Tuesday, March 01, 2011

one cup of cocoa

This is our winter cocoa ritual. It starts by placing an order by Friday night to the farm. Two 1/2 gallon containers of whole, raw milk please. My boy understands that one gallon won't do, it's a lesson in space saving. One gallon of milk will in not fit in the boat fridge, but yes two 1/2 gallons can sit snugly in the fridge door side by side. A little math with our milk.

Then there's the cocoa powder. Organic and unsweetened. We splurge on the good stuff and we make it last all winter long. When that container or cocoa runs out it's usually just in time for spring. A lesson in quality over quantity, in putting good things into our bodies, in moderation with this cocoa powder.
Next is the honey. Thick dripping sweetness straight from our busy little bee friends. It's subtle. It's slow. It's soft on the palate. It's just right. You can taste the milk, you can taste the coco powder, you can taste the honey. It's not liquid sugar. And this matters.
Treats like this set the stage for taste expectations. He knows what real food tastes like and where it comes from. He tastes the lollipop from the bank teller and hands it to me, "No thank you mama, it's too sweet." It's early March, we're down to a few tablespoons of cocoa. But the lessons are there, and will stick with him. One little cup of cocoa that will last a life time.

7 comments:

guavajelly said...

Ummm... delightful. We are big coco fans here too. I have yet to replicate the taste of the hot coco I had in a cafe in La Paz, Bolivia but soon, I'll get the alchemy just right! You've inspired me to start the quest again :)

btw--happy belated!

Tucker Bradford said...

Dang that looks good. I miss cocoa.

The Ceol Mors said...

I want cocoa, and snow, and a little friend to enjoy it with. :)

Holly @ Domestic Dork said...

I love everything about this post except the lack of recipe. :)

mb said...

same exact style of cocoa we drink- raw milk and seasonality included. yummmmmm!!! zach looks like his arms got longer- and all i can see is his arm, so i assume all of him got longer. :)

Unknown said...

I love cocoa, too, even though I grew up on Hershey's unsweetened. BTW, since coco in Spanish means coconut, Dad suggests you use the English cocoa instead of coco.

Jaclyn B. said...

Awesome post, C! We do the exact same thing, except it's 8 half gallon Ball jars for us. :) "Our" milk cow is 20 miles each way, so we have to make it worthwhile. Each time, the last of our milk is a little bit sour. But, oh the things you can do with sour raw milk!!

Now, can Z please pass along to Jett that wisdom of junk foods? Jett adores good foods, but is equally as thrilled with bank teller crud and horrible store cookies from well-meaning, old people.

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