We got our tree up and decorated! It smells divine! And unearthing our circa 1999 Pokémon Christmas tree ornaments was… special. Ha.

And I made cocoa! And it was wonderful!

Hot Cocoa

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ sugar, more to taste
Pinch salt
½ cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups whole milk

Coffee or mint liqueur, as desired

Mix together the cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and water in a thick-bottomed sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute or two. Add the milk and vanilla and heat through. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if you like.

Serve with liqueur and/or marshmallows. Yum!

Serves 4