Hot Chocolate on a Winter's Day

Whether it’s hot tea, hot coffee, or hot cider they all taste bitter to me. That leaves hot chocolate when I need something warm to drink. I’m not much of a fan of hot chocolate either, but sometimes I need the coziness of a warm drink in my hands. The hot chocolate mix that I use sits in a tall clear container on the counter. It’s easy to fix, just scoop out one-quarter cup of the mix and add hot water. I have a pretty green winter mug with a primitive red bird among snowflakes that I use. It’s a strange mug, instead of being round it’s square. Do you realize how hard it is to drink out of a square mug? The hot chocolate tends to dribble out the corners! If I drank hot chocolate more often, I would buy me a different one.

As I stir the mixture, I think about long ago winters when I played outside in the snow until my cheeks were pink, my nose tingly, and my hands frozen inside of wet mittens. When mom called me in to warm up, she would have a cup of hot chocolate ready with cookies or popcorn. Her hot chocolate wasn’t like mine which is made mixing several ingredients together and just adding water. No, hers took more time and effort. She used Hershey’s Cocoa and milk which had to be watched closely as it warmed so it wouldn’t scorch.

One Christmas she bought Santa face mugs for our hot chocolate. I’m guessing my mug is about sixty years old, so I don’t used if anymore except to decorate with. During the Christmas season I bring it out and either fill it with candy canes or jingle bells. Every time I unpack it and place it on the counter, I remember my mom’s hot chocolate. It was much better than mine! 

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Winter Writing Sanctuary 

Assignment – Your Favorite Cuppa