if all the raindrops were hot chocolate, oh what a rain that would be

It's been raining for most of the day in the Mitten today. I actually love rain during the day (though sometimes it can get to be a little much), and the perfect rain seems to be the one that comes on those Saturday mornings, the ones where you magically don't need to do any work that day and can justify laying in bed for an extra hour or two.

Yeah, yeah, keep dreamin', I know.

Rainy day about a month ago à la my backyard.

So what is one of the perfect companions to any rainy day? Rainy hot chocolate, of course! Standing outside with my mouth open wide....ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah! 

Erm.....anyone else out there familiar with this song?

Anyway, this hot chocolate tastes creamy and is absolutely delicious. Today when I made it, we had this guy in the cupboard:

  

Mr. Hershey's Special Dark! So I decided to whip up a mug - dark chocolate style - and man, was it GOOD. Not to mention full o' antioxidants and flavonoids. There is research floating around, however, that consuming dark chocolate with milk reduces your body's ability to absorb the antioxidants. Also, Dutch processed cocoa usually is lower in antioxidant content than naturally processed cocoa. And the jury is still out whether or not dark chocolate successfully reduces blood pressure. Many studies out there are either inconclusive or have determined that you would need to eat a lot of dark chocolate to experience those health benefits.

Regardless, dark chocolate is known to promote feelings of satiety since it's so rich and oh-so-satisfying, so why not include it in your balanced diet today? And as always, it's important to watch your portion size since it's easy for the fat content of chocolate bars to add up!

Honestly, when I make this hot chocolate, I always eyeball the proportions and make it "to taste". Feel free to play with it and make it your own!

 Creamy Hot Chocolate

2-3 tsp. Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa

  1-2 tsp. sugar

3-4 tsp. hot water

12 oz. almond or soy milk (this is what makes it creamy and delicious!)

In a small bowl, mix together cocoa and sugar. Add hot water and mix to make into a chocolate-y paste. Heat in microwave for about 10-20 seconds. Pour chocolate-y mixture into microwave-safe mug of milk. Mix vigorously to combine, and heat mug of chocolate-y goodness in microwave, about 2-3 minutes. Devour.

A splash of vanilla or peppermint extract would also make this hot chocolate amazing. Or a dollop of whipped cream!

Nutrition Information

I usually don't like to focus on calories, but wanted to include this to prove that this hot chocolate is better than the rest ;)

Made with Silk original almond milk, 2 tsp. sugar, and 3 tsp. dark cocoa powder:

Calories -  140 kcal

Fat - About 4g

Protein - 2.5g (Use soy milk or skim milk for a protein boost!)
Sugar - About 19g (If sugar is a concern for you, try preparing with unsweetened almond or soy milk)

Fiber - 3.5g

Iron - 16%

Calcium - About 65% DV