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As I write this, temperatures have been soaring up to 100+ degrees Fahrenheit. As hard as it is to believe, winter will soon be upon us. When it’s too hot to do anything outside, you might want to take a few moments to change your 72-hour kit clothing for warm winter wear. Make sure that you have alternative heating sources and all of the other stuff that comes with being prepared for the cold.
One of my favorite ways to prepare for cold winter weather is to drink hot chocolate, and I try to practice that as often as I can. Now, if for some reason you happen to run out of hot cocoa mix (heaven forbid), I do have a homemade recipe that is really good.
Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix
2 cups nonfat dry milk powder* ¾ cup sugar ½ cup powdered cocoa ½ cup powdered non-dairy creamer Dash of salt
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Blend well. Store in a tightly covered container. For the 3 ¾ cups that this recipe makes, it will make approximately 15 cups of delicious hot cocoa. To serve, add ¼ cup cocoa mix to ¾ cup hot water. Serve.
It is suggested, by me, that you practice this form of staying warm multiple times a day.
*Just a quick note here about using quality products. If you want to have a good tasting end product, you have to use good quality ingredients. Never use bad tasting products even if they are cheaper. More is not better if it is unpalatable. In this particular case, the powdered milk that you use will determine the quality of the hot cocoa mix. Find a powdered milk that you like and stick with it. A good resource for a good tasting, good priced powdered milk is at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Food Storage Center. There are locations all over the United States and you can also purchase items online. Visit the Provident Living page at https://providentliving.churchofjesuschrist.org/food-storage?lang=eng for more information.
Dawn