What happens when you blend together homemade chai mix with hot cocoa? You get a deliciously warm homemade chai hot cocoa mix!

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Just like my varieties of buckeye candy, every year I try to come up with a new flavor spin for my homemade hot cocoa mix. This year, I had a serious light bulb go off while in NYC last weekend to combine the forces of chai and hot cocoa into one.

I am not sure how or why it took me this long to come up with this combination. After all, I knew chocolate chai was already a thing, and I make my own homemade chai and hot cocoa mixes, so why not combine them? And that’s precisely what I did.

The result is exactly what you would expect from a chai hot cocoa – creamy chocolate with extra warmth from the combination of spices and a little boost from the black tea. So be aware that there is instant tea powder in there if you or someone you are gifting this to has a sensitivity to caffeine.

Speaking of the added instant tea powder, Normally my hot cocoa recipes use 1/3 cup of mix per cup of hot milk, but with the extra dry ingredient you have to add a little more to get the same proportions. Yes you can use water because there is dry milk powder in the mix, by why make a sub-par version?

HOMEMADE CHAI HOT COCOA MIX

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Yield: About 2 dozen servings Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• 3 cups nonfat dry milk powder
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 cups unsweetened instant tea powder
• 1-1/2 cups cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 cups white chocolate chips
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1-1/2 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice

Directions

1. Whisk together all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Working in two batches, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until the chocolate is finely ground.
3. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
4. To make chai hot cocoa, put 1/2 cup of the cocoa mix in a mug and stir in 1 cup of hot milk

Source: Adapted from my Homemade Vanilla Chai Mix and Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see! Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Reduce your food waste by saving vegetable skins and guts in your freezer and I will show you how to make vegetable broth with scraps!

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I hate food waste. I try very hard to plan meals around what needs to be used up first, freezing anything that can be frozen if needed, and finding new purposes for leftovers. But even when I am the most diligent there are still bits of waste that could be of use still.

I’m talking about all the scraps that arise from peeling and chopping vegetables for various recipes or general eating. Sure it may not seem like much, but we have not purchased our own vegetable broth (or poultry stock) in years because we make our own out of the scraps!

We do have a composter but not all food scraps should be pigeon-holed into one role, at least not at first. Instead, start a new habit to celebrate #NationalStopFoodWasteDay and save those vegetable scraps in a gallon sized zip-top freezer bag until it is stuffed full.

Things that you should save for vegetable broth include: onion, celery, carrot, bell pepper, tomato, squash guts, mushroom stems, garlic skins, and herb stems (parsley, rosemary, thyme). Of course you could also make a specific flavored broth by going heavy on one component, such as a mushroom broth.

However, these should not go into your broth: stems from leafy greens, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, and beets. Basically, no starchy veggies. Save those scraps for the compost pile.

But now, how to make vegetable broth from scraps? When you are ready, all you need are bay leaves, water, and a large stock pot. Once processed, you can can the broth or freeze it until you are ready to use it. And those boiled vegetables? Now you can toss them into the composter!

National Stop Food Waste Day

• 4 ways to use leftover mashed potatoes by Frugal & Fit
• Empanada Nachos by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Broccoli and Ham Quiche by Blogghetti
• Antipasto Smothered Chicken by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• How To Make Vegetable Broth with Scraps by The Spiffy Cookie
• Buttermilk Bread by Making Miracles
• Chicken Meatball Pasta Soup by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings

Four years ago: Bacon and Vegetable PizzaBacon and Vegetable Pizza

Five years ago: Sourdough Pretzel Bagels

Six years ago: Avocado Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

Seven years ago: Spring Salsa

Nine years ago: Funfetti Month Recipe Round-Up

VEGETABLE BROTH WITH SCRAPS

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Yield: 4 quarts Cooking Time: 1 Hour 1 Hour

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

1 gallon bag of frozen vegetable scraps

• Onion
• Celery
• Carrot
• Bell pepper
• Tomato
• Squash guts
• Mushroom stems
• Garlic skins
• Herb stems (parsley, rosemary, thyme)

2 bay leaves

4 quarts (1 gallon/16 cups) of water

Directions

1. In a gallon sized zip-top freezer bag, save vegetable scraps.
2. Once full, empty into a large stock pot, plus bay leaves and water (or enough to cover).
3. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and let cook for 1 hour.
4. Strain vegetable scraps and discard (can compost). Pour broth into jars and process for canning (or freeze until ready to use).

