"cold nights" news and stories

I'm not sure how cold it is where you are, but here tonight it's supposed to be around 9 degrees (and with the wind, etc, etc it's even colder). So we need something to keep us warm. You could try tea, you could try soup, maybe sitting in front of a fireplace. You could even try cutting open the carcass of a large dead animal and crawling inside, like in one of the Star Wars movies.

Or, you could make a hot alcoholic drink. If you're alone, you can make a Hot Toddy. If you're having a party with thirty of more people, you could make a Hot Cider Punch. Either way, you'll warm up quick. To paraphrase the Campbell's commercial: "Warm up to alcohol, booze is good food."

Hot cocoa (or hot chocolate) has to be one of those drinks (or food recipes in general) that everyone does a little differently. Some people just buy the packages at the supermarket and just add some hot water. Some make those brands with milk. Some make it with milk and add their own special touch, like adding bits of real chocolate or a pinch of cinnamon. Some add marshmallows, some don't. I don't think any two people make it the same exact way.

I'll admit that I don't go overboard in my hot cocoa-making. I usually use Swiss Miss or Ghirardelli and add it to some milk that I have in a pan (make sure you stir it a lot so it doesn't burn, and don't bring it to a boil!). But Tyler Florence has his own hot cocoa recipe that I'm going to have to try. I've been looking for a more creative way to make it, and this seems interesting.