It’s been cold here in Ottawa lately. How cold? Well, check this out:

I had to see for myself if this worked. And it did!

So, yes, it’s been cold. And when it gets this cold we find ourselves drinking a lot of hot beverages, especially hot chocolate.Â

Awhile back I discovered an easy way to make it. It\’s so easy in fact that we don\’t even buy prepared hot chocolate mix anymore. Better yet, the girls are old enough to make it themselves, so I’m not actually the one making it anymore! (Well, most of the time.)

Here\’s how:

• Take one heaping teaspoon of cacao powder and mix with one or two heaping teaspoonfuls of sugar in a mug.
• Add a couple of teaspoons of boiling water and stir until you get a smooth paste.
• While you\’re doing stirring, microwave a cup of milk for a couple of minutes until it\’s really hot.
• Add the hot milk to your chocolate paste and mix well.
• Optional step: add a ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, marshmallows, or milk foam.

That\’s it! Can you believe how easy it is? And it\’s probably better for you than the storebought stuff anyway.

As for me, I\’m more of a Hot Vanilla kind of gal. I prefer a cup of superheated milk with a dash of really good quality vanilla extract. Yum.

What about you? What’s your hot beverage of choice when the weather gets cold?