Best Homemade Hot Cocoa Recipe
After playing out in the snow, kids deserve a nice cup of hot cocoa, and this recipe makes the very best!
I’ve got two variations for you. Traditional, and the Healthier version!
Traditional:
3.5 cups of milk
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/3 of a cup of sugar
dash of salt
Healthier:
3.5 cups of organic milk or any milk alternative (coconut milk, rice milk, etc.)
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder (I like this type here)
2/3 of a cup of coconut sugar (I use this kind)
dash of sea salt
The Instructions are the same either way:
1. Heat milk either on the stove top or in the microwave til warm/hot as you like it.
2. Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.
3. Enjoy with or without mini marshmallows and peppermint sticks!
Carpe Diem, my friends!
We are expecting a big snow here in central Kentucky. Starting after midnight tonite the snow should begin to fall, and not stop until we have 8-15 inches, or so the weather people say. This is big snow for Kentuckians (and yeah, I grew up in Syracuse, NY so yes I DO know about BIG snow!) and very exciting for our kids.
We are ready to make the most of it.
We bought extra milk, since of course I’ll need to make lots of homemade hot cocoa. 🙂
We bought a couple more sleds so that we could have plenty of races.
We got some more pairs of gloves to keep fingers cozy.
And you know what? The Winds of Inspiration have come to me, and what did they say?
After-Midnight Sledding Party!
Oh yeah, baybee! (Because you know, The Winds of Inspiration are not to be denied!)
Once we get enough snow on the ground tonite, we’re going out to our backyard hill to make some epic memories. I am so excited, and so are my kids!
Fellow parents, ponder this:
Our kids get one childhood, and we get to spend it with them.
There are no do-overs.
When you get the opportunity to do something
crazy
fun
unexpected
wonderful
and special
clear the deck and say
YES
as much as you can.
It is life-giving.
You’ll be making memories with your kids that are
gold
and
glue
for now and forever.
Weekly Round-Up 2/14/15: Noteworthy Stuff to Check Out
The Techies Who Are Hacking Education by Homeschooling Their Kids I really enjoyed reading this article. My favorite was the description of how the mom was coaching her kids along in their business plans. One of my children currently attends a “cottage school” which is like a homeschool-private school hybrid, so I was interested to learn about the growing movement toward such things. It’s a great option for many people!
To Parents of a Teen with a Psychological Illness: 4 Things You Need to Know Right Now: This article may just be the lifeline you or someone you care about needs. Highly recommended.
15 Artists Collaborate to Make London Children’s Hospital Cozier for Kids: Cute, fun, cool, and thoughtful design and art come together to make things a little better for kiddos in the hospital.
Coming up next week: Presidents Day Sale! We will have all of our presidents collections, including our new Quotes from US Presidents penmanship and copywork products, on sale. Be sure you are signed up for our newsletter and freebies so you have all the details!
Almost All US Presidents Were Related to King John of England
This is so interesting! This young girl started out doing a project about her own family tree, and discovered that she’s a distant cousin of President Obama! She also found that almost all of the U.S. Presidents are related to England’s King John, who signed the Magna Carta!
I just love it that she got so into her research that she put in the effort to do this epic project! That’s real learning right there: A spark that leads to a fire! Very cool and inspirational.
[mashshare]
Happy Birthday Charles Darwin!
Charles Darwin was an English naturalist and geologist that lived in the 1800s. He is best-known for his contribution to the theory of evolution. He published his theory in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species.
Regardless of your beliefs about creation and evolution, Charles Darwin’s theory was a game-changer in the world, and is well worth understanding today.
Our Darwin resource is part of our Great Scientists collection. Originally I created this collection when one of my sons was in Classical Conversations’ Challenge B program. He had a lot of research to do and papers to write, so I put together resource collections for each scientist they were studying that year, to make it simpler to have quality information available quickly and easily. Now it’s available for you, too! Charles is in good company with other scientists, such as Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, and others.
Like this quote? Click to download a printable version of it.
