2 Super Great Hot Drink Mixes for the Whole Family!

Hosting friends at our house is one of my favorite things to do! I love deep soul conversations over a cup of coffee and laughter or hot chocolate and a good movie with friends any day of the week!

Now, before I say more I want to tell you about my Mom - she was {and still is!} the ultimate hostess. I spent many years watching her host company and remember people complimenting her hospitable spirit over and over again. People that came to our house as I was growing up always felt loved and appreciated. 

And very well taken care of. Nobody ever left with an empty stomach if she could help it. 

Mom passed her love of hosting on down, and although I'm not sure I can ever be the hostess she is, I do love to try!

I think the biggest key to being a relaxed hostess that can pamper her guests a little is being prepared ahead of time. 

I'm not talking about preparing ahead of time for one certain guest or group of guests. It's so much fun to take time to prepare special things when you have several days to prepare, but a majority of our hosting is last minute and we love it like that.

If you enjoy hosting then you'll know that brownie mixes and freezer cookies can be a girl's best friend! But what about drinks? 

I have come to really appreciate drink mixes. But so often they taste fake and I wish I would have more to offer to friends that drop by.

And recently, I've been discovering some delicious DIY mixes that just add that extra bit of yumminess I've been missing!

So, if you're a lover of drinks {can a good drink possibly be the 6th love language?} then these 2 recipes are for you!

Starbuck's Holiday Spice Flat White has become a recent favorite of mine and I decided to try it at home the other day. After a little searching I found a recipe that looked good and simple and gave it a shot.

Oh wow.

Best coffee drink ever for a cold, wintry day!

Just a few days later I was looking for a simple Hot Chocolate mix that didn't take any special ingredients like powdered milk which I never have on hand. After a little more searching and tweaking and I now have a new favorite hot chocolate mix as well!

​These are the two recipes I'd like to share with you - and I hope you love them as much as we do!

Holiday Spice Latte
I originally found this recipe on Don't Sweat the Recipe. I tweaked it a little bit to fit the ingredients I have readily available most times and converted it into a mix instead of one serving.. You can find the original here.

1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Nutmeg
1 tsp. Ground Cloves
8 tsp. Sugar.
{I used raw sugar, but white or brown would work great too!}

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an air-tight container, such as a pint jar.

When you are ready to make your latte, simply put 1 heaping tsp of the mix in a dry mug. Brew 2 shots of espresso or 1/4 cup of strong coffee and pour it over the sugar mixture. Steam or heat up and froth 1 cup of milk and pout it over top. A flat white latte is supposed to have the signature white dot of foam on the top, which is fun to try for!

You can make this latte simply with a coffee pot or french press and wire wisk or get a little fancy with this stopvetop espresso maker and hand frother, which is what I've been using recently!

I promised the kids we would make hot chocolate mix one day and then remembered that I didn't have any powdered milk. It's just not something I ever use. So I started looking for a recipe that used ingredients I already had.

And I found one! And girls - this recipe is delicious! Chocolatey, creamy and just perfectly sweet. It's everything a good hot chocolate recipe should be! Yay!

Hot Chocolate Mix
I originally found this recipe at Live Simply. I tweaked it a little - you can see the original recipe here.

1 cup White Sugar
1 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 tsp. Powdered Vanilla {optional}

Blend the sugar in the blender until it is a smooth powder. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until the chocolate chips are ground into a fine powder. Store in an airtight container {once again, a jar works perfect!}. When you are ready to use, put 2-3 Tablespoons of the chocolate mixture into a mug and add 1 cup of warm milk. Stir until the chocolate is all melted. Garnish with cool whip and marshmallows and a candy cane, of course!

This mix also makes a great Peppermint Mocha! Pour hot coffee over 1-2 Tablespoons of Hot Chocolate Mix and a candy cane. Add warm milk and stir well. 

And there you go! Two simple DIY recipes that will give you something yummy to serve in a hurry! These are also great for in-home date nights. wink wink.

It is such a privilege to have friends and family to host. Take the time and invest the energy to make them feel loved and appreciated. Little acts of service mean so much!

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor!" {Romans 12:10}

I am not a great hostess like my Mom - but she has shown me that love, honor and respect towards our guests goes such a long way in cheering our friends on in their journey!

What about you - what's one of your favorite hospitality tips? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

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