Heavenly Homemakers

Encouraging women in homemaking, healthy eating and parenting

Easy Homemade Chocolate Milk

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It really is easy to make Homemade Chocolate Milk! And it tastes better than any store-bought chocolate milk you can find. What a treat!

Recently, someone gave us 5 gallons of milk. FIVE! I mean, we have a big family, but it’s still hard to get through five gallons of milk before it goes bad.

I had fun figuring out ways to use up the milk. Pudding ranked high on the list:

Mac and Cheese is also a great way to use up milk, especially this amazing recipe. And then, making Chocolate Milk as a special treat always makes my family happy!

I don’t love for us to drink much sugar. So I made this Easy Chocolate Milk to share with college students when they came over so that the gallon of fun could be spread throughout many of us, not just our family. :)

Ready for the recipe? Keep this one in your back pocket for a fun treat to serve guests on a hot day!

Easy Homemade Chocolate MilkYum

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Easy Homemade Chocolate Milk
 
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Serves: 1 gallon +
Ingredients
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 gallon milk
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, mix together sugar, cocoa, and water.
  2. Cook on low heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is well combined.
  3. Turn off the heat.
  4. Stir in the milk with a whisk until the chocolate is evening mixed throughout.
  5. Pour chocolate milk into a gallon-sized serving jar.
  6. Chill for at least two hours before serving.

Try this and let me know what you think? Best Chocolate Milk you’ve ever had? That’s what many of our guests tell me when they try this. :)

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Easy Homemade Pancake and Waffle “Syrup”

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Nothing beats real maple syrup, but in a pinch, and to save a little money, here’s how you can stir together Easy Homemade Pancake and Waffle “Syrup.”

Why would we want to avoid Real Maple Syrup? Oh, we don’t want to avoid it. That stuff is delicious and natural! I keep it on hand and we use it…most of the time for our pancakes and waffles.

But, I’ll admit that I get a little bit stingy when feeding pancakes or waffles to a large crowd. Real Maple Syrup can be pretty pricey! And most people are used to drowning their cakes in syrup! When they do that at my house with the real maple syrup I set out, then they leave $3 worth on their plates and wash it down the sink, I cry just a little bit.

Not really.

Yes really.

So…if I’m feeding a large crowd and I don’t want $20 worth of the good syrup to be washed down the drain, I make a Brown Sugar Syrup that has always received rave reviews.

OH! And if you’re wondering why I don’t just buy some Aunt Jamima for occasions such as this the answer is: Well. I just can’t bring myself to put it into my cart. Because of the high fructose corn syrup. She just isn’t welcome on my table. Shucks, Aunt Jamima.

Easy Homemade Pancake and Waffle “Syrup”Yum

Easy Homemade Pancake and Waffle "Syrup"
 
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups brown sugar (give or take)
  • ⅓ cup water (give or take)
Instructions
  1. Heat and stir on the stovetop until sugar has dissolved.
  2. Serve over pancakes and waffles.

Yes, it really is that easy. And those measurements? Don’t worry too much about them. Mostly you can just put brown sugar and water into a pan and heat it and serve it and it will be delicious (because it’s sugar).

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Food Ideas For Feeding a Large Group

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Need some food ideas for feeding a large group? Here’s what I’ve been working on recently!

I’ve been prepping to feed our York College soccer teams several times during our pre-season this fall, so I thought I’d share what I’ve been up to! (My husband is one of the women’s coaches so we are blessed to be heavily involved with the teams. Plus our third son, Elias, will be the fourth Coppinger to be on the YC men’s team!)

If you think I’m crazy for taking this on while chasing our busy 6-year-old and two 1-year-old toddlers, I’d probably agree with you. BUT, all I can say is that I had a strong desire to do this. God said yes. I love food, I love feeding people, and I especially love feeding our YC soccer teams as they transition back into a school year and a new season.

We are praising God that we can have a soccer season and an on-campus school year at this point. We are taking all the precautions to stay safe and the fact that we can have such a beautiful opportunity to enjoy community in this way is such a joy to us. We are SO THANKFUL.

How I can feed a large group while chasing babies

Even if I wasn’t chasing babies, I still have to do the following to make this work:

  1. I have to be very organized.
  2. I have to keep my menus very simple.
  3. I have to ask for help.
  4. I have to get as much food prepped ahead of time as possible.

So I’ve detailed my meal ideas. I’ve made thorough grocery lists (Wal-mart grocery pickup for the WIN!). I have lists of tasks others can take off my plate when they come into the kitchen and say, “What can I do to help?” And I started baking five weeks ago!

The plan right now is that I will feed:

  • The guy’s team one evening in our yard.
  • The girl’s team the next evening in our yard.
  • Both teams during an entire weekend retreat (6 meals)

I’ve been feeding big crowds (and chasing littles) for many years now, so I’ve definitely learned a lot about what works well and what doesn’t. I used to go all out and make everything from scratch. Phew, not anymore! I still do what I can, but wow have I simplified compared to making homemade ice cream sandwiches for everyone like I used to!

Food Ideas When Feeding a Large Group

Here’s a simple list of what I’m planning to feed everyone (about 80 people) during the weekend retreat. I’ll share more details below.

Friday Evening: Crock Pot Beef and Chicken Fajitas with Fixins, Watermelon, Butterscotch Bars

Saturday Morning: Egg Casseroles, Quick Breads, Fruit

Saturday Lunch: Dips with Chips, Dips with Veggies, Dips with Fruit, Brownies

Saturday Dinner: Lasagna, Salad, French Bread, Green Beans,  Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Sunday Morning: Cereal, Fruit, Yogurt, Leftover Quick Bread

Sunday Lunch: Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Chips, Baked Beans, Leftover Veggies and Fruits and Dips

During the weeks leading up to the retreat, I have cooked or baked a little bit each day to put food in the freezer to get ahead and prepared for the retreat.

Here’s my countertop one morning after I started cooking Fajita Meat in two crockpots,
Stick of Butter Rice in my Instant Pot,
and pulled three loaves of Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread from my oven.

What Can Be Made Ahead of Time and Frozen

What Can Be Made Ahead of Time and Refrigerated

In Case You’re Curious:

  • Fajita Fixin’s: tortillas, prepared meat, rice, black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, sliced olives, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, sour cream

What I Can Ask Others to Help With

It’s helpful for me to have a list made for ways others can help simply because while I’m in the middle of cooking before a big meal starts, my brain can’t always think of what to say when someone offers, “What can I do to help?”

During the retreat, soccer team members will be coming into the kitchen to help me (or grabbing babies to take them outside to play while I cook!). So here’s what I plan to turn over to the students:

  • Prep Fruit – Apples, Bananas, Peaches, Strawberries, Grapes
  • Prep Veggies – Carrots, Broccoli, Cucumbers
  • Slice Quick Breads
  • Shred Cheese
  • Wash Dishes! ;)

Meals in our Yard

The week after the retreat we’ll feed each team once at our house. I haven’t done any prep work for these yet, but I plan to make the same meal both nights for both teams to save effort and my brain energy. :)

What are your go-to meals when feeding large crowds?

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Into the Dishwasher Go the Potatoes

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Tonight’s soccer team dinner includes a baked potato (or two) for everyone. When cooking for a large crowd, I always wash my potatoes in the dishwasher. Never heard of that idea before? Read more about it here. It’s a huge time saver.

And while we’re on the subject of potatoes, I should let you know that after I wash them in the dishwasher, I’ll throw them into a crock pot to cook. (Or in this case, a huge roaster oven.)  Love how easy it is to feed baked potatoes to a crowd!

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