This post is sponsored by McCormick® but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.
When I was a little girl, my mom used to make us hot cocoa during the winter months. We lived in Florida, so winter for us was 65 degrees. Whenever the temperature would drop that low, mom would always pull out the hot milk, get out her spices and cocoa and make the best hot chocolate known to man. My brothers and I loved it. It was something we looked forward to every year and I am so grateful that I get a chance to pass this memory and tradition down to my kiddos.
We are currently living in Texas and the weather is beyond incredible. The cooler nights are here, the holidays are right around the corner and I love the fact that I get to reminisce with my kids and make my mom’s favorite hot cocoa. This is one of our favorite recipes because it’s made with McCormick® spices. McCormick® products have a way to “make it home” during the holiday season and I can’t wait to share this recipe with you! I do have to say that I added a fun twist. I love peppermint and McCormick® peppermint extract gives this hot chocolate my own touch.
Here’s my mom’s famous hot cocoa (with a twist)
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream8 ounces white baking chocolate, coarsely chopped
- 4 cups half-and-half 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Peppermint Extract
Directions
- Place heavy cream and chocolate in a medium saucepan.
- Cook and stir on medium heat until chocolate is melted.
- Stir in half-and-half and peppermint extract.
- Cook and stir until heated through.
- Pour into serving cups.
- Serve with large marshmallows that are cut in half and dipped in peppermint crumbles.
I also wanted to share with you the perfect green bean recipe that our sweet adopted grandmother used to make every Thanksgiving. It’s a great accompaniment to any Thanksgiving or holiday dinner and it’s sure to be a hit. Every Thanksgiving, we would spend it at our grandmother’s house. She was the sweetest older lady who loved to host us over the holidays and we spent so many holidays at her home that over the years, we dubbed her our grandmother. I love this recipe. I think the secret ingredient is McCormick® spices. The garlic salt and paprika make this recipe come together to create a perfect side dish. I’d like to see this recipe as a classic because it reminds me of my grandmother and to me, she is the epitome of classic.
My grandmother’s classic green beans
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Paprika
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
Directions
- Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add green beans, sugar, garlic salt, and onion salt; cook and stir 5 minutes.
- Stir in pecans. Cook and stir 2 minutes or until pecans are lightly browned and green beans are tender-crisp
- Serve in a large bowl, family-style!
I purchased all of my McCormick® spices from Walmart. It’s no surprise that I love shopping at Walmart because of their great prices and quality of ingredients. Head over to your local Walmart for yourself to explore & purchase a wide variety of McCormick® Extract, Herbs & Spices, or Gravy products.
