Piping Hot Mug of Hot Chocolate

Our Aunt Dorothy was up this weekend for a wedding and this morning after Mass she took us out for breakfast. It was a brisk fallish type morning and four of our kids order hot chocolate. We were at the Friendship Restaurant in town and not only did they make their Hot Cocoa with whipped cream on top, but they also gave them a side order of whipped cream. It really put me in the mood for some cocoa so I looked up the perfect hot cocoa recipe, and here is what I came up with from ehow.com :

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:



* 1/4 cup cocoa

* 1/2 cup sugar

* 1/3 cup water

* Pinch of salt

* 4 cups of 2 percent milk

* 3/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

* Mug

* Saucepan

* Spoon

* Beater

* Whipped cream or Marshmallows



Step1

Combine water, cocoa, sugar, salt in a medium size pot over medium heat. Keep stirring making sure everything is dissolved until boiling. Keep boiling for a minute or two.

Step2

2 percent milk makes a creamy cup of hot cocoa, use skim milk for a lower fat content. Reduce heat to medium low and add the four cups of 2 percent milk, constantly stirring. Do not bring to a boil.

Step3

Add vanilla extract and keep stirring.

Step4

Stir mixture for about 2 minutes with the hand beater until everything is mixed together, or until desired serving temperature is met. Be sure not to boil.

Step5

Remove from heat.

Step6

Hand egg beater. For a foamy hot cocoa take hand egg beater and stir vigorously for a minute. Can us a mechanical beater as well.

Step7

Add Marshmallows or Whipped cream



It sounded like a lot of work for me so I just ripped open a Carnation Cocoa packet and dumped it in hot water.
An important part of a great cup of coffee, cocoa, or even soup is what you put it in. I swear by the Mara coffee mug that we sell. They are amazing. I have big hands and I love the way I can fit all four fingers into the cup handle. They are so heavy and tough I have dropped them on the floor and they haven't even cracked. They are microwave and dishwasher safe and they are beautiful. In short, they are a class act for coffee/cocoa mugs. If you haven't bought some, try them today. Kate and I probably have twenty in our house and it never seems to be enough.

Fall Returns to the Northwoods

Fall has returned to the Northwoods and Kate and I are now busy with Soccer and School. I do manage to squeeze in a hunting trip or two once in awhile but I am mostly teaching. As summer fades, the resorts in the area start to cleanup and close down.
Eagle River was an amazing resort area in its hay day. Now it is becoming more populated with condos then little resorts. That is a life style that seems to be changing drastically in the Northwoods.
Yes the economy has really effected our little area of paradise and we have seen our fair share of fellow business men and women decide to shut down their businesses but for the most part we are surviving this crazy economy.
Now is when the beauty of the northwoods really shines. The lakes are quiet as the boats are put away. The trees have already started to change colors and the National forest seem to come alive with grouse, deer, and animals to preprare for the hunting season. The Musky fisherman are still out pounding the water with their oversized tackle and due to catch and release, they are still pulling in a lot of monsters.
With the change in the weather, Minnetonka's winter boots really start to become more popular. Ladies where them with skirts and shorts early in the fall and then switch to pulling them over their jeans. On cold soccer mornings, more and more mom's are pulling on their fashion boots while yelling encouragment to their eight-year-old kicking the soccer ball around. Enjoy your fall before the winter season starts, it is the shortest of our Northwoods seasons it seems.