Easy Pantry Stovetop Cocoa & A Couple Healthier Treats

 

Hello my Blogland Besties!

Happy Friday Eve :) 

I hope you've been having a wonderful week so far. It's a bright sunny, but chillier, day here in the northwoods. But whenever the sun is shining it gives me more energy and I love it. ☀️

Thank you to all who entered the blogaversary giveaway and congrats again to the winners! I love sharing with all of you in this space so very much and I hope there will be many more giveaways in the years ahead!!

Now on to what I wanted to share with you today. Since there has been so much chilly weather lately, I thought you might be interested in one of my favorite kinds of homemade cocoas. I always have these items on hand, so it's easy to whip up. However, I only have cocoa as a treat now and then because it does have calories more like a treat. So this is not the "healthier" portion of this post. It's the cozy portion. Yay!✨

 Last week there was such a cold night here that Matt & I decided to spend it in front of a cozy fire in the fireplace. We chatted, I read my book, Matt was on his phone and listened to his book (how he prefers to read) - and it was just so nice and cozy. 

As you can see - Ms Ruby is always at my feet. Lol Well I decided the perfect treat for us that night would be to have a mug of homemade cocoa. Matt had never had stovetop cocoa before, so I thought it extra fun to make it for us. Here are some of the ingredients I used:

I happened to have some half & half to use up - so I included it along with the skim milk I had. Feel free to use any milk, cream etc you would like. For one person the recipe is 1 cup of milk. So obviously I made 2 cups worth. So I threw what half & half I had (which was maybe 1/2 cup) in my 2 cup measuring cup and filled it the rest of the way with the skim milk. I poured that in a medium saucepan and put it over medium heat on the stove. I whisked in some unsweetened cocoa powder (I always have this on hand for baking), some sugar, a pinch of salt, & some vanilla. And that's it! 

Whisk it over the heat until it's all incorporated and nice and hot. 

Pour into a couple of mugs, top with marshmallows, and cheers with the one you love. Matt said it was the best cocoa he's ever had! I think because it gives such a rich real flavor packet or pod cocoa doesn't. Think of it kind of like drinking a rich brownie in a mug. Lol You can look up online and there are a lot of different cocoa recipes out there. You can melt real chocolate with cream and make a homemade cocoa that's to die for too. But this one is quick (maybe 5 mins), easy, and made from things I always have on hand. Not to mention, it's really good! 😋 Here's the full recipe of what I did:

STOVETOP COCOA

1 cup any kind of milk (but creamier if you mix with some half & half or cream or use richer milk than skim)

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 Tbsp sugar (but I add a little extra because cocoa powder can be so bitter - so I add at least an extra 1/2 Tbsp)

pinch of salt (maybe 1/4 tsp)

1 tsp vanilla

Whisk all on medium heat on the stove until warmed through and as hot as you like it. Pour into a mug and top with marshmallows. 

Enjoy!

 *( I doubled this for the 2 of us)

I thought I'd share a few healthier treats we've been enjoying too. It is that time of year you know - when we try to extra focus on health. And for me it's also wanting to lose some of my holiday weight, plus more! 😉 But I truly keep my focus on health and balance - more than any number on a scale. I go with how I feel and wanting my joints to ache less. 😁

I think I've mentioned these before:

We love these date treats that really remind us of a snickers bar. We often find containers of medjool dates in Costco. I slice them in the middle. Take out the pit. Put in a tsp or so of natural peanut butter (or whatever nut butter you like), a couple of peanuts. Close them up and and pour a little melted chocolate over the top with a sprinkle of sea salt. I do this on a wax paper lined plate. Chill in the fridge and enjoy as wanted. They're so good! And they have lots of fiber and less calories than a candy bar! 

These are another tasty option. There are a million recipes for peanut butter energy balls - but the basic start is typically 1 cup of oats, 1/2 c. nut butter, and 2 tbsp honey. Then mix in whatever you like. I did some chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a few chocolate and butterscotch chips on top (way Matt loves them). Roll into balls. Again, just keep chilled on wax paper in the fridge and have one as wanted. They are good protein, fiber and a sweet fix. You can easily double this recipe to make more too. 

And I know I've told you about this one. Instead of ice cream at night, I have these yummy light & fit yogurts filled with protein. They have lots of yummy flavors and I will top one with fruit, maybe a drizzle of chocolate, & granola or a few chopped nuts. The cherry and banana cream pie are my absolute faves!! So good!! And I end the night with a perfect sweet fix and lots of protein with a base of only 80 calories. 

 I feel like rice cakes are polarizing. Folks either love them or hate them. I happen to love them for snacks or treats. I've been obsessed with these pickle ones lately! There are ranch and white cheddar ones that are good too. But if you like pickle chips - these are THE BEST! I like them even more than pickle kettle chips I've had. And a lot less calories per serving than those chips. This is a bag of smaller rice cakes - not the big ones.

Another way I love to enjoy them is taking one big butter popcorn rice cake and putting a tiny smear of real butter on top and put in the micro for a few secs to melt in and then top with a little sprinkle of powdered parm cheese. Or take one big caramel rice cake. Top with a little nut butter spread, a drizzle of honey & crushed peanut on top. Tastes kind of like cracker jacks. 

I hope maybe some of these ideas inspire you for some yummy balance and healthier options too! I think the key is to look for flavors you know you already like - or can recreate. Otherwise you're not going to eat those healthier snacks, just because they're "healthy". 

Blessings! 

xoxo