Hot Cocoa Bar

‘Tis the season of chilly weather and cold noses and fingertips. Nothing battles the chill like a nice cup of hot cocoa!

Some of my fondest childhood memories revolve around spending time with my family at my grandparents farm in Idaho. The holidays were the best, especially when Jack Frost gifted us with us with tons of snow! The cherry on top was when my uncles procured some snowmobiles and large inner tubes for sledding!

There were 7 of us grandchildren, with a 12 year span. My favorite memory was when I was 16 and we were bombarded with snow! My uncles and us kids bundled up nice and warm and took off to a perfect sledding spot. I don’t know how many trips we made up and down the hill. However, the funniest time was when all seven kids, ages ranging from 4 to 16, all piled on this huge inner tube and roared down the hill, the jolt at the bottom of the hill resulted in half of us rolling off in a total yard sale! I love that the adventure was recorded, so that we could relive the fun for years to come.

Back at the farm, we would peel of the many layers of snow gear, which resulted in a huge pile in the utility room. Then we would be greeted with a steaming cup of hot cocoa! I feel euphoric just thinking about it.

Create a Vignette

Hot cocoa feels like a warm hug from the inside. And who doesn’t love decorating for the Christmas? Add the abundance of sweets to the mix and you have the recipe for a whimsical holiday vignette.

You can set up a Hot Cocoa vignette in any number of places in your home. Ideal places include:

Kitchen island with a serving tray paired with a tiered holiday platter.
China buffet, as pictured above, is perfect for displaying a collection of Christmas mugs, holiday china, along with other fun collectibles. True RED Betty’s custom-made holiday signs complement this set up nicely!
I love using my dining table for seasonal vignettes. This is also a perfect place for your Santa cookie jar!
The mudroom is also a great place to set up your hot cocoa station. Especially if you have friends and family over for some outdoor fun. Simply prepare some hot chocolate in your slow cooker and set out the coffee mugs and other toppings.

Toppings, Toppings, Toppings!

The options for your hot cocoa toppings are simply endless…

Marshmallows
Cinnamon sticks
Holiday peppermint m&m’s
Red hots
White chocolate chips
Crushed peppermints
Whipped cream

Fun tip: use your holiday salt and pepper shakers for cinnamon and nutmeg!

More Than Just Cocoa

Your holiday drink station doesn’t need to be limited to hot cocoa supplies.

Warm drinks:

Seasonal herbal tea, my favorite is the Celestial Season’s Bengal Spice. Peppermint is also a great option.
Hot cider.
Also, a little birdie told me that the Starbucks Holiday blend has a definite chocolatey taste!

Treats: