Countertop Cocoa/Cider Bar

We packed about as much as any of us could handle into one weekend (family pics, progressive supper, church production, snow plowing, + my family camping at our house for the weekend) and today we are recovering....with yoga pants, coffee, and Fuller House on Netflix.

But now that it's nap time and I've had my third cup of coffee of the day I've gotten a second-wind. And I have a blog to share that might make your Christmas-hosting a tad easier this season. :)

This 'tray' came from our shed last week (it seems it might have been a butcher block somewhere in a past life?). I didn't ask for the specifics on 'where' Josh found it, but he stressed it needed to be wiped down well. Really well. So I did that to my standards and now I think it's a pretty dang cute, useful tray on my counter!

If you are capable of opening six packages...you can handle this cute little display on your counter.

I present to you...my "recipe" for an adorable Countertop Cocoa/Cider Bar that's so easy even Caleb Boersma could pull it off if he wanted to.

First...buy all the 'fixings' at the grocery store. I bought a big container of cocoa, a box of cider packets, marshmallows, cinnamon sticks, candy canes, and red hots.

Second...come home and empty everything into cute jars and baskets. Vases or mugs would work too. We use mason jars for drinking glasses around here so I just yanked a couple from the cupboard.

Third...tuck everything into a nook in your kitchen/dining room/entry-way on a counter/shelf/buffet. I like to keep ours next to my mug rack on the counter to make filling mugs with water and popping them in the microwave easier...but it could go anywhere! Especially if you own a carafe for hot water...the tray could travel to a play room, the coffee table, or downstairs for a movie night.

Fourth...throw in a chalkboard with some cute 'directions' from Santa...all of mine are occupied at the moment, so I didn't take it this far but I'm sure Pinterest has some ideas for you.

Fifth...there's literally NO MESS. No crock pot of homemade cocoa to clean up at the end of the night. No pot on the stove full of sticky cider that needs to be dumped. None of it 'goes bad' if it doesn't all get drunk. Clean-up is as easy as putting a few mugs in the dishwasher. This is my favorite part.

I pulled this out for our connection group progressive supper last night, and now I plan to just leave it on the counter until after Christmas. With all the friends and family we've had here lately, and the two parties we're hosting next weekend...this thing just does all the work for me. You want cider? I have everything for you to make it yourself. You want three mugs of hot cocoa in four hours (DAD)? Knock yourself out. It makes kicking back and enjoying the company that much easier...and that's what hosting is all about.

Enjoy. :)

MmB