A warm start to a new food blog

Silver Chips Online can now officially be your first stop for all things food.

I started cooking before I could even reach the kitchen counter and ever since then the holidays have been my favorite time to cook. Every holiday there is an extravagant mixture of smells wafting through the house; gingerbread, pies, cakes, and one of my favorites, hot cocoa. That's why I'm excited to announce SCO's new food blog, SCO-Yummy.

Food has a magical quality about it; it brings friends and family together, it creates smiles and laughs and can be the best type of pick me up when life gets hard, which let's be honest, it can. Everyone should be able to cook at least a little bit, especially for that late night pick me up, even if it's just mixing together some cocoa and milk.

As the weather gets colder, nights become darker and the stress piles on, hot cocoa is the perfect pick me up. Sometimes a warm glass of hot cocoa is the only thing that keeps me going (and getting those A's, of course!). I always have my computer on, my textbook open, my notes sprawled out, and a hot chocolate in hand. This hot cocoa recipe has been part of my study habits since freshman year. This chocolatey goodness will give you the burst of energy and warmth much needed to get through the night. It is scientifically proven that chocolate before bed is good for your health. Really, this is a healthy, educational and delicious recipe all in one.

Hot Chocolate Recipe
This is a very flexible recipe that can be modified depending on dietary restrictions or kitchen appliances, as shown in parentheses below.

Ingredients:
1 cup of milk (substitutes: soy, half and half or cream)
3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 squirt of whipped cream (be as generous as you'd like!)

Directions:
1.Heat milk up in a saucepan until warm or in microwave depending on what you have available. If you are using a microwave heat the milk on high for two minutes.
2.Next, stir in cocoa powder and sugar. Make sure to stir constantly to prevent clumps.
3.After the chocolate mixture has a smooth and silky texture, add in the vanilla extract.
4.Taste test the chocolate and If it tastes good, add a squirt of whipped cream (or a couple squirts, can never go wrong with whipped cream) and go back to studying hard!

I look forward to writing more about food in the future. The holidays are right around the corner so look out for a fun holiday themed blog. See you soon on SCO-Yummy!