Hot Chocolate is a Color

So I apologize for the title of my previous post!  My husband saw it and commented, "Really?"  Not very beautiful, in retrospect.  But that's what this blog is about.  It's about the beautiful moments and the ugly moments.  The times when I'm glad to have crossed off all the things on my to-do list and those crazy days when I'd rather be anything but busy.  It's trying to find time to savor live and not let it pass you by in  the same breath. 

 I had a moment like that the other day.  It was our last  snow.  After spring had officially begun but at least we finally had a snow we  could have some fun in!  I took the kids out sledding and stomping and we made a miniature snowman.  After we had stripped off all the cold, soaked boots, gloves, and snow suits the kids settle down to watch "Word World" and I headed off to make them some hot chocolate and lunch.  As I'm laddling the hot chocolate into their cups I realize that this is one of those moments I dreamed about in college.  And the fact that I had the presence of mind to be aware of how awesome that moment was while it was happening is an amazing gift!  I realize it's a little late to put a hot chocolate recipe up but there are still some cool nights and mornings hanging around. 

Easy Hot Chocolate

4 cups milk or whatever substitute you like (we used 1%)
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar (you can use honey but the heat will kill the healthy enzymes)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat.  Don't let it boil though!  You can always swap out the spices and put in pumpkin spice or switch up the vanilla for mint extract.  This isn't an exact recipe.  Play with the sugar to your liking, add more or less chocolate as you like (I'm a chocoholic).  If you like spice, add some cayenne pepper.  This recipe was only a small batch for the kids so it serves between 4-6 depending on whether or not you have some hot chocolate junkies.  Have fun with it!

In other news, I'm running my first 5k this weekend!  The Color Run!  I've always been a runner but never in a competitive way.  It's one of my favorite fitness outlets.  That and yoga.  I have to do something to run off all  the chocolate I eat.  I'm one of those people who pins all the unhealthy exercises on Pinterest and then goes to the heathly section, pins an exercise routine, and does about half before deciding "Well that's not gonna happen!"  So now, instead of entertaining fantasies of running away to a spa and never coming back, I go pound the pavement and make sure I have enough energy to get me back home.