:

Combine whipping cream and powdered sugar and whip until they forms stiff peaks.

In a mug, combine freshly brewed espresso and sweetened condensed milk and mix well.

Steam milk and pour on espresso. Top with a scoop of fresh whipped cream and a maraschino cherry.

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion


Eggnog Latte
Hot Latte Recipe


Ingredients:

6 oz. milk

6 oz. eggnog (store bought works fine)

2 oz. espresso or strong brewed coffee

Directions:

Warm milk and eggnog together by either steaming or warming on stove. Put espresso at bottom of cup and top with eggnog mixture. Enjoy!

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion


Holiday Frozen Hot Chocolate
Cold Latte Recipe


Ingredients:

8 oz. milk

2 tbsp. powdered non-dairy creamer

3 tbsp. powdered chocolate

(If you don’t have powdered chocolate, you can make your own by combining 2 parts sugar to one part cocoa powder)

16 oz. ice

To finish: whipped cream and sprinkles

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream and sprinkles.

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion


Peppermint Mocha Martini
Cold Latte Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. espresso or strong brewed coffee

1 tbsp. chocolate syrup

2 tbsp. crushed peppermints - divided

8 oz. milk

1 cup ice

Directions:

Begin by dipping the rim of your martini glass in water, then dip the rim in 1tbsp. of crushed peppermint. In a martini shaker place your fresh espresso shots, chocolate and peppermint. Stir until chocolate and peppermint are dissolved. Then add milk and ice and shake vigorously. Strain into martini glass and enjoy this refreshing, minty drink!

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion


Pumpkin Spice Latte
Hot Latte Recipe





Ingredients:

2 oz. espresso or strong brewed coffee

2 tbsp. pumpkin pie mix out of the can

8 oz. milk

Directions:

Combine espresso and pumpkin pie and mix well. The nice thing about the pumpkin pie mix is it already has all the spices needed. If you only have canned pumpkin use 2 tbsp. canned pumpkin and ½ tsp. cinnamon and ½ tsp. nutmeg. Top with warmed milk and enjoy this traditional holiday treat.

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion


Toffee Mocha
Hot Latte Recipe


Ingredients:

1 crushed toffee

2 oz. espresso or strongly brewed coffee

1 tbsp. chocolate

10 oz. milk

Directions:

Combine espresso and 2/3 toffee bar, stirring until toffee bar is almost completely dissolved. Add chocolate and stir until combined. Top with warmed milk and stir until combined. Top with whipped cream and remaining crushed heath bar.

by GOT MILK? in collaboration with Heather Perry, 2007 and 2003 U.S. Barista Champion

GOT MILK? Holiday Latte Campaign Press Release

TOAST THE HOLIDAYS WITH LATTES

National Barista Champ Shares Recipes on Festive Holiday Drinks

SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Nov. 9, 2009 – The holidays are just around the corner and Californians are already thinking about how they can make their celebrations unique, not only with the dishes they serve but with the drinks as well. While alcoholic beverages are top of mind during the holidays, two-time National Barista Champion Heather Perry has partnered with GOT MILK? to give drink enthusiasts another option to toasting the holidays with family and friends. Perry’s homemade latte recipes are not only economical compared to ordering drinks from coffee houses. The main ingredient in the lattes, milk, also contains the vitamins and calcium needed for strong bones, muscles, teeth, hair and nails.

“Lattes are flavorful, festive and easy to make,” says the 2007 and 2003 United States Barista Champ. “Serving lattes during the holidays is perfect because they bring comfort to guests as family and friends reminisce on memories of the past year.”

Perry, a California native, says people don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on an espresso machine to make the perfect latte. She says making a strong brewed coffee with a coffee press or moka pot is all that latte enthusiasts need. Plus, people can easily find the basic latte ingredients such as coffee, chocolate and of course, milk in their kitchens.

Available exclusively on www.gotmilk.com/recipes, Perry shares her favorite holiday latte recipes with Californians which include:

  • Pumpkin Spice Latte – A combination of milk, espresso or strong brewed coffee and pumpkin pie mix brings comfort to those who enjoy flavors of nutmeg and cinnamon in their drink.

  • Peppermint Mocha Martini – This non-alcoholic beverage is made of milk, espresso or strong brewed coffee and chocolate syrup all shaken in a martini shaker with ice. Dip the rim of a martini glass in crushed peppermint candy and you have an elegant drink to serve to guests.

  • Tres Leches Latte – Perry turns a popular Latin cake into a delectable latte. Mix steamed milk, condensed milk, espresso or strong brewed coffee and top with whipped cream, powdered sugar and maraschino cherry for a sweet holiday treat.

  • .Holiday Frozen Hot Chocolate – No holiday celebration is complete without a chocolaty drink. This chocolate lover’s dream is made with milk, non-dairy creamer, powdered chocolate and ice all combined together until smooth in a blender and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles.


“Perry's festive, calcium-rich lattes are the perfect way to cap off a holiday celebration or to enjoy as a comforting winter treat,” says Steve James, executive director of the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB), the creator of GOT MILK? “Through her recipes, Perry shows how milk can be part of the season’s festivities with family and friends.”

To learn more about Perry’s holiday latte recipes, visit www.gotmilk.com/recipes.