Notes

Vegetables NOT to use: stems from leafy greens, zucchini, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, potato, beets. You can add meat bones to make beef or poultry stock.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

Tag @THESPIFFYCOOKIE on Instagram and hashtag it #THESPIFFYCOOKIE

Over 2 months later and I am FINALLY getting around to posting all the spiffy wedding stuff. I was originally going to just do 2 posts but instead decided to break it up into parts because there were so many fun little aspects of our wedding that I wanted to share beyond just the day of. So before I bust out all the wedding photos, let’s lead up to it with some of the little projects Bob and I did as part of our gifts or decor for the big day.

WEDDING POSTS: DIY Wedding Gifts & Decor / Rehearsal Dinner at Bleu & Fig / The Spiffy Wedding Highlights / Not Invited Party / Honeymoon in New Orleans

For bridesmaid gifts, I originally just planned on paying for their hair-dos at the salon and giving them all a pair of Cinderollies to change into for dancing, but then I got all kinds of other ideas and I couldn’t help myself. I also bought Maars matte black insulated steel wine tumblers to which I added monograms made by my friend Jenna, ordered customized “Let’s get spiffy” tank tops from Inked & Screened to wear while we got ready, and some locally made tokels from Uncle Giant.

For the groomsmen, Bob gave them their socks, bowties, insulated steel koozies, and wooden 6-pack carriers that he made complete with bottle opener and a magnetic trap for the caps. Oh and he burnt every piece of wood, sanded it down, and stained it blue to create a really cool effect. He’s so dang crafty sometimes! Feel free to follow him on IG @themakeshitcraftsman!

For our family I had some more “Let’s get spiffy” t-shirts made, threw in some more Uncle Giant Tokels, and for just the parents we went to The Candle Lab in Grandview to create 3 different custom-scented candles complete with customized labels for our wedding. We made one that smelled like pancakes covered in syrup and berries, another that smelled like pear chai tea, and the last one was smokey bacon toast. All so different and difficult to not create duplicates of them all for us to keep!

As for the decor, we kept things pretty simple (as you will see later), but we did DIY a couple things. Bob replicated a wooden card box I had seen on Etsy (complete with another decal from Jenna), some test tube racks I spied on Pinterest to act as bud vases, and wooden votive holders which Bob assembled and I spray painted (I also spray painted wooden table numbers I bought off Amazon).

I also made our guest book on Shutterfly. That was a painstaking effort collecting photos from both families and making sure everyone was represented, but was ultimately a fun project. Photos of that will be shared later along with the invites (which I also DIYed thanks to an Etsy template and the help of Bob’s sister Lisa for printing). But for now, here’s a photo from our engagement shoot that is on the cover of our guest book (photo credit: Adrienne McDermott):

Two years ago: Double Chocolate Chip Bagels with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese

Three year ago: Pumpkin S’mores Dessert Lasagna

Four years ago: S’mores Pumpkin Pie

Five years ago: Cheddar-BBQ Turkey Meatloaf Muffins

Create a marble effect using oven-bake clay to make your own ring dishes. Every one will be unique.

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I almost forgot all about this little DIY project until I dug through the files on my old camera’s (RIP) SD card. Since I am on vacation in the Finger Lakes this week I figured it was a good time to finally share it.

