Hi all--I'm a relatively new poster here...my name is Jax. *shakes hands all around*

Question--I've been reading all these fabulous ideas about xmas presents, and I'm definitely going to steal some of them. I was also thinking about making a sort of cold-weather kit for my freaky in-laws--cute mugs, mittens, and some cocoa. I was thinking it might be interesting to make cocoa from scratch...does anyone have a recipe?

Thanks!
Jax

Got this from a website that has old fashioned recipes:

1 cup scalded milk
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa

Mix cocoa and sugar. Add boiling water, boil for a few minutes, then pour in scalded milk. Beat well and serve.

Hope this helps,
Jennifer

I think you can make a hot cocoa mix (we call it hot chocolate where I live :)) by mixing together powdered unsweetened cocoa powder, powdered milk, and white sugar. I'm not sure of the proportions though. Maybe someone here will actually have a recipe. I've also heard that you can put a little bit of cinammon powder or other seasonings in to flavor/spice it up. Then you could package the mix in little zip-lock bags or little glass sealable jars with instructions to add hot water and stir!

Here's one I found online awhile back - haven't tried it yet, though.

3 cups powdered Sugar
8 ozs. non-fat dry milk
1 16oz. Instant Chocolate Milk (like Nestle's)
1 6oz powdered non-dairy creamer

Mix ingredients well and store in air tight container until you're ready to make the individual gift packages.

With each gift add a tag that says: 3 tablespoons per cup of hot water.

dolcevita: Powdered milk?! Ickky, ickky, ickky! Yuck! Eeew! *gag*. Sorry that was my gag reflex as I remembered my mom sneakily filling up the gallon jug w/powdered milk. Bleeeck!

lissa :)

Your mom did that too??? I thought mine was the only one! Oh God the agonizing barfiness of powdered milk!! Oh my Lord everytime I see the box with that little girls face on it I cringe and then I dry heave. I almost barfed in Costco yesterday looking at her. So glad I'm not alone in this.
Lilsar

My mom did the same thing, serving us powdered milk... and her mom before her (my grandparents still drink it!). That is definitely one tradition I am not carrying on (I don't even drink milk!). :)

re:powdered milk, sometimes I get cravings for it and just eat it straight out of the tin... must have a calcium deficiency!

Candi - who only ever had milk fresh from cows as a child

I don't really drink milk at al now, but when I was a kid, I would ONLY drink powdered milk "straight". Fresh milk had to be chocolatey... :)

Fantabulous, all...I loves ya. I think I'll make some powder-type mix, with cinnamon and nutmeg maybe, and put it in little glass jars...mm!

I love fall and winter--good excuses to curl up in fleecy blankets and drink hot chocolate.
Jax

Hi, Strecher.com had this hot cocoa mix recipe:

Eat Better, Spend Less
In some areas this mix may not be the most frugal alternative. Check the prices of these ingredients and compare preparation cost to store brand bulk hot cocoa mix.

3 cups powdered milk

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 t. salt
Mix well and store in tightly sealed container. To make cocoa, combine 1/3 cup mix with 1 cup hot water.

This Stretcher link also has another hot cocoa mix, and how to make chocolate-dipped spoons! :)
>http://stretcher.com/stories/971030as.htm