Batten Down the Hatches and Other Reasons to Eat Marshmallows

I just returned from Florida... Ahh the sun and amusement parks and the sun and the exhausted children and (did I mention?) the sun! I returned home to winds upwards of 50 to 60 miles per hour and absolutely NO opportunity to show off my tan lines! My plane was, thankfully, only delayed a little over one hour due to high winds and closed runways. I was prepared for a much worse delay and worriedly kept my eyes glued to the flight monitoring screen hoping and praying for no additional delays. I believe I finally exhaled  when I heard the magical words, 'We are now boarding passengers with children under age six.' Along with  the masses, I hoisted myself up and lugged my bags forward  and thanked God for the opportunity to cram into a tiny, flying metal box (like a lemming) and find my seat. 

I joined (and traveled with) a dear friend and along the way, met SO many lovely and generous people! People who shared their spirits, gifts, business experience and, as it turned out, cooking talents (another blog on that to come) and in the process, renewed my faith in kindness and rekindled my spirit. I almost forgot how harsh Pennsylvania winds can be but one step outside the terminal jolted my memory. It actually snowed as we drove home. Apparently it was nearly 70 degrees the day before! Even Mother Nature is confused by the world...

So, why am I telling you all this? Well, why else? With cold weather comes the world's most comforting drink, hot chocolate! I made some for my family last night and thought I would share a tip. Ready? There is NO such thing as too many marshmallows! According to our younger daughter, the adequate amount is: 'Enough to cover the entire surface of the chocolate PLUS an additional layer.'
So, the Batten Down those Hatches, grab a cup of hot chocolate and bag of marshmallows, you're gonna need them!