These metallic marbled ring dishes came into being as I was preparing to propose to my bridesmaids (and also made a few extra for the females in our immediate families) which would hold one of my favorite candies – ring pops!

I know lots of people propose to their bridesmaids with ring pops but I am known to have a constant stash of ring pops since probably middle school, back when they were only a seasonal summer item and I had to hoard a bunch to last me through the seasons. Lucky for us they are now available year round! But I digress.

While you can make these any color you would like, a good place to start is to use 2 large rods of white, 1 small rod of black, and 2 medium rods of whatever other colors you would like to incorporate. In my case I used gold and silver clay in varying proportions to create some a little more gold or silver.

Once you have your proportions, you twist the rods together several times before flattening and forming into a bowl to be baked. That’s really all it takes! I’ve included some photos of the steps with numbers that correlate to the steps in the directions to help.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 7

I baked mine in one of those tortilla bowl makers to give them those ruffles edges, added a little gold or silver rim, and coated with a glossy spray paint but that’s all optional. The fun part is that they will all turn out different based on how they are twisted and the proportions of the colors that your use.

Just a heads up, these will feel more like slightly flexible hard rubber than anything else because you are making them out of clay and not ceramic. But have no fear, they will still hold their shape! If anything it’s an added bonus that they will be more difficult to break than if they were ceramic.

P.S. Yes those are the 2 wooden rings Bob made to propose to me. The first one that he actually proposed with was a little too bit so he then made a smaller one. While I now have a “real” engagement ring I will always keep those originals.

P.P.S. All the bridesmaids said yes ;-).

P.P.P.S. Just a little under 2 months!!

Two years ago: Raspberry Cheesecake Stuffed Dark Chocolate Hazelnut Cupcakes

Four years ago: Eggplant Parmesan with Parsley Orzo

Five years ago: Dark Chocolate Cherry Almond Granola Bars

DIY MARBLED CLAY RING DISH

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Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

• Sculpey oven-bake clay (I used white, black, gold, and silver)
• Clay knife
• Rolling pin
• 4 to 5-inch round cutter or can
• Oven safe bowl or ramekin (I used a tortilla bowl maker)
• Gold and silver Sharpie paint markers or craft paint and a small brush
• Clear glossy spray paint (optional)

Directions

1. Cut clay colors White:Gold:Silver:Black in ratios of 8:2:2:1. Roll the white clay into two 5-inch long rods and the other colors into single 5-inch rods.
2. Twist rods together, then roll into a 10-inch rod. Fold in half and then twist together again. Repeat rolling, folding, and twisting 2-3 more times.
3. Smoosh the clay into a ball. What you see on the surface of the ball will be your pattern so smoosh wisely.
4. Using a rolling pin, roll out to 1/8-inch thick and a little wider than 4-inches. Cut out circles using a round cookie cutter or cut out around a can or other template.
5. Place circle evenly into a bowl or ramekin that is a little smaller than the circle so it will sag a little in the center and result in a dish shape.
6. Bake for at 275 degrees for 15 minutes or until firm (or whatever temperature your clay brand specifies). Remove the bowl from the oven and allow to cool. To remove, turn bowl upside down and tap lightly until the clay dish falls out.
7. Once completely cool*, use a paint marker or small paint brush to color the rim of the dish, then set aside to dry.
8. If you desire a glossy finish, seal the dish with clear glossy spray paint following the instructions on the can.

Notes

*The dish will be a little flexible even once cooled, but it will keep it's shape.

What’s better than showing your patriotic spirit? Making a cat cave for your feline friends and supporting a good cause at the same time!

If you have a cat, you know that any box left on the floor instantly becomes a play pen. In my house that includes laundry baskets and even structured bags. So when Tipsy Elves offered to send me one of their patriotic t-shirts to create a cat cave, I thought it would be a fun craft for my cats (and it’s been a hot minute since I’ve shared a DIY post for #Crafturday). What is a cat cave? It’s a box with a shirt over it: https://youtu.be/lxR6kFBeXU0 (BTW the trump kitty in this video is adorable, but ugh. That’s all I’m gonna say about that). Basically, you take a square cardboard box, place the shirt over it so the head-hole lines up with the open side of the box, tuck in the sleeves, and tie the bottom of the shirt on itself.

