El Yo and I had been planning to spend Mother's Day out on the Winooski River, for the first paddle of the season, from Duxbury to Richmond. Transportation had been arranged, everyone had located an appropriate boat, paddle and PFD, and lo! the Vermont skies did open and it has been pissing down with rain for the last two days, and forecast to remain this way through Thursday of next week.

Okay then. New plan.

Mother's Day was dedicated to garden research (What kind of climbing roses could possibly survive winter in Vermont? Discuss.) and nursery-related tasks (the plant kind, people, the plant kind), and of course, the puttering. Bookcases were assembled, filled, placed, moved, refilled and reorganized. We set up our nifty new food dehydrator, played with the rabbits, El Yo built a new computer and I made hot cocoa mix from scratch.

We were about the most boring people on the planet. But it's probably a good thing we didn't go out on the Winooski.

Homemade Hot Chili Cocoa

2 cups evaporated milk
1 cup cocoa
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup regular sugar (or to taste. I started off without this and then worked it back in)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Place ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake. Add two rounded tablespoons to piping hot vanilla rice milk, or you know, whatever the cool kids are drinking to fend off the cold these days.

(El Yo tasted this and deemed it "organic and earthy", which I decided to take as a compliment; this is not, nor is it supposed to be, a sweet cocoa. It's got body and is more along the lines of coffee.)

Speaking of drinking with the cool kids, check out Rick, who whips up interesting tidbits about alcohol and updates more than me. He's also currently running a contest for cunning vodka recipes. Hey, that drink sounds awesome. I'll have to try it.