I set a New Year's resolution to write 12 book reviews this year. It's the end of July, so to be on schedule, I should have 7 book reviews. I don't. I've been reading books but not writing about them. Over the next few weeks, I'll write the book reviews I've been neglecting.
Books I've read this year but not reviewed:
Books I'm in the process of reading and will review when I'm finished:
Books I'm planning on reading and reviewing before the year is through:
Books I've already reviewed:
I've linked to Amazon for the books even though I either got them from the public library or already had them sitting on my shelf. I can't exactly link to my bookcase! :-)
The list is subject to change if I stumble across a particularly interesting book. But now that I have it out there in the blogosphere, maybe I'll be more likely to follow through.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Poor Woman's Hot Cocoa
June was pretty awful. Disastrous, really.
My car got totaled on June 1, and that kind of set the stage for the entire month. By the end of June, I had wiped out my entire savings, maxed out all of my credit cards, borrowed money from my parents to keep me afloat (and fix the lemon of a car that some unscrupulous used car dealer sold me to replace the aforementioned totaled car), and my hours at work got cut.
Suffice it to say, I entered the month of July completely flat out broke. No money to spend on even the smallest of treats. Yesterday, I had a craving for a Starbuck's hot chocolate. Never mind that it was 110 degrees out. I really wanted my hot chocolate.
I did what I do best, and I googled a solution to the problem. I found a copycat recipe here and gave it a try. It was thick, syrupy, and kind of gross. It had potential, but the serving size was way too large, and it was way, way too concentrated.
Today, I decided to try again, so I tweaked the recipe, cutting down the syrup. What follows is a pretty good approximation of Starbucks hot chocolate, made entirely from items found in the pantry. It makes about 12 fl. oz. - the equivalent of a tall size.
Syrup:
Mix and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until hot. (My water cooler has a hot water dispenser, so I only needed 30 seconds. If you start out with cold water, you'll need longer.)
My car got totaled on June 1, and that kind of set the stage for the entire month. By the end of June, I had wiped out my entire savings, maxed out all of my credit cards, borrowed money from my parents to keep me afloat (and fix the lemon of a car that some unscrupulous used car dealer sold me to replace the aforementioned totaled car), and my hours at work got cut.
Suffice it to say, I entered the month of July completely flat out broke. No money to spend on even the smallest of treats. Yesterday, I had a craving for a Starbuck's hot chocolate. Never mind that it was 110 degrees out. I really wanted my hot chocolate.
I did what I do best, and I googled a solution to the problem. I found a copycat recipe here and gave it a try. It was thick, syrupy, and kind of gross. It had potential, but the serving size was way too large, and it was way, way too concentrated.
Today, I decided to try again, so I tweaked the recipe, cutting down the syrup. What follows is a pretty good approximation of Starbucks hot chocolate, made entirely from items found in the pantry. It makes about 12 fl. oz. - the equivalent of a tall size.
Syrup:
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (I used dark chocolate because it's what was in my pantry, but I think regular chocolate would taste more authentic.)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (I used turbinado sugar because it's what was in my pantry, but white or brown should work, too.)
- 1 cup water
Mix and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until hot. (My water cooler has a hot water dispenser, so I only needed 30 seconds. If you start out with cold water, you'll need longer.)
- Add 1/3 cup powdered milk. Mix well. Enjoy.
- Optional - add 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.
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