Chocolate Orange Ice Cream Topping

My husband loves those orange jellied chocolate covered candy sticks that usually come out around Christmas time.  But then he likes any combination of orange and chocolate.  Me, not so much. Anyways, while he was away on a business trip, I decided to make this delicious ice cream topping for him.  He really really likes it a lot.  And the best news for him....it's all his.  He doesn't even need to share with me.

Chocolate Orange Ice Cream Topping

Ingredients:

1 quart orange juice
2 cups sugar
1/2 to 1 cup cocoa powder
3 - 4 tablespoons pectin for low-sugar recipes
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

• In a heavy bottom pot cook orange juice over medium-high heat to simmering point.

• Add lemon juice and then add pectin and stir thoroughly.

• Bring to a boil and then add sugar.  Stir just until combined. Boil 1 whole minute.

• Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder.  You need to make sure it is well combined so use a whisk. Start with 1/2 cup of cocoa, taste and add more if needed.

• Remove foam/froth with a slotted spoon.

• Pour into warm sterilized 1/2 pint jelly jars leaving 1/2 inch head space.

• Process in a boil water bath canner for 10 min.

Yields about 6 half-pints.  Can be doubled.

Aroma-Therapy Diffuser by SpaRoom

Details:  SpaRoom Essentials offers an Aromafier diffuser which is portable.  It runs on 2 AA batteries, USB cord, or AC adapter.  (It comes with the USB cord.)  Just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, or aromatherapy oil and enjoy the fragrant experience.  It uses absorbent pads, therefore no water or heat is needed, which makes this safe for travel.  Has a silent fan which broadcasts the fragrance and comes with 3 replaceable micro-absorbing pads.

Aromafier Travel Diffuser by SpaRoom Essential

My Review:  I've been looking for a diffuser for some time now.  I've narrowed down a variety in which I would like to try for various reasons.  The SpaRoom Aromafier diffuser was a great way for me to start breaking in to the use of diffusers.

What attracted me the most to this particular one, is that I could take it traveling, without the mess of the liquid essential oils and water routine.  I can plug this into my USB/AC plug adapter and can use this anywhere there is a 110 electrical current outlet.  Not only that, but I can also plug it into my computer while working, and it does a great job of infusing my 11x12 foot room with the aromatherapy oils I am using.

Years ago, I had purchased a color changing mini fountain to sit on my husband's work desk.  While it ran, he could listen to the sound of the water, and we had a variety of aromatherapy oils he could use depending on his mood and if he needed to de-stress or not.  That became so complicated to change out the water each time he wanted a different fragrance that he gave up on it.

The Aromafier only needs to have the absorbent pads changed out and we're up and running.  Instead of purchasing more absorbent pads, I took the round cleaning pads for use with cleansing faces or getting nail polish off with, cut out a hole in the middle to fit into the Aromafier, and added my fragrances.  Each is stored in its separate little plastic bag and labeled with the fragrance oil and what it is good for.  These have worked out great.  So far we've gone through about 6 different fragrances to determine which we like best and for what.  For instance, when it's a high stress work day, out comes the lavender.  Within a couple of minutes, the smell of lavender is working through our olfactory senses and we find ourselves more calm almost immediately.

I have used both essential oils and aromatherapy oils in this little guy.  Obviously it takes more drops of aromatherapy oils to disperse than essential oils.  Both work great on those little pads.  I have noticed that on days with high humidity, the Aromafier will have some condensation built up inside. I just wiped with a tissue and haven't had any issues.

The fan is audible, but quiet.  Nothing that keeps me awake at night when I run the Aromafier.  It has a bright blue light that shines when it is on.  That can be annoying at night.  It disturbed my husband, and we had to move it to make it less visible.

Pros:  Love the versatility of this diffuser.  It's small and portable.  Can use aromatherapy oils and essential oils.  Great for travel.  Overall, a great product.

Cons:  Sometimes condensation builds up inside near the pad, but doesn't stop the unit from working.

My Rating:  A Big Thumbs UP!!!

Aloha Butter ~ Monkey Butter

I like jams and flavored butters.  They're great on toast, crackers with cream cheese, mixed in plain Greek yogurt, mixed with cottage cheese and oh...so much more.

When I ran across this recipe, it brought back memories of when I lived in Hawaii.  I never tired of eating fresh bananas, fresh pineapple and even fresh coconut.  Now to have them all mixed together in a jam...well that was just gravy.  I named it Aloha Butter, but others refer to it as Monkey Butter.

