Unclaimed Money

The weather has turned to winter. It has been cold, and there is snow on the ground where I live. The kids have been building snowmen and sled riding. All this cold weather has made hot drinks very attractive. Teas, coffees, and cocoa are delicious ways to take off that winter chill.

Buying those mixes though can be a drain on the grocery budget. Making your own really is very easy, and will save you money. My favorite cocoa recipe is not a mix, but just cocoa made from scratch

2 tsp cocoa
2 scant teaspoons sugar
1 C boiling water
1 C milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Put cocoa, sugar and boiling water into a saucepan. Boil 1 minute, add milk and heat. Do not boil.

Though the above recipe is my favorite for taste, sometimes you just want a mix so all you have to do is boil water. The Hillbilly Housewife has a wide range of tea, coffee, and cocoa mix recipes. My favorite is the hot cocoa mix.

4 C instant nonfat dry milk
1 1/2 - 2 C sugar
1 C powdered non-dairy creamer
2/3 C unsweetened cocoa
1 package instant chocolate or vanilla pudding mix

Put it all in the food processor and process until blended. Add boiling water to 1/3 C of the mix.

I like to make the Rich Vanilla Coffee for myself.
1/3 C instant coffee
1 C instant dry milk
1/2 C powdered coffee creamer
1/3 C sugar
1/4 C instant vanilla pudding

Process in the blender or food processor. Use 1/4 C of mix and add hot water to your cup. Stir and enjoy.

Check out all the other recipes she has on the site. Any of these mixes make great gifts. Put the mix in an airtight container or jar. Make a card with instructions. I like to include the hot cocoa mix in gift baskets at Christmas. I also include some chocolate covered marshmallows in Christmas colors. It make for a very pretty gift.

Enjoy playing in the snow. Then come inside and warm up with a hot drink you made yourself. It will be delicious, and save you some money.

For more frugal tips go to Frugal Fridays.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 7th, 2007 at 5:55 am and is filed under money, saving money. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.