Chia & Protein Pudding

I've been trying to incorporate lots of protein into my daily diet, both to facilitate weight loss and because it is sometimes an area I am lacking. A lot of times I will use non-animal sources because that's what I prefer, or a whey-based protein powder. (Like Plexus 96!)

This pudding contains a protein powder, and chia seeds, both widely used by people looking to lose weight, or just eat healthier options. It is also VERY easy!

You will need:

• 1 cup of either almond milk, or coconut milk. I LOVE to use dark-chocolate almond milk, so yummy!
• 1 serving of your preferred protein powder. I love that Plexus 96 ALSO has many vitamins and minerals. 
• 3-4 tablespoons of chia seeds. More for a thicker pudding, even less (like 2 tablespoons...) and you can make it a smoothie-type drink that satisfies. 

Put all ingredients in a blender, and blend. 

Pour into your desired container (or 2, I like to make 2 smaller snack-servings!) and chill in the fridge to set-up at least 4 hours, but over night works best.

Enjoy!


*disclaimer... YES, the Plexus 96 link IS to my Ambassador page, but I was not asked to, or compensated for this post. It is just a preferred, and yummy new protein powder I wanted to share! :) 

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EASY Cake Batter Cookie Bars

Cookie bars are an easy way to throw together a quick dessert, and by starting with a cake mix- they are just that much easier!

You will need:

• One box of white cake mix, OR the yellow mix that TASTES LIKE THE WHITE, not a butter cake mix
• 5 TB melted butter
• 2 beaten eggs
• A jar of sprinkles. One of those 2.5-3oz ones

Mix together the first 3 ingredients. Mix in about 3/4ths of the sprinkles. Wow, so tiring. ;)

Spread the mix into a 9x13 pan, sprinkle on those remaining sprinkles. Bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes. Cool in the baking pan, then cut into preferred-size bars.

Enjoy!

My five-year-old loves these, and can pretty much make them by herself! (Except for the hot oven part of course!)

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Sugar-Free Chocolate Candies

I saw a GREAT post over at Suzie Homemaker's Facebook page for a diet/sugar-free chocolate candy to bust your sweet tooth. We used to occasionally get the sugar-free chocolates because Mr. Disheveled is diabetic, and I am always dieting. BUT- I didn't like that they were made with sucralose (Splenda). Because of the um-tummy troubles- it gives, and because I try to avoid chemical sweeteners (and ingredients in general.) These have stevia, a natural sweetener, and also coconut oil, which we've been adding to our diet for The Princess' eczema and overall health reasons. Win. (It is also NO COOK!)

I made a couple changes to the original, because The Princess is allergic to peanuts, and I wanted to use my dark chocolate cocoa powder. (I've been putting it in everything- YUM!)

It is really quite simple too.
Mix together in a bowl:

• 1/4 cup almond meal (I couldn't make a drive to the city, so I omitted, plus my almond butter is "dryer" than PB)
• 1/4 cup peanut butter (We used almond butter!)
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 packets of stevia 

You can then drop into candy molds (or silicon ice mold like we did.) 

Let harden in the fridge (or freezer if in a hurry, )

Pop out and enjoy. Remember to keep in the fridge or keep cool because they melt very quickly! 

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The Easiest Mock Butterbeer Recipe Ever

We still love the Harry Potter franchise over here at the Disheveled household. And every Halloween we try new recipes of the delicious and magical foods found in the books and movies. This year, I wanted to develop a simple butterbeer, that can be doubled or tripled as needed, tasted yummy, and didn't require me going to the city to get butterscotch sauce. (Which was in the former easiest recipe I had found.) I worked out one that passed the picky Potterhead taste test, (x3), and to boot- if you use diet soda, can be carb-free!

Here it is...
so easy...

Mix together:

• 2 12oz cans of cream soda (or diet cream soda)
• 1/4 tsp imitation butter flavoring (we use Watkin's)
• 2 drops of caramel flavoring
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of heavy cream

Just mix it. Pour it. Drink it.
Makes about 4 servings. Two if they're huge.

Feel free to share with a link! Here's a Pinterest image :)

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Shanah Tovah! Moist Honey Apple Cake

Our house LOVES this cake, not just for holidays, but pretty much all autumn and winter long. Not overly sweet, dry or spiced, this cake is a perfectly rounded honey cake with just enough apple-goodness.

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and spray a NON STICK bundt pan with a release. I use an olive oil one with great results. (A non stick is very important because of all the honey in the batter.)

You will need:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup of honey
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 cup oil (a light oil)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 cups of flour (I use 2 AP, and one wheat- very delicious!)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of ground ginger
• 4-6 apples of choice, pealed and grated. (I zip them through the grater on my food processor. It makes them uniform, and doesn't give them time to brown.) You can use any apples you like, this isn't a pie where you need firm pieces, so if they cook down into the batter it doesn't hurt it.

and for the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 1 tablespoon, or slightly less,  almond milk or your choice of dairy substitute. (or milk if you're not making it kosher!)
• splash of vanilla extract

In a large mixing bowl beat your eggs until they are creamy-yellow and a bit foamy. Beat in your honey until fully incorporated. Then you can easily beat in your brown sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. 

Over the top of the mixture, SIFT the remaining DRY ingredients. Stir until mixed. Fold in your apples. Depending on the size of your apples, you will have about 4-5 cups of gratings. 

Spread the thick batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake for around 70 minutes before checking. A skewer into the middle of the ring will come out clean, and the sides of the cake should shrink slightly away from the edges of the pan. It may take up to 90 minutes, this is a very moist cake.

Let cook in the pan for about 10 minutes to help with releasing without breakage. Then turn over onto a plate, platter or rack to continue to cool thoroughly. It make take a couple hours because of the density.

To make the glaze, mix your splash of vanilla and about 1/2 of a tablespoon of your milk/substitute. Incorporate as  much as you can before adding more liquid splash-by-splash until the right consistency. You'll want it pretty thick, about like honey. Drizzle onto the cake. You can just use a fork, or pipe it on with a bag. Let dry before cutting.

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Tres Leches Cake

Tres Leches Cake is a delicious dessert that's simple enough for any meal, but rich enough for a holiday treat.

Preheat oven to 325. (300 for glass pans)
In a large bowl sift together:

• 1 1/2 C cake flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1 tsp baking powder

In another bowl, mix thoroughly:

• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 C white sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

 Slowly beat in, one at a time 5 eggs. Be sure to mix in each egg before proceeding to the next one. When the mixture is fully incorporated, beat in 1/2 C whole milk. Gently, but completely fold in the flour mixture in 3-4 batches.

 Pour into a LIGHTLY sprayed 13x9 cake pan. Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Over-turn the cake onto a platter. Be sure the platter has a raised edge. Poke several times with a fork, skewer, or chopstick.

 Cover with plastic wrap and continue to chill in the refrigerator for another half-hour.

In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl with a pour-spout, mix together:

• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1/2 C cream or half&half
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk

Slowly pour the milk syrup mixture slowly and evenly over the cake. Cover again and let sit for at least 1 more hour. Occasionally, use a spoon to pour any dripped milk syrup back onto the cake.

In another bowl whip together a half-pint of whipping cream, 1 1/2 TBS of white sugar, and 1 tsp vanilla. Spread over the cake just before serving. Top each slice with a cherry.

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Disheveled Thanksgiving Post Recap

Over the years we've posted quite a few Thanksgiving posts, so we thought this year we'd assemble them into one handy post.



Here's some recipes, tips, and tricks for the week:

• -A handy chart for turkey thawing times
• -Another for roasting times, no guessing, and no dried-out bird
• -"Thankful Tree" craft for all month, all week, or just your Thanksgiving get-together
• -Super easy, but delicious cranberry sauce
• -DIY pumpkin pie spice- tasty and fresh. I put it in EVERYTHING!
• -A delicious green bean casserole variation
• -The best pecan pie
• -And for breakfast, moist pumpkin muffins
• -If you're like me, you'll use this tip several times while baking: easy egg clean up

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Delicious and Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Autumn is in there air, and pumpkin is in everything! Yummo! Here's a quick and easy recipe I whipped up one day when I just couldn't find one that fit my craving.

Preheat oven to 375.
Just toss this all in a bowl:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (adds a great flavor)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. (I keep a jar of homemade around all year.)
• 1 beaten egg
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup canned/pureed pumpkin
• (Optional) 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix thoroughly, but do not over beat. Best done by hand, and quick with just a silicon spatula.

