Here's A Little Secret

Back in the day, sometime when L1-L4 were young, my parents were financially strapped.  As a result, for their Christmas Eve treat they could only afford hot chocolate and toast.  The next year, things were better, and my Mom tried to make a fancier treat.  However, the damage had been done, and my older siblings revolted asking for the "tradition" of hot chocolate and toast.

And thus the tradition was born.

Every Christmas Eve, this is something I look forward to.  (Yes, I know Christmas isn't here yet... just go with me.)

When Hod and I were married, we were given a gift card to a kitchen specialty store.  We decided to use that gift card on pure fluff.  We just wanted something fun.  We narrowed our choices down to an ice cream maker, and a Coco-Latte.  The Coco-Latte won.  It is pretty much amazing.  Though, I do think it makes the hot chocolate a little too hot.

Enter something I learned from my Mom.  On Christmas Eve, she would have evaporated milk* for us to use to cool down our hot chocolate.

Today, Hod and I tried the evaporated milk trick.  And this is what I learned.  1st, if your evaporated milk isn't chilled, it doesn't cool off the hot chocolate.  2nd, evaporated milk makes even really cheap hot chocolate extra creamy, thus making it seem gourmet for a poor girl's budget.

Who knew?  I will now no longer be sad when I buy cheap hot chocolate, cause I can make it taste great!

*(why is it called evaporated milk, when it is still liquid?  I've never understood that.)