Easy Recipe for Homemade Hot Cocoa

Adult or child, everyone loves hot cocoa. I remember coming home from the farm, frozen fingers, a cherry nose but that didn't matter; mom had a cup of hot chocolate waiting. I cherished those good times and happy memories and wanted to continue the tradition when I had my own family. Now, I start a batch of homemade hot cocoa for my kids. When they head out in the frozen north and after chores or building forts and snowman, they hurry inside in anticipation. Their cheeks are freezing but not their spirits. Ladling the steamy drink each adds marshmallows dipping them in and out until the savory drink has cooled enough to sip. Oh, my taste buds are going crazy thinking about it. As everyone loves cocoa but doesn't have their own recipe, I thought I would share mine. Simple yet satisfying, this recipe is for any level of cook. But first things first. Here are the directions to make your mix. To make your mix take organic cocoa and organic coconut sugar. Now, add and mix them until you have just the right taste. You can even add the turmeric and ground black pepper to your mix. However, I like to add them separately because sometimes I want a stronger turmeric flavor and sometimes I don't. The choice is yours. List of ingredients: Organic cocoa mixFresh milk (please don't ruin the recipe by using soymilk :(.TurmericGround pepper Items needed: Medium sized potStirring spoonLadleMugs Step #1 Heat your milk in a medium saucepan on medium heat to low heat. Add a dash of pepper and stir constantly. Pepper helps to enhance the taste and opens up your capillaries. Step #2 Add your homemade cocoa mix. I add a Tablespoon at a time until the flavor is just right. Stir. Step #3 Add about a 1/2 to 1 tsp of turmeric. Stir. Step #4 Heat until you have reached the desired temperature. Ladle into your mug and serve. How easy was that? Not pictured are the marshmallows, but I'm sure you can figure out how many to add to each cup;). Enjoy Friends, and we'll talk to you next week. -Heather Earles