Hot Chocolate Bar

Christmas may be over, but we still have a few weeks of winter left, and plenty of excuses to drink delicious mugs of hot chocolate. Here in Columbia this morning, we got a dusting of snow! It was so pretty to watch! We took Aspen out and ran around in it and had a blast. Then we came back in, dried off and indulged in some rich, velvety hot chocolate!

I love having a hot chocolate bar for guests, it's so fun to let everyone get interactive with their drinks and personalize them. I had one this past Christmas for family, but I think it would also be fun to have a cozy winter get-together and display a hot chocolate bar.

The recipe I use is soooo good y'all. Rich, creamy, chocolatey goodness that is easy to make! You can put it in a crock-pot, but every time I've made it, I didn't want to wait so I mixed everything in my dutch oven and it was ready in 10 minutes.

Pour all the ingredients right in your pot:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 1 bag)
1.5 cups whipping cream (you could probably use half and half if you don't want yours as thick and creamy)
6 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

*Tip* Pour the chocolate chips in first. Before, I have poured the milk in first, then the chips, and no matter how careful you are, splatters are inevitable!

You can get creative with your toppings, this is the fun part after all!
I like having a bowl of mini marshmallows, candy canes (crushed or whole), Creme de menthe pieces (chopped up Andes mints), Pepperidge Farm Pirouette cookies (I think Aldi has the same kind), and homemade whipped cream!

*Silver mint julep cup from Joss and Main

*Metal beaded bowl from Belk (Biltmore collection)

*Small clear snowflake coffee mug from Crate and Barrel and glass sugar bowl with spoon in background from Bed, Bath, and Beyond (a set that comes with glass creamer pitcher)

For the whipped cream, put a stainless steel bowl and mixers in the freezer so they get good and cold and frosted over, that way the cream will hold up. Then, when you're ready to make the whipped cream (do it right before you're ready to serve it, it only takes a few minutes to whip it up, haha!) In the bowl, pour in 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, about 1/4 cup granulated sugar (or more depending on how sweet you like it) and now the fun part is flavoring! Add 1-2 tsp of vanilla for traditional whipped cream or do the same amount of peppermint extract if you like that minty flavor (like me!)

For this hot chocolate bar, I set everything up on our coffee table since we were enjoying our fire, but you can set it up wherever! Kitchen table, kitchen island, counter top, or even a beverage cart! I don't drink but I would love to have one of those carts for displaying something like this hot chocolate bar or serving sweet tea and lemonade! Hmm, a sweet tea bar is brewing in my head.....

*Mug from Target

Christmas Reading

I love to read.  Ever since I was little, I enjoyed a good book. I especially love reading Christmas books this time of year! Curled up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a crackling fire with a book is a great way to spend a cold winter day.

Here are some of my favorites and ones I can't wait to read:

Blue Christmas and Christmas Bliss by Mary Kay Andrews (sequels to her novels Savannah Blues and Savannah Breeze - LOVE this series!)

Winter Street, Winter Stroll, and Winter Storms by Elin Hilderbrand (my favorite author ever! All of her books take place on Nantucket and are GREAT beach reads. This series is perfect for Christmas!)
**Warning - there is another Elin Hilderbrand book called "Christmas on Nantucket". It is the SAME BOOK as Winter Stroll. For some reason they gave it a different name. Don't let it confuse you!

A Lowcountry Christmas by Mary Alice Monroe (A great South Carolina author!)

Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe and Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop by Jenny Colgan (Haven't read this yet but can't wait to! I LOVE Jenny Colgan, and both of these are sequels. Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe and Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams are two amazingly sweet and engaging reads! I love all things warm and cozy and any of Jenny Colgan's books definitely fit that bill.

Festive Sweaters for the Holidays

Sweater Weather! As soon as the air gets a chill in it, we can't wait to break out our coziest sweaters. I can't wait to see what fun, festive styles brands have each year.  Here, I have collected some of my favorites this year. Nothing like a reindeer sweater to make running errands feel a little more like Christmas shopping :)

Old Navy Reindeer Sweater

crown & ivy Tangled Terrier Sweater

crown and ivy Chilly Willy Sweater

crown and ivy Reindeer Sweater (love the back!)

