Dulce de Leche

This blog has sat quietly for too long. So here is an inspiring, sweet, decadent indulgence to get things going again. It is so very, very easy! It will make a delicious hostess gift too.

Place two unopened cans of sweetened condensed milk into a crock pot. (The labels have been previously removed.) Add enough hot water to reach 3/4 of the way up the cans. Make sure that water can circulate freely around the cans. Cover and cook six hours on high.

Carefully remove the cans and cool on a wire rack until they reach room temperature. Be patient; this will take about three hours.

Open the cans to remove the milk caramel!! It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month in a covered container.

Try this on vanilla ice cream, or as a fruit spread with bananas and apples. It's great stirred into hot chocolate.

Spicy Honey Chicken

This post is for Joe in his new apartment. I'm reluctant to post it because I like to have incentives to entice my children home for visits occasionally. But I also love the fact that they take care of themselves and they are all good cooks.
This recipe comes from the wonderful site that Kali introduced me to: Our Best Bites. I'm becoming a frequent visitor there.

                                 Honey Spicy Chicken

Spicy Cranberry Glaze

This recipe is derived from a recipe for Bold & Spicy Chicken Wings in issue no. 80 in the Cuisine at Home magazine. I changed the recipe for the glaze slightly, according to our tastes. We haven't actually used it on wings, but it sure is delicious on chicken! And it's so, so easy.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup frozen cranberry juice concentrate
• 1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture becomes syrupy, about 5-8 minutes.

Helpful tip: when you can draw a line through the glaze on the back of a spoon and it doesn't run, it's ready!

The glaze is best applied after the chicken is partially cooked, so that the glaze doesn't burn. Here, my lovely assistant, Scott, grilled the chicken on one side, flipped it over, then applied the first coat. After the second side cooked for a few minutes, he turned the chicken back over and put the glaze on the opposite side. Enjoy!

We have actually found that we prefer the glaze on cuts of chicken with skin. It seems to adhere better to the skin and results in better flavor.