Divide among a 12-well muffin pan that has been lightly greased or lined with paper liners.
Bake for 16-20 minutes.

(Edit: Ooooooo...look at all these pumpkin recipes too!)

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Six-Minute Chewy Caramels- Almost Turtles

Pinterest is all a flutter with microwave-cooked caramel recipes. When I think of chewy, gooey caramel I think of turtles, nothing is better with caramel than crunchy pecans. So I thought I'd give this caramel a chance, and whipped out some molds to experiment with. Here's what you'll need to make the caramel:

• 1/2 C sugar
• 1/2 C FIRMLY packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C light corn syrup
• 1/2 C sweetened condensed milk (NOT a whole can! ;-) )
• 1/4 C (half a stick) real butter, cut into pieces
• 1 tsp vanilla

 You'll also want a microwaveable bowl (I suggest glass, this mixture gets HOT.) You'll want it to hold at least 2 qts because the caramel will bubble up a lot. A silicone spatula is handy for stirring because it handles heat well, scrapes well, and cleans off easily. If making "Almost Turtles", you'll also need some finely chopped pecans, and chocolate to dip if you wish. (I did some with and without chocolate.)

You may pour the mixture into a prepared pan, then cut when set- or you may want to use molds. Either way you'll need to prepare your pan or molds a head of time with some non-stick spray. (Lining a pan with foil may also be helpful as well.) I also tried to put some pecans IN my molds first, but the caramel surrounded them- nice for having them in the middle- but you'll need to press some on top if you want them to look that way.)

Now, you can get your mixture cooking without being too distracted. Just dump everything in a bowl and mix.

Pop in your microwave and cook on high power for six to seven minutes, depending on your microwaves power. Stir every two or three minutes. You'll know when it's done when it is homogeneous and no longer grainy. And, well, caramel-y. =-)

Let sit for several minutes before pouring into your mold(s). You may want some toothpicks on hand to pop the little bubbles.

Let set in the fridge or freezer until set, then cut or unmold.

You can now cover some, or all, or dip, some in chocolate!

Wrap each piece in waxed paper to store. These are gooey!

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Mocha Sorbet

Here's a delicious treat we've been noshing here at the the Disheveled house.

I make this without an ice cream maker, because I do not have one, but feel free to toss the mixed ingredients in one if you have it!

You will need:

• 4 cups of coffee, doesn't have to be piping hot- warm enough to dissolve the sugar is fine
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder (not hot cocoa mix!)
• a dash of salt
• a splash of vanilla

Mix it all up until the sugar is COMPLETELY dissolved. pour into a big, kind of flat container that's safe for the freezer. I use a big , thick, rectangle food storage container. Cover. Every few hours, scrape up the mush with a fork, and mix around a bit. After about 8-12 hours (you can totally leave it to sleep or whatever, it's flexible...) you can run it through a food processor or blender to smooth it out more if you want a finer texture. Return to the freezer to firm back up a bit. Enjoy!

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My Favorite Decorating Icing

I recently started working on my cake decorating again, just for fun, after The Princess wanted a flower covered birthday cake. Boy was I out of practice! I tried several icing recipes, but I hit gold when I made my own little changes to one of Wilton's buttercreams.

Here's what I used:

• 1/2 C Crisco shortening
• 1/2 C (1 stick) real butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Watkin's butter-flavored extract
• about 4 C powdered sugar, a little more on hand if you'd like some icing stiffer.
• 2 Tbs half & half, a tiny bit on hand if you'd like to thin some icing for spreading. 

I separated the generous amount (about 3 cups) into small cups for coloring, keeping much of it for icing the cake. I thinned the spreading icing with a few more drops of half & half. I also added a tiny spoon of powdered sugar to the frosting used for the roses. I affixed wax paper squares to my flower nail with a dab of frosting, to quickly form tons of roses while letting them all dry before placing on the cake. Just carefully pull off and put on a new square and go again. (This was SUPER helpful when practicing!)

This Tinker Bell cake was MUCH more feminine than The Jedi's Hobbit Hole cake!

