All fall long, people have been predicting a really brutal winter but the first really big blast of cold came through this week. Today, Zoe ditched her coat and ran around the house. I know that many kids with sensory issues don’t react to the cold, but it was FROSTY out there!
As the mom of a child with food sensitivities, we can convince ourselves this life is tough. After all, the other kids can eat pudding, cake, bread, mac & cheese, pizza – all kinds of things that you don’t even think about having dairy in them until you remove them from your diet. And if you don’t do soy either, that complicates a LOT of things you can substitute
Dairy free soy free living is hard but…
You can do it – one step at a time!
It’s key not to completely deny any foods that give you pleasure, like HOT CHOCOLATE. We’ve been dairy-free for more than 3 years, but it wasn’t until last year that I realized how deprived we were without it! I didn’t think about it much but I made sure we avoided any Christmas festivities that involved handing out hot chocolate.
Let’s face it. Between the hustle (more gluten-free baking for school festivities!), bustle (teacher gifts, family gifts, and oh shoot, did I get something for my husband) and chaos (do I have enough activated charcoal for holiday infractions?), it can get downright INSANE.
And then we start to dread the holidays.
Well, not me, not this year! Believe me, I’m up to my eyeballs but that’s no excused for not taking a sweet time out with my kids to enjoy a perfect activity for a winter’s day – especially on that will warm up a little girl who won’t wear her coat.
Non-GMO Dairy & Soy Free Princess Hot Chocolate
- 2 cups Silk Almondmilk
- 1/4 teaspoon organic vanilla (you can also try it with Silk Vanilla Almondmilk)
- 4 heaping teaspoons of organic sweetened powdered chocolate
- 1/2 teaspoon organic sugar or equivalent of other sweeteners, like Xylitol
- a sprinkling of organic cinnamon (for health reasons, you know)
- 1 can of full-fat organic coconut milk refrigerated overnight (pull out before you start the process)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon sugar (depends on how sweet you like it)
First, have your child put the milk in the pot. Turn on the flame for her, low medium is good.
Let it get warm, then add the vanilla.
Let it warm a bit more then stir in the chocolate powder and sugar.
Use a whisk and whip it until it’s well mixed.
Sprinkle the cinnamon on top and whisk until well mixed. (I’m not a big fan of cinnamon but it sits very well with chocolate and it DOES have immunity properties.)
Meanwhile, drain any liquid from the coconut and and whip with the vanilla and sugar.
Pull out the Disney princess costumes you packed up after Halloween.
While the kids dress, pull out your best tea cups and saucers, the stuff you’re “saving” for something. Pour in the hot chocolate and top with a dollop of whipped coconut cream.
Keep the cream nearby and give your kids spoons, because they will DEFINITELY want more. Then load up a great movie, like “Malificent” or “Frozen” and get comfy.
Maybe you will too. And if they don’t want to dress up, who cares? Long as they’re happy.
Sit back and enjoy and the children God has blessed you with and remember that all fairy tales end happily ever after.
This is how we create awesome holiday memories. Not by sweating over gifts, fretting over food infractions or stressing over relatives misunderstanding our children, but by the simple pleasures of really good cup of hot chocolate, a fairy tale movie and the enjoyment that comes with TODAY. That is real hope, people – not wishing for a happier day but living directly inside those moments whenever you find OR create them.
