Once in a Blue Cheese Moon

     So, I took my youngest son ice skating, wow, I forgot how fun it could be. I was moved strongly twice to rent some skates and get out on the ice with my son. However, fear got the better of me, and I quietly chided myself, for not being more outgoing. Thing is, when I was 13, I believed in my heart that I had a career as a figure skater, however fate had a different idea. I fractured my ankle in four places ending my brief stint as an up and coming figure skater.
    One thing I noticed, was how many girls play hockey. Go Girl Power!! I say that because, women not too long ago were a minority in professional kitchens. We were there, but needed a strong presence to get noticed. The thing about professional kitchens is, at times, it can mimic Darwin's theory of natural selection. If you can't keep up you will be left behind. In order to not be stuck making salads for 8 hours, you had to step out on that ledge, conquer your fear, and show your skills. It is the squeaky wheel that gets the grease.

    I should have heeded my own advice and enjoyed skating with my youngest. Sometimes, the first step is the hardest. Like blogging, I was nervous about how I should go about it, what I should blog about, should it be factual, like Alton Brown?, should it be informational like Trip Advisor?, or should I just be me, and tell my readers what I want them to know. That is pretty much been the journey, sharing my love of food in a factual, informational, and personal sort of way.

     Tonight is a "Blue Moon" and driving home from the rink it was enormous, making it seem colder. Is there a switch somewhere that gets tripped, as we move towards the winter equinox? My mind kept thinking about hot chocolate and whipped cream, as I was watched my son skate, thinking how wonderful it would feel to shed my coat, don my fuzzy slippers and settle in for cocoa.

Winter Hot Cocoa

2/3 cup sifted Cocoa Powder

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup Nonfat dry milk

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup malted milk powder

1 cup french vanilla non-dairy creamer

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate

5 ounces buttermints

Mix the sifted cocoa with the sugar, dry milk, cinnamon, malted milk powder, french vanilla non-dairy creamer and whisk. With a decent grater, grate the chocolate into the cocoa mix. In a food processor, process the buttermints until chopped and well blended, and stir into cocoa mix. In a sauce pan heat 4 ozs of milk with 4 ozs half and half, whisk in 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa mix, stir well. Serve with a healthy dollop of whipped cream. Store in an airtight container, and enjoy all winter long.

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.~Norman Vincent Peale