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Our Favorite One Bowl Super Cookies

Mixed in just the right order, these cookies don't need separate bowls for dry and wet ingredients.

Preheat oven to 325.

In a large bowl stir until thoroughly combined:

• 1 1/3 C all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup oats. Quick cooking is fine, but we like hearty old fashioned. Steel cut would NOT work. Definitely not instant.

Toss in the flour mixture until coated:

•  3/4 C M&Ms
•  3/4 C chocolate chips. Equally delicious with either semi-sweet or milk chocolate. I've even mixed!

Stir in:

• 1/2 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C regular sugar
• OPTIONAL: 1/2 C shopped nuts (we like pecans.)

 Then stir in:

•  1 egg
• 1/2 C butter. (1 stick)
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix until completely cohesive. Portion into cookies using a small cookie scoop, or a couple of tablespoons.

Bake until just golden around the edges. Let cool on the pan for 3 minutes, then move to a wire rack to cook. If you use a cookie scoop this recipe will make about 2 and a half dozen cookies.

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Holidays on a Budget: Saltine Toffee

Here is another simple candy to share this Holiday Season.

Only 4 simple ingredients And you can find them all in your pantry, or on hand.

You will need:

• a little more than 1 sleeve of saltine crackers
• 1 and 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1 and 1/2 cups of packed brown sugar
• 1 package chocolate chips

Line a half-sheet pan with foil and non-stick spray. I also like to add parchment paper, but I keep the foil to protect the sides of the pan. I just got a shiny new pan. I'd like it to stay that way. ;-)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Lay out your crackers.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and the brown sugar. Let come to a boil.

Pour over your crackers and smooth out with a spatula.

Bake for 5-7 minutes until the whole thing is bubbling like crazy throughout.

Remove from the oven and let sit for about a minute. Sprinkle with the chips and let sit for another minute.

 

Spread with an offset spatula.

Chill in your fridge for about 45 minutes or until set. Break into chunks.

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Holidays on a Budget: No Fail "Fudge"

This is seriously the EASIEST candy recipe you will ever see. So tasty, and perfect for a choco-craving or a holiday gift.I like to toss a few pieces in my cookie tin gifts.

You will need

• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk!)
• splash of vanilla
• 4 Tablespoons butter
• any mix-ins you wish (Nuts, marshmallows, fruits, etc...)

Grease a square glass pan. Have all your ingredients ready. I like to have my butter chopped in little teeny-tiny cubes. I even dump the vanilla with it so it is ready to toss in.

In a double boiler or very carefully in a microwave, melt together the chips and the milk.

Stir in the vanilla, and the bits of butter.

Quickly fold in your mix-ins: I like WELL DRAINED halved maraschino cherries, marshmallows, and chopped almonds- Rocky Road! (What I have pictured is pecans, so my little nut-sensitive one can have some. She doesn't react to pecans =-)

Spread out into your prepared pan, chill until set, and EAT!

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Holidays on a Budget: Christmas Popcorn Balls

These are an easy, but cheery treat for the Holidays.



Take 1 cup of light corn syrup and 1/2 cup of sugar, bring to hard boil. Add to this 1 small (3 oz.) box of dry Jello powder, in any flavor that is red. Mix very well. Pour over 5 quarts of popped pop corn. This mixture will be VERY VERY HOT. Let cool slightly. After greasing your hands, form balls the size you like, then wrap each one in saran wrap to keep fresh and soft.



Try experimenting with different colors...make some red and green ones...make some blue-raspberry ones for Hanukkah...the possibilities are endless- and yummy!

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Pecan Pie

Recipe time again. Tonight I'm going to share with you our pecan pie, a favorite for Thanksgiving and any other special occasions. I've even been asked to make this instead of a birthday cake!

You will need:

• 3 eggs
• 1 C brown sugar. (The secret to a rich, crusty pie.)
• 1 C corn syrup. (The kind of corn syrup you use in your kitchen is not the same thing as HFCS, calm down. ;-) )
• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted. (NOT margarine, pie is not a time to count calories!)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 C total pecans, I like pieces because it will cut neater, but feel free to use whole for presentation if you wish. 

Pre-heat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl, beat your 3 eggs. Then, mix in- in this order, the sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, salt.
Fold in 1 1/2 C of pecans. Dump into your crust. TOP with the remaining 1/2 C pecans.

