Homemade Hot Cocoa

Hot cocoa is the perfect sweet treat on a cold snowy day. The kids love having a cup when the return inside from hours of play in the snow. I usually have the packets from trader joe's on hand, but decided it would be fun to make my own. It looks like this is the better way to go for me.

This is hands down the best hot cocoa I have ever tasted. I promise you will love it. The best part is that you have complete control over the ingredients, and you know exactly what you are giving your family. No mystery name ingredients here.

You will need:
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. raw sugar
1/3 c. water
4 c. milk
gmo free marshmallows

Method:
Combine the cocoa powder, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat letting the mixture boil. Stir constantly. Stir in the milk, make sure not to boil. Serve with marshmallows, or whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

Here is another school lunch picture to show you. I feel like lunches are getting a little redundant lately since I have outdone my winter food options. I can not wait until Spring. The cold is starting to get to my bones at this point. I am writing this post in my bathrobe as I struggle through my nasty February cold. I have the full shebang, chills, fever, sneezing coughing. Blah! I hop you are surviving the cold, or enjoying the warmth depending where you are. This is officially my last weather related complaint. You can expect a positive outlook from me from here on out. :)

In this lunch:
Vanilla Greek Yogurt with shredded coconut and frozen blueberries
Ham, cheese and spinach on a tomato and basil wrap
Sour Cream and Onion Bunnies
Strawberries and Mango

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Homemade Vapor Rub

Cold and Flu season is in full swing this winter so it's a good idea to have some vapor rub on hand. I used to use Vick's Vapor Rub until I realized it had petroleum in it. Nasty! (We use non-petroleum  jelly also.) I decided it couldn't be too difficult to make my own, so here we go. I was going to simply mix my non-petroleum jelly with a few drops of eucalyptus oil, but  wanted a slightly different texture. I decided to work with beeswax to achieve a thicker result. My homemade vapor rub cam out prefect. I love the texture, and it smells just like Vick's. I have yet to try it, thank goodness, but I'm sure it will help relieve those little stuffy noses.

You will need:
1/4 c. Almond Oil
1Tbs. Beeswax pastilles
10 drops eucalyptus oil
10 drops peppermint oil

Method:
Melt the beeswax with the almond oil. Add essential oils and pour into an airtight container. I used little glass jars I bought at the health food store. You could use any mason jar, or tin you have on hand. Rub on little feet and chests to relieve congestion.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

DIY Craft Storage

I thought I would share a little organization trick I use for small spaces. We do not have enough storage, who does really, so I am always looking for clever ways to use the space I do have. This one is super easy, and anyone can do it. All it is is  a shoe organizer that you would normally put in a closet. I bought mine on amazon for about $8.00. I used command hooks to hold it in place, and hung it on the inside of my craft closet door. We keep glue, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners and all sorts of craft supplies in it. Do you have any clever organizing tips you use in your home?

Valentine's Day Cupcakes (Egg Free, Dairy Free)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

I made these cupcakes for B's kindergarten Valentine's party. Sadly school has been cancelled the past two days so they never made it. I was half expecting the cancellation so I only topped one cupcake with a strawberry just to picture it for the blog. The rest of the cupcakes are in the freezer waiting to go to school. February vacation is next week so it looks like the kids will exchange their valentine's toward the end of the month. Oh well. They don't care.

This was my first attempt at egg free vanilla cupcakes. They came out perfect, or so my sources tell me. The recipe is a lot like my vegan chocolate cupcake recipe. I couldn't be more pleased. I have been meaning to make an egg free vanilla recipe but thought it would be more intensive than it actually was.

You will need:
1 3/4 c. unbleached flour
1 c. raw organic sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. veg. oil
1 c. cold water

Mix all ingredients and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

 2 tbsp milk

Dye Free Sugar Crystals

 

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Valentine's Day School Lunch

Happy Valentine's Day!

Today was actually a snow day, as was yesterday. We have so much snow I am beginning to forget what green looks like. Oh Spring, where are you? I know it's too early for Spring, but boy am I ready. It is Valentine's Day so I thought it would be fun to make special heart lunches. I photographed it in the planet box so you would still see how you can fit everything in.

