Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

I love the holidays and I love creating gifts to give others. Of course, we buy gifts but I really like to make as many gifts as possible. It’s usually not to save money because a lot of times I end up spending more on materials than I probably would just buying a gift. Either way I enjoy it. It helps me take my mind off of feeling bad so I try to keep busy (lately it hasn’t been hard to do!). Anyway – I used to love giving those little jarred hot cocoa mixes. I wanted to do this again, just create it a little healthier and add my own little twists. This recipe is enough to make 1 serving of cocoa so just add to it for however many you are wanting to make. I made a lot so we’d have some extra on hand. Store extras in a sealed container.

1 ½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp stevia extract for sweetness (or use sugar)
1 Tbsp coconut sugar (or other sweetener)
¼ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp ground ginger

• Mix ingredients together in a mug. Add in 6-8 oz of milk (we used almond milk). Add in ¼ tsp of vanilla if desired for extra sweetness and flavor. Microwave or cook on stove for about 2-5 minutes or until desired warmth. Of course, you can top with whipped cream or marshmallows!

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

I can’t believe it is already time to post this. I’m a little nervous about the holidays this year. This will be the first year for a gluten-free Thanksgiving. Last year I was on a pretty strict diet, but I cheated a little and suffered the consequences. This year – none of that! I’m not nervous about the food. I’m nervous about the interactions during meal time. I definitely don’t want to hurt feelings or step on toes about not eating what the family cooks. However – I simply can’t afford to have a bad day due to poor diet choices. So here goes nothing (wish me luck!) As I’m sure many of you are doing, we are traveling some. We aren’t traveling far but we do have several dinners to go to or make. One thing I will miss this year – my mom’s pumpkin pie and my mother-in-law’s ham. Oh gosh… my mom always makes an extra pumpkin pie, just for me! I take it home; eat it again that night, for breakfast the next day, etc. We will have to work on an alternative but for now, no “Mom’s Famous” pumpkin pie for this girl. I’ve learned that you shouldn’t have to suffer or feel guilty about not eating holiday meals. There are many options out there; you just have to find what’s best for you. What we have decided to do is to just make our own “traveling” Thanksgiving dinner. I will make our own meal and take it to the dinners we are going to. For those coming to our house to eat, they can eat what we cook. If they don’t want to, they can bring their own. It’s not the best solution I’m sure, but it’s the best one we’ve come up with. I can’t touch, eat, or be around gluten. If anyone has other suggestions – I’m all for hearing about them! Anyway – I wanted to present some options to any of you having this same problem. Or if any of you are just wanting to try something new this holiday season, try one of the recipes below! Either way, it’s Thanksgiving and it’s a great time of year to be thankful for what we have. Whether you are doing a typical family tradition, or like us – trying something new, just remember how fortunate we all are. I sometimes find myself wondering why this happened to me, but at the end of the day I have to be thankful. I’m thankful God put me in this position to help me learn and challenge me. I have learned so much about taking care of my body and my health. My situation has also made me realize how fortunate it is to enjoy a meal with family. Something as simple as dinner can be taken away so quickly. Some may not be able to enjoy Thanksgiving dinner due to food allergies or illnesses. Others may simply not be able to afford it. Regardless, I am so very thankful for the opportunity to create a tasty, healthy meal on this wonderful day and I hope you all are too. Of course, I’m thankful for millions of other things but this is a food blog after all! Check out the full day’s menu options below and try some of the recipes – they should all be linked to the original posts complete with pictures. Have a wonderful and blessed Thanksgiving!

    

Breakfast:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls (Maple or Original)
Banana Oatmeal Pancakes – my most popular! (for extra energy if you have having a late lunch)
Cinnamon Scones
Appetizers
Shrimp Dip
Veggie Pizza
Watermelon Mint Jam – served with crackers/chips
Smoked Chicken Antipasto
Lunch/Dinner:
Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts - for an alternative to turkey
Made Over Mashed Potatoes
Balsamic Green Beans
Roasted Fall Veggies
Deceptive Mac & Cheese
Stuffed Acorn Squash (or stuffing)
Mushrooms, Onions & Swiss Chard
Butternut Pumpkin Biscuits
Red Wine Cranberry Sauce
Desserts
Upside Down Apple Cake
Cranberry Pear Crisp with Lavender – my favorite!
Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies – for the kids!
Pumpkin Pie with Almond Crust – if you want to get real fancy
Beverages
Apple Cider
Pumpkin Spiced Chai Latte
Strawberry Lemonade  - for the kids

Strawberry Lemonade

What is summer without lemonade?? There’s just something about a cold glass of lemonade that makes a hot day better. We like to switch it up and add something to the lemonade. This time we tried strawberries and it was wonderful! Plus – homemade lemonade is much healthier than the powdered stuff and still easy to make.

4 lemons

½ cup stevia powder (or sugar or other sweetener)
4 strawberries
1.5 quarts of water
ice cubes

• Fill a two quart pitcher half full with ice cubes. Add in the 1.5 quarts of water. Juice the lemons and add the juice into the water. (I cut each lemon in half and juiced by hand but you could also use an electric juicer)
• Cut slices of lemon rind and add to pitcher. Cut the strawberries into quarters and add to pitcher.
• Slowly stir in stevia or other sweetener. Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavors come together. Refrigerate any leftovers.