mmm...hot chocolate

What can warm you up better than this on a cold night?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing I tell you.


In case you need more convincing:

And still some more:Double take:


You know what that is on top? Freshly whipped cream. Oh, yes. The first time I made this for my boyfriend he looked at me like I was crazy when I was whipping the cream. When my hand hurt I gave him the whisk--we do manual labor here--and let him go at it. Once it reached soft peaks I added 1 tablespoon vanilla and confectioner's sugar to taste. I then took the wheel and whisked until it reached stiff peaks. Et voila. My boyfriend stood there, mouth agape. I love that I can still surprise him with such simple things.

So this time around he made the fresh whipped cream, start to finish. And he was still in awe. I wish I could have a time-lapse video but I don't so pictures will have to suffice!


Can you see it taking shape? So cool.

Now for the chocolate part of the hot chocolate. Whole milk (2% works just fine too), about 3/4 of a Lindt 70% dark bar, Madagascar vanilla, sugar. Add the chocolate, vanilla, and sugar to your own taste. Add some, taste, add more, taste again. Really, that doesn't sound bad now does it?!
And the adorable mugs that housed the chocolate gold. I have a pretty large mug collection so I'll have to post about that in the near future!

Caldo Verde

Or perhaps mine is more aptly called Caldo Vermelho.
Today was below 30 degrees. It was that kind of cold that cuts through to the bone. After work I was trying to warm up and came upon an article about the Portuguese soup Caldo Verde on Slashfood when I became inspired. I was planning on having my typical dinner of oatmeal--yes, even us foodies are unimaginative from time to time--when I thought to make a quick version of my own. Typical Caldo Verde uses chicken broth, chorizo or kielbasa, kale, and potatoes. Potatoes? No. Kale. No. Chicken broth? No. Okay. So to the pantry I ventured. I had beef stock, frozen spinach, and sliced cooked chorizo. Close enough, right?

I brought the beef stock to a boil and added the chorizo, and spinach. Then went in the garlic clove I turned into a paste by mashing the chopped garlic (with a generous amount of salt to work as an abrasive) with the flat end of my knife. Within minutes the chorizo began to render its fat and add a reddish, shimmery hue to the top of the stock. Being Italian I added pastina. I was out of potatoes and wanted to add some type of starch to the soup. Boil for 6 minutes and presto! The easiest and tastiest 8 minute soup you'll ever taste! I'm hardly a soup expert and I couldn't believe how much flavor was in this quick soup. It's definitely going into my file for a quick, warm, and hearty soup.