Frugal Homemade Drink Mixes

There is just something about the coziness of a warm cup of cocoa, or tea on a chilly day!!  My kids love to play outside in the winter, and then almost always want a cup of cocoa, when they come inside!

But then again, who doesn't love a cup of cocoa???  LOL!!!

I certainly have bought my share of pre-made hot cocoa packets, but also love to make my own.  The ingredients are healthier and it saves quite a bit of money too.

We also love to have Spiced Tea (or Russian Tea) mixes available.  Even kids like this kind of tea!  :)

Here are a couple of our favorites:

Hot Cocoa Mix (needs to be added to milk)

Hot Chocolate Mix (can be added to water or milk)
*4 cups powdered milk
*1 cup unsweetened cocoa
*2 cups sugar
*1/2 tsp. salt
*1 tsp. instant coffee (optional)
Mix ingredients and store in an airtight container.  Add 1/4 cup per 1 cup boiling water.



Spiced Tea
*1 cup Tang
*1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. instant unsweetened tea (decaf is fine too)
*1/4 cup sugar
*3 tbsp. powder lemonade mix
*1/4 tsp. ground cloves
*1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Mix all ingredients together.  To make one cup, add 2 heaping teaspoonfuls to hot water.
***I have also experimented with this recipe....it seems to work fine to replace the tea, sugar, and powdered lemonade mix with instant lemon sweetened tea (about 3/4 cup).  That makes the preparation even easier!  :)





Another wonderful mix is for Chai Tea from Crystal, at the Family Homestead.  (I substitute granulated sugar for cane juice crystals.)  I gave this mix as Christmas gifts one year!  :)



Do you have a favorite???

This is what Works for Me.  To find out what works for others, check out We are THAT Family.

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Watermelon Kiwi Smoothie

Yum!

We saw this recipe over the weekend while at my parents' cabin.  My mother had a copy of the Byerlys/Lunds natural foods magazine.  This recipe was featured in it, so I put watermelon, kiwi, and vanilla yogurt on my shopping list.

This was the "bedtime snack" for my boys last night.  They all thought that it was rather good.  So did I.

I found the recipe on the National Watermelon Promotion Board's website.  Actually you might want to take a look at the website, as it has lots of fun facts, more recipes and even fun things for kids to do! 


Here is the recipe:
 
Watermelon Kiwi Smoothie 

*2 cups seedless watermelon chunks
*2 kiwis, peeled and chopped
*2 cups vanilla yogurt
*1 cup ice
Place in blender and process, until smooth.
Makes 2 servings


**I made half of this recipe last night and it made 3 1/2 servings!  I'm not sure how big of servings they are talking about the way that wrote the recipe!  :)

I think I might try adding a banana to this today.

Enjoy!

For more great recipes, be sure to check out the following links below:


$5 Dollar Dinner Challenge
Tasty Tuesdays
A Southern Fairytale
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday Pin It

Iced Coffee....at Home

I love coffee!!!!!

I love going out for coffee!!!

I love all of those fancy coffee drinks at the fancy coffee houses!!!

I don't like the prices, however.

That is why I have played around with making my own iced coffee at home.  Last summer, I tried making really strong coffee and pouring it over ice.  That worked okay, but I couldn't get the coffee cold enough, for my liking.

I was excited when I found the website, I Need Coffee, because Melanie explained how to make cold-brewed iced coffee at home.

Just as Melanie suggested, this is what I did:

*1/4 cup coffee (up to 1/3 cup---I used decaf)
*1 1/2 cups water (she suggests room temperature)

Mix this together in a glass jar.  Let sit on the counter for several hours.  When it was ready, I placed a coffee filter in my wire strainer and set it on top of my plastic container.  I poured the coffee and grounds into the filter.

After it drained, I poured the coffee over ice into a glass, and added a little sugar and cream.  Yum!!!

I tried it, and was very pleased with the results.

So if you liked iced coffee, all you really need is a little time....if you want some in the afternoon, you need to set it up on the counter in the morning.  

After adding a little sugar, and my half and half, it tasted really good!  And cost me pennies, instead of dollars!!!  :)

Have you had success making fancy coffee drinks at home, iced or hot????



This post will be linked to:

$5 Dollar Dinners
*Tempt my Tummy Tuesday
*A Southern Fairytale Pin It