Solstice Hot Chocolate and a Fireside Tale

Solstice Hot Chocolate 

&
a Fireside Tale

Wind surges against the Maine coast cottage, blizzard not so much coming down, as hurtling sideways before the north wind. Dogzilla, a huge mound of black lab, snores softly by the fire.

A time for wicked good hot chocolate (recipe follows), warm cookies, and a good story, a north wind story about money spent, not in Maine, but long ago Texas…

A “blue norther” shrieked down out of Arctic Canada, down the Great Plains, through Indian Territory and blasted frontier Texas.

A man and his son had built a sod house on the nearly treeless prairie, digging down to earth floor, piling up oblongs of sod for wall, doing crossbeams, and more sod for roof. The boy bunked in the loft and his dad in the room below, used for bedstead, kitchen and everything else.

They were sod-busters who plowed up and planted the deep prairie loam; ran a few cattle. Hadn’t much cash money, but hunted, cleared land and did alright for themselves.

When they’d finally brought in a decent crop of wheat and been paid cash on the barrelhead, the father counted out a bit for a warm winter coat for his boy, who till then had cut holes in burlap or wool blanket for his head and arms, roping it tight against the wind.

Boy pocketed the money and went off to town in the buckboard. Was gone all day. Came back looking smug-pleased with hisself, sporting a pearl-handled six-shooter, a flashy Colt 45, the holster tied down to his thigh. Set about doing the evening chores without meeting his father’s eye.

His dad went close-mouthed, nodded; didn’t say a thang. That was hot harvest time.

Come December and the first blue norther, his daddy shouted up into the loft just before dawn:

“Horace??... Horace!! Strap on your six-shooter, Son. It’s colder ‘n hell outside…”

Wicked Good Spicy Hot Cocoa

1Qt. organic milk

1 rounded Tbs. Sucanat (organic dehydrated sugar cane juice; yum)

2 Tbs. organic unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. cardamom

¼ tsp. clove

¼ tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. cayenne

Heat milk. Mix other ingredients with a little water to make a thick syrup. Swirl into hot milk. Serves 1-4, depending on appetite!

photo: www.freefoto.com