Fri., Nov. 16, 2018

Psalm 147:17 – God sends down hailstones like chips of rocks. Who can stand the cold?

Winter-like weather has arrived in Wisconsin. It’s mid-February … and already I have heard multiple times from Hubby Rick, “When can we move to Belize??” We visited Belize a couple years ago. Rick feels this would be the ideal climate for us to retire. But that is a post for another day.

Today’s words: how to keep warm inside when it’s cold outside.

I love coffee. I drink coffee every day. For years, I have been a traditionalist when it comes to coffee: black only. The last few years, sometimes I find myself putting cream or flavored creamer in my coffee. Why? My Dad drank lots of coffee with lots of milk and sugar. It wasn’t really coffee. It was more what I would call “candy coffee.” I have refrained from adding sugar to coffee. But sometimes I enjoy a little milk. Just makes me feel like I’m having coffee with my Dad.

In the winter, I sometimes want something more like hot chocolate but with some coffee flavor as well. So, I came up with what I call mocha coffee that I make at home. I’m sure I could google this and come up with a fancy recipe. My recipe is super easy, super simple and ready in three minutes. It has coffee, chocolate and is made in one cup.

I begin by filling a cup about halfway with coffee. Cold is just fine. Then, I fill it near the top with some milk. When I make hot chocolate with a mix, I make it with milk. If you have never had it with milk, make it this way. You may not go back to making it with water.

Once I have the cup mostly filled with coffee and milk, I microwave it for about 2 minutes. Don’t let it boil. Take it out of the microwave and add a packet of hot chocolate mix. Stir in as much as you can. Microwave for another minute. Mix well … and you have my easy, cheap and fairly decent version of mocha coffee. If you want to get all fancy, put some whipped topping on top and drizzle with chocolate syrup. Close your eyes while you drink it and maybe, you’ll think you got it from a fancy coffee shop. I know it’s not the same … but it also didn’t cost $5. Often, I buy the low sugar hot chocolate mix, as I really have cut back the amount of sugar I eat. When you use milk to make this, the missing sugar really isn’t much of a factor.

That’s it. A simple mocha coffee that is a great afternoon pick-me-up on a cold winter day. Or a treat after being outside for a while. It’s a nice variation from regular coffee/hot chocolate mix.

Nearly every time Rick mentions about moving to Belize, I remind him that we simply have to find fun ways to enjoy winter in Wisconsin. He’s not convinced the cold weather is necessary after Christmas. For me, this little mocha coffee is a fun drink for the winter months.

What is your favorite winter drink?

For special treats on cold winter days, I am grateful.

Lord God – some of us enjoy the change of seasons more than others. No matter what, I pray we appreciate the way you have designed this world. Thanks for special ways to enjoy the cold! Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

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