You are probably thinking the this the most random post of all time but let me explain. Tipsy Elves recently launched a new initiative called #CatsForFreedom which will be donating 10% of all orders using the checkout code ‘CATS’ until 5/31 to the San Diego local Humane Society, which provides cats of all ages the resources to live freely. No political business, just helping cats! And with Memorial Day and July 4th on the horizon now’s the time to get your patriotic attire ready and support a good cause at the same time. Heck buy an extra shirt and make your own cat cave for the cat in your life.

But wait, why a patriotic shirt for cats? In addition to helping cats, Tipsy Elves strives to be recognized as more than just a Christmas sweater company and instead want to embody the fun holiday spirit no matter the month. And as America searches for its next president, they are attempting to spread some “paws-itivity” since pretty much everyone is freaking out. Let’s set aside our differences for a moment and – OMG A KITTY! In my case 2 kitties, who crawled right into their new cat cave moments after I finished assembling it. Brady and Tigger played nice but I may need to make another cat cave so that they can each have their own.

At the very least I hope you enjoyed seeing some cute cats. Maybe I’ve inspired you to make a cat cave for your feline friend (post it on social media with #CatsForFreedom). But hopefully you will consider ordering your patriotic swag from Tipsy Elves for the upcoming holidays. Don’t forget to use the code ‘CATS’ and 10% will go towards the San Diego Humane Society until 5/31/16.

One year ago: Irish Cream Root Beer Float

Two years ago: Sweet and Sour Pork

Three years ago: Ground Turkey Sloppy Joes with Hoisin and Cilantro

Four years ago: Pasta with Brussels Sprouts, Gorgonzola & Pecans

Disclosure: Tipsy Elves provided me with a complimentary shirt for this post but I was not otherwise compensated – I just wanted to support a cause that helps cats! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Make your own bright and colorful confetti tumblers with inexpensive glasses and some Sharpie paint pens. Or decorate with your favorite word/pattern.

Remember when I photographed the irresistible spinach artichoke cheese ball with a pretty gold-confetti napkin as a prop? And then showed you how to make your own gold-confetti napkins? Well, do you also remember that delicious looking raspberry mojito (and giveaway btw) I posted this week in the fun confetti glasses? Yup, now I am going to tell you how to make them yourself!

I grabbed a set of 4 tumblers from Walmat (which were less than $10 total), cleaned them with rubbing alcohol, and then grabbed some of those Sharpie paint pens I had leftover from the DIY painted mugs and started speckling them with dots all over the place. I ended up doing a gradient with the first color going about 3/4 of the way up the glass, the second halfway up, and the third one quarter of the way up. And after they dried for 24 hours I baked them in the oven to set the paint.

Voila! Easy peasy and they resemble the ones I accidentally dropped and smashed used to have from Anthopologie. I actually painted some shot glasses with gold paint with some random designs too but neglected to snap photos of them. You could also decorate them any way you choose, favorite word, phrase, pattern, design, stencil, etc.

One year ago: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chess Pie

Two years ago: Chicken Mango Quesadillas

Three years ago: Chicken & Spinach Alfredo Pizza

Four years ago: Cake Batter Fruit Dip

DIY ANTHROPOLOGIE INSPIRED CONFETTI TUMBLERS

Materials:

Clean, oven-safe tumblers or other glass cups

Isopropyl alcohol, rubbing alcohol, or other alcohol to clean glass surface

Sharpie paint pens

Stencils, stickers, painters tape (optional)

Directions:

