The Secret Is Out!

It's been over a week since I posted, so I guess I'd better make this good.  I have decided as penance, and as a gift to all of you, I'm going to release the recipe for my Christmas Blend Hot Chocolate.  It's not for the feint of heart (or palate).  This cocoa packs a spicy kick.  I love it, and just about everyone that I've shared it with loves it too!  Get your pencils and paper and take down the ingredients:

Packaged hot chocolate mix (no marshmallows).  Either 10 envelopes, or the equivalent if you buy it in a can.  I use the envelopes.
Ground ginger, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar. Also black peppercorns and sea salt crystals.  I buy both in a grinder.
Vanilla flavored powdered coffee creamer.
Peppermint candy, 30 pieces.

Open 10 packages of hot chocolate and dump it into a large, covered plastic container.

Measure and add the following:

2 heaping tablespoons of ginger
2 heaping tablespoons of nutmeg
2 heaping tablespoons of cinnamon
1 heaping tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon (not heaping) of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon (not heaping) of freshly ground sea salt
3/4 cup vanilla flavored coffee creamer (powdered)
1/8 cup sugar

Add crushed peppermint candy  (Place unwrapped candy into two ziploc bags.  Using a kitchen mallet, or in my case, just a plain old hammer, I crush the candy just this side of powdery.  Some small chunks give the mixture a nice contrasting color.)

This should yield just enough to fill a pint-sized jar, with enough left over for a couple of cups for you to enjoy while you wrap your gifts.

Completely off the subject, but dinner's important too!  If you know me, you know chicken is always a great idea.  

I hated cabbage when I was younger.  I love it now.  This was SO GOOD!  The steam was steaming up the camera lens, but I had to take a picture of this beautiful veggie that never seems to make you feel full.   

So that's the big secret.  I think the cumin is what throws most people off.  Try it and let me know what you think!