Ingredients

1 Tbsp cocoa powder
5 tsp stevia blend* (I used organic Pyure)**
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 tsp vanilla
1-2 tsp warm water
1 1/3 c half n half

*Stevia blend sweeteners are twice as sweet, so if you're using regular sugar, simply double the amount of sweetener in the recipe. In this case you'll use 10 tsp.

**I also want to note that this is very sweet, like most flavored creamers. I wanted it to be sweet enough that I wouldn't have to add anything else to my coffee. If you like things to taste less sweet, feel free to adjust the sweetener to your taste.

Instructions

First, start off by adding all of your powdered ingredients and extracts into your jar or container. Next, add one to two teaspoons of hot water (just from the tap) and mix to combine them all. This creates a smooth liquid and prevents your cocoa powder from getting all lumpy. Also, technically you could use cold water but I find the warm water helps to dissolve the sweetener a little faster. Lastly, add your half-n-half and continue stirring until your sweetener is fully dissolved!





And there you have it, easy peasy! This makes enough to last about a week (or a couple days if you're an addict like myself haha!) so just pop a lid on it and put it in your refrigerator to store. This would also make a great hostess gift, or for any person who loves a good flavored creamer.

For the record, Dane doesn't usually go for flavored creamers, but he was all over this one. When there's more than one of you drinking it, it tends to go fast, so feel free to double the recipe!







I hope you'll try this and let me know what you think! Are you a fan of the peppermint mocha, or do you prefer your coffee a little less froofy? Let me know in the comments below!

As always, thanks for stopping by and have a great rest of your day!

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This picture is a big one on my list of inspiration. I looked at a ton of pictures of kitchens with black windows, but this one is my favorite. I love the white walls, and the way they make the windows really pop. And it has all of my favorite things, black+white, warm wood, brass hardware, and greenery!

Here are some other things I'm looking at.

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I love inserted hood ranges, and I think it's necessary anyway because I'm not planning on doing any upper cabinets at all! Call me crazy, but I just love the look of open shelving, and there will be plenty of storage without them. Dane loves the idea because it's cheaper haha ;)

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There are several cabinet color options that I really like (I love those wood ones), but I always keep coming back to black. It's always been a favorite of mine, and I feel like you can't go wrong with such a solid neutral color. But, I have tossed around the idea of a dark olive green, so I could surprise myself and choose that when it comes down to it!

Right now I'm planning on medium brown wood floors, white counters (maybe concrete) and a subway tiled backsplash. I've been hearing rumors that subway tile is out, and I get it. When something dominates as much as subway tile has, people get tired of looking at it. But, we used it in our last two remodels and didn't get to enjoy it at all! Literally weeks after tile went up, we moved out :( I may decide to try a different tile layout, but I still do love the classic.  I also thought about some pretty patterned cement-like tiles, but honestly, I think I would get tired of that really fast, in spite of how pretty it is. So, tried and true it is.

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The layout of our house is a little different than most people are probably used to, like I mentioned in a previous post. You walk right into our dining room/kitchen, so I want it to make a really good first impression. Something cozy and welcoming, with lots of character. And our dining table is going to float in the center of the room, so I'm picturing something old, rustic, and warm. These pictures above  are really pulling that off!

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And, let's be honest, some of these places (like so much of Pinterest) are much higher end and extravagant than our house is going to be! So my goal is to focus on the things that I know I like (warm wood, black+white, olive green, a touch of rustic, a touch of traditional, a touch mid-century) and make it work for our home :)

There you have it, our new kitchen inspiration! What do you think? Should I continue to do these posts for some of the other rooms in our house? Let me know!

Happy Wednesday folks, and thanks for stopping by!