About Heather Perry

Heather Perry is a two-time United States Barista Champion and a Western Region Champion in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. She has also appeared on many TV shows including “What’s Hot What’s Cool” on the Food Network and BIG on the Discovery Channel where her name was put in the Guinness Book of World Records for building the world’s largest espresso machine. Perry is currently the Director of Training and Consulting at the Coffee Klatch. She also recently established the Heather Perry’s Best Barista Training and General Manages Coffee Klatch’s Southern California coffeehouses. She graduated from Cal Poly Pomona with a degree in International Business and Marketing.

About the CMPB

The California Milk Processor Board was established in 1993 to make milk more competitive and increase milk consumption in California. Awareness of GOT MILK? is over 90% nationally and it is considered one of the most important and successful campaigns in history. GOT MILK? is a federally registered trademark that has been licensed by the national dairy boards since 1995. The CMPB’s Spanish-language campaign began in 1994 using the tagline “Familia, Amor y Leche” (Family, Love and Milk). The TOMA LECHE (Drink Milk) campaign replaced it in 2006, following a growing trend in Hispanic food advertising that uses wit and humor to reach audiences. GOT MILK? gifts and recipes can be viewed at www.gotmilk.com and www.tomaleche.com. The CMPB is funded by all California milk processors and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Holiday Cake Boss Episode

Y'all know I like cooking, so is it any surprise that I love TLC's Cake Boss? I know a lot of you are fans as well. You are sure to want to tune in tonight, as it is a special holiday episode. Check out some of the wonderful cakes they create for the holidays and enjoy the colorful characters as well!




A Cake Boss Marathon is coming! TLC is letting us fans decide which episodes will be aired in their upcoming Cake Boss marathon. So, click over to www.tlc.com/cakeboss and vote for your favorites to air on Monday 12/28.

So, curl up with a cup of cocoa and enjoy the show!
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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Adopt A Creature This Holiday Season


This holiday season, consider giving a gift that gives back. Oceana gives you the opportunity to adopt a creature. Your donation goes to help Oceana's work to protect these wonderful creatures and their habitats. This is a great gift, as it helps Oceana continue their important work and will surely delight the animal lover in your life. This is a gift I chose to share with my children, both of whom are very environmentally aware. They loved the fact that the gift was helping animals. And they really enjoyed making some shark sugar cookies as well.

When you adopt, you receive an adoption certificate as well as a cookie cutter or plush sea creature. There are several levels of adoption to choose from.
  • $35: 1 cookie cutter, 1 personalized adoption certificate in cardboard frame, 1 sugar cookie recipe
  • $50: 1 stuffed animal, 1 personalized adoption certificate in cardboard frame
  • $75: 1 cookie cutter, 1 Oceana oven mitt + 1 personalized adoption certificate in wood frame, 1 sugar cookie recipe
  • $75: 1 stuffed animal, 1 personalized adoption certificate in wood frame
  • $100: 6 cookie cutters, 2 Oceana oven mitts, 1 personalized adoption certificate in wood frame, 1 sugar cookie recipe
  • $150: 4 stuffed animals, 1 personalized adoption certificate in wood frame
  • $200: 1 plush turtle, 1 turtle cookie cutter, 1 personalized adoption certificate in wood frame, 1 sugar cookie recipe, 1 Oceana oven mitt, 1 sea turtle fact card and note from Casey + complimentary gift wrapping


Oceana, founded in 2001, is the largest international organization focused solely on ocean conservation. Our offices in North America, South America and Europe work together on a limited number of strategic, directed campaigns to achieve measurable outcomes that will help return our oceans to former levels of abundance. We believe in the importance of science in identifying problems and solutions. Our scientists work closely with our teams of economists, lawyers and advocates to achieve tangible results for the oceans.

So, consider adopting a creature as a gift this year. It is sure to be a hit with both the animal lovers and the foodies ion your life!

Natioanl Pie Day - Healthy Pie Recipes


Thanks to the culinary staff at Wellspring Academies for sharing these yummy, better for you pie recipes. They are a nice alternative to the traditional pies we all eat during the holiday season.

Pumpkin Pudding Pie

Ingredients:

1 30 oz. can of Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix
½ cup of egg beaters or egg whites
1 cup evaporated skim milk
2 9-inch pie pans

Directions:

Mix pumpkin pie mix, evaporated milk, and egg substitute in large bowl
Pour into pie shells.
Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 50-60 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 2 hours or refrigerate. Serve plain or with fat free Cool Whip (15 calories for 2 tablespoons).

Yield: 12 3.5 oz Servings
Nutritional Information:
97 Calories
.4 Fat grams
3.2 Protein grams
20 Carbohydrate grams

Sweet Potato Pie

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato

3 cups cubed butternut squash

2/3 cup egg beaters

1/3 cup nonfat vanilla soymilk

1/3 cup sugar free maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup granulated Splenda

2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp butter extract

½ tsp molasses

½ tsp salt

1 cup mini marshmallows

Pam spray



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Wash and peel the sweet potato and the butternut squash.

3. Dice each into 1/4” cubes, and remove the seeds from the squash.

4. Microwave in a small bowl for 6-10 minutes, then let sit in microwave for an additional 5 minutes.

5. Place squash and sweet potato in a food processor and process until mostly smooth.

6. Add all remaining ingredients except marshmallows and Pam to the food processor and process again until combined.

7. Lightly spray a medium baking dish with Pam.

8. Pour mixture into pan and evenly spread out.

9. Bake for 30-50 minutes, or until very soft.

10. Sprinkle marshmallows on top, then bake 3-5 more minutes, or until marshmallows are beginning to brown.

11. Allow to cool slightly, and then serve!



Yield: 8 servings
Approximate Nutritional Information:
84 calories/0g fat per serving