1. Wipe the surface of glass with alcohol to remove any residue.
2. Starting at the base, use one color sharpie paint pen to draw dots about 3/4 of the way up the glass. Be random and don’t think too hard about placement/spacing. Switch to a second color, dotting halfway up the glass. Finish with dots in a third color going only 1/4 of the way up the glass. (Alternatively, draw preferred design freehand or use stencils, stickers, and/or painters tape.) Allow to air-dry for 24 hours.
3. Once dry, place on a cookie sheet in a cold oven. I placed mine upside-down because I also painted the bottoms and didn’t want anything happening to it.
4. Place in cold oven and turn oven to 350 degrees and let preheat with the glasses inside. Once it reaches 350, set timer and bake for 30 minutes. Turn off oven and allow to cool completely in oven before removing, several hours.
5. Should be dishwasher safe but hand wash to ensure design will last.*

*I did actually have an incident with the dots dissolving upon contact with either lemon extract or alcohol so while it won’t wash off in soapy water, be aware of that.

Source: Adapted slightly from my DIY Painted Mugs and It All Started With Paint.

Make your own gold metallic confetti napkins with simple tools. You could even make matching place mats or table runners and table cloths.

I know I caught you eyeing the spinach artichoke cheese ball I shared yesterday, but did you also notice the fun napkin that was part of the display? I made that! All it took was some multipurpose acrylic paint and a pencil eraser (and some time). I bought a pack of 12 black cotton napkins from Bed Bath & Beyond (for $15 and had a $5 off coupon) and Martha Stewart gold metallic multi-surface paint from JoAnn Fabrics (I forget the price as I bought it a long time ago but I used a 50% off coupon).

Next, I created a confetti pattern by dipping the eraser of a pencil into the paint and dabbing randomly, thicker at the edge and sparser as I got further away. I had to dip the eraser every 2 dots so it was a bit tedious but easy! I think this would look great on other colored napkins and also with multiple colors for a funfetti-confetti look. Would be a great craft for holidays and gift ideas too.

On an unrelated note, what I really should have posted today was a peanut butter and chocolate recipe or maybe a buckeye craft because today is the Ohio State football spring game! Time to check out the new recruits and see some of the veterans coming back for the season this fall. And there’s a chance to get your photo taken with the National Championship trophy! After bailing out of a crazy line the last time I may need to stick it out this time.

One year ago: Balsamic-Strawberry Bagel Bruschetta

Two years ago: Cast Iron Skillet Brussels Sprouts Bacon Pizza

Three years ago: Gnocchi with Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce

Four years ago: Nutella Mousse

DIY GOLD CONFETTI NAPKINS

Materials:

Cotton dinner napkins

Gold metallic multi-surface acrylic craft paint (I used Martha Stewart)

Pencil with fresh eraser

Directions:

1. Lay you napkin on a clean, flat surface. Into a small bowl or on a sheet of parchment paper, squeeze out a small amount of the paint.
2. Dab the end of a pencil eraser into the paint and stamp onto the napkin, refilling with paint every 2 dots or so. Let dry completely before washing and/or using.

Source: Radical Possibility.

Love the rustic look of tree branch wood candle holders? With the right tools you can make them very inexpensively yourself!

Oh hello there, Saturday-Crafterday! It’s been quite awhile since I have shared a DIY project. Not that I haven’t been getting crafty, I have simply slacked off when it came to sharing them with you (although I did share the dining room light fixture and concert ticket holder on Instagram). In fact one I have had under my belt since last fall after helping my dad cut down a tree in the backyard. After sprinting away trying not to get smushed by it (I was holding the rope to lead the direction in which it fell while he cut the tree-we’re experts really), I got the idea to save a few of the prettier sections for DIY projects. I had all kinds of grand ideas but the first and best of them were these candle holders.

From a branch that was about 3-inches in diameter, we arbitrarily cut 2, 5, and 7-inch long pieces which were then belt-sanded. On the designated tops, we drilled 1/2-inch deep holes with a 1-1/2-inch bit spade drill (the wood was first secured in a table clamp). We could have stopped here and had a very nice product but my dad had some suggestions to take them to the next level.

We coated them with varnish and then adhered some felt to the bottoms with spray-adhesive. Viola! Beautiful real wood tea candle holders. These things were so easy to make it was tempting to make scads of them to give out as gifts or, as some people suggested, sell. But for now I think I’ll stick with what I’ve got. My dad did actually make me another kind where the log lied flat on it’s side and drilled 4 holes into the side/now top. My obsession with trees is showing…

One year ago: Easy Corn Salsa

Two years ago: Pear Yogurt Almond Cake with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Get kissable lips at home with homemade lip balms made with coconut oil. So easy you make you may never buy lip balm again!

I love holidays. Any excuse to decorate things, eat candy and/or cook festive foods is alright by me. But my favorite part has always been handing out things, which came out in force for Valentine’s Day (although it pretty much extends to every holiday now). I poured so much attention into putting together little packages to hand out to my friends at school that even to this day I buy silly Valentine’s Day cards to hand out – this year it’s scratch-n-sniff dessert ones. But it doesn’t stop there, I usually whip up some sort of homemade goodie whether it be cookies, hot cocoa mix, or here lately it’s DIY gifts such as lip balms.

I’ve already shared the “recipe” for homemade lip balms on here but I thought they needed a little refresher. Last time I made two different types: peppermint and honey. This time around I made peppermint with a little bit of gold lipstick mixed in to give it a little shimmer and the second kind has actual chocolate in it because it’s Valentine’s Day (I used Spicely’s green earl grey chocolate from #TripleSBites). Change up the add-ins to make your preferred color and scent!

One year ago: Quinoa Turkey Meatballs

Two years ago: Red Velvet Molten Lava Cakes

Add a little sparkle to your step for Valentine’s Day with these sequined heart shoe clips. Perfect for your flats or heels.

After a successful week full of spicy, saucy, sexy bites with #TripleSBites to get you prepared for Valentine’s Day, I decided to throw some festive DIY posts at you this week. First I shared a list of DIY gift ideas, followed by a Stitch Fix review to add to your wishlist, and now a cute craft to make your feet sparkle.

When I first saw the tutorial for making these heart shoe clips I imagined myself attempting and epically failing, emulating those “Pinterest fails, nailed it!”posts. I was pleasantly surprised by how easy they were to put together and only took about 15 minutes. These shoe clips can be worn on heels or flats and can be made in any shape/color you prefer. I’m tempted to make shoe clips for every holiday!

One year ago: Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Two years ago: Red Velvet Hot Cocoa Mix & Cream Cheese Frosting Marshmallows

Three years ago: Dark Chocolate Strawberry Shortcakes with Amaretto Cream

Four years ago: Guiltless Fettuccine Alfredo

DIY HEART SHOE CLIPS

Makes 1 pair

Materials:

Hot glue gun + glue sticks

1 (9×12-inch) red craft felt

1-2 yards single strand red sequins (length needed depends on heart size)

2 clip-on earring backs

Directions:

1. Set up hot glue gun according to manufacturer’s instructions.
2. Trace four identical hearts of desired size onto the red felt (I cut out one and then used it to trace the others). Carefully cut out the four hearts.
3. Pair up two of the hearts, line the edges of one with glue and carefully sandwich the two together, matching up the edges.
4. Adding a small amount of glue at a time, begin gluing the sequin strand to the outer edges of the heart, adding more glue and you go around and around inward until the entire heart is covered (see diagram I followed below). Carefully snip the end and secure with a bit of glue. Repeat steps for the second heart and allow to cool completely.
5. Flip the hearts over and glue clip-ons to the back, near the top. Allow to cool completely.
6. Clip to shoes and watch them sparkle!

Source: Modcloth (has step-by-step photos)