This recipe will be published in The Corners of Their Mouth Issue 2 (forthcoming July 2019), which you can support and pre-order on Kickstarter until April 12. The zine also features some brand new recipes by me, Robin, and other contributors.
I started testing this hot cocoa recipe during Seattle’s Snowpocalypse, and now we’re having 65-70 degree weather in March, so there’s that. I wanted to try something different from leftover candy canes and marshmallows and make hot cocoa recipe for when it’s cold at night during spring and summer. In this recipe, we’ll be steeping culinary lavender in the cocoa to give it a mild lavender flavor.
Lavender, as I’ve written on this blog and in The Queer Language of Flowers, is an herb that symbolizes queer healing and resilience. With that in mind, here are some links about queer health and community food justice.
March is Bisexual Health Awareness Month (BHAM), put on by the Bisexual Resouce Center in collaboration with other bi/pan/non-monosexual and general LGBTQIA+ groups. On the website, you can read articles about coming out to your doctor, better serving the bi/pan/queer community as a health-care provider, the important of representation, and more. Of the sexual orientations, bisexual and other multi-gender-attracted folks tend to have the most disparity in mental and physical health, higher rates of addiction and substance abuse, and being the victims of domestic/partner abuse, rates that are significantly compounded when race, disability, and gender identity are factored in (BRC research section.) Do better bi us!
For Washington state residents, here’s a couple of letters of support you can sign to help make sure the state invests in food assistance programs like Fresh Bucks, WIC, and SