Doesn’t it just make you feel all special and happy when you are out shopping (by yourself!  yay!) and you grab yourself a little treat like that at a cozy little coffee shop?  I love those moments!  Sadly they are few and far between…

The other day was nuts, running around, dropping my kids here and there, stopping at Lowes, Carters, Target, Toys R Us for some birthday presents for upcoming parties, and grocery shopping on top of all that, trying to squeeze all of this in to the two-and-a-half hours I have to myself while my kids are at preschool.  By the time I got home with them, I was wiped!  And I still had yet to get started on cookies for an upcoming order.  I needed a pick-me-up!  The last thing I wanted to do was make another stop to buy my favorite salted caramel mocha treat…

Keep this sauce stashed in your fridge and you can whip up a salted caramel mocha in the time it takes to make your kids their afternoon snack!

Salted Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Dissolve the sugar, butter, and salt together in a deep pan.  When they are completely combined, and beginning to brown, whisk in the cream all at once.  It will boil furiously.  Take it off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.  Pour into a heat safe container to cool.

On a day when your butt is really dragging, place the following ingredients into the bottom of your favorite mug:

2 teaspoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons salted caramel sauce
1 shot of espresso

…and fill it the rest of the way up with milk.  Microwave for approximately 90 seconds on full power, or until hot and steamy.

(if you don’t have an espresso machine, just fill your mug 3/4 full with regular drip coffee, and top it off with milk, cream, or half and half)

You could even top it with some softly whipped cream, to make it even more special!

How do you like these Winter Woodland gingerbread cookies?

They were baked with Sweetopia’s Gingerbread Recipe, and inspired by this post.  I just loved her toadstools, acorns, and squirrels, and had to put my own spin on it!

I hope you get a free moment to treat yourself to something special this season.  Curled up under a snuggly throw, on your sofa in front of a toasty fire, with a Salted Caramel Mocha between your palms… it’s a perfect respite at this most busy time of year for us moms.

Enjoy the season and all the happy blessings it brings!