Bake for 1 hour, or until the center is juuuust set. If you need to, cover the edges of the crust with foil if they brown too fast.

That's it, super easy, super delicious pecan pie!

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Homemade Cocoa Mix

We've adapted the "Hot Cocoa Mix" from HillbillyHousewife.com, and it is delicious, and handy to have this time of year.

The directions call for whisking together everything in a bowl, but I find my method dissolves much easier.

What you will need:

• 4 cups instant milk
• 2 cups of sugar (I also make a version for Hubby with Splenda...)
• 1 cup powdered creamer
• 1 cup cocoa powder (the kind used in baking)
• 1 box INSTANT vanilla pudding. It provides great flavor, and it has an additive that makes your mix dissolve easier. (I use a sugar-free box for Hubby's Splenda mix...)

First, dump 2 cups of the milk, and 1 cup of the sugar into a food processor. Whirl and pulse until the milk is very fine. This helps in the mix dissolving, and makes the dry mix look really nice. Gift-giving nice! Dump this first batch into a large mixing bowl, and repeat with the second half of the milk and sugar. If you have a large enough food processor, you can do it all at once...but I have a large one & I still cannot. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Then whisk longer. Make sure it is mixed VERY, very well.

Store in a cool, dry place, preferably in an airtight container. I store part of mine in an empty creamer container for easy use, then refill from my airtight one. =-)

To use, a plop a couple big,. heaping spoonfuls into a mug and add boiling water. It is probably about 1/4 cup mix. The original recipe says to use 1/3, but my mix is finer. I also like a spoonful or two in a cup of coffee, YUM!

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Two Ingredient Treats

On Facebook I was reading some of the pages I follow, and Crystal from Suzie Homemaker had shared with us a link to some cakes with two ingredients from Hungry Girl. Being that I love, LOVE canned pumpkin, I decided to go with that one. With the little Princess in tow, I went about making one with a box of "spiced" cake mix and a can of pumpkin puree. THAT IS IT. It was so easy, that after I dumped the two in a bowl and started stirring, the three year old took over. She was super excited to be making a cake "by herself!" It was delicious! The spice and the pumpkin went together beautifully! I also didn't need to worry about all the tastes she snuck because there were no eggs! A great first cake.

Hungry Girl suggested to try it with a chocolate cake mix, and of course I love chocolate as much, if not more than pumpkin. So even if it still tasted like pumpkin, a total win! This time I made them into cupcakes, and put a few chocolate chips on top for some prettiness/extra chocolate. Is there such thing as too much chocolate!?
These treats are moist, delicious, and have a little extra fiber. I think I'll even try a few of the other ways to make them!

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Impossibly Easy Peach Cobbler

It's kinda like a dump cake...but not. Deliciously gooey and easy enough for a kid to make. (That seems to be my theme this summer, huh?)

Preheat your oven to 375.

Open 2 cans of sliced peaches (in heavy syrup), and remove about 1/4 a cup of the juice. Dump those suckers in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with a box of spiced cake mix. (You CAN use yellow cake mix if you want, but the spice is soooo much tastier!) Press the mix down a bit. Pour all over the mess a stick of melted butter. If you used a yellow mix, you can, and should, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon & sugar over the top. You seriously should.

Bake until browned & bubbly, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

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Double-Chocolate Chip Cookies

These delicious cookies are always a hit at our house, nice and chocolaty, with just the right amount of chew & crisp.

Preheat oven to 375.
In a bowl, beat together 1 1/4Cpacked brown sugar, 3/4C butter-flavored shortening & 2 Tablespoons of milk. Beat until fluffy.
Beat in 1 egg and 1 Tablespoon vanilla.
In another bowl, sift together 1 1/4C flour, 1/2C cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Stir the powdered mix into the wet/creamed mixture. Stir in 1 1/2C milk chocolate chips. Sometimes I'll add half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet.
Use a cookie scoop, or drop rounded tablespoons of dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 7-10 minutes until almost set. Let cool ON THE SHEET for about 3 or 4 minutes, then cool on a rack. These are also delicious with toasted pecans tossed in.

Also, don't forget to join our Facebook page for a giveaway! =-)

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