Mochas at Home: A Recipe

I've never been a coffee drinker. Always loved the smell, but couldn't stomach it. 

I'm thinking coffee purists would still say I'm not a coffee drinker, but I've developed a serious love of mochas. You know, grown up hot chocolate - but the kind you can drink and drive with :)

The downside has been that they haven't tasted *quite* the same made at home - and I can't justify spending all those dollars on a caffeine fix , so mostly I've done without. 

Well, Advent is starting off with a bang because today - TODAY - I finally figured out a less expensive home brew that rivals that $5 cup. 

It all started with an IKEA French press for under $10 and a bag of ground espresso blend. 

Espresso (or dark roast of choice) Concentrate:

4 cups water

2 cups ground beans

24 hours cold brewing in a container of your choice in the fridge. 

After 24 hours, strain and reserve liquid in the fridge. (Mine lives in the French press in my fridge.)

When you're ready to brew your mocha:

2 Tablespoons cocoa powder

1 Tablespoon sugar (or sugar substitute)

2 Tablespoons very hot water

Mix cocoa powder, water and sugar into a syrup. 

Add 3 Tablespoons Espresso Concentrate (adjust this up or down a tablespoon as desired, 3 is perfect for my tastebuds!)

10 ounces hot or steamed milk

Add milk to mocha solution and stir. 

Now make a cup, sit down in your favorite pjs and do some Advent reading with an online shopping chaser. Make your season prayerful and convenient, right!!?! :)

If you stop by my shop (Annery's Handmade on Etsy - shop from my tab up top!), be sure to use the coupon code SMALLBIZ20 through 11/30 for 20% off. 

Our Family's Jesse Tree: A Review

Author provided book for review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Recently, I got a copy of the digital book Our Family's Jesse Tree.


I love the Jesse Tree tradition.  If you're not familiar with it, the Jesse Tree is a set of images that tell the story of salvation from the start of creation. 

Each picture corresponds with a scripture reading.  It's like a miniature bible timeline study for Advent.  A small thing you can do each day that gives your kids an overview of our entire story.

With this book, you can bring the salvation story to life in a way that works for your family, crafty skills, and speed of life. 

It includes each of the scripture readings that accompany the images - as well as a prayerful reflection.

The book offers detailed directions - great for the beginning crafter.  It offers a variety of ways the ornaments can be created, including:

• Printing the pictures
• Printing the pattern for coloring
• Printing the pattern pieces for craft foam 
• Printing the pattern pieces for felt or embroidering

This project will absolutely meet you where you are, wherever you are.

Maybe this is a season of busyness for your family - print the pictures or let the toddlers color the patterns to use.

Maybe you have a budding new artist in your home - let them create with colored pencils, craft foam or felt.

Or, maybe crafting is your downtime.  This book offers you a how-to guide to a beautiful tradition.

My youngest is just getting old enough to color and sit for a few moments.  My oldest is able to do quite a bit more in the crafting department.  This Advent, we'll be able to print two sets of ornaments and let the girls create their own sets. 

I'm looking forward to incorporating this book into our season, and now that I have a beautiful set of patterns, we'll be able to use them to the girls' abilities over the years to come.

You can find it for sale - and very reasonably priced - here: 

• Craftsy

• Etsy 

To find more of Jen's beautiful work and patterns, check her out on Facebook or find her on Instagram at @faithandfabric

{TT} Prepare

Good Friday morning!  Playing along with Clan Donaldson.  A day late on my Theme Thursday, ironically enough, it's about preparation.

This time of year is all about preparing.

I've been working on handmade Christmas presents feverishly.  I'm trying to get the bulk of Christmas shopping done before Advent so we can relax and really focus on the actual reason for the season.

My look at Prepare:  a Christmas project nearly finished.

Other ways I'm preparing this year include participating in a Jesse Tree Ornament Swap.

I made Esther's tiara and am looking forward to the designs of others that should be showing up on my doorstep soon!

Another big thing we are preparing for right now is (one of) my little sister's wedding.  One daughter is a jr bridesmaid, the other is the flowergirl.

We've been practicing her wedding hair (and paying for it in candy).

And glittering shoes (a very fun new project!)

{WWRW} Tabitha's Travels

Linking up with Housewife Spice for What We're Reading Wednesday - Advent/Christmas edition.

This Advent, I'm working on doing less.  I have sworn off a Pinterest-worthy Advent.  It is just not going to happen this year.  I didn't pull out the Jesse tree and hunt for all the handmade ornaments that are packed who knows where.  I haven't gotten any decorations out, save our simple Advent wreath and an Advent calendar we picked up at the religious supply store a couple weeks back.  It's a bible verse each day, following the lines of the Jesse tree, but much simpler.

I think it's lovely that so many people are doing such wonderful, joy-filled, and creative activities to celebrate Advent.  I just know I can't take on one. single. extra. thing.  We're going through a bit much this year, and in an effort to not lose sight of the season and my beautiful girls, I'm sticking with simplicity.

See, aren't they cute? :)

Here's what we ARE doing.  We are lighting the Advent wreath.  The girls are eating a chocolate a day from an Advent calendar I got 50% yesterday because Advent had already started.  We are opening one bible verse window each morning, and we are reading one chapter of Tabitha's Travels each evening.


A couple years ago, we read Jotham's Journey.  The story was the harrowing tale of a young boy, faced with uncertain times as he travels his own unique road to Bethlehem.

Tabitha is a girl he meets upon his travels.  In Tabitha's Travels, the story unfolds about her own unique journey.  Although we've just begun reading Tabitha's Travels, it's the same author as our previous Advent read and I feel confident we'll enjoy the read.

Just a note to sensitive readers; Jotham faces slavery and some unsavory individuals in his path and I think we'll probably encounter similar cruelties in Tabitha's story.  They were a part of the time and the author is clear that Jesus wasn't born into a story, he was born into the real world.  That being said, it is a family story and we read Jotham's Journey when Little Bean was about six and she wasn't overly distressed (I think in part because it ended well and the drama wasn't TOO intense).

I can't wait to see what everyone else is reading - perhaps we'll find another small thing we can add to our simple Advent this year :)