Welcome to the recipe archive of recipes posted at the ExFactor Christmas Party.  

Return to Viola Grace home.

The First recipes are for stocking stuffers. More donated recipes will follow

Peppermint Lip Balm

 You need:

 Lip balm jars (check a craft supply store or Michaels)
 Beeswax
 Grape seed oil
 Peppermint oil

 In a small microwave proof container add one part beeswax to five
 parts grape seed oil. Microwave for two minutes until the beeswax is
 completely melted. (if it is too hot at this point, stir for a while
 until it cools to warm and not hot. A hot mix will destroy the
peppermint)
 Add 16 drops of peppermint oil for each lip balm container and stir.
 Once the peppermint is in, pour into the lip balm jars (or tubes if
 you wish) Leave it until it cools. It will set up nicely and be a
 beautiful balm for those cold days. Or days you just want a nice
 tingle on your lips.

 

 

Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix

1/2 cup dried parsley
1/3 cup minced onion
1/4 cup dried chives
1/3 cup chili powder
1/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup salt

In a large bowl, combine the spices and store in an airtight container.

Attach this to the Jar: (* or, measure out 3Tbsp into small baggies and attach mixing directions for a lot of little dip mixes)

Mexican Fiesta Dip
Makes 2 cups
3 Tbsp. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix

1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
In a medium mixing bowl combine the Dip Mix with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.

 

 

Dill Weed Dip Mix

1/2 cup dried dill weed
1/2 cup dried minced onion
1/2 cup dried parsley
1/3 cup spice islands beau monde seasoning

In small glass bowl, combine all and place in container.

Dill weed Dip: makes 2 cups. 1 c. mayo, 1 c. sour cream or lowfat
yogurt, 3 tbl. dill dip. In medium bowl, using wire whisk, combine the
mayo and sour cream with dip mix. Refrigerate until ready to serve with
raw veggies or as topping for baked potatoes.

Shrimp and Pasta Salad: serves 8. 1 1/2 c. mayo, 3 tbl. dip mix, 1/4 c.
milk, 1 pound rotelle pasta cooked and drained, 2 c. cooked shrimp
peeled and deveined, 1/2 c. chopped celery, 1/2 c. chopped red bell
pepper, 3 green onions chopped, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, whisk
together mayo, dill weed dip mix and milk. Add the other ingredients.
Chill 4 hours or overnight.

****Again, divide into 3 Tbsp baggies and include the directions for the
dip mix on the package.

 

Bacon Flavored Dip Mix


2 T. instant bacon bits

1 t. instant beef bouillon

1 T. instant minced onion

1/8 t. minced garlic

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Spoon mixture onto
a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as
Bacon-Flavored Dip Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6
months.

Makes 1 package (about 3 T.) of mix.

Add these directions to label:

Bacon Flavored Dip: Combine 1 cup of sour cream and 1 package of mix.
Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip.
VARIATIONS: Substitute 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 (8 oz)
package of softened cream cheese for sour cream.

Fill a large mason jar with any type of snacks for dipping (small snack
crackers, pretzels, breadsticks, etc.). Attach package of dip mix to jar
and decorate for gift giving.

 

 

Buttermilk Dill Dip mix

2 1/2 Tbsp of Powdered Buttermilk
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Dill weed

Mix in a small baggie and attach the following directions

Add 2 cups sour cream or low fat yogurt to dip mix and refridgerate for
1 hour before serving.

(this is my personal recipe that I created out of necessity, also good
if you add some powdered mustard to the mix)

 

 

Herb Vegetable Dip

1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/4 cup dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
3 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper.

Combine all and mix well. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir
or shake before using. Use as a seasoning in recipes.

Herb Mix Dip: use 1 tablespoon of the mix with 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4
cup mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Blend well. Cover and
refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables.
Yield 1 cup dip


 

Ranch Dip and Dressing Mix


This versatile mix can be used to make a dressing for salads, a dip
for fresh veggies, or topping for baked potatoes.

1 1/2 Tbsp. dried parsley
1/2 Tbsp. dried chives
1/4 Tbsp. dried tarragon
1/2 Tbsp. lemon pepper
1 Tbsp. salt
1/4 Tbsp. oregano
1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients. Store in a small
airtight sandwich bag.

Label the bag as follows:

Ranch Dressing
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
In a large bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk and dressing
& dip mix. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

Ranch Dip
Makes 2 cups
2 Tbsp. Ranch Dressing & Dip Mix
1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayo
1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt
Combine the Ranch Dressing and Dip Mix with mayonnaise and sour cream.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving with raw vegetables, or as a
topping for baked potatoes.

Fill a large mason jar with any type of snacks for dipping (small
snack crackers, pretzels, breadsticks, etc.). Attach package of dip
mix to jar and decorate for gift-giving.

 

Hot Cocoa

Serves:
5 1/2 cups dry mix
2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup cocoa (Dutch-process preferred)
2 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or more to taste
Hot water

 

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and incorporate evenly. In a small pot, heat 4 to 6 cups of water.

Fill your mug half full with the mixture and pour in hot water. Stir to combine. Seal the rest in an airtight container, keeps indefinitely in the pantry. This also works great with warm milk.

Scorcher Hot Wings

In honour of Scorcher, I have decided to share my hot wing recipe with ya'll.
You do not need everything in the sauce, but you should try and have a balance of hot, sweet, sour and savoury.

Step one
Make the sauce

1 bottle of chicken and rib sauce (your choice of brands)
1 cup of Lousianna Hot sauce
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1 crushed and minced dried habanero
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp spicy pepper medley (club house brand seasoning)
anything else you can think of to throw in.

Whisk the sauce and spices together in a large bowl and set aside. You will be spooning out sauce onto the finished wings, so do not contaminate the whole batch by throwing the wings in.

To fry the wings

One 2 kg package of tipped and split chicken wings
1 Litre of Canola oil
3 pairs of tongs

Yup. that is it.
Heat the oil to 350 degrees (use a candy thermometer in a dutch oven if you don't have a deep fryer). With one pair of tongs that you will only use for the raw chicken, place about 10-12 of the wing sections in the hot oil. Cook for 8-10 minutes, waiting until the temperature on the thermometer has risen to at least 300 degrees.
With a clean pair of tongs to be used only for this section, remove the wings from the oil and place them in a large heat proof bowl (glass or metal). Pour a few ladles of sauce over them and toss to coat.
Remove the coated wings from the bowl (Using the 3rd pair of tongs) and place on a rack over a baking pan in the oven at 220 degrees farenheit.
Repeat until all the wings have been cooked.

The wings can be served immediately, or frozen for enjoyment later. They freeze fantastically and make a welcome addition to any movie or football night. (to microwave the frozen wings, place on a plate and heat at 50% power for six minutes)

There. With this recipe and my new book, I have shared both my Scorchers with you.

 

 

Mulling Spice Mix

This spice mix makes a nice gift to mull apple cider or red wine. The recipe makes 14 spice bags. If you are giving as a gift, be sure to include the recipe instructions.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Place cinnamon sticks and nutmegs into a heavy freezer bag. Hit the spices with the bottom of a small heavy skillet to break them into small pieces. Place in a bowl and stir in orange peel, lemon peels, allspice, cloves, and ginger.

Place about 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture in the center of each cheesecloth square. Tie securely with the string. If giving as a gift, be sure to include the recipe instructions (below).

Yield: 14 bags apple mulling spice mix (each will spice a 750 ml bottle of red wine - 3-1/4 cups wine or 1/2 gallon - 8 cups apple cider)

Mulled Wine Recipe Instructions

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
3-1/4 cups (750 ml bottle) red wine
1 mulling spice bag

Combine water and sugar in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar dissolves. Add wine and spice bag. Heat very slowly over low heat, only until small bubbles form around the edge and wine is very hot. Do not boil. Discard spice bag and serve hot.

Mulled Apple Cider Recipe Instructions

8 cups (1/2 gallon) apple cider
1 mulling spice bag

Place apple cider in a 3-quart saucepan and add spice bag. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard spice bag and serve hot.

 

 

 

5-Minute Mug Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Add dry ingredients to a coffee mug and mix well.
  2. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
  3. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well.
  4. Add the chocolate chips and vanilla essence, mix again.
  5. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minuter at 1000 watts.
  6. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
  7. Allow to cool a little and you can tip onto a plate if you want.