I’m thankful for hot chocolate. Does anyone not like hot chocolate? Does hot chocolate mean the same thing to everybody? If you enjoy hot chocolate, how do you like it? With whipped cream? Marshmallows? With a little bit of something else? Do you prefer real hot chocolate made with milk? If you prefer instant hot chocolate, what kind?

Hot chocolate is comfort. I have always loved hot chocolate. Growing up, my favorite hot chocolate was made with milk and Hershey’s Cocoa mixed with sugar. The secret is mixing the cocoa with sugar and a little bit of hot milk, then mixing it into the pan of hot milk. Ooooh, my, that is good!

I used to love hot chocolate out of a vending machine. It was always piping hot and frothy. Short but good. Nestle’s Quik was the go-to mix in the ’60s. In middle school I had a friend who had a paper-route and I helped him a few times. Early one morning he made instant hot chocolate with boiled water and chocolate mix from a box. I couldn’t believe it!

Hot chocolate was always a favorite after church on Sunday nights. If my parents went out with friends, which was the normal Sunday night after church activity, we went home, had hot chocolate with toast, and watched “Bonanza.” Years ago, in most churches, Sunday services were morning and evening. I actually think church used to be an all-day event. Folks came in the morning, brought food to share after morning worship, then finished the day with another time of worship. I think that’s where church potlucks came from. As years passed, worship times grew shorter, dinner time grew longer until folks started going home for lunch to return later. Now, most churches only have Sunday morning worship. Not sure, just a hunch.

What would ice skating be without hot chocolate? Or ice fishing? Or snowball fights? Or building a snowman?

What is your favorite memory of hot chocolate? How long has it been since you had some hot chocolate?

In recent years I’ve become addicted to hot chocolate mix that we make at home. You can make it too! The secret is Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Mix (make sure it’s the hot chocolate mix and not baking chocolate. The bags look the same.) Sometimes you can find it at a grocery store, but at times I’ve had to order it. Mix a 10.5 ounce pouch of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Mix with an 8-quart bag of powdered milk, plus about half of a 35 ounce container of CoffeeMate. Mix all three ingredients together thoroughly. I use a large jar with the lid on tight to shake up the mix. (Mixing it in a bowl creates a whole bunch of powder in the air.) Put three heaping scoops in your favorite Christmas mug, pour in boiling water, and you are in for a real treat!