Vanilla Iced Coffee

One word:
DELICIOUS!

I love me some coffee.  And, I'm not putting this lightly either.
Being homeschooled as a child meant sitting around the dining room table all morning and afternoon with my younger brother and mother.  Every day, consistently, my mother had a cup of coffee next to her on the table.  Around the age of nine or so, I began to take sips of it here and there.  By the time I was around twelve or thirteen, my mother would reach for her cup just to find it empty thanks to me.  And, when I was seventeen, I embarrassingly admit, my love for coffee was almost dangerous.
I'm pretty positive this (much controlled) love has rolled over to my husband now.  He can't leave the house in the morning without it.  Recently, he's been drinking it multiple times a day too!
But, as the weather has gotten (slightly) warmer, I'm beginning to crave a cold version of my favorite brew.  I've tried several times to make an "at home" version of my favorite iced drinks, but I could never get it right.
Of course, trial and error is how I do everything in my life.  This one included.  Finally, about a month ago, I stubbled upon the perfect mix of coffee strength to delectable sweetness.  Out of my work on this recipe, I not only created a great tasting iced coffee, but also an all-natural homemade vanilla syrup.
Yep, that's right.  No more artificial flavors, colors, or high fructose corn syrup!

This Recipe is definitely a winner and a keeper for the next few warm months!!

Homemade Vanilla Iced Coffee


4 cups (24 ounces) regular brewed coffee
1/4 cup boiling hot water
1/4 cup pure cane sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
plain creamer, half n half,
milk, or whatever you prefer
ice

While coffee is brewing, bring water to a boil in a small glass bowl/cup.  Add sugar and stir until completely dissolved.  Stir in vanilla.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.
Transfer hot coffee to a large pourable glass dish or pitcher.  I used a 4 cup Pyrex measuring cup.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator.
Let cool for at least 30 minutes.  You can even make a batch at night to have for the next morning.

Once you're ready to drink, pour vanilla syrup into the cold coffee* and stir well.  Pour into your glass over ice.  Add your preferred amount of cream and drink!!!

*Side Note:
Okay, I've had 3 people try this and everyone thought it tasted perfect, but if you don't like your drinks as sweet as they make them in coffee shops, you can keep the syrup out and just add to each cup you pour as you prefer it to taste.  Also, contrary to what I had thought was the right way to make it, I didn't add any extra grounds to my brewed coffee.  I have a Mr. Coffee maker and use 1.5 Tablespoons of grounds per 2 coffee cups.  I have maybe once hit the "strong brew" button, but didn't notice a significant difference in the brew, so I haven't done that since.

Enjoy!

Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings

I am OBSESSED with my crock pot. It's absolutely perfect for winter months and busy people that have to work 9 hour days (or, 11 in my case!).  The last thing I want to do is cook a meal for an hour after returning home.

The great thing about this recipe is that you can come home, throw in a couple remaining ingredients and then unwind with something you want to do while waiting for your meal to cook itself.

You can throw in anything and it always comes out tasting amazing! Recently, I have been following the Crockin' Girls on Facebook. They have loads and loads of super easy crock pot recipes. I kept seeing a few for chicken and dumplings pop up. There are so many ways to make this dish, but I found my creation to be delicious—in my mind, at least!

Crockpot Chicken and Dumplings

1 pound white and dark meat boneless, skinless chicken (or turkey) chunks

1 can low-sodium cream of chicken condensed soup

1 can low-sodium cream of celery condensed soup

1 can low-sodium clear chicken broth

1 cup water

3 garlic cloves, minced

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspon sea salt

2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

2 bay leaves

1 ½ cups diced carrots

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

1 can peas, drained and rinsed

1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits, 8 count

Place turkey/chicken, carrot, onion, bay leaves, and celery in bottom of crock pot. Whisk both condensed soups, chicken broth, water, garlic, salt, pepper, and parsley in a bowl. Pour on top of ingredients in the crock pot. Mix thoroughly. Cook on low for at least 8 hours. One hour before cooking in done, tear biscuit dough into pieces. Add dough and peas into the crock pot. Mix thoroughly again, but carefully so you don't “mush” the veggies. Let cook one hour longer or until dumplings are done.

Enjoy!

Turkey Chili

I have to give the majority of credit for this recipe to one of my good friends, Bridget.  She had the spice quantity down pat.  This recipe is very versatile in that you can take away or add ingredients to your liking.  But, remember... don't mess with the spices.  They make this dish!

Turkey Chili

2 pounds ground turkey
1 medium onion, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1 (10 oz.) can Rotel original tomatoes with green chiles
2 (16 oz.) cans chili beans in mild sauce
1 (15.8 oz.) can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15.8 oz.) can light red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, saute turkey, onion, and garlic until meat is brown and onions are clear.  Salt and pepper generously.  Once meat is completely brown, drain excess grease.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Simmer for at least 60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes to prevent sticking.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings.  I recommend sour cream, shredded cheese, and crackers.  Fritos or Cheez-its would be great too!

A note about this recipe-
You can adjust the heat as you like.  I generally don't like really spicy chili, so I used mostly "mild" ingredients.  Definitely use a "medium" or even "hot" if you like it with a kick!

Enjoy!