Winter Vegetable Soup

Sometimes you just need a quick and easy, comforting, warm, delicious meal on a cold winter night. This soup is just that! It’s hearty and filling, but still healthy and light. It has a slight Italian flavor and goes great some warm Focaccia or garlic bread. It is quick enough to have on the table in about 20-30 minutes. 

Winter Vegetable Soup

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!