Easy Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa With Starbucks®

asouthernmother
February 22, 2016
salted caramel hot cocoa

“This post was sponsored by Starbucks as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received compensation and complimentary products to facilitate my review.”

Last week was a terrible, no-good, very bad week for my family. It started with yet another snow. We live in southern Kentucky, and we’ve received unusual amounts of snow given our proximity to the south. A few weeks ago, we got nearly 2 feet in the matter of days. It started snowing Sunday afternoon, and didn’t stop until Monday morning. Snow makes it very difficult to get off the farm. I bet you’re thinking, that isn’t such a bad way to start the week. School was cancelled for Gabe, and I luckily work from home. Things started to fall apart quickly that morning. Jeremy took my French Bulldog Bob out for his morning walk, and he began yelping in severe pain. I managed to fall in the snow and ice, and badly injured my hand. We had a sick dog and a lame owner. I decided that Bob needed to go to the vet first, and I waited a day to go to the ER. In a blink, everything changed. At the end of the week, we had said goodbye to my beloved Bob, and I was treated for both a quickly spreading infection in my hand and a fracture. I needed all the comforting that I could get; I settled into the couch with a cup of Starbucks® Hot Cocoa, a warm cozy blanket, and some tasty shortbread cookies. My heart and my body needed rest. I had received these products in my Starbucks® Cozy Collection, and they were very much appreciated in my moment of grief. When I ran out of the Starbucks® Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa K-Cup® pods, I decided to make my own Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa using Starbucks® Classic Hot Cocoa K-Cup® pods.  It was definitely what I needed to speed along my recovery. I’m sharing how to whip up a delectable Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa in a matter of minutes.

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Tips For A Guilt-free Bridal Party

asouthernmother
February 5, 2016

This post was sponsored by Dunkin’ Donuts as part of a Influencer Activation for Influence Central. I received complimentary products to facilitate my review

Hosting a small party for your bridesmaids and other bridal party members right after you’ve tried on your wedding dress (that I ordered roughly 18 months ago) is rarely a good idea. My wedding is about 12 weeks away; it’s going to take carrot sticks, water, and many miles on my bike to ensure that my dress fits properly.  I’m going to have to give up my cupcakes, but I could never give up my coffee. I decided I would try to to host a guilt-free bridal party with the help of Dunkin’ Donuts Vanilla Cupcake Flavored Coffee. I know I’m not the only person in my bridal party stressed over whether her dress will fit properly, so I tried to give everyone a few options. Here are a few tips for a guilt-free bridal party.

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Strawberry Mint Muffins & McCafé Coffee

asouthernmother
June 9, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #McCafeMyWay #CollectiveBias

I drink coffee almost every morning, and if I don’t get a cup in the morning I usually enjoy one in the afternoon. I’ve always had a bad habit of skipping breakfast, and usually I’ll skip breakfast before I’ll skip my coffee. I try to keep a selection of easy recipes that you can make quickly or that can be made ahead of time on busy mornings. I thought I would share a recipe for Strawberry Mint Muffins that they pair perfectly with a fresh cup of McCafé coffee

strawberry mint muffins

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