Snow Day!

What a treat today is, we woke up to at least 3 inches of perfectly packed white powder and a city not equipped to deal with it, which means the whole world (or our neighborhood at least) is having a snow day!!! What I love about snow, besides the absolute beautiful glow it gives off & the potential for fun it creates, is that young or old, furry or thin skinned, no one is immune from the excitement of a snow day!

Here are some pics from our morning sledding expedition. I think it's safe to say that the snow was a major hit with my 'kids'!

I hope you're all off having spectacular snow adventures of your own today! Play hard, stay warm, and don't hesitate to treat yourself to something warm when you return. One of my go-to cocoa recipes? Jamie Oliver's BEST hot cocoa . . . heaven!

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk (though I always use skim, it works, though not as rich)
2 tablespoons good-quality drinking chocolate (Ghirardelli's!)
1 handful of marshmallows (the bigger the better)
sugar, to taste
want to give it a little kick? Add a dash of chili powder!

This takes around 3 or 4 minutes to make. First put the milk into a pan. Bring to a simmer – not a boil – and while it's heating, put a tablespoon of choice powder and sugar to taste into each mug. Add a little warmish milk from the pan to each mug – you just need enough to dissolve the chocolate powder. At this point, plonk a few marshmallows into each mug. When the milk is at a simmer, carefully pour it into a plastic jug or flask. I normally do this over a sink as I always end up spilling a bit (the trick is to have a big enough jug or flask so the milk only half fills it – you need the extra space for shaking and frothing).


Screw the lid on tightly, place a cloth over the lid for safety, and shake hard for a minute. Remove the lid, minding the steam, and pour the milk into your mugs. A little stir and you can slurp your way to heaven!