[mashshare]
Solved: Breakfast Chaos
One of the ways we sometimes run into trouble in a school day is if we don’t get off to a good start. You know what I’m talking about—nobody fed the dog, people are squirreled away in their bedroom playing minecraft and hoping you won’t notice, and for goodness sakes: they don’t know what to eat!
I even have a child who tells me this, while I look at him and say things like, “You know what is available! Toast! Bagels! Oatmeal! Cereal! Fruit! Yogurt! Waffles! Pick one!” (Because after 22+ years of serving breakfasts, I feel like now everybody should be able to help themselves. Shouldn’t they?!)
And still we sometimes struggle. Oy.
Well, I just love this creative solution: DIY Breakfast Stations! This clever compilation gives you everything you need to fully stock a bunch of healthy breakfast options at your house AND help the kids be more independent.
You’ll get a complete shopping list, recipes, printable labels, and instructions to put together a TON of breakfasts! It is already bargain priced, but Kim Sorgius, author and developer of this system, was sweet enough to offer a coupon code for you guys! Use coupon code $2OFFESTUDIES to take $2 off of your order. This coupon can actually be used on any product in her store this month, so be sure to check out all that she has to offer here. (she even has a similar product for creating lunch stations as well!)
[mashshare]
Happy Birthday Thomas Edison!
Thomas Edison was one of America’s most famous and impressive inventors! He was so curious as a child that his teachers actually thought he was none-too-bright, so his wise mother decided to teach him at home instead! 🙂 (How many of you can identify with that one, eh?)
Edison had a lifetime full of curiosity and invention, amassing over a thousand patents by the time he died! He is an inspirational man to learn about, and is included in our exciting Famous Inventors collection. Many moms tell me that their sons, in particular, really love our Famous Inventors and Great Scientists collections. You should check it out!
For today I’ve got an Edison quote for you, and there is a *Free Printable* version of this that you can help yourself to! Click here to download.
Teach Me Tuesday: Learning to Play Destiny
I think I first heard about the benefits of letting your kids teach you stuff from one of my most favorite resources of all time, BraveWriter.com. Kids love it if we enter in to their activities and interests, and we get to have the experience of being the student for a change! What’s more, when your kids articulate the instructions required to play a game or create something, they are using those organizational skills that are so important in public speaking, writing, and more!
The Cello Song, with 7 Cellos
I’ve got a thing for the cello, and I’m not ashamed to admit it. 🙂 My father played the cello and so did I. (briefly, in elementary school) I’ve never stopped loving the deep, soothing sounds of this gorgeous instrument, so don’t be surprised if you end up seeing a lot of cello videos here. It’s just the way it is. 🙂
This performance is a beautifully-done version of Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1: Prelude. It’s a pretty famous piece, so you and your kids will probably be somewhat familiar with it. I think you’ll all enjoy it.
[mashshare]
Poetry from Rod McKuen
Back when I was in high school, I somehow discovered my mom’s collection of Rod McKuen poetry. She shared her books with me, and his beautiful words got into my heart and mind and never left.
Over the years I’ve gathered up a few more of his books (you can only get them from used book stores now) and I still love his poetry.
Rod McKuen died recently at the age of 81. He had over 200 albums and more than 30 collections of poetry. Today I’m going to share just a couple for you.
An Outstretched Hand
for Jay Allen
by Rod McKuen
Each of us was made by God
and some of us grew tall.
Others stood out in the wind
their branches bent and fell.
Those of us who walk in light
must help the ones in darkness up.
For that’s what life is all about
and live is all there is to life.
Each of us was made by God
beautiful in His mind’s eye.
Those of us that turned out sound
should look across our shoulders once
and help the weak ones to their feet.
It only takes an outstretched hand.
For My Son
by Rod McKuen
Watching children grow
is like threatening the ivy
to climb the garden wall.
You wait for it to happen
you hurry it along with love.
But still you’re disappointed
at giving someone life enough
to walk off on their own
and not be carried in your arms.
You never turn your back—not once,
and yet one day they’ve grown apart
or taller.
It’s all the same.
Polly put the kettle on we’ll all have tea.
Giving love to children
has made us older overnight.