In this lunch:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich with Jelly heart
Heart Shaped Watermelon on a stick
Sliced Strawberry
Veggie Sticks

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Valentine's Treat

Valentine's Day is just a few days away, so I thought it would be fun to treat the kids to something delicious. I prefer to treat them to something like this rather than those chalky candy hearts or some other dye filled Valentine's candy on the market. My sister Karen made strawberries with white chocolate and green sugar crystals for Christmas. It was such a cute idea. These organic strawberries are dipped in all natural white chocolate, and sprinkled with dye free sugar crystals. I buy my sugar crystals at the natural foods store here in town. They are colored with beet juice. The kids loved this as a dessert, and so easy to make.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla

One Year.

Happy 1st Birthday snacktimemom! It's hard to believe that a year has gone by already. I am having so much fun blogging, thank you all for listening. Stay tuned for  a fabulous 2014.

Winter Care Package

I put this little care package together for my niece who is a freshman in college. We don't get to see her as much these days since she is a couple hours north of us, so I thought a box would be a fun surprise for her. I am calling this a Winter Care Package, since we are in the dead of winter, and it can seem a little daunting after a few months. Do you have someone special in college, or far away that deserves a little package?

 

In this box:
Organic Hot Cocoa
Swiss Milk Chocolate
Burt's Bee's Chap stick
Hand Sanitizer
Whipped Body Lotion
Coconut Sugar Scrub


Thanks for visiting, Kayla

Whipped Body Lotion

I have been wanting to make a body butter for awhile now. This actually came out more like a lotion consistency, but I'm okay with it. It was so much fun to make, and I love the finished product.  There is definitely some trial and error when you first attempt this, but it is all a learning experience right? Stay tuned for more posts like this one. I feel like a good lotion is essential for Maine winter survival.

You will need:
1 c. Organic Shea Butter
1/2 c. Organic Coconut Oil
1/2 c. Almond Oil
20 drops essential oil

Method:
Melt Shea butter and Coconut Oil in double boiler.(I use a glass bowl inside a medium saucepan.)

Once completely melted, set aside to cool for 30 minutes. Once cooled, add the almond oil and essential oil to the shea butter mixture. I used pomegranate essential oils. It is rejuvenating and helps with skin's firmness, and elasticity. Us mom's need all the help we can get. :) Chill in the freezer for about 45 minutes. This is an important step. Keep checking to see if your mixture has begun to solidify.

 

(Sorry I do not have a photo for this step. For some reason this particular photo will not load.) 

 

 

Once it has begun to set, whip the mixture with a hand mixer, until the mixture has this appearance of whipped frosting. It looks amazing. I used my stand mixer at first, but then switched to my hand mixer to gain better control. If your mixture does not whip enough, return it to the freezer for another 10 minutes or so, and re-whip it with the mixer. Mine looks like this:

 

 

This lotion makes my skin feel so soft. I love how my skin absorbs it instantly. Dry winter skin, I think so. Just remember, a little goes a long way.
Thanks for visiting, Kayla

School Lunch

My father's birthday was this past weekend, so we had a pizza party. Why not pack some cold pizza for Monday's lunch. B loved it. The fresh organic mango and strawberries really make this lunch delicious. B came home asking for more strawberries. I wish they were a little less expensive though. $4 for strawberries is ridiculous. Annie's cheddar crackers, and yogurt covered raisins complete this lunch.

It looks like we will get a lot of snow today. They are predicting 8-10 inches here. I think we will spend the day organizing the craft closet, snuggling in jammies, and lots of playing. What do you like to do on a snowy day?

Vacation Fun

We are back from vacation, and all settled in. Our week in Florida was fabulous. The kids had a blast, and lots of memories were made. I was so impressed by how well behaved the kids were. They did a great job on the plane, and on our daily outings. Disney World is extremely over stimulating, and exhausting, but we all made it out alive. :)

If you read my post on vacation packing, you will be pleased to know that the gallon Ziploc bags were a fool proof way to go.  It was almost too easy to hand the boys their bag of clothes each morning. No drama, and no fighting. I will pack that way for every trip.  Now that we survived our Disney Vacation my mind is already planning the next trip. I'm not sure where it will be exactly, or when, but it will be great. Below are just a few pictures from our trip.

Thanks for visiting, Kayla