The Best Hot Chocolate. Ever.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.  We were able to spend it together before the youngest of us took her family away to Kansas to live.  So it was a glad and sad time all rolled together.

My hubby loves to cook and has lately been on a soup kick.  Within the last three weeks we've had two different Butternut Squash soups, Split Pea soup, French Onion soup, Tomato Bisque, Chicken Noodle and a Ham & Potato soup.  Amazing how much better it tastes when it's made at home... and by someone else.  :)  I think the Christmas present he got me got him all revved up for blending and he just couldn't wait for the new Vitamix to arrive.  

 I've read the manual cover to cover, poured over recipes, and gone shopping for all sorts of ingredients.  So what was the first recipe to be whipped up in this powerful beast?!  Hot chocolate.  Ya see, I wanted to see if it really will heat up stuff when it's blended long enough.  And it does!  We've been long time hot chocolate fanatics and have settled on a super easy, super tasty blend that gets him rave reviews at home and at work.  (Yes, he makes stuff for his co-workers too.)

Here's the secret family recipe...

The Best Hot Chocolate.  Ever.
2 cups of water
2 cups of milk (we use 2%)
1 cup of Nestle Rich Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix

Put in the Vitamix and blend until it's hot (5 minutes or longer depending on heat preference).  Ta-da!  Doing it in the Vitamix seems to make it creamier than when we make it in our Hot Chocolate Maker.  Yes, I said Hot Chocolate Maker... I told you we were serious about it.  To really impress, add a little flavored syrup like raspberry or caramel, or top with whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.  It's just oozing comfort.

And here's a little extra sweetness for your cup of chocolate, it's the youngest of our tribe looking up at my 6'6" honey.  Gotta love the bow tie.