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