Vanilla Steamers.

I got the idea of serving a warm beverage to the girls from a friend with a funny story about Vanilla Steamers. She explained that in high school her go-to drink from Starbucks was a Vanilla Steamer. She would tell people she needed her vanilla steamer. And it wasn't til later that she realized there was no coffee (or caffeine) in a vanilla steamer.

I enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed the actual drink!

As an alternative to (the ever sugary) hot cocoa, I was excited to have a tea party with the girls by serving this:

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Vanilla Steamer
Serves 4.

2 c. milk (I use organic 2%)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. sugar (I use sucanat)

Stir together all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat on medium heat until you see steam rising from the pan (approx. 10 mins). Serve with cinnamon sprinkled on top and yummy cookies for a perfect tea party!

{sidenote: I am desperately missing my aerolatte (it broke and I also accidentally left it behind on my trip to California last month), this drink would be perfection with some foamy goodness}
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At our tea parties, I have the girls practice using cloth napkins in their laps and wiping their mouths. It's great to get some more use out my cloth napkins that I love! And, I read in a book the idea to teach your girls proper etiquette. Not that it's an everyday reality (because I rarely serve napkins at meals, special request only!), but so that the girls are familiar and comfortable with social situations that require them to be a little more proper than our normal everyday meals. I told Ryan about this desire of mine, and we both laughed and agreed that I'd better get my hands on an etiquette book to learn for myself!

Here's the inaugural day of Vanilla Steamers.

Getting some fresh, frigid air:

Infamous chokehold:

Ahhhh...and inside for some warmth and comfort drinks:

Vanilla Steamers were a hit!