The Best Kind of Hot Chocolate

Is one you drink after being outside in the cold.
The littlest two and I have adopted a bit of an unhealthy tradition.
We brave the intense cold every morning taking their big sister to school, and then we come home and have hot cocoa.
We did this one particularly cold morning, and then for some reason it stuck. Now we do it every morning.

This has been the best part of my week. getting back into the routine hasn't been fun, but I've enjoyed the return of our daily hot cocoa. :)

I thought I'd share my two favorite recipes. For when you want something a little more special than the powdered stuff.

Slow Cooker Hot Chocolate

I make hot chocolate in the slow cooker quite often in the winter. Awesome for when you are playing outside. Come in, take off your layers, and the hot chocolate is waiting! It will quickly take your kids' minds off the fact that their toes and fingers are cold, their socks got wet, or any of the other million reasons they might be crying as they come in (or maybe this is just my kids).

• 5 cups milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 package of milk chocolate chips
• Whipped cream or mini marshmallows optional

1. Add to slow cooker and stir. 
2. Cook on low for at least an hour (I have left it up to 3 hrs)
3. Stir before again serving.

Be warned, this is a really rich, creamy, sweet, hot chocolate.
This is a modified allrecipes recipe. 

 I like mine with whipped cream....

The kids prefer marshmallows...


Old Fashioned hot Cocoa

Your standard hot cocoa from scratch as we make it in our house. So good!

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup water
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup half and half cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Whipped cream or marshmallows optional

1. Mix sugar, cocoa powder, and water in saucepan and heat to boiling.
2. Mix in milk, cream and vanilla and warm over medium heat stirring.

You can put the old fashioned recipe in the slow cooker as well. Actually, you can even slow cook the grocery store powdered variety.

Enjoy! :)