Jenny's Noodle

Photo credit: Real Simple

According to my Weatherbug app, the temperature here in Michigan was around 9°F with a wind chill of -4°F for most of the day. Or, WAY TOO COLD! And let us not forget the icy, snow-covered roads and subsequent sloooooow commutes to and from work.

Thus, today's food holiday probably couldn't come at a more perfect time:

December 13 is National Cocoa Day!

Did you know that "hot cocoa" and "hot chocolate" are two entirely different drinks? Many people use the terms interchangeably, or in my case, call it "hot choco" (referring to hot cocoa, I think).

Hot cocoa comes from a powder, while hot chocolate is what many call "drinking chocolate" or "sipping chocolate" — it's made from chopped bits of chocolate or small chocolate pellets that are melted (slowly and painstakingly) and then blended with milk, cream and/or or water. True hot chocolate tends to be much denser and richer than its powdery relative. (About.com)

Please pass the marshmallows!