Hot Chocolate Five Ways

I think it is grandmotherly to offer a cup of hot chocolate when Michael wonders if I have anything for him to drink. He nods his head affirmatively when I ask him if I could make some for him. I read into the cupboard and pull out two different tins of hot chocolate and ask him which one he wants: Stephen’s Gourmet Peanut Butter Cup or Nestle’s Rolo Hot Chocolate. I feel quite grand being able to offer a choice and he makes one.

The next time he comes over and asks for cocoa I pull out some other tins from my cupboard: Tim Horton’s Hot Chocolate or Stephen’s Gourmet Italian Amaretto.

5 tins none of them Fry's

He makes a choice.

I begin to wonder how many different brands I am carrying in my cupboard.

I am trying to downsize what I keep in my cupboards so I take some time and gather all of the tins into one place.

I know I didn’t buy any of these. If I suspect that it is Rebecca who has purchased them, I wonder why, for all she needs is coffee and she slips over and gets it from Miranda.

I find one more tin of hot chocolate in the cupboard: Carnation Hot Chocolate with Marshmallow. I offer it to Michael on a subsequent visit. He watches me pour milk into a cup. I have him stir the chocolate granules into the liquid. They dissolve slowly. He says, “Why don’t you make your hot chocolate with water, Grandmother?” I tell him that skim milk is very close to water. I am cast into reverie about hot chocolate from the past, made with milk delivered to me three times a week by Doral – whole milk from the farm. In those days hot chocolate was made one way: sugar mixed with Fry’s cocoa.

Now I make it gourmet with water.