Chocolate Milk Mix

I turned 35 today! I would be feeling old and depressed if I wasn't have such a lovely day and a lovely life lately.

We're lactose intolerant here, so we drink almond milk instead, which they sell in cases at Costco for half the price of the cartons at the grocery store. The problem is that my husband prefers chocolate milk, which isn't available at Costco. I was letting him buy the double priced cartons for a while, until he went and drank SIX of them in less than 48 hours. I knew I needed a better alternative, so...

Chocolate Milk Mix (big batch)

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

I combined my mix in an empty peanut butter jar (this is a half batch) so I could easily mix and store it without making any extra dishes. Once all the ingredients are in the jar, just put on the lid and shake it to mix them up.

To make it smooth, combine the mix with a little bit of hot water and stir before adding the milk. I used 2 tablespoons of mix and 2 tablespoons of water, then mixed in 1 cup of plain, unsweetened almond milk. Any type of milk will work, but make sure it's unsweetened so you don't go into a sugar coma.

The finished result tasted EXACTLY like the store bought versions of chocolate milk, even to my super picky husband. I just saved myself a crapload of money. I'm also hoping that actually having to mix each glass himself will slow down his consumption a little.

Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Mix

I am so sorry for not posting at all last week, but I had strep throat. To make it even worse it went untreated for quite some time because I was trying to convince myself that it was just the same cold that everyone else had and the reason I was so much sicker was because I was pregnant and already felt terrible to begin with.

Anyway, some penicillin later and I'm feeling much better. A tiny bit of morning sickness lingers but I know it will be gone very soon, just in time for Christmas! I have missed this blog very much, so I'll be posting regularly again very soon!

While I was sick certain things were put off... like preparing for Christmas! So this next few days is going to be an insane rush to shop, cook and mix it up before we're hit with back to back family events and house guests.

Yesterday while finally Christmas shopping I was standing in line in the store when something caught my eye. A gift box with some mugs and a jar of hot chocolate mix... with marshmallows! I have done hot chocolate mixes before with my basic hot chocolate mix and my mint hot chocolate mix. I've also done other beverage mixes like chai tea mix (which I've also been using as a gift this year), and Italian mocha espresso mix. But.... hot chocolate with marshmallows is so.. fun! It's such a great gift.

So....

Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Mix

1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
3 tablespoons cocoa powder

Combine 1/4 cup of mix with 1 cup of boiling water and stir well.

This mix recipe makes enough to fill about one 2 cup (500 ml) Mason jar to give as a gift (or keep for yourself). Each jar will make 8 cups of hot chocolate. I made a double batch knowing I would want a couple to give as gifts.

There was a little bit of mix left over after making up the jars, just enough for a sample... delicious!

Mint hot chocolate mix

I am LOVING this fall. It's the cool and sunny kind, not the grey and rainy kind. We can still spend our days at the park, yet I can enjoy a hot drink in the morning or evening without sweating the way I might have a month ago. So it was the perfect time to create....

Mint Hot Chocolate Mix (single use)

1 tablespoon powdered milk
1 tablespoon crushed peppermint candy
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cocoa powder

The peppermint candy can be any kind, like those random dinner mints in your purse that you got at the restaurant, or in the near future-those annoying tiny candy canes that appear on your kitchen counter because they are taped to every Christmas present and are offered in every waiting room you enter.

I crushed up my candy with a small mortar and pestle we received for a wedding present (and I was given an even bigger, amazing new one for my birthday this weekend that I can't wait to try out!). If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can put the candy in a ziploc bag and smash it with a hammer or other blunt object. Make do.

Combine mix with 1 cup of boiling water and stir well. If possible, cover cup with a plate and let it sit for 5 minutes and stir again. Once the peppermint flakes have fully melted the hot chocolate will take on an even sweeter, mintier taste. If you reheat this it's even better, so any parents with very young children will appreciate this. Everyone with small children knows that you never get to drink an entire hot beverage all the way through before you're interrupted by some disaster.

Whenever you get to enjoy this drink... well enjoy... I got two delicious sips in the morning... and the rest 10 hours later when my daughter was safely in bed...

Italian Mocha Espresso Mix

After weeks of unbearable heat we've finally had a couple of nice, comfortable cool days. Last week I couldn't even stand the thought of a hot drink, but this morning it sounded pretty good.

Italian Mocha Espresso Mix (Single Use)

4 teaspoons powdered milk
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder

Big Batch (makes 12 uses)

1 cup powdered milk
¼ cup instant coffee
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder

What else you'll need

2/3 cup of boiling water.

Combine 2 tablespoons of mix with boiling water and stir well.

Mixes like these are good to serve to people who come over for dinner, especially in a family like mine where nobody drinks coffee. They can be made decaf or regular and everyone can have a different kind if they want. They're also a lot cheaper than going to Starbucks!!!

Chai tea mix

First off I apologize for my recent lack of posts, but I was on vacation! We drove out to Prince Edward Island and rented a cottage.

Anyway, most people are under the impression that to get a good cup of chai they need to spend a fortune at a coffee shop or buy really expensive tea bags. This mix tastes better than anything you can order in a cafe and costs very little to make. All you need to do is add a spoonful or two to a regular cup of tea and you've got sweet delicious chai. The best part is that since you put it in an ordinary cup of tea you can serve both decaf and regular chai to your guests with just one mix.


Chai tea mix: Big Batch (makes 12 uses)

1 cup sugar
½ cup powdered milk
½ teaspoon cardamom
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon pepper

What else you'll need


1 cup boiling water
1 black tea bag

Use 2 tablespoons of mix with 1 cup of black tea.

I used my sister as a tester for this mix on her recent visit since she likes chai so much and I think she had about 6 cups of it she liked it so much.

Homemade hot chocolate mix

There are two kinds of winter: Good winter and Bad winter.

Good winter is the stuff of childhood: Christmas and ice skating, building snowmen and sledding and hot chocolate. Bad winter is how it starts to seem as you become an adult. It’s short dark days, constant illnesses, slushy wet pant legs and freezing cold mornings.

Today was Good winter. It’s warm enough to enjoy being outdoors but cold enough to snow. I took my daughter outside to play in the snow, pulled her around in her little sled and then came inside for some hot chocolate.

Big Batch

2 cups powdered milk
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder

Use 3 tablespoons of mix with 1 cup of boiling water

The problem with most homemade hot chocolate recipes is that they call for way too much cocoa powder and way too little sugar. As a result you end up with bitter tasting sludge. This recipe is sweet with just the right amount of everything. So mix up a batch and enjoy a bit of Good winter.