Creamy Crockpot Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 6 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups of milk chocolate chips

Instructions:

Stir together the whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips in a crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chocolate chips are melted. Stir again before serving. Garnish as desired.

Vitamix Green Ice Cream

Grape Juice concentrate – 100% juice

½ scoop protein powder

spinach

frozen banana

frozen pineapple

Festive Milk Punch

Recipe from Rebecca Rather of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, Fredericksburg.

1 1/2 gallons premium-quality vanilla ice cream
1 quart whole milk
2 cups bourbon
1 cup rum
1/4 cup brandy
nutmeg, for dusting

Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit at room temperature until it begins to soften, 15 minutes or more (cut into chunks to speed process). Put milk, bourbon, rum, and brandy in a large punch bowl and stir to combine. Spoon ice cream into bowl and stir lightly so that some is mixed in and some floats on top. Dust with nutmeg and serve immediately.

Makes about 30 eight-ounce cups, or almost 2 gallons.

Recipe from Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes From the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Café (co-written with Alison Oresman and published by Ten Speed Press).

60 Classic Cocktail Recipes

10 Top Holiday Cocktails

Liquado - Mexican smoothie

Serves 1
1 med banana or papaya or melon or peaches or berries
1/2 c plain yogurt
1/2 c pineapple juice
1 T brown sugar or honey
1 T fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice
3-4 ice cubes

Vitamix Peach Champagne Punch

Yield: 6 cups (1.4 l)
Speed: Variable
Time: 15 to 20 Seconds

Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) white grape juice or white nonalcoholic wine
1 cup (248 g) canned peaches, with juice
2 cups (348 g) peach nonfat frozen yogurt or ice cream
Club soda as needed
Ginger ale as needed

Directions
1. Place first three ingredients in the Vita-Mix container in the order listed and secure the lid.
2. Select Variable 1.
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 15 to 20 seconds
5. Pour into a punch bowl and fill with club soda and ginger ale.

Vanilla Smoothie

- A simple smoothie that's light and flavorful.
2 cups vanilla yogurt
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
Combine the yogurt, milk and vanilla in a blender, using high speed. Pour into glasses and serve. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Yields: 2-3 tall glasses