Hot Chocolate

Saucy Irish and I would like to welcome a new addition to the Asylum family!  Mr. Saucy's sister had a baby this week and she is beautiful! 

Even though it was 50 degrees outside yesterday, I still have a craving for hot cocoa.  So, I thought I would share some of the different websites I have found that loves hot cocoa too! 


Just click on the picture and they will take you to the website that owns these amazing ideas and recipes!

Hot Chocolate on a Stick!  What great idea to give to your neighbor's Asylum! 

You could also use an ice cube tray to make individual ones.



Red Wine Hot Chocolate?  Yes, Please!

25 Hot Chocolate recipes in one place!

Find this handy guide as well as 18 more recipes!

They are gone!!!

The kids are on the bus and on their way to the first day of school!!! Woo-hoo it's quiet! Wait, it's quiet...I already miss them and it's only been 30 minutes! Sorry I'm a stay-at-home mom - when there are no kids it seems strange!

Okay my Asylum therapist and I will work through those issues in group - moving on! (Seriously I am hoping if I just keep typing a recipe idea will come to me. No luck yet...)

Okay so last year we were praying no one got dehydrated from the heat this year we are hoping they don't get dehydrated from an ecoli scare.  One kid is going to a school that has no water because of this! 
So I was thinking about how they have to boil water and it made me think of hot cocoa. Seriously just go with it!  Stop judging me,  we don't allow that here! 

Mexican Hot Chocolate

4 c milk (whole is best)
1 1/3 c chocolate chips
2 TBSP sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
Pinch of salt
1 c water

Put ingredients in a pot on the stove over medium heat until it comes to a simmer. Remove from heat and put in your favorite penguin mug (or maybe that's just me). Garnish with a sprinkle of chili powder on top or cool whip!

No idea where I got this recipe. It doesn't even have directions on my recipe card,  just the ingredients! Hope you are having a great Monday!

Hello Hump Day!!!!

Today's recipe comes with a warning from the Asylum doctors!!!! Please take caution if you make this recipe! For the record I have one bad ass 13 year old because this recipe would make a grown man cry (no really it did, read on)!

Ok so our Asylum Residents were sniffling and sneezing. Welcome to allergy season! So that's when I whip out the "Spicy" foods! HeeHee,  I'm Spicy! Okay, is your sense of humor broke today? 

Moving on...I had mistakenly bought two, yes two, bags of chicken wings (mix of wings and drummies). So 6 lbs needed to be made and my Residents LOVE spicy wings!

I went to the Asylum library and researched several recipes and made my own and the little residents named it.

The ATOMIC Chicken

3 lbs of chicken wings
1 TBSP baking powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp kosher salt

Thaw your chicken and pat dry. Combine the ingredients and toss the chicken. I put it all in a large bowl and mixed with my hands. Lay the chicken out on a cookie sheet, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge for 8 hours.

Place in 425° oven for 40 minutes. Now you could stop here and have pleasantly spicy wings. I loved them just like this! 

If you have a death wish by all means...continue!

2 TBSP cayenne powder
1/3  cup + 2 tsp vinegar
3 TBSP water
1/4 tsp salt
4 TBSP butter
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 TBSP honey

While chicken is cooking-in a sauce pan melt butter and add remaining ingredients. Heat to a simmer.

When chicken is cooked put in a bowl and pour sauce over. Cover and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

Then before serving make sure everyone has been WARNED and has a glass of milk! Hubs also rubbed his eye and ended up with massive pain and tears-see grown man crying.

I also used my BBQ sauce for the other 3 lbs.

1 jar of your favorite bbq sauce and a small jar (I sometimes use 2 if I want to make extra) of peach or apricot jam. Heat in a sauce pan and add to the cooked chicken wings to coat!

These are the Spicy ones! I put in a red bowl to signify that! 

These are the BBQ ones.

Hope your having a great week!

Happy Tuesday to our favorite crazies!

Good morning all! I'm feeling extra Saucy today so I am sharing a recipe that combines Spicy and I!  LOL.  This recipe is just sooooooo good!  It can be messy too, which in my personal opinion makes food better! I could come up with a long list of adjectives but I will save that for another day!

I was so excited that Spring had finally sprung for all of you, then wake up this morning to find that The Spicy German had snow!  That ugly four letter word!  And of course then there are the storms.  My prayers go out to all of you impacted by these terrible storms!  Be safe!  But as always keep cooking!

We really appreciate all of you that come through to browse our craziness, so far this ride has been amazing!

Ok, I know, enough chit chat on to the good stuff!  Today's recipe comes courtesy of Rachael Ray.  I hope you enjoy as much as we did!  Everyone that I have made it for has requested it again! :D

Hot 'N Sweet Shrimp Lettuce Wraps

Prep time:  20 minutes

Cook time:  8 minutes

Makes:  4 servings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1 1" piece of ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons vegetable or other light oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 small red chili peppers, very thinly sliced

1/4 pound shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, deveined, tails off

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 head iceberg lettuce, scored and quartered (I have also found that romaine works perfect for this)

Directions:

Combine sugar, vinegar and ginger in a small pot and bring to a boil, dissolve sugar and turn off heat, reserve.  

In a skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Saute the onions, chili peppers, mushrooms and garlic 3-4 minutes then add shrimp and toss 3-4 minutes more until pink and firm.  Douse the pan with the sweet vinegar, season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve the cold lettuce for wrapping the hot-sweet shrimp!

Oh just typing this makes me realize I need to make it again!  LOL!  Love this stuff.  I hope all you wonderful crazies enjoy and have an awesome Tuesday!  See you again on Thursday! :D