Frosty Eggnog Punch

Made with thick, rich Hildebrand Farms Dairy eggnog, this holiday punch makes gatherings even more festive and fun.  The adults in the group may appreciate the addition of a little brandy or bourbon! 

3 - 4 quarts Hildebrand Farms Dairy eggnog, chilled very well
1 gal premium vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
1 quart half and half
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract or substitute your favorite brandy or bourbon
1 tsp. nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
cinnamon for garnish
2 cups whipped cream

Pour eggnog into punch bowl; the amount needed will vary on the size of the punch bowl.  Pour in half and half, a small amount at a time, taking care not to add too much, making eggnog too thin in consistency.  Using a small ice cream scoop or cookie dough scoop, scoop out balls of ice cream and place into eggnog mixture.  Add vanilla, brandy or bourbon, to taste. To finish, add dollops of whipped cream on top, then sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon. Serve at once!

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Homemade Steak Seasoning

Giving the gift of some good home-grown Kansas beef this Christmas?  Add a jar of some homemade seasoning to the mix - It's much less expensive than store-bought and tastes sooo good.  I use it quite often to season my pot roasts before searing, as well.

4 Tbs. kosher salt
1 Tbs. black pepper
1 Tbs. dehydrated onion flakes
1/2 Tbs. granulated garlic
1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 Tbs. dried thyme
1/2 Tbs. dried rosemary
1/2 Tbs. ground coriander

Combine and store in a well-sealed container.  Stir before pressing into meats as a rub.  \

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Powdered Laundry Detergent

This recipe came from Julie Long, Enterprise, Alabama, who provided it for The Grace Place Cookbook. It was recommended to me to use powdered detergent in a front-load washer instead of the liquid types due to the animal fat (usually added to them for extra suds power) that can eventually cause front-loaders to have a funky odor. I love this simple detergent because it's just basic and very clean-smelling, AND it's straightened my front-load washer right out - no more funky-ness!  I usually buy 3-4 bars of soap and make a quadruple batch since the borax and washing soda come in pretty large boxes.

1 cup Borax
1 cup washing soda (NOT baking soda)
1 bar of Fels-Naptha soap

All of the above ingredients can typically be found in the laundry section of your local Wal-Mart store.  Grate the bar of soap as finely as possible.  (I shred my bars in the food processor using the grater, then pulverize the shreds a bit with the regular blade. This makes short, speedy work of making the quadruple batch.)

In a large mixing bowl, combine grated soap with borax and washing soda; mix well.  Pour detergent into an air-tight container and add a 1 Tbs. coffee scoop or measuring spoon.  Most loads of laundry will require 1 Tbs. of detergent, but heavily-soiled laundry loads may requite 2 Tbs.  Detergent seems to work best when added into the tub right along with the clothes, even when using a front-loading machine.  

** Please note:  Julie's recipe says not to use chlorine bleach with this detergent - I'm taking her word for it! 

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli