Warm from the inside out! After sledding, ice skating, skiing, or snowshoeing, nothing tastes better than a warm beverage. Or make some ahead of time to bring with you in a Thermos®!
Chocolate Chip Cocoa
3 cups powdered milk
2 cups (12 oz.) chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Put half of the dry milk and half the chocolate chips in a food processor or blender and whirl till just finely ground. Dump out, then repeat with the rest of the milk and chips. Add the marshmallows and store in an airtight container. Use 1/3 cup of mix per mug of boiling water.
Everyday Cocoa
1 lb. instant chocolate milk mix
(i.e. Nestlé’s Quik)
1 3/4 cup nondairy creamer
1 pkg. (8 qt.) powdered milk
1 lb. powdered sugar
1/4 to 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Use 1/3 cup
of mixture per mug of boiling water.
Chocolate, Chocolate Hot Cocoa
1 package (8 qt.) powdered milk
1 jar (6 oz.) instant coffee creamer
1 can (1 lb.) instant chocolate milk mix (Nestlé’s Quik)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 box instant chocolate pudding
Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container. Use a couple of teaspoons per cup of boiling water, or to taste.
Warm and Spicy Hot Chocolate
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 cups milk
3/4 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Whipped cream
Melt chocolate in 1 cup of milk over low heat, stirring constantly. Gradually add remaining milk and half-and-half. Add sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until completely heated. Mix in extracts, pour into mugs, and serve topped with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Sandi Duncan is the Managing Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. 
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
