Aside from telling you that I have a mocha recipe for you, I have nothing cute to say. That time of year has hit in which not only is it still winter, it is also still winter.
Yesterday I saw a picture of myself wearing a sun dress and sporting a healthy tan. “Oh, oooh!! Remember that!?” I exclaimed to my husband. “That picture was taken on that really fun day when our family did that really fun stuff because the SUN WAS SHINING and it was HOT OUTSIDE.” He just grinned and handed me another blanket.
I’m thankful for every day and all that. God is good all the time, you can bet on it. If summer never comes, it really is okay because I have Jesus. Look at me, I’m like Paul. I have learned to be content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Whether I’m freezing or freezing or even if I’m freezing. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
That’s from Philippians chapter 4 in case you want to find more encouragement from that passage, to read it within its context, or maybe to be sure I quoted it accurately. My brain gets a little fuzzy after enduring forty-three months of winter in a row.
I know that really, I have nothing to complain about. I have a roof over my head, a beautiful fireplace, and a husband to pat me on the head and hand me another blanket when I burst into tears over a picture of myself in a sun dress from last summer. I’m very blessed, the sun will shine again, and someday soon but probably not for at least 68 more days – I will be warm. Can we just talk about something else now?
I came up with a little something to help me cope with my issues this afternoon. Some might call it a Mocha. Some might call it a Warm Chocolate Soother with a little coffee stirred in. I’d like to call it the answer to every cold, desperate woman’s need for warmth and sunshine. Not that I really have issues or am what one might call desperate.
So this. This mug of goodness saved the day…
It’s Warm Chocolate Soother mixed with coffee. The idea came from a dear reader, Missy, from South Carolina. She sent me the idea months ago, then I remembered it while huddled beside my space heater this afternoon. Here’s part of her email:
Good morning! It’s a cold, wet, blustery day here in South Carolina. I awoke to the sound of wind and rain hitting my windows. My first thought was to brew a cup of coffee, but then I thought of my 2 boys and wondered what they would like to have warm and yummy. I thought about your Warm Chocolate Soother and knew it would be perfect!I gathered all the ingredients and set about making the soother. I tweaked the recipe and used half whole milk and half unsweetened almond milk. I love using real food ingredients to make treats for my family. It all came together and I served my boys a mug full. They loved it!I served myself a cup of chocolate soother and tasted it – yum! Then I remembered that I had wanted a cup of coffee. I decided to mix the two. Oh boy – it was GOOD! I have my coffee and the warm chocolate soother in my mug and I am a happy girl! I know how you have begun enjoying coffee and wanted to share this with you, if you haven’t already discovered this! Thank you for your Warm Chocolate Soother recipe – now to try coffee and Warm Vanilla Soother next! Many blessings for today! :)
How to Make a Warm, Nourishing Mocha
Mix 1 cup Warm Chocolate Soother with 1 cup coffee. Or 5 cups Warm Chocolate Soother with 5 cups coffee. Or whatever it takes for you to survive these last few weeks of winter.
(How’s winter treating you, by the way?)
This post was even more hilarious than usual, and I needed the laugh, because it’s even freezing here in Alabama. I think I’ll make this tomorrow.
Pass me a blanket?
Laura! Laura! I’m trying to put my baby to sleep here! When I saw the picture of you needing sunshine I was laughing so hard the poor little guy almost bounced off my lap! :-) When you need a break from the cold, come visit me in Florida. It was so hot today I had to turn on my a/c and had sweat dripping down my back after being outside! Yuck! :-)
Nobody likes a showoff.
;)
Oh Rachaelle you are so lucky…..it is in the teens here like 16……you can send some of the heat you don’t want here to Ohio….we will gladly take it :) enjoy your sun :)
I grew up in northern Michigan, so I know all about that cold weather! I really miss the snow during the winter. I miss getting to wear my sweaters, too. I have a whole drawer full that I never wear. I’ll ask the Lord to send you some of this crazy heat and for some snow down here. :-)
;)
We attend a fairly large church and after the long walk from the building to our van, I got in, shivered and said–Spring is coming, spring is coming. It can’t be winter forever. This isn’t Narnia!!!!
We live in north central Iowa.
Its pretty daggone cold here in PA, but I have to say- the sun setting over fields of snow when I am on my drive home from work is truly amazing. I thank God every time I get to see that. No human can create such beauty- it’s God’s work alone. I too am looking forward to warmer weather, but playing card games with your husband and kids by the fireplace, hot chocolate and fresh popped popcorn (in coconut oil with real butter, yum) and your kids cuddling with you to watch a movie with blankets all over the place is really a wonderful thing. Grateful for my family, my warm home, the wonderful food we have to eat, a car that works (most of the time) and the job I have to go to. Lord, help us reach out to those, especially in this cold weather, who do not have the things they need.
Good morning Laura. You have made my morning. A smile and a good laugh is what I need to start the day. Like you, I am freezing here in Conn. but very grateful for a very warm house . When I start my belly aching about how cold I am , I have to remember how blessed I am to have what I have and pray for the ones that are not as fortunate. Thanks for the post today and remember SPRING is just around the corner! :) Jean
You could always move to Georgia :) You know what they say about Georgia’s weather…..wait 10 minutes and it will change ;) This past week we’ve had an ice storm that resulted in NO power for 4 days!! Right now it’s raining, but they’re saying more ice and snow is coming, possibly as early as tomorrow morning. So, on that note…pass me a mug AND a blanket!!
No power for four days?! Yikes and bummer! What do you do… Live by candlelight? ????
Luckily we have a wood heater/stove. Also I have lots of beautiful oil lamps that belonged to my grandmother. My old fashioned campfire percolator certainly came in handy too!! :) I cooked on my wood stove, with my cast iron. It makes THE best beans and cornbread ;) We played tons of games, and lots of snuggling!! :D
That actually sounds cool!!!
