Hot Cocoa Sugar Scrub

This is a great last minute gift to whip up (and it literally takes only about a minute!). Great as a hostess gift or stocking stuffer, you probably have almost everything in your cupboards right now!

To make this sugar scrub you will need:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon cocoa powder
1/2 cup oil of choice (a very light oil with little odor is important I recommend Sunflower of Safflower oils, Grapeseed oil also works well)
1/2 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil (optional-helps preserve freshness of product, recommended to increase shelf life)

You can also get extra festive and add in some peppermint essential oil if you want to make Peppermint Hot Cocoa scrub(about 3 drops should do)!


Mix all of the ingredients together well and put into container of your choice. I recommend plastic containers with air tight lids (you can find lots of pretty containers online or in craft stores) as plastic will not break should it be dropped in a bathroom or kitchen and risk causing injury. This is an especially yummy Winter scrub and I love it for my super dry hands and elbows this time of year! Simply wet hands, rub on the scrub and rinse thoroughly.


This product will stay fresh about 2 weeks without the addition of vitamin E, with the vitamin E oil it has a shelf life of 4-6 weeks (you can also elongate the shelf life of your product by storing in the refrigerator).


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Friday Food Craft: Hot Chocolate

Before I dive right into my latest Food Craft post, I would like to invite you all to partake in my latest Giveaway! Just scroll to the bottom of my Sugar Skull Masks post and you will be able to enter to win your choice of three lovely books, two of which are baking/sweets related. Good Luck!


The temperature has dropped dramatically the last few days here in Portland, I foresee a long cold Winter. However, my spirit is lifted slightly by the fact I will have all the more excuse to indulge in this amazing hot chocolate. It is velvety smooth and just the right amount of sweet. It even puts me in the Holiday spirit a little early (I should really start shopping for those Holiday gifts).


To make this amazing hot chocolate for you and the ones you love you will need:

2 cups whole milk
4-5 ounces chopped dark chocolate (I used a chocolate with 54% cacao)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup (you could substitute Honey or another natural sweetener as well)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Start chopping your chocolate as finely as you can and set it aside.

Pour your milk into a saucepan and heat over medium low heat until it is barely simmering. Add in your chocolate, vanilla and maple syrup and whisk until everything has melted together. Sprinkle in your cinnamon and whisk until combined.

Pour into the mugs/cups of your choice. Enjoy!

I generally use teacups for my cocoa, in which case this makes 4 servings filled to the brim. If you would like to add an extra festive touch, you can substitute 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract for the cinnamon as well to make minty hot chocolate. :)