Homemade Mocha Drink Mix

I am a huge fan of coffee.  Generally, I just drink it regular (one cream, one sugar).  If I want to get really fancy, I'll use some of this:

Today, however, I found myself out of mocha mix.  Instead of going to the store and spending three bucks on another one, I thought I could make my own for much less money.  So, I checked out the ingredients list:

Okay:  Sugar, nondairy creamer, instant coffee, cocoa, and other flavoring.  I think I can do this:

I have a few different jars of instant coffee around, so I took the jar that was just under half full.  I filled it with sugar up to about an inch from the top.  Seem like a lot of sugar?  It's probably less than what you're drinking in your Starbucks every day, actually:

Visual representation of the sugar equivalent in a Starbucks Mocha, via Menshealth.com, totaling a whopping 660 calories, 22g fat, and 95g sugar for 20 oz.

 Next, I added about 4-5 tbsp of dark cocoa.  I decided to omit the nondairy creamer, because it's bad for you.

After adding the cocoa, I screwed the lid on tightly and shook until mixed well:

It's a little darker than the original store bought mix, but since I omitted the nondairy creamer, I expected that. 

To test it out, I put 12 oz hot water in a mug, and mixed 2 tbsp of my mocha mix into the water.  I added about 2 tbsp of 2% milk, and this is the result:

Compare your Starbucks to this drink mix.  Assuming you mixed 20 ounces of this Mocha mix, you would have 120 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 24 grams of sugar. That's assuming 4 scoops of mix for 20 ounces of liquid.  For one serving (2 scoops in a 12-ounce mug), you have about 60 calories, 1/2 gram of fat, and 12 grams of sugar.  Win!

When I add 2 tbsp of 2% milk, that brings it up to 74 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 14 grams of sugar, and all delicious!  (Nutrition facts calculated at Recipe Calculator.)  Isn't it amazing how much healthier something becomes when you take out the unnecessary junk?  This also makes my drink mix much healthier than the store bought mocha mix!  If you used 2tbsp of the store bought stuff, you would ingest 120 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 18 grams of sugar.  I win!  Not to mention the fact that my mix is a lot cheaper.  Enjoy!

Dollar Store Storage Bucket

I've been looking for some nice little baskets for my kitchen to hide my prescriptions in that doesn't look like crap.  I couldn't find anything in the store that I was willing to pay for, so I made them myself:

Materials:

Contact paper from the dollar store

2 buckets from the dollar store

spray paint on hand

Before the spray paint

It looks like I paid a lot for these now but the total cost was 3 bucks!  

Framed Antique Keys

This is what I made today.  I'm not sure what to call it, but it was very simple.  I have seen variations of it in magazines, at Pottery Barn, etc, but I really wanted something monochromatic.   My house is full of dark trim so I am always looking to brighten it up.  Here's how I made it:

Supplies:

Antique keys (available at antique stores for about $3 each

4x6 frame (This is from Dollar Tree)

Spray paint

Scrapbook paper

Tacky Glue

Cardboard for painting

First, remove the backing and glass from your frame and set aside.  Put frame and keys on cardboard. 

Put several layers of paint on the frame and on both sides of the keys.  I sprayed 3 coats.

Using frame back as a template, cut out scrapbook paper.  Once the frame and keys are dry, put the scrapbook paper in the frame in front of the glass so that the paper is the outermost layer.  Using the tacky glue, put a thin layer of glue on the back side of each key and arrange as desired.  Let dry overnight and hang in an area that is not prone to moisture.  Keep away from basements and bathrooms, and this should hold up well.  Enjoy!

Sneakers are Cute on Babies

I've recently written a new pattern that I can't stop knitting:  Sneakers for babies!  I have a low-top and a high-top version, both instructions are included in the pattern.  Cute little "Chucks" for your baby, from newborn size to 12 months.  I am making them for all my pregnant friends!  For three bucks, you will definitely use this pattern for every baby shower you attend!  Well worth it for the perfect, original shower gift!

Dairy-Free Brownies!

I wanted brownies. I had no butter. I Googled substitutions, and olive oil is what I used. The result: So delicious, that I permanently changed my recipe!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp dark cocoa




Mix sugar and oil together, then add remaining ingredients and mix well. Using more olive oil, grease an 8x8 glass Pyrex baking dish. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes, then turn off heat and leave the brownies in the oven for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool for 15-20 minutes.



Nutrition Facts (from SparkRecipe's Recipe Calculator)

Makes about 12 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 161.6
Total Fat 8.1 g
Saturated Fat 1.4 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.9 g
Monounsaturated Fat 5.4 g
Cholesterol 30.8 mg
Sodium 60.8 mg
Potassium 59.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 22.1 g
Dietary Fiber 1.0 g
Sugars 16.7 g
Protein 2.1 g
Vitamin A 1.0 %
Vitamin B-12 1.3 %
Vitamin B-6 0.9 %
Vitamin C 0.0 %
Vitamin D 1.7 %
Vitamin E 2.8 %
Calcium 0.8 %
Copper 5.5 %
Folate 3.6 %
Iron 4.2 %
Magnesium 3.7 %
Manganese 7.0 %
Niacin 1.8 %
Pantothenic Acid 0.3 %
Phosphorus 4.2 %
Riboflavin 3.8 %
Selenium 3.2 %
Thiamin 2.9 %
Zinc 2.2 %




*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Free Pattern: Set of Four Coasters

I've got another free pattern up for download.  I figured it's about time for a freebie!  I hope you like it.

download now

Green Bean Casserole

Does anyone really need a recipe for this?  Well, I did when I first made it, but now it's something I'm proud to have memorized the full, intricate process and extensive ingredient list.  I bring you GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE:

Ingredients:

2 qt casserole dish

Preheat this to 350

Step 1:  Open all the cans, drain the beans. Ignore my dirty dishes in the sink, I'm in the middle of a cooking bender.

Step 2: dump all the cans in the big bowl and stir them together

Step 3: Dump the mixture into your casserole dish.

Step 4: Take the other half of the fried onions that you didn't eat while mixing the beans, and sprinkle them on top.

Check on sleeping dogs, make sure they are still cute:

 While waiting for stuff to bake, clean up, which is ridiculously easy for this recipe.

Step 5:  Bake for 25 minutes or until hot. If you see the mushroom soup bubbling a little bit around the edges, it's done.

Yum!