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Bruce posted our sugar free chocolate sauce recipe over on Mindlessfluff just a bit ago. I shared it via Amplify and had my first ever sharing fail. Ironically the chocolate sauce recipe didn’t autopost from amplify to anywhere else. (To make things even better, the report of it not posting did autopost everywhere I sent it…)

This recipe was developed years ago during one of my bouts of severe hypoglycemia. I always have it, but it gets worse when I am stressed, not watching what I am eating, or the phase of the moon is weird. This great version of VitaminCH was developed when I was having an extended bout of very low blood sugar. The doctors put me on a no sugar diet. Bruce immediately went to work to find a sugar free chocolate sauce that actually tasted good. This recipe is the result.

Sugar Free Chocolate Sauce

Note: This recipe must be done in the order shown.   Read it carefully first. If you skip steps you will get yuck results.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup Nonfat Dry Milk

5 level tbsp. Cocoa

2/3 cup Water

6 level Tbsp. Nutrasweet

1. Measure Nonfat Dry Milk and Cocoa into a small sauce pan. Mix together dry until blended.
2. Add water.
3. Place over low heat. Stirring constantly, heat to 125 degrees F.
4. Remove from heat. Continue to stir until there is no risk of burnt
   chocolate. At this point, mixture is thin and has a dark brown color
   when stirred. When not mixed, a light brown film will appear.
   Beware: When tasted, the mixture will taste bitter. This is because no
   sweetener can be added while the mixture is warm!
   1. Place mixture in fridge to cool. Mixture should be at least room
      temperature before you continue.
   2. Once cool, add Nutrasweet two tablespoons at a time, stirring in as
      you go. We found 6 tablespoons tasted best, but play around to find
      the sweetness level you like.

Bruce has a non-dairy version of this somewhere that uses non-dairy creamer.  It isn’t quite the same. If he finds it, we will share it as well.

(Now watch… Since I am hand sharing it, we will end up with two copies here on VitaminCH.)

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A few weeks ago, @betsyweber took a tour of the Jiffy factory in Michigan. Being the cool dudette that she is, she sent @mindlessfluff and I a box of Jiffy goodness after her tour. Some day, I will get more recipes posted on OutdoorCook.com based off what she sent, but for now this will have to do.

PS: We haven’t tested this recipe in a Dutch Oven yet. If you make it outdoors in a Dutch Oven, let me know how it works.

Ingredients

3/4 pound hamburger

1 tsp rooster sauce (Siracha)

3 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs prepared mustard

1/4 cup catsup

1 head of garlic plus one tablespoon olive oil

5 oz. sliced mushrooms

2 Pkg Jiffy Corn muffin Mix (plus egg and milk to prepare)

Preparation

Cook the garlic. Our two favorite ways to do this are to brown it on the stovetop or to cook it in the microwave. If you have the time to do it on the stovetop, peel the cloves and put them and the olive oil in a fry pan. Cook until garlic is soft. If you don’t have the time to do it that way, put the head in microwave safe bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil. Cook for 30 to 40 seconds. The skins will come right off.

Now that the kitchen smells good, you are ready to really cook. Prepare your oven by preheating it to 375 degrees F.

Brown the hamburger in a large fry pan. As it browns, add the garlic. When it is close to done, add the rooster sauce, mustard, ketchup, and mushrooms. Let cook until everything is melded together, stirring infrequently.

In a clean bowl, mix up the corn muffin mix according to the box. This step is where the eggs and milk come in.

Oil a 10 inch round baking pan. This recipe works best if the pan is at least 2 inches deep.

Now you need to make a choice: Do you want the meat on the bottom or the top? Both work equally well.

If you want the meat on the top, pour the corn bread mixture in the pan and smooth to edges. When the meat mixture is ready, pour it over the corn muffin mix. Top with grated cheese if desired.

If you want the corn bread on the top, pour the meat mixture in the pan when it is ready. Top it with the grated cheese as desired. Pour the corn bread mixture over the whole thing and spread to the edge.

When the oven is preheated, put the pan in the oven on the middle rack. If your pan is not a full 2 inches tall, put a cookie sheet or foil on the rack below the pan to catch the drips.

Bake for 30 minutes. When done, the cornbread will be browned and the smell will drive you crazy.

To serve, cut pie shaped pieces and plate.

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What am I thankful for this year? It has been such a weird year that I don’t know how to start. I do know that I am thankful for very different things than in the past.

A year ago, I was in the midst of moving to the San Francisco area to start a new job and a new life. I was leaving behind Phoenix, my home for almost 18 years. Leaving behind my friends and functions that had been my life. Leaving behind the independent life of a consultant. Leaving behind, temporarily, my husband.

Fast forward a year. Bruce joined me here a few months ago. Life changed in September. This week, we are packing to leave the San Francisco area.

The new start taught me much about myself and about the corporate world. I learned, much to my surprise, that I like working in an office environment more than working at home. I learned, not to my surprise at all, that a one bedroom apartment in an urban environment was not for hubby and I.

This week is Thanksgiving. It’s hard to put into words what I am thankful for right now.

• I am thankful for a car that holds the stuff we need and which will make it to Iowa.
• I am thankful for family that cares and supports in the best ways they know how.
• I am thankful for a community of friends who are always there, no matter where they actually live.
• I am thankful for a skillset that allows me to reach out to those who need help.
• I am thankful to live in a time of hope. Where even if things aren’t what I expected, they are good.

Sharing always makes things easier. What makes you thankful? Join those of us participating in #tweetsgiving at http://tweetsgiving.epicchange.org/

To get you started, check out the “recipe” for tonight’s supper.

Clean out the kitchen soup: Ham Style

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone with some ham still attached
• 1 bag of ham pieces (frozen leftovers from Easter)
• Water
• Misc. herbs – garlic powder, Italian seasonings, etc.
• Can of diced tomatoes
• Half head of garlic
• Can of whole mushrooms
• Can of creamed corn
• Rooster sauce, just a touch

Prep

Put the ham and ham bone in a pot. Cover with water. Add first round of herbs.

Bring the pot to a boil and let it boil for awhile. Stir infrequently.

How long do you let it boil? Until it seems ready…

When you are ready for the next step, remove the ham bone from the pot. Cut off any ham left on the bone and return the meat to the pot.

Place the garlic in a bowl. Sprinkle with oil and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute. Listen for it to start sizzling. When it sizzles, pull it out and remove the paper. Add the garlic to the pot.

Add the canned tomatoes, mushrooms, and creamed corn. Stir the concoction regularly.

Add a dash of rooster sauce if desired.

Let it boil for 30 more minutes. Lower the heat. Taste. Thicken if desired.

Enjoy.