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I’ve been wanting to make a cocoa mix for the kids for the cold.COLD.cold weather we’re having, but have been terribly discouraged that all the recipes I’d found call for non-dairy creamer.
Ever wonder to yourself, “Hey, Self, if it’s not dairy then just what IS it?” Well, I checked.
It’s nuclear waste.
So, I decided not to feed it to my kids. Wasn’t a very hard decision, except for that part where I still don’t have any mugs full of steaming cocoa for my bairns. Drat!
Had to let that idea go.
Saturday I took Hank shopping at WalMart and even thought, “Hmm, maybe I should just buy a tea pot and let ‘em drink tea.” Which they would do, and do it happily. But, foiled again. StuffMart ain’t got no stinkin’ tea pots! (Lion King nod)
Well, after the WallyWorld adventure Hank wanted to go to Half-Priced Books (love that place!) to buy some History books for cheap. (Is this kid great or what?)
Now, lemme ask you, what’s the best place in Half-Priced Books?
The CLEARANCE section!
I hope I’m conveying the magnitude of my love for buying good books for really.REALLY.really cheap!
I smiled hard and tried not to embarrass my teenage shopping companion with hysterical giggling and maniacal squealing when I found this treasure tome.
Could one book be more ‘right up my street’? Mrs. Tarr must be my Fairy-god-mother.
Can you read that clearance tag?
$2
Maybe Half-Priced Books is my Fairy-god-mother!
And here is my interpretation of Mrs. Tarr’s recipe for Hot Cocoa Mix.
In your big bowl mix:
- 1½ cups cocoa
- 2 cups sugar
- 4½ cups instant non-fat dry milk
Stir it well. Pour the mix into two clean and bone dry quart jars. Store them cool, dry and dark (in the pantry).
You’ll have a little left over. Make a cup for your cutest kid and slip the rest into your coffee (you can thank me later).
Here’s how to make enough hot cocoa for 2 kids under age ten. Older than tens can drink the whole batch alone.
Pour ½ cup boiling water into a pint jar. Add ½ cup of the Hot Cocoa Mix. Stir well. Now add another ½ cup of boiling water, and ¼ – ½ cup of milk. Stir and pour into mugs!
The milk can be warmed if your kids like their cocoa good and hot! Mine don’t, so adding cold milk brings the temperature down to ‘drinkable’ with no waiting!
Now, go buy some SwissMiss or some-such, gather your children around and do a blind taste test and let me know which y’all like best.
I know which one my kids prefer!
Linked to Works for Me Wednesday.
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I get my carob powder from my health food store, although I’m looking into the price of it at my organic co-op.
Yum, I can’t wait to make this! What a great gift idea.
Kimarie,
That sounds tasty! I like honey! Where do you buy your carob powder? I haven’t had carob in years. That’s a taste from my childhood.
If we’re talking fresh milk, the recipe on the back of my carob powder (Chatfield’s) is:
In a small saucepan, combine:
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon carob powder
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Heat until hot, do not boil.
This is DELICIOUS! And this can be served before bed!
Hmmm, the comment about powdered milk costing more than fresh is astounding to me. I’ll be doing some calculating.
As far as making this with fresh milk and cocoa/carob – a stick blender in the saucepan works wonders! Well, at least for me, since I’m usually making 2 quarts of the stuff at a time.
Kim,
If you like a sweet, creamy hot chocolate it is pretty good – way better than any of the cheap store bought powder mixes. If you are going for more of a cocoa flavor (kind of bitter, less sweet), then it’s not gourmet tasting enough.
I’m scared to find out what they put in the milk to make it chocolate milk though. I keep telling myself that it comes from a brown cow…
Love your blog by the way.
Kim’s recipe looks like what we do. It’s not anymore of a hassle if you keep the cocoa and sugar mixed together in a container ahead of time, and then just scoop out 3tsp. of mix per cup of milk that you are heating (we just throw a little water in the pan first, add the dry, stir, and then add the milk – but we have forgotten the whole mix w/ water step and nothing bad happened). One of our recipes calles for a dash of salt if your making enough for 8-10 people – don’t know what the difference is, but there you go.
Kaycee,
I’ve always wondered what the difference is. So it’s more than temp?
Is it bad that I have been known just to heat up Chocolate Milk in the microwave and pass it off as “Hot Chocolate”?
I can see how this would be a bit more of a hassle, but since it relieves me of the dry milk powder I’ll give it a go. Thanks, Kim!
Right off the tin of Hershey’s cocoa, to the best of my memory. We never look now, but here’s what we do:
1 tsp. cocoa
2 tsp. sugar
Add a bit of water, heat til dissolved.
Add milk to fill the mug, stir and heat again to desired temp. Add a tiny splash of vanilla if desired.
For a whole pot, just multiply and cook on the stovepot. We do 8-10 servings.
Where’s your recipe, Kim? I crave the convenience, but, I could be persuaded to do it the hard way, if it’s not too , too hard.
I’m gonna be just a wee bit snarky, because I’m your friend and we’re allowed.
Unless you know something I don’t, powdered milk costs more than fresh. The convenience of a mix is nice, but we often just mix up a cup at a time in the microwave from scratch with fresh milk – or a big batch on the stovetop.
It’s really not much more work than boiling water, and tastes much better.
Ooh, thanks Melissa! That looks neat!
Kimarie, that is just amazing that you own that book too. And all my life I never knew it existed! I’m so loving it!
Hey Jenny, have you checked out this site: http://www.thefamilyhomestead.com/recipes.htm. She has a lot of healthy, natural recipes along with tons of other helpful tips. She also has a cocoa recipe under “mixes” that does not use traditional sugar. Thought you might be interested and hope you enjoyed your break.
Forgot to add that I add this to my coffee WAY too much when I have it on hand… ahem.
No way! I have my mom’s copy of this book from eons ago (it used to be called “The Up With Wholesome Down With Store Bought Book of Recipes and Household Formulas) and thought of you last week as I was making the hot cocoa mix for the freezing masses of children here! Too cool you found a copy. It’s RICH with ideas.
That’s *awesome.* I think you’ve inspired me to go check my Half-Price Books out too. I go back and forth as to whether I like them or the thrift-shop better. But they’ve definitely got the bookstore ambiance down, and there’s something nice about that. Plus, there are more books, better organized.
Gonna have to try that cocoa recipe. I’ve got some dry milk that needs to be used up and I’m right at the bottom of my huge can of hot chocolate from last year.
Man, I wish we had a Half Price Books! This book looks like it would be right up my alley too – so much so that I looked it up online and bought a used copy. I hope it’s in as good condition as they say it is. I only paid a little over $5 including s&h, so I con’t complain too much I guess.
My mom used to make this when i was little. I have to say, it is great in coffee too!