J. Crew French Hen Teddie

Thanksgiving Day Outfit

Lots of pictures get taken during the holidays. Time to look our best! And the more festive, the better. Thanksgiving Day is one spent with family and friends - and eating lots of delicious food! We will want the outfit we choose for this special day to be comfortable as well as stylish. (Need to impress those cousins we haven't seen in months!) 

Here are some pieces I've been eyeing and will style my own outfit after. 

Mix and match as you please!

Metallic Fair Isle Sweater 
(Can't go wrong with this classic style! Could go with any of the three pants below)

Lace-trim blouse 
(Will stand out beautifully with the white pants or get it in
white for a monochromatic look;
and the blue would also complement the tan corduroys!)

Camel cashmere turtleneck
(An investment that will get its money's worth!
Let me count the ways I can wear you!)

Sequin tank
(Love this with the white pants or black velvet skinnies for a glam look)

High waisted wide leg pants
(So comfy and fancy at the same time!)

Velvet skinny jean
(A classic style and texture that will take you all the way through
New Year's)

Tan corduroy flare pants
(A rich color that will serve as a base for any fall outfit)

Gingham for Fall

Gingham! A classic print that will never go out of style. While it did not originate in the South, I think gingham has a very southern feel to it.  It fits right into that lady-like/country style us southern girls go crazy over. Effortless, yet put together.

Commonly seen in spring and summer fashion in pastel shades or in a good dose of red for your classic summertime festivities, I feel gingham can and should be worn year round. When styled correctly, gingham will fit in with your fall and winter wardrobe, right next to all that plaid and buffalo check.

ASOS

Bloomingdales

Draper James

Forever21

J. Crew

J. Crew

J. Crew

J Crew

Old Navy

Old Navy

SheIn

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Tulle and Pleated Skirts for Fall/Winter

A few styles I am loving for Fall and moving into Winter are midi or maxi Tulle and Pleated skirts! I keep seeing them when I do my on-line "window" shopping and really want to try them out! 

The Tulle is so ethereal and magical and the Pleated is such classic style. I love the fluidity of both styles! Paired with a simple tucked in T-shirt, an oversized comfy sweater, or a delicate lace top (crop top even if you dare), these skirts can be so versatile!! Ok, I think I've sold myself... 

Express

Express (also comes in bright red and black)

Morning Lavender

Morning Lavender

Topshop (Nordstrom)

Lulus

Lulus

SheIn

SheIn

Enjoy!

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Apple Picking at Skytop Orchard (and recipes!)

The hubs, pup and I took our yearly trip up to Flat Rock, NC to go apple picking at Skytop Orchard! We went a little earlier this year thinking we were smart to beat the crowds. We were wrong...it wasn't as crowded as last year mid-October, but it was still packed! Different apple types come in season at different times so we were able to get some apples that are available mid-September that were already out of season in October, so it pays to go different times of the fall season!

It was a lot of fun and Aspen had a great time running through the orchard, sniffing the apples, and meeting all kinds of people! We got the famous apple cider doughnuts again but this time there wasn't a 45 minute wait! I bought a voucher in the barn when I bought my apples and apple cider so we just walked right up to the window and got our doughnuts!

I couldn't wait to start trying out apple recipes! The first thing I did was peel and slice a few then sauté them with sugar, cinnamon and butter. SO GOOD and SO EASY. You can pretty much just wing this one, but if you are nervous about how much of this and that to use, this recipe from Southern Living and My Recipes is a good one to help you find your way

I tried to make some applesauce from a recipe from The Pioneer Woman and it was going well until I left it on the heat too long and all of the liquid dried up and the sugar burned on the bottom of the pot... Note to self, keep a closer eye on the applesauce.

After ruining the applesauce, I was determined to make something else with my apples that I could enjoy so I made an apple cake with browned butter frosting. Oh my heavens this is a delicious cake! The large pieces of apple and the spices in the cake with the nuttiness from the frosting make a glorious combination! I ripped this recipe out of my September 2010 copy of Southern Living and had it in a binder with other recipes I've saved over the years. A hard-copy Pinterest if you will. 

This is the next recipe I want to make. Gotta love a good bundt cake! And a brown sugar glaze makes everything better :)

What apple recipes have you been dying to try?

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