You crack me up Laura! I’m glad you found something to get you through. Have you made your pudding recipe with stevia? I need a sugar free pudding!!
Brrr! Chicago has had one of the coldest winters ever. Blech! But the days are getting longer, we get to move the clocks in another few Sundays, and hot steaming oatmeal makes for a great dinner in the meantime :) Your soother is the perfect complement. Stay warm!
And this. This is why I love you & enjoy reading your blog. You make me smile, laugh, & make good food. :)
It was -20 F here in the UP of Michigan this morning! we have had many frigid days in a row. School is cancelled again, except for those of us who educate our kids at home! We are enjoying the sunshine from inside while doing lots of read alouds!
I’m a winter kind of girl…but only if there’s snow! This year our snowfall has been pretty much absent, and it’s just dreary! Most of all, though, I’m ready for winter to be over because I am more than ready to welcome our sweet newest member into the family somewhere around the first week in April!! :D
Well I am in Texas. Weather here is all over the place. Right now it is raining and 36 and getting colder. Yesterday I had the a/c on. I prefer colder weather vs 105 temps. Like I told my husband last night, “When it’s cold, YOU can grab a blanket, when it’s hot I can’t take off my skin!”
Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons. But, they don’t really occur in Texas. :((
Not only are we frozen nearly to death, we are completely buried in snow up here in Rhode Island. I’m only alive because of hot drinks. :)
Weather is always dramatic in its changes this time of year in south Louisiana. Was 75 here yesterday,41 today, & chance of sleet tomorrow morning! I’m thankful for the warm days and then actually look forward to colder days to enjoy hot drinks. I will be making your mocha soother at some point today. Probably while calling out spelling words & holding baby #7 (who is 6 weeks old) in one arm. I’ve actually poured the last sip of coffee into my soother before & it is delicious. Now I need the coffee to help me stay awake!! Baby girl doesn’t think momma needs much sleep at night! I remind myself often that the Lord’s provision is richly abundant and far more than I deserve.
Ohh my word. This looks fantastic. I’m 34 weeks pregnant and can’t keep my hands off anything chocolaty. This might be a perfect snack for my 3 year old and me! We’re in Minnesota and ran to a Dr appointment this morning… With the temperature being -6…I dont even know what it was with the wind chill. My little guy kept saying “cold is the worst!” I have to agree. :)
One question that I have, will the eggs get cooked through when making this? I must dont have access to farm fresh eggs right now, and eating raw egg yolks from the store kind of freaks me out!
Yes, the eggs get cooked thoroughly in this recipe as you heat the mixture until it is almost boiling. :)
Laura,
Do you know how honey might work in this? I don’t keep maple syrup around but I buy honey by the half gallon :)
Should work just fine!
Cute article Laura and you said you have nothing to say !!!!
This sounds good….I have always heard a little coffee in choc. makes it better….will have to try it in my next cup of Ovaltine :)
I am going to try this with the warm vanilla soother since I have no cocoa powder. Made it yesterday and the kids asked for more today here in CO.
Laura, I love you and your real life humor! I think you are speaking for so many ladies here in the great white north. In New Hampshire it’s hard to, no, pretty much impossible to walk through the snow that’s up to our hips/waist. We’ve had at least 1 storm per week, lately. And we’ve burned through our entire wood shed of firewood we cut ourselves (7+ cords) already and had to get more! A picture of me would look identical to your expression behind the mug. I should be making supper, but the kids are busy, I think I might go make myself a cup of sunshine.
I can SO relate! Cold and snow here in KS. I’m ready for spring!!
Too funny Laura!
Well about 1 1/2 weeks ago it was a beautiful and warm 80+ but now our winter “storm” has finally rolled in. Probably high in the 60s and about 14 hours of rain – which means probably only a 1/4″ or so of rain ????
Thankful for warm day but we sure could use a lot of rain right now in lovely San Diego county. Droughts are not fun.
I’m in Massachusetts (right by Amy in Rhode Island), and also am getting to the point of winter tiredness. Even though I come from Canada and generally love snow, it’s been one tough second-half-of-the-winter! In all my eighteen years in this home, we have never had this much snow at one time. We are running out of room to pile it, and have to walk a ways to find a place to deposit it when shoveling. My mailbox is all but covered (the snow is piled up all around and up high behind it), and we have icicles going from the roof on the front part of my home all the way down to the bushes…….
You may get a kick out of this video, as I have:
http://youtu.be/08Ua8a01P5g
I also depend on my warm drinks to help get me through!
I find that February is always the hardest month…spring is just around the corner…but every day seems so long! So to put things in perspective I always read The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder this time of year, and it helps me to realize how much we have! We never truly worry about starving or freezing to death. And blankets and hot coffee definitely help too!
Okay, so my kids are sick and I’m feeling pretty poorly myself. It is cold, dreary and wet in GA and we’re not used to too much cold. I dislike it very much. Your posts always make me laugh. But the pics this time? They brought joyful tears to my eyes. LOVE it. Thanks for sharing. And for the recipe. I got Jesus too.
It snowed today here in Arkansas, & I remembered reading this article the other day. So, I had to make myself a MOCHA. Mmmmm. I gave some of the Warm Chocolate Soother to my husband & he said it tasted like drinking chocolate pie!
You are hilarious, Laura!
Thanks for making me laugh.
Hi Laura,
I have some questions about this recipe can you store the rest of the mocha? In the fridge? It’s 1 cup of each the soother and the coffee, do you have any left over? Isn’t it to much? Sorry I guess I’m a one cup of coffee kind of person.
Thanks,
Luz
You can easily store leftovers in the fridge and warm it up again when you’re ready. :)