Happy holidays! Like many of you, today marks the start of our two-week break from school. We’ll be celebrating Christmas tomorrow and sadly will be saying goodbye to our beloved Elfy of Elf on the Shelf.
The boys are so sad about it, but they want to make Elfy a present tonight to say farewell. We’ll be making cookies for Santa too – and I suspect mini cookies for Elfy to take back to the north pole.
They even made Elfy his own stocking for Christmas. How cute is that?
While we’re baking tonight, I’m whipping up some homemade hot cocoa. I made these gorgeous treats as homemade gifts for friends and family. They were so easy to make and looked gorgeous in these Mason jars. I’m getting quite addicted to using Mason jars for everything.
The recipe is a snap. The original called for powdered milk, but I prefer to use organic 2% milk or you could even use almond or coconut milk.
Homemade Peppermint Hot Cocoa in a Jar Gift
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup crushed peppermint candy (all-natural dyes and no preservatives, of course)
- 1/2 cup mini marshmallows (optional – I have a hard time finding marshmallows without artificial dyes so I left them out)
Directions
Get a 1-quart Mason jar. Layer cocoa powder, sugar, salt, chocolate chips and peppermint candy in a Mason jar. Makes 12 servings.
If you’re giving it as a gift, include a tag or sticker with these directions: Mix entire contents in a bowl. For each serving, place 1/3 cup of cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk. Store remaining mix in Mason jar.
This post was written by
Tracey Black is the founder and editor-in-chief for Don't Mess with Mama, the sassy mom's guide to parenting, green living and travel. She is a regular contributor to Redbook's Mamarama blog, and a social media strategist working with eco-friendly brands such as Stonyfield, Juice Beauty and others. She has three boys and lives in San Diego, Calif.
