My Guilt Free Hot Chocolate

Looks good, huh?  I've been trying for years to make a sugar free hot chocolate that tasted as good as the real thing.  I wanted something rich and creamy, unlike the watery stuff you get in the sugar free packets, that hardly resembles hot chocolate at all.   I'm just not that desperate.  But I do love a good hot chocolate and now I'm happy to say that my experimenting has paid off.  

I usually make one cup at a time, but if you're making for a crowd, adjust accordingly.  For one cup, I measure my milk into a saucepan and add one heaping tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa.  I don't use a measuring spoon, I just grab a big spoon from the drawer.  It goes without saying, but the better quality cocoa you have, the better the end result.

I add three packets of stevia.  I know some of you aren't stevia fans, but I can't detect any aftertaste, so it works great for me.  I like my chocolate sweet, so if you're going for more of a bittersweet cocoa, you might want to start with two packets.

Now, this is the ingredient that I think has led me to success.  I squirt one nice stream of agave into the milk.  I buy this light agave nectar at Aldi and have been using it for lots of things besides this cocoa.  I use it instead of honey in my sesame chicken recipe, and as the sweetener in my homemade granola.  I'm a fan.

I add a pinch of salt and a drop or two of vanilla extract.

Whisk it all together until the cocoa is completely dissolved.  Lumps of unsweetened cocoa are not a fun surprise in the mouth.  That's it!  I really like whipped cream in my cocoa, so I whip my own with a little stevia (powdered is good for this) for sweetening.  In fact, whenever I have a dessert that calls for whipped cream, I whip extra, for this very purpose.  I've discovered that if you whip the cream to just the right consistency, it will hold for several days in the refrigerator.  

This cocoa is divine!

I think I want a cup right now.

Learning to Take the Time

We're well into January and I've yet to blog about my goals for the year, which is very unlike me.  I love this time of year, fresh with so much potential, but I'm having a hard time moving on from 2016.  I just keep reflecting on that year, the good and the bad.  My phrase, "take the time", was very helpful in keeping me focused on the important.  Turns out that most good things in our life require time and effort, like developing habits and talents and nourishing relationships.  Of course, I think we all know that, but don't always want to invest the time necessary.  I know I don't.  I want a healthy body, but would rather sit in my favorite chair and read a book than get up and get those 10,000 steps in.  I want a picture perfect garden, but would rather do almost anything other than weed.  I want to be accomplished at knitting and quilting, but it's hard for me to step away from other things and devote time to improving in those areas.   I want to do the things that are easy, and those things aren't easy for me.  I want to be a good wife, mother and friend, but that takes work and time.

These are all the things I was thinking about when I chose my phrase last January.  I knew I needed to be reminded often to be  intentional in "taking time" to do the things that are really important to me.   Often, as in every day.  Here's how I did it.

In my planner, on each daily page, I wrote "take the time" in a place where I would see it and remember it.  Sometimes I would choose an activity that I wanted to take the time to do that day and write it in.  On other days, I would wait until the end of the day and look over my activities to see if I had taken the time to do something important.  Looks like I had to remind myself to take the time to plant fall bulbs, because I love spring flowers.  I don't necessarily love to plant bulbs in the fall though, because I'm tired.  I'm tired of gardening, period.  But... I want flowers in the spring.

I often think of something nice that I want to do for someone, but too often it is just a thought.  Reminding myself to "take the time" to mail a gift to someone, moved me to action.

Taking the time to make memories is one of my favorites.  That should be easy, right?  But I often feel pulled to get the work done, rather than stopping to just go have fun and make memories.  After all, the work will be here when I return.

Taking the time to hike has been a gift I give myself as often as possible.  The benefits are huge.  I've made wonderful new friends, strengthened my body and being in nature nourishes my spirit like nothing else.  But, every Friday, I have to decide if I'm going to take the time to do it, or if something else is going to be more important that day.

One of the best habits that I've established this past year is my morning routine.  Taking the time to drink water, pray, read, study scripture, spend time with my husband and eat a healthy breakfast gets my day off to the best start possible.   I don't even want to miss one thing, because I can tell a difference when I do.

I took the time to devote one afternoon a week, for months, to learning how to quilt from a wonderful teacher and friend.  I completed two projects- a table runner for myself and a baby quilt for my granddaughter.  I would have never done that on my own. Had I not taken the time to leave my house and go get some good lessons, those things would still just be dreams.

I took the time to practice hand lettering and doodles in my journal.  I have absolutely no natural talent in this area, but with practice, I do well enough to make myself happy.

I remind myself that it's worth it to take the time to make food from scratch.  It tastes better, is healthier and less expensive and feels rewarding to know that I can do it.  I can make hamburger buns and granola and yogurt and artisan bread and pizza and...  It just takes time.

Looking back through my journals, I can see the following things that I took the time to do:

*write thank you notes

*learn more about mental health

*take a girls weekend to Charleston

*knit a hat

*attend BYU Women's Conference

*plan menus

*read the Book of Mormon

*go on a family vacation

*walk the dogs

* visit with neighbors

*try out some new restaurants

*attend the temple

*write letters to missionaries

*volunteer at Patriot Camp

*teach primary children

*grow vegetables

*blog

*attend an Easter sunrise service

*bullet journal

*take an online course

*make breakfast smoothies

*send birthday cards

*love on my family

*keep a gratitude journal

*make pasta

*take pictures and make photo books

* visited with friends

*daily yoga practice

* read lots of books

*walk on the beach

* trot in a 5K

*cook with friends

*walk in the woods

*climb mountains

*picnic by the river

*listen when I wasn't interested

*serve when I was tired

*made new friends

*learned new things,

almost every day

There are lots of things that I didn't take the time to do, that I wish I had.  Most of those have to do with spending more time with the people I love.  This year I will try harder to do that.  My phrase for 2017 is "invite and inspire".  I want to be open to accept invitations that will bring me joy and opportunities for growth.  I want to surround myself with things and people that inspire me to be my best self.  I want to invite others to make memories along side me.  I want to love better and bless more.

I think I'm ready.