Chocolate Dreams

5 days my friends! 

Ok lets talk hot chocolate! This stuff is amazing! There are so many different kinds of hot chocolate. One of my favorite kinds to drink is a Mexican-style hot cocoa that's called"Abuelita" from Nestle. This is so yummy, it has a little different taste to it that makes it stand out!

Nestle Abuelita Hot Chocolate

Go to the store and get your Nestle Abuelita Hot Chocolate Tablets. Once home, melt 1 tablet in 1 cup of milk over medium heat. Stir with a whisk for 3 minutes or until tablet is dissolved and your hot chocolate is deliciously frothy! Note: if you want really fast and simple some stores carry the powder packets like other hot cocos. Follow the directions on it's box)

Image from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abuelita

Optional toppings and add ins: Peppermint mocha creamer (or any creamer), whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, sprinkles, marsh mellows, caramel and/or chocolate drizzle, candy canes, chocolate or peanut butter spoon and coffee! (of course I wouldn't all of these at the same time)



What are your favorite add-ins and toppings? Do you even like hot chocolate?

Cookie Cutter Christmas

10 day until it's Christmas all day long!

I think one tradition in our house is making sugar cookies. All the fun cut outs and icing and sprinkles! A few years ago we found a ugly Christmas Sweater Cookie Cutter! So cute right?

We use the same recipe every year and they always turn out great! Last year was the first Christmas that I went gluten free. So I experimented with the same recipe and was pleased to find that they were good! Remember in my "Add A Little Punch To Your Life" post I shared "my" punch recipe from the cook book my mom made? Well this recipe come from my cousin Candace ( or my Aunt Marci!) who also was a small child when the cook book was made. Candace have you made your cookies lately?

Candace's Sugar Cookie

1 1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Cup Butter
1 Egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Almond Flavoring (if you have a nut allergy you can use another kind of flavoring)
2 1/2 Cup Flour (Or your favorite Gluten Free Blend. I suggest using one that already has Xanthium Gum already added)
1 tsp. Cream of Tarter
1 tsp. Baking Soda

Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and flavoring; mix thoroughly. Sift dry ingredients together and stir in. Refrigerate 2-3 hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough and roll out on a lightly floured board. Roll thin but thick enough to pick up the design in the cookie cutter. Dip the cutter in flour before each cutting. Bake 8-10 minute. Frost with icing and have fun decorating!

If you make these wonderful cookies post them and don't forget to hashtag #janellschristmascountdown

See you tomorrow!

We "Belize" You a Merry Christmas Part 2!

17 days to Christmas day folks!

Our trip to Belize was so good! Like I said before this was the first time I had been on a mission trip during Christmas time. So since I had never been in December I had no idea what Christmas was like down there.

All of the stores have Christmas decorations such as lights, ornaments, all kinds of different and unique to me Christmas trees, dancing Santa's and a few other fun things. 

I loved driving in the villages at night, because a lot of homes had Christmas lights!

My Youth Christmas Party was a hit! They loved it! We had a worship service, I gave a word about what God wants for Christmas, we played a silly reindeer game (found here: http://intelligentdomestications.com/2013/12/christmas-party-games.html ).

Then I had a photo booth set up (that was one of their favorites!) and then we had Christmas goodies like Little Debbie cakes, Christmas cookies, candy canes and hot chocolate(all of which I brought with me). Then we watched the movie "Elf" in Spanish and they laughed all the way through!

One of my Friends down there said that his favorite part was the food! 

Then the next evening was the Christmas Mother Daughter Tea and that was really special! We wanted to serve and honor these woman and girls. So the whole night was us loving on them by serving them hot tea and cookies and then giving them gifts. Then we played the reindeer game again with them and it was hysterical! I think they had more fun than the youth! Then we each shared a little message that was on our hearts for them. It was really special. The woman were so touched.

Thank you all for praying for our team. We not only had a blast throwing Christmas parties but God showed up big as always in the meetings and then where ever we stopped. People were healed and divine appointments happened the whole trip. God is just so good! 

So again thank you for covering us in your prayers!

See you tomorrow, for more Christmas fun! #janellschristmascountdown

Add A Little Punch To Your Life

20 days to Christmas Friends!

When I was little my mom created a cook book for our church. It was filled with recipes from the members and our family. Well I was too little to enter so my mom entered a recipe and put my name down as the contributor. What was recipe you might ask? Christmas punch!

So since Tis' the season I thought I would share "my" recipe with you! Try it out! It' guaranteed to put you in the Christmas mood…you know if you need any help with that!

Janell's Christmas Punch

1 (32 oz.) bottle Cranberry juice
1 (12 oz.) can frozen Orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 T. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Ground allspice
1 (1 liter) bottle Ginger ale, chilled
Lemon and Orange slices, optional

In a large container, combine cranberry juice, orange juice concentrate, sugar and allspice; mix well. Cover and chill at least two hours. Just before serving your chilled Christmas in a cup, add the ginger ale; mix well. Garnish with lemon and orange slices. Yield: 18-20 servings of 1/2 cup each.

And that’s all she wrote! ;)  If you make my punch please take a picture and hash tag #janellschristmascountdown so I know how you liked it! 

And now a word from the Word:

See you tomorrow!