Yep, it’s January again.
The air is cold and crisp and, once in a while, we wake up to a glorious sunny morning. The kind of morning with shimmery frost or sparkly snow cover.
Those mornings are my favorite winter mornings.
January is a time for rest.
The farm chores are narrowed down to a bare minimum.
The flowers are resting in the gardens, it’s too cold to worry about weeds, and there is no growing grass to mow.
This is the time to nestle down into my comfy chair with a mug of my favorite hot cocoa, read through all of the seed catalogues, and dream of my January Garden.
Hot chocolate evokes so many warm fuzzy memories for me.
Childhood memories of ice skating, snowmobiling, skiing, and snow forts.
Recent memories of playing outside with ours kids in the snow.
I used to make this hot cocoa recipe for our children when they would come in from sledding and snowball fights.
It warmed them up right down to their toes and filled them with happy childhood memories.
I’d like to share this recipe with you because it reminds me of one of the best memories of home.
My Favorite Hot Cocoa
Makes 2 servings
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tablespoons sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a small sauce pan, whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar, and milk while heating on medium heat. Stir continuously to prevent the milk from scalding. When heated to the desired temperature, stir in the vanilla, remove from the heat, and serve in mugs.
Add marshmallows, whipped cream, or a peppermint stick for even more fun!