Morning cuppa

It seems every magazine I pick up these days has articles on how to save money. There are numerous articles in the newspaper on ways to stay "in the black". I watched a story on the Today show this week about a featured couple attempting to cut their budget by a certain percentage. It gave me a chuckle to see the couple struggling to do the things that have been ingrained in my lifestyle for a long time to save money. The horror of the husband having to actually make his own coffee at home instead of stopping by for his cup of joe on the way to work brought extra smiles because nearly all the money-saving articles begin with "give up the $4.00 cup of coffee.....".

If I may, I would like to share what has become for me a daily ritual in the morning. I favor the Folgers "Breakfast Blend" coffee. In the first cup of the day, I put 2 teaspoons of a hot chocolate mix that I make myself. This is followed by a splash of the Nestle Coffee Mate liquid creamer "Creme' Brulee". This concoction gives a very smooth and delicate flavor that I never get tired of. The recipe for the hot chocolate mix is easy to prepare:

1 cup of Nestle Coffee Mate Original Powder Creamer
1 cup of powdered milk
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of a good unsweetened cocoa (sift the cocoa first for a lump-free mix)

Mix all together and store in a pretty glass airtight container that you can keep close to the coffee pot. If you want to make hot chocolate just mix 5-6 tbsp. with hot water or milk (I prefer to use skim milk). If the weather is really cold, a shot of butterscotch schnapps really makes this beverage extra warming! A shot of whipped cream finishes this beverage off. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I do.