Most people I have made Aloha ~ Monkey Butter for really like it.  Others that don't usually have the same complaint, there's too much banana flavor.  Well, the recipe can be modified to use less bananas, or even less coconut, or less pineapple.  Just fill in with other ingredients, such as substituting mangoes or papayas instead of bananas, or do half and half.  Remove the coconut all together.  Maybe use fruit cocktail instead of pineapple.  This recipe is limitless.  But for me, I like it just the way it is.  So here goes.  Hope you enjoy.

Aloha Butter

Ingredients:

5 medium sized bananas, ripe with very few to no brown spots
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple, with juice (I prefer packed in own juice)
1/3 cup shredded coconut
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

• Peel and slice bananas into large heavy saucepan.  Then add all ingredients.

• Bring to boil, stirring often.  Once reached boiling stage, reduce to a simmer and cook until thick.  As the mixture begins to thicken, stir constantly until desired thickness is achieved.

• Once thick, spoon Aloha ~ Monkey Butter into hot sterilized jars.  Wipe edges of jars clean.  Apply heated lids and rings.

• Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Processing isn't necessary.  However, Aloha ~ Monkey Butter must be refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Probably won't last that long, but give it a shot.  Also, once processed, the Aloha ~ Monkey Butter may take on a slightly pink hue.  This is nothing to be alarmed at.  Personally, mine did not change colors.

Jar on left not processed
Jar on right processed 

My husband and I love this on hot whole wheat bread.  Others have used this as an ice cream topping. What's your favorite way to eat Aloha Butter?

Carrot Cake Jam ~ YUM!

My husband absolutely positively loves carrot cake.  Just a month ago we found a 4-layer one for less than most stores have a two layer carrot cake for.  Yeah, of course we bought it, and enjoyed every last bite.

When he had a business trip coming up, I took advantage of the extra free time I would have and decided to make homemade carrot cake jam just for him.

I scoured through Pinterest and found several delicious recipes worthy of trying.  However, I modified and took from each and came up with my own version.

The ultimate test came when we had our weekly homemade hot delicious whole wheat bread served with real butter and the newly made carrot cake jam.  My husband really really liked it a lot.  It comes in a close second behind that 4 layer carrot cake we ate a month ago.

Here's my recipe.  Makes approximately 6 half-pint jars.

Carrot Cake Jam

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups peeled and grated carrots (about 4 or 5)
2. 1 cup peeled and diced Granny Smith apple (1 medium)
3. 1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple with juice (I use the one packed in its own juice)
4. 3 tablespoons lemon concentrate
5. 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (depends on how well you like cinnamon, I used the       1 1/2 teaspoons)
6. 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
8. 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
9. 3 tablespoons powdered pectin for low sugar recipes
10. 4 cups sugar
11. 1 tablespoon molasses
12. 1 teaspoon vanilla
13. 1/3 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

• In a large and deep pan combine grated carrots, diced apple, pineapple with juice, lemon juice and spices.  Bring mixture to boil over high heat, stirring frequently.  Reduce heat to medium and cover. Boil gently, stir occasionally for 20 minutes.

• Remove from head and immediately sprinkle in pectin and whisk briskly until completely dissolved. Return to heat and bring to a boil stirring continuously.  Add sugar and molasses all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Continue to cook at a full rolling boil and while stirring constantly, boil for 1 minute.  Remove pan from heat, skim off any foam, stir in vanilla and coconut.

• Carefully ladle hot jam into hot sterilized jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace.  Remove any air bubbles and adjust headspace by adding or removing jam.  Wipe rim clean and center lid (flat) on jar.  Tightly screw band/rim on jar.

• Place in hot water bath, making sure each jar is completely covered with water.  Bring to a boil, then process for 10 minutes.  Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes.  Remove jars, cool on wire racks.

Tips:

To sterilize jars I wash my jars either by hand or in dishwasher.  Then I get a 10 inch metal cake pan filled half way with water.  I place my jars upside down in the pan and place pan on stove burner.  I turn the heat to medium high so it is lightly boiling.  Be sure to keep an eye on the bottles as sometimes one or more jars will suck up the water into the pan causing all other jars to be in a dry pan.  Do Not let this happen as it will lead to broken jars.  You may want to turn heat down to medium once water starts to boil.

To sterilize my flats/or lids I get another 10 inch metal cake pan and place them rubber side down in the pan with water and keep them at a low boil until I'm ready to place on the jars.

You can substitute the Granny Smith apple for another tart apple of your choice, or with a pear. You can add crystallized ginger instead of powered ginger.  You can add raisins, but they will swell in the jam and be more like grapes than raisins.

Or if you don't want to make your own I recommend the following. It's super good!