Skinny Hot Cocoa

I guess it’s fair to say that Ohio is finally looking like, and feeling like, winter. Which makes this recipe all too timely to share.

One of the biggest reasons I love working in dialysis is that I get to know my patients really well. Especially now that I have more time with less patients, I will get to know them all the better…and all the more quickly.

Yesterday afternoon, one of my dialysis patients, in all of her toothless glory, was watching the weather channel and repeating, “Oh here it comes…here it comes” during her treatment. I stopped to converse with her, over the weather (I mean, what 65+ little old lady doesn’t love to talk about the weather?).

By the time I was leaving for the day, she was seated in the lobby, waiting for her ride. I spotted the flakes rapid falling and gave tribute to the weather channel for an accurate weather prediction.

She smiled and then proceeded to scold me for not wearing a coat and let me know of her plans to not leave her apartment all weekend long. Gotta love’em.

So with about 2 inches of snowy white covering my neck of the woods I have some plans to, like my patient, honker down for the day with a cup of this cocoa. And if you’re at all curious as to what the heck those goofy-looking floating things are in my Skinny Hot Cocoa…well, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to find out. And trust me, you want to find out.

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Skinny Hot Cocoa slightly adapted from An Edible Mosaic

1 1/4 cup 1% milk
1 1/2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
Pinch sea salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1-2 packets stevia or other sweetener of your choice

Directions:

Whisk together the milk, water, cocoa powder, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until the milk starts to steam and small bubbles form along the outside. Turn off heat and whisk in the vanilla extract and Stevia. Serve hot.

Yield: 1 serving.

Nutrition Information (per serving): 153 calories; 4 g. fat; 13 mg. cholesterol; 150 mg. sodium; 21 g. carbohydrate; 3 g. fiber; 11 g. protein

Result: Delicious and rich and warm and cozy! I needed 2 packets of stevia to break through the bite of the cocoa, but after that…divine! No processed cocoa again…this was simple to make and far superior to anything coming form a packet! Enjoy!

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And for the winners of the Love Your Heart Giveaway…

• Heidi won the coconut oil and coconut flour from Tropical Traditions
• Cathy won the a copy of the cookbook The Pure Kitchen from Hallie Klecker
• Emily G. won the kids’ meal plates for teaching balanced meals

Thank you to all who participated. More giveaways this week hosted by another Love Your Heart blogger! Be sure to check back for details.

I am making Mr. Prevention a brunch this morning. Then, it’s a workout, hitting the ice rink to practice skating on my new, spiffy skates, and dinner over at a friend’s home tonight. Fun weekend 🙂

Be well,