Snowstorm essentials

Dear Friends,

As you know the East Coast has been GETTING hammered with snow! The DC area (outside my house at least has gotten around 30 inches of snow over the weekend), got slammed.  And to top it off, it is snowing again????!!!? What is up with the weather?

I don't know about you, but I am ready for some fun-in-the-sun! I like winter and all, but this is just WAY too much! So, for all of you snow bunnies and for those who are wanting another season to breeze on through (think warm sand and drinks with umbrellas), here is something to warm up that blistering winter season!

I know that a great cup of hot chocolate just warms me up when the skies are falling outside. Some prefer homemade hot chocolate, but sometimes after the mad rush to the grocery store, the only thing left is instant hot chocolate. So, just incase I always have some on hand year-round. Nothing quite completes a snowy weekend without making Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

For me, here is a list of winter snowstorm essentials to have:

Flour
chocolate chips
eggs
butter
sugar
milk
Hershey's Cocoa
Nestle Hot Chocolate Mix
whipped cream


Sometimes the grocery stores have been ravaged, and you cannot get all the essentials you need! That why I always keep a jar of the Nestle Hot Chocolate mix in my cabinet. You can either make it with water or milk. For those who are "watching your calories" ( i think it is perfectly fine to have a 'cheat day' when it snows), the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of the hot chocolate mix=only around 80 calories if you mix it with hot water (which i think tastes delicious!!!)

For those of you who keep the Cocoa on hand here is the recipe:

Hershey's Hot Chocolate
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sugar

2 to 3 teaspoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
Dash salt
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in large mug. Heat milk in microwave at HIGH (100%) 1-1/2 minutes or until hot. Gradually add hot milk to cocoa mixture in mug, stirring until well blended. Stir in vanilla. 1 serving.


This weekend when it was DUMPING snow, I sat in front of my fireplace with a nice cup of hot chocolate (Nestle Mix Version). I added my own little extras to it.......here are the pictures!

I added some whipped cream and mini chocolate chips. Stay Warm this week!