It’s winter…it’s COLD where I live, and it won’t be getting warmer until April. Sometimes I get really chilled and can’t seem to warm up. I created a hot drink that does the trick every time. And hold on to your Betty Crocker apron cuz it is gonna sound really weird…gross even…but…try it and then tell me…

I follow the directions on the can to Safeway’s O Organic hot cocoa mix. To this I add:
A dash of Cinnamon
A dash of Nutmeg
A few dashes of Chili Powder
A few dashes of Cayenne Pepper
(adjust the dashes to suit your taste and tolerance)

The strange thing is, other than the Cinnamon and nutmeg, I cannot taste the chili, but I CAN FEEL it. So there is a double warmth to this. I don’t advise giving it to your kids though, unless they like stuff like that.

Hot spices have been shown to increase circulation, which explains the additional heat you experience. If you click on each spice listed above it will take you to a web page that lists some of the medicinal health benefits of each spice. And something I didn’t know: Chili powder is a combination of MULTIPLE spices (all with their own health benefits). I think that many Latin dishes combine chilies of some sort with chocolate (for example mole sauce that you may have tried in Mexican dishes. The kind we’re most familiar with is Mole Poblano [see the mole link]).

I ain’t no Julia Child….but see what you think! A way to warm up faster, and to add health benefits to your hot/sweet drink.