The Best Hot Chocolate Bar Blog Hop featuring our Family’s Hot Chocolate Recipe
Hot chocolate bars have been trending the last few years as a fun tradition to incorporate into your Christmas decorating. Specifically, if you host a gathering this holiday season, the hot chocolate bar is a favorite for kids of all ages. Today, I am sharing my hot chocolate bar and our family’s hot chocolate recipe.
Join our Hot Cocoa Bar blog hop with fifteen of my home decor blogger friends. The blog hop is hosted by Cindy at County Road 407 blog who chooses a Pinterest inspired challenge each month. For November, we are sharing hot chocolate bars.
If you are coming from Julie’s blog at My Wee Abode, welcome y’all! Check out all the bloggers at the end of this post, then head to Everyday Edits blog with Laura.
Vintage Santa Mug Set
My grandmother in law had the cutest set of vintage Santa face mugs and a serving bowl for hot chocolate. It was set up near her famous fruit cake and green jello mold salad every Christmas. A few years ago, I found a similar set while antique shopping with my mother in law, Martha. She was kind enough to gift me the set. I am glad to say that I have carried on the family tradition of serving hot chocolate in the cutest vintage Santa face mugs.
Display your family’s holiday mugs!
Whether you use a mug rack or wooden cubbies, display your holiday mugs with a few seasonal finds. For example, I like to include holiday tea towels, mini signs, and a jolly cookie jar near the hot chocolate bar. You can set up a hot chocolate bar, big or small, on your buffet table, kitchen island or the dessert table.
Include a variety of toppings in Christmas dishes!
I display an assortment of candies in my collection of holiday dishes. For example, I include marshmallows, peppermint sticks, red hot candy, whipped cream, and holiday sprinkles on my hot chocolate bar.
I like to add a red hot to the top of my whipped cream swirl when hot cocoa is served in my Santa mugs!
The Best Hot Chocolate Recipe
Hot Chocolate Recipe Ingredients
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy cream
8 cupsmilk
1 tsp vanilla or peppermint oil
2 cups milk chocolate chips
Hot Chocolate Recipe Directions
Pour all ingredients except chocolate in a large pot on the stove top on medium heat.
Keep stirring for 2-3 minutes until mixture is well blended. Turn heat to low.
Add chocolate chips and stir occasionally until melted.
Serve immediately or place in a serving bowl or crock pot on ‘
Garnish as desired with an assortment of whipped cream, marshmallows or candies.
Thanks again for stopping by the hot chocolate bar blog hop! If you are new, you can subscribe to my blog here or check me out daily on Instagram by following me at @CuterTudor.
A Cozy Living Room Decorated in Reds and Greens for Christmas
Welcome to the ‘Merry and Bright’ holiday home tour blog hop with some of my favorite blogger friends! I hope you find lots of inspiration as you deck the halls this holiday season! Grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy how I style a cozy living room for Christmas with lots of reds, greens and a fresh farmhouse feel.
If you are coming from Sue and Teri’s blog at Wool and Vine, welcome y’all! Sue and Teri are sisters from California, and I was lucky enough to meet them last year when they visited Waco, Texas! Be sure to check out the rest of the talented ladies on the holiday home tour! After you check out my family room, head over to see what my friend Debbie at Maui in my Heart is decorating for Christmas.
Let’s take the tour!
Today, I am sharing one of my favorite rooms decorated for Christmas in traditional colors of red and green! This room is divided into two cozy spaces; a sitting area around the fireplace and a dining area.
If you have stopped by the Cuter Tudor before, then you may recognize that I recently moved the dining table from our formal dining room into this space! The reason for moving the furniture was in order to use our previously dedicated dining room as a family room for homeschool. I also love the idea of a dining table near the fireplace to create a cozy atmosphere for dining. Lastly, it allowed me to pull this color scheme together in one place, since I tend to decorate each room a little different. You may notice that I usually decorate with lots of blues and metallics for Christmas. This year, the family requested that I use more traditional Christmas colors, and I happily complied. I will share more of my holiday tablescape during next week’s Christmas Tablescape Blog Hop. For now, you can get a sneak peak!
The Fireplace
I am always changing up my mantle decor, but I think I found an arrangement that may stick around till Santa arrives. With Kilz Magnolia Home paint in the color ‘luxe,’ I was able to update a few of the boards on my paneled wall piece. For a touch of fun, I added an old printers tray filled with mini Christmas trees, reindeer and snowmen. Next, I layered a sign from the Findery in Waco over the tray. Another handmade sign and painting of a church are added to the wall. Small flocked trees wrapped in Kraft paper and wooden church flank both sides of the mantle. I love having lots of small Christmas trees in old crates and buckets placed throughout my home. The old containers always add a lot of character to a space.
I love to mix patterns, and ticking stripe tends to be one of my favorite. This wide ribbon is from Walmart and adds a lot of color to the tree. Starting at the top of the tree, I tuck the ribbon in one foot increments between the branches. You can sort of accordion fold the material before tucking it in and bend the branches over the ribbon to hold in place, if necessary. More importantly, allow the ribbon to flow and take shape organically. For the tree topper, I tied a paper mâché deer head near the top and added a variety of picks from Kirkland’s. I used faux magnolia blooms, “Merry’ word cutouts, mini signs from Curtis Creation, and wooden beads to decorate the tree. Vintage wooden spindles add some charm to the tree, too!
Don’t these stockings add a lot of farmhouse charm? These are from The Findery, too. The letter cut outs are from the Target Dollar Spot, tied with red gingham ribbon. The wooden beads with letters are from Hobby Lobby. I tucked rolled hymnal pages into each stocking for a touch of nostalgia.
The Library
My shelf of cubbies is the perfect size for holding books and magazines. For Christmas, it made the perfect space to hang my beautiful Farmhouse sign from Oh Sweet Skye! Coincidentally, it also holds my collection of galvanized houses and small christmas trees. Inexpensive cake pedastals adds height to the display. With thumbtacks and fishing line, I inserted some garlands made from rolled hymnal pages into the ceiling. I simply rolled each page, taped closed, then strung with an embroidery needle and thread through the center of the pages. It just adds a fun texture and touch of nostalgia.
Hot Cocoa Bar
I think the holidays are all about the little traditions! Since before thanksgiving, my daughter and I have enjoyed making a mug of hot cocoa, burning all the holiday scented candles, listening to Christmas tunes or curling up to watch Hallmark Christmas movies. We spend a lot of evenings playing cards or board games with Dad, too! Christmas is definitely a feeling, and we love it! Therefore, a hot cocoa bar is mandatory. It is just one way I can make a cozy living room for Christmas.
I placed the buffet table with the hot cocoa bar in front of our family gallery wall. I did update the gallery wall with a few Christmas signs and a wreath. The cubby from Hobby Lobby was the perfect place to display these vintage Santa mugs. Is anyone else obsessed with vintage Santas??? I styled this space with a few burlap wrapped trees, mini signs and some holiday dishes that I have collected over the years.
Signs from Krumpet’s Home Decor
Next stop on the Merry and Bright Holiday Home tour is my friend Debbie at Maui in my Heart. Meanwhile, I hope you have enjoyed this stop on the tour, and have the happiest of holidays!
Thank you for stopping by the Cuter Tudor! If you are all about the red and green, mixing patterns and mixing vintage with new, pin this to your farmhouse Christmas Pinterest board! If you are looking for more farmhouse Christmas inspiration, here is how I styled some of my favorite Christmas finds from Curtis Creation. Similarly, you can find some of my top 2018 Christmas trends, here.
