Hot Chocolate Mix – Just 3 Ingredients!

November 6, 2015 by Aliesha

As soon as there is a hint of a chill in the air, my kids start begging for hot chocolate! (Yes, even on the days when it will be in the 70’s by noon!)

I love having this mix pre-made in my pantry so that we can have hot chocolate whenever the mood strikes!

I have to credit Martha Stewart for this recipe. I wanted to try it since so many hot chocolate mix recipes call for powdered milk, and I wanted one that I could just whisk into milk we have on hand.

When I make the hot chocolate for our family, I heat a larger amount of milk on the stove and add the appropriate amount of mix to the pot. I love to froth the milk a bit with a hand frother!

Hot Chocolate Mix - Just 3 Ingredients!

easy hot chocolate mix with just three ingredients!

Author: Aliesha @ Feathers in Our Nest

Recipe type: Beverages

Ingredients

3½ cups white sugar (or evaporated cane juice)
2¼ cups good quality cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. sea salt

Instructions

In a large bowl, whisk together all ingredients.
Store in a glass jar or other airtight container.
To serve, heat 8 ounces of milk (whole is best) and whisk in 2 Tbsp. of hot chocolate mix.

This makes a lovely Christmas gift as well!

Note: Pictured in the pictures is a “half-batch” of this mix, so that should give you an idea of how much a full batch makes.

Enjoy!

Aliesha Caldwell is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

What’s in My Diaper Bag

November 3, 2015 by Aliesha

I’m not sure why, but I always love reading about what other women keep in their purses and diaper bags.

Maybe because I find it interesting to see what they deem worthy of lugging around with them all day every day!

At any rate, I wanted to share with you what’s currently in my diaper bag/purse!

First up, the stuff that is mostly for me.

-wallet
-keys
-cell
-bobby pins & safety pins
-Bee Silk Junior (hand cream) from Made On
-travel size Real Salt (you never know when you may need this, haha)
-snack from my Graze Box
–lip balms and lip sticks (mildly obsessed with Root’s pretty balm)
-business cards
-two pairs of sunglasses (options, of course)
-pens (my nightmare is being somewhere without a good pen)

And then there is the stuff for baby.

-changing pad (included with Lily Jade diaper bag)
-wipes
-diapers (several for baby & one for toddler… we use cloth at home, but frequently use ‘sposies when out & about)
-burp cloth (or two or three…)
-extra outfit
-socks (my kids lose their socks all over the place, so extras are a must)
-toddler sunglasses
–Covered Goods Nursing Cover (never leave home without it)

I load up all my baby stuff into the “baby bag” insert of my diaper bag (TONS of pockets!!), and I put my personal stuff in the main pockets of the actual bag.

That way, if I need to remove the baby stuff (like last night when I went to Bible study alone), it all comes out by simply lifting out the insert! Or when you drop your baby off for nursery at church, you can leave the baby bag insert and keep your purse with you.

Everything is so nice and organized in my Lily Jade bag! Love it!

What’s in your diaper bag? Anything surprising?

Disclosure: I received a Lily Jade diaper bag in order to facilitate my original review and this post as well. All opinions are my own… I truly LOVE this bag!

The Ubiquitous Pumpkin Patch Pictures & Bravery as a Mom

October 29, 2015 by Aliesha

I remember when Cordelia was born. (Well, obviously. But stick with me.) Vera was eighteen months old and as busy as she could be. (That’s what I thought, but then she got busier!) My days were mostly a blur and I spent much of my time keeping everyone out of trouble (not always successfully) and alive.

Our first outing (me by myself with both girls) was to story time at the library. I remember so vividly opening the door to the van, and thinking to myself, “How in the world am I going to get both of these children out of the car, across the parking lot, and inside the library safely? If I get Vera out first, she may run off while I’m getting Cordelia out. If I get Cordelia’s seat out first, then I’m going to have to set her down in the parking lot while I climb all the way into the van to unbuckle Vera. And then I still have to get across the parking lot somehow!” A friend saw me just standing there and came over to help me. She held Vera’s hand while I unloaded Cordelia’s infant car seat and we all managed to get inside.

I don’t recall leaving the house alone for quite some time after that. Afraid of the worst case scenario in every social setting, I stayed at home a lot, where at least I could somewhat keep an eye on everyone.

Now this fall, as I have twice as many children, I don’t look back at that time and laugh at myself, because I remember how hard it was. I truly don’t think, “Wow, it was so much easier with just two kids.” Somehow it’s easier with four children than it was with two (I’m assuming mostly due to their closeness in age). My mom friends who currently have both a toddler and a newborn have my utmost respect and constant prayers! That season is busy and hard (but it just gets better, I promise!).

All of this to say… last week we went to the pumpkin patch with our friends (I believe there were 17 kids in our group, all of whom were under 6). Tad kept asking me, “Are you sure you want to go and take everyone?” He meant it in the most helpful way possible, but I knew it was something I wanted to do even though it would be hard.

I’ve gotten braver as a mom, I think. Maybe it’s because my girls are becoming quite trustworthy and obedient in public situations. Even Jude is learning to obey me better each time we go somewhere. Maybe it’s because I was going with friends who could certainly lend a hand when I felt outnumbered. Maybe I’m just learning to do hard things so that my children can enjoy beautiful childhood experiences like the pumpkin patch!

I do know for sure that God has given me more and more grace with each child he has given us. People ask how we “do it” with four. God’s grace… God’s grace… God’s grace.

So maybe Cordelia had to use the bathroom (a port-a-potty, to be exact) while Vera and Jude were in the middle of the hay bale maze. And maybe Theodore needed to nurse while my other three needed to eat lunch too. And maybe Jude got pecked by a chicken and had a meltdown about putting his pumpkin in the car. But it was so worth it. Not just for them, but for me. Surrounded by friends who are also in the trenches of motherhood, I was reminded at how far God’s grace has carried us.

From a mom who was too scared to go back to story time at the library to a mom who takes four kids to a pumpkin patch and farm, it’s evident that God has been lavishing grace on me over these last five years I’ve been a mom.

Motherhood sure is sanctifying!