HOT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COCOA

 I have been concerned lately since we are limiting activities again due to the COVID-19 pandemic, of my depression coming back. I have quit going to the Y and walking on the Lazy River, we already quit dining out (we do pick-up but not as often as we were), and my canasta friends have quit gathering in the park as the temperatures have cooled. We were having Worship on the Lawn at church for about a month, but that has also stopped because of the new restrictions on gathering outside. I can feel the walls closing in on me. I am going to continue to go to the thrift shop and clean on Monday mornings when the shop is closed except just for the volunteers. That will give me a reason to bake something and while I am usually by myself while cleaning, I do get to see some of the other volunteers at a distance.

You might be feeling the same way. I don't know. BUT do I have a pick-me-up to share with you today.

I was looking through my Blue Binder of Clipped Recipes from years ago and I found this small recipe I had cut from a Woman's Day magazine for Peppermint Hot Chocolate. It was just three sentences but three sentences that excited me. There is no telling how many times I have flipped through this binder and that little recipe finally caught my eye.

Like usual, my imagination has gone wild, and I have come up with so many other options. As I have always said, I am only limited by my imagination. I substituted Andes Creme de Menthe baking chips for the semi-sweet chocolate chips the recipe called for. BUT why not use peanut butter chips, or butterscotch chips, or caramel chips, etc. You see where I am going, don't you? You might want to stock up on candy canes/peppermint stick candy during this holiday season though. Wayne has started adding some hot cocoa mix in his cup of coffee. I bet he will be trying this in his coffee too. Will see.

I can enjoy this pick-me-up at least once a day without feeling too guilty because I use Sugar-Free Instant Hot Cocoa mix. I need to stock up on that. Just writing this post, my spirits have been lifted!😊

HOT DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT COCOA

1     tablespoon chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, peanut butter chips, etc

Instant hot-chocolate mix

Hot water

Peppermint stick

Place 1 tablespoon of chips in cup.

Add instant hot-chocolate mix and

hot water.

Stir with a Peppermint stick.

I left my peppermint stick in the cup while I sipped the hot cocoa. This is what the candy cane looked like  by the time I had finished it. 😁

Enjoy and hope your spirits are lifted!

UPDATE: Since I originally wrote this post, I have had a chance to try it with peanut butter chips. OMG! So-o-o-o Go-o-o-o-d!!!