Paleo Hot Chocolate

it's almost Christmas which means festive drinks and fireplaces and cozy times. One of my favorite holiday traditions is getting hot chocolate and driving around to look at Christmas lights.

traditional hot chocolate has almost 30 grams of sugar in one packet... yikes. that's 6 teaspoons of sugar in one drink. in addition to the sugar, a packet of popular brands of hot chocolate have ingredients like corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. yuck, yuck, and yuck.

instead of flooding your body with questionable ingredients and refined sugar that sends your body on a blood sugar roller coaster, i have a better version for you with only 3 ingredients!

Paleo Hot Chocolate

1 cup of organic almond milk (i also love this brand and these are super clean, too! coconut milk also works.)

1 tbsp organic cacao

1-3 tsp organic maple syrup (stevia and monk fruit are also great choices)

Step 1: Add milk to milk frother. This one is my favorite. It's stainless steel so there's no worry about non-stick coating hazards like PFAs. It froths SO well - like mega foam. It also comes with another whisk that will just heat your milk if foam is not your thing.

Step 2: While milk is heating, add 1 heaping tablespoon of cacao to your cup. Drizzle in maple syrup.

Step 3: Once milk is heated, add to mug and use a spoon to hold back foam. Use a handheld frother or whisk to mix cacao, milk, and maple syrup. Then scoop foam on top. Add chocolate sprinkles for a little extra flair and enjoy!

Let me know if you try this recipe and what you think! I think the organic cacao makes for a deeper, richer hot chocolate and I enjoy the less sweet taste of this drink.

xoxo,

patty lauren

*Affiliate disclosure: Some blog posts may contain affiliate links. When you purchase through my affiliate links, I may earn a commission. There is no added cost to you and many times you save $ when using my unique codes. A significant amount of my work is spent researching products and topics to help you live a more holistic lifestyle. When you shop using my links, you are helping support my business and enabling me to continue providing you with wellness resources at no expense to you.

Homemade Gingerbread Latte

Did you know a Grande Gingerbread Latte from Starbs has 33 grams of refined sugar? Yikes. This doesn't even taken in to account the other crappy ingredients like carrageenan, which can wreak havoc on your gut and could possibly be linked to cancer.

If you start your morning with this type of latte, it's a recipe for a blood sugar spike followed by a crash and burn. By setting your body on a blood sugar roller coaster for the rest of the day (cravings, feeling ravenous after breakfast, irritability, exhaustion just to name a few side effects), make your latte at home with better ingredients and no refined sugar!

Gingerbread Latte

• 2 shots espresso (or strong brewed coffee)

• 1 tsp molasses

• 1 tsp organic pure maple syrup

• 1 tsp organic vanilla

• 1/2 tsp organic cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp organic ginger

• 1/4 tsp organic nutmeg

• sprinkle of organic ground cloves

• 6-8 ounces of alternative milk (i love full fat coconut but almond milk is another option that works great, too!)

The Recipe

Add the molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves to your coffee mug. Pour in espresso shots or coffee. In a milk frother or a saucepan, add milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Once heated through, add to coffee. If you're feeling really festive, top with a homemade marshmallow!

Enjoy!

xoxo,

patty lauren

The Lost Month

Well, well, well... Hello there, friend! I've almost been off social media for a month and what a month it has been. At the end of October, I had calendar lists printed for all the things I was going to accomplish in November. Blog posts, holiday outfit inspiration for my LTK site, and workout videos for when I returned to Instagram/Facebook. But, as with any well-intended plans, life had other ideas.

At the beginning of November, we had a marvelous visit from my college bestie, her husband, and our adorable goddaughters. Being the cool Godmother I strive to be, I ordered glitter slime kits (never again), made chocolate chip cookies, and homemade dog treats to deliver throughout the neighborhood, and coerced the 6-year-old to do a daily 2.5-mile walk with me. Being from Florida, she was unsure of the many hills on our walk but she quickly got the hang of the

"Pump your arms and squeeze your buns!" mantra I kept repeating.

The day they left, B & I promptly got sicker than dogs. I had it horrible - I haven't been that sick in over 10 years. Not even exaggerating. You name a sick symptom, I had it. Body aches, fever, chills, earaches from hell, sore throat, cough...the list goes on. Once I started feeling better, B started feeling worse. Before we knew it, it was basically the end of November. We're still not really sure what we had - we tested negative for all the big things but after talking to several friends it seems it's whatever super virus many people have had this fall. What a time to be alive!

Ya'll know I did every potion and hocus pocus concoction I knew of. From silver nasal spray to a potent combo of Zinc/vitamin C/NAC/Quercetin/vitamin D, etc. I try to be thankful and aware of how fortunate I am to have my health but when you get hit with illness you are even more thankful! Praying each of you reading this stays well and healthy this holiday season!

In a twist of unconventional living, B and I canceled Thanksgiving hosting this year and snuck away to the mountains of North Carolina with Grace Kelly. We stayed in the woods at the most cozy, romantic tiny house. Fitted with an oversized, outdoor bathtub and wood-burning stove, we made a yummy meal for two on a very small induction stove and soaked up the expansive quiet of the mountains. If you're looking for the perfect escape for two or you need time away on your own with your thoughts, book this idyllic and charming space. I promise you will not regret it.

In other news, I'm trucking along on my 150 books to read by the end of the year. I have missed sharing each book with you guys on IG, but I'm still active on Good Reads! I'm almost there - currently, I'm in the thick of Bright Lights Big Christmas and it is such a delightful holiday read to get you in the mood for Christmas!

After starting Gilmore Girls from the beginning in September, I've been on a mission to finish the series before Christmas. I've never seen the entire series so it's been fun and I love how it's perpetually fall-iso. I get the hype now. I'm currently finishing up Season 6 (most of which I hated) and I think I'll wrap it up by the new year!

Lastly, I've decided to extend my social media break through the remainder of 2023. I may pop on for a quick Christmas message but I'm enjoying the time away more than I thought. It's been joyful to soak up the holiday feels without being inundated with comparison/sales/food shaming/etc. I'm hopeful I'll come back in 2024 with a renewed sense of purpose in my corner of the internet.

You can keep up with me here as I hope to continue blogging in December and if you are looking for gift guides and ideas, I'm sharing daily sales and inspiration on my LikeToKnowIt site. I love budgets and I love saving money so I'm sharing my personal picks with you all in hopes to save you a little $ and make shopping easier this season.

until next time...

xoxo,

patty lauren

* Affiliate disclosure: Some blog posts may contain affiliate links. When you purchase through my affiliate links, I may earn a commission. There is no added cost to you and many times you save $ when using my unique codes. A significant amount of my work is spent researching products and topics to help you live a more holistic lifestyle. When you shop using my links, you are helping support my business and enabling me to continue providing you with wellness resources at no expense to you.