Starbucks Style Hot Chocolate

Can you believe we still have a whole month of winter left? I feel like it has lasted all year. Even though I am counting down the days to nice, warm weather, I can still enjoy the simple pleasures winter brings, like rich hot chocolate.

Are you a Starbucks fan, but can't afford the bill every time you are craving their sugary goodness? Well, I found a recipe that nearly beats Starbucks famous hot chocolate. Add a little peppermint or caramel to this and you'll never pay that $3-4 price again.

Recipe from: Instructables.com

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup water

4 Tbs cocoa powder

4 Tbs sugar

3 cups milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

Here's what you do:

-Combine water, cocoa, and sugar in a saucepan. Heat on medium-high and stir until the mixture starts to create steam, but doesn't boil yet.

-Add milk, then vanilla to the pan and stir until everything is mixed and the milk is close to boiling.

-Serve in your favorite mug topped with a generous serving of whipped cream.

Enjoy your last few weeks of winter!
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Smoothie Pick Me Up

I have a big sweet tooth. I do the best I can not to keep sweets in the house because I know I will eat them. Jake is much more controlled in this area than I am. If there's good ice cream in the house, I will want a bowl after every meal... Maybe even a bite after breakfast. (But I would never tell anyone that).

This smoothie is a great alternative for my sweet tooth. It's fresh, sweet, and refreshing!

Here's what you need: (roughly 2 smoothies)

-2 cups ice

-A big handful of blueberries

-About 5 whole strawberries

-Half a banana sliced

-1 to 1 1/2 cups yogurt (I used strawberry for this recipe, but vanilla is always good!)

Here's what you do:

-Place everything in a blender.

-Pulse the blender until everything is mixed and the ice is not chunky.

-Serve in cute cups with cute straws.

That's all it takes! You can make your own version by using/adding different fruits or different flavors of yogurt.

Enjoy!

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You Should "Chai" This!

Ah... the sweet taste of Chai.  Even when I was in elementary schoool I loved to sip on this delectable drink.  Luckily, it provides me with something to order when my husband decides to go to Starbucks (I can't really drink coffee). I have grown to love it so foundly, that I decided to make my own iced version (adapted from Martha Stewart).

What you need:

• 1 1/2 cup chai concetrate (Oregon Chai is my favorite... I'm kind of biased though, since I live here!)
• 1 cup half and half (Don't judge.... I'm pretty sure Starbucks uses whole cream.  That's right!  It's not called "Chai Cream" because they use low-fat milk.  See, my recipe is getting healthier and healthier by the second!)
• Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups ice (you can add more later if you want it thicker)

What you do:

• Add chai, half and half, ice, and a couple shakes of cinnamon to a blender.
• Blend until the ice is in little bits and pieces.
• Serve with extra cinnamon sprinkled on top or even whipped cream (personally, I think the whipped cream always tries to one-up the chai, and I just end up hating the whipped cream... so you might want to play it safe and leave your chai naked)

From my tiny kitchen to yours!