Hot Chocolate
– mmmmmm –
the perfect holiday
indulgence. A rare and special treat back when I was a kid, my young seem to
think it’s their daily entitlement. Inspired by internet photos, and a little
bit of annoyance at the constant concoction chaos, I organized our first Hot
Chocolate Bar. A fair number of kids have already bellied up, and I’m thinking
this might leap straight from “first annual” to “annual tradition.”
These
are the four essentials:
Mugs
Obviously a
collection of holiday mugs would be appropriate, but these generously sized
ones work well for us. A mug tree saves space and offers visual height, but a row
of hooks or a vintage
bottle rack would have worked, too.
Cocoa Mix
Choose your favorite and pour it in a nice, large container. You could offer a variety of flavors, if desired.
Mixings
I couldn't resist
these obnoxiously jumbo marshmallows (limit 1 per mug, of course).
Candy Canes are a
must!
I put peppermint syrup in this Italian bottle for easy pouring.
Décor
I swore I’d never
surrender to a Made in China vintage-inspired piece of décor, but this little
crate from Home Goods was just dying to
reign in all our sprinkles.
I swiped this chalkboard design right off
Pinterest and used Chalk Ink – absolutely love that stuff – to create it.
Fresh greens, festive
napkins, and even a Santa or Snowman would round out the décor.
I think I’ll expand
my Hot Cocoa Bar to a full blown dessert station on Christmas Eve. Cookies and
pies on tiered platters will surely distract little believers who can’t get
their minds off Santa – and maybe the big believers, too!
