The Perfect Hot Chocolate

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I recently saw mention of the perfect hot chocolate recipe and a quick Google returned a whole load of recipes to use. I've combined the basic ingredients to perfect my own mixture which has gone down a treat in this house.

You'll need:

  • whole milk (enough for each person)
  • drinking chocolate (I use Galaxy Bubbles which gives a frothy, bubbly finish)
  • 1/4 small bar of chocolate (either plain or milk; plain chocolate tastes richer, milk chocolate is creamier)
  • 1tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1tsp cornflour
  • small marshmallows (my one hypocritical act as a vegetarian; can't find veggie marshmallows anywhere!)
  • squirty cream
  • saucepan
  • balloon whisk
  • grater
  1. Heat the milk slowly in a saucepan with 2tsp of drinking chocolate per 200ml of milk whisked in, continue to whisk as the milk heats through on the lowest setting.
  2. Grate in most of the chocolate and whisk it into the milk, slowly allowing it to melt in.
  3. Add the vanilla bean paste and stir it through.
  4. Mix the cornflour in a separate pot with a small dribble of milk until it forms a white liquid and add to the milk mixture, slowly whisking in.
  5. Pour into the mug, stopping an inch below the surface.
  6. Place a layer of marshmallows on top of the hot chocolate; this creates both a surface for the squirty cream to sit on, and the heat of the chocolate melts the marshmallows directly.
  7. Squirt cream over the top, decorate with marshmallows and grate a small amount of chocolate over the top for garnish.

hot chocolate

Elderflower Season With bottlegreen

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When I was pregnant with The Boy, one of the few things that kept me going through the five months of nonstop nausea was fizzy, sweet drinks. Obviously I didn't want my teeth to fall out so seriously limited my intake of cola drinks and the healthier, gentler drink which really helped to settle my stomach was elderflower spritzer. bottlegreen was my brand of choice because the taste was far superior to many imitators out there, and three years later it's still one of my favourite drinks.

This Summer, bottlegreen have launched a limited edition design on their elderflower cordial and pressé bottles. The frosted white and green print it eye catching and very attractive, it certain makes it more attractive to put on the dinner table for Summer lunches, especially if we're (ever able to) sit outside on the weekend with friends and family. Light and refreshing, the pressé is my favourite (non-alcoholic) Summer drink.

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bottlegreen limited edition elderflower is available from all major supermarkets. The pressé is £2.39 and the cordial from £3.15.

I was sent a bottle of each for the purpose of this post.

A New Years' Tipple

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My drinking habits have changed somewhat over the years. When I was around ten I was rather fond of an ice-cream soda (which mixed coke and ice-cream together: two of my favourite drinks). When I was in my late teens, I discovered vodka and in my early twenties I discovered a Black Russian cocktail which still remains one of my favourite tipples.

Now in my early thirties (shush, 34 is still early) I'm not a big drinker, but one or two quality drinks is all that will be needed this New Year's Eve.

So I'm going to have a go at this rather fabulous cocktail (which combines my favourite drinks from the past) designed by RC Cola and Alistair Tatton: The RC Cocktail.

Ingredients:

12.5mls Kahlua
37.5 mls cinnamon-infused vodka
150 mls RC Cola
2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
Ice
Garnish:
2 cinnamon sticks
2 cherries
  1. Infused the vodka with cinnamon sticks by leaving the cinnamon in the vodka for a few days.
  2. Fill a tall glass with ice and add all the ingredients apart from the ice cream putting the RC Cola in last. Add the ice cream scoops at the top and garnish with the cinnamon sticks and cherries.

For a non-alcoholic version, omit the vodka and kahlua and add a pinch of cinnamon to the drink.

TheBoyandMe and RC Cola ask you to enjoy alcohol responsibly.

I was sent some RC Cola to sample for the purpose of this post.

The Gallery: The Letter T

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This week's theme is: The Letter T.

Oooo, toughie!
It can be a 'thing' (tomatoes, tent, tarantula, tongue), a person, a feeling, a place, a time.
It's time to get those little grey cells flexing again!

Of course, the obvious one is the drink (but I don't like it), or my favourite 'tea' (as in dinner). However, having had three and a half seconds sleep last night due to a vomiting child, my imagination and inspiration has buggered off and left me floundering.

I wandered around the kitchen looking for ideas. Why doesn't Cadbury's Dairy Milk have a 't' in it? Or Haagen-Daaz Vanilla ice-cream. It's a conspiracy I tell you. I was just beginning to give up hope when a cheeky little swirl caught my eye.

Ah old faithful, you never let me down.

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