Columbus Day

We celebrated Columbus Day on the 12th by reading a quick book from my library, making apple and mozzerella cheese boats and drinking Spanish Hot Chocolate.  I love working in the library!  It is so easy to get books now and the school's selection is far better than the public library's here.

I got the boat and hot chocolate idea from my favorite blog, Shower of Roses.  The hot chocolate was incredibly rich and thick- nothing like what we usually have from the package.  We will definitely be doing this again each year.  Columbus used the stars as a guide with a compass so we made the chocolate and put it in a thermos and headed for the harbor area and Kaust Beacon.  This area of Kaust is so beautiful at night because it is nicely lit, but unfortunately this beauty hindered our star gazing. 

I'd like to comment on Eleanor's shirt in the apple boat picture- she loves this shirt and wears it at least two times a week.  Oma Christel (Julia's mother) in Germany gave it to her and it has become quite the favorite!

Here is the Spanish Hot Chocolate recipe:

Spanish Hot Chocolate

Ingredients:

4 cups whole milk
6 ounces baking chocolate
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

Pour the milk into a saucepan and add the cornstarch, whisk to dissolve. Heat the milk on medium heat just until it boils, then remove from heat. Add the chocolate immediately and begin stirring until the chocolate is completely melted.

Note: If the milk cools off too fast, place the pan back on the stove on low heat to melt the chocolate.

Add the sugar into the chocolate milk mixture and stir until thoroughly dissolved. Taste the hot chocolate for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary.

Place the pan back on the stove on medium low heat, stirring slowly, but constantly. As soon as you see it thicken, remove the pan from the heat so the cornstarch will not thin. Ladle immediately into cups and serve piping hot.