Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa - Spring snow storm approved

 


      For me, the month of April usually signifies warmer weather is on it's way. You don't expect to experience warm sunny 70 degree weather one day and wake up to this.....

the next. Unless you live in Utah.
     All of a sudden it is April 15th and I'm digging through the closet for snow clothes and rifling through the pantry for hot cocoa. I found the snow clothes, but no cocoa. Apparently in my Southern California girl naivete' I thought, "I don't need to buy hot cocoa anymore, it's APRIL!" WRONG!!!
     In a few hours I will have four freezing boys home from school wanting something to warm their spring frost bitten bodies. Enter my recipe for Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa. The ingredients aren't anything too exotic, so you should have everything already in your pantry. Cause who wants to make a trip to the grocery store in April through the newly fallen snow to buy hot cocoa? That would be like adding insult to injury.

Slow Cooker Hot Cocoa

1/4 cup quality cocoa powder
1/2 white sugar
1 cup hot water
*6 cups milk (I use whole or 2%. You can also substitute Soy, Almond, lactose free, etc)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp kosher salt (optional)

• Combine Cocoa, Sugar, and Hot Water in large pan.  Stir, and bring to gentle boil.
• Transfer mixture to slow cooker, and whisk in milk. Then add vanilla and kosher salt.
• Stir, cook on high for 2 hours (or low for 4 hours), or until hot.
• Top it off with whipped cream or marshmallows and ENJOY!! Happy Spring!

 *If you like your cocoa less strong, add 1 or 2 cups more milk.

Because I Love You Most....

     After all the teeth have been brushed and everyone has mad one last potty stop, we say prayers with all the kids, and then usually I sing them song. But, we have one more  little bedtime ritual, it all starts when someone says "I Love You MOST!" That statement is answered with: "I Love you MORE!" Then the reply is given, "Love you to the moon and back!" And, finally the ritual is completed with, "I love you till the stars don't shine." Only then will my children, especially my daughter, resign themselves to the idea of falling asleep.
     So when I was thinking of a little meaningful Valentine decoration, the first phrase that popped into my head was, "Love you MOST". Soon thereafter a new free printable was born. Just for you for Valentine's Day.

     Just right click on the "Love you MOST" printable and then "save image as" to your computer.
     Yours is a little prettier than mine because I gave it a lovely pink border. Happy Valentine's Day!

The Wickedest Halloween Party of them all!

 

Our niece Brittany passed away 2 weeks prior to our family Halloween party. Because she loved Halloween, we continued with our plans of having the party and did so in her honor.
This is the beautiful Belle dress she would have worn.
We miss you Brittany; the fairest of them all.










For year's I have dreamed of dressing up as the wicked Queen from Snow White. Who wants to be the fairest of them all when you can be wicked!? And why not center our whole Halloween party theme around me?......the wicked Queen, that is.

Our first stop, the vain queen's Mirror Room(living room)

"Each day the vain queen 
consulted her magic mirror, 
"Magic Mirror on the wall, 

who is the fairest one of all?"

Simply gather all the mirrors from your house, buy a few extras from dollar tree, and
you will have a room perfect for a vain Evil Queen.

Some green colored water, red apples, and a little dry ice and viola.....
bubbling poison apples!

I spy an evil queen and an old hag.

Next on our tour the Spell Room(kitchen)

 "Now, make a Wish and take a Bite" 

 poison apple brew.

Apples, apples, and more apples!

Last stop on our tour, the Enchanted Forest (family room)

 "Take her far into the forest.....
 And there, my faithful huntsman, 
you will kill her!
And bring back her heart...."

Slave in the Mirror!

Instead of cutting out tree silhouettes, as I have done in years past,(remember Breann?)
 I decided to tape up some black butcher paper
 and then draw my heart out with a fat white paint pen.

Eat your heart out evil queen

Let the parade of costumes begin!

L to R: Magic Mirror, Evil Queen, Snow White, Screamer, Steve from Mine Craft ,
Luke Skywalker (from the Degoba system), and a Harry Potter Death Eater.

L to R: Walt from Breaking Bad, Cruella Devil, Cute Nerd,
Cute Boy Nerd, and a Cute Pirate

L to R: Super Girl, Sheldon Cooper (unzipping his brain), Amy Farah Fowler,
Bat Girl, Purple guy, and Zombie Dancer

L to R: Davy Crockett, Maleficent, and Elsa

Holt from the Ranger's Apprentice book series, or Robin Hood, if you don't know who Holt is.

 May your Halloween be Wicked good fun!
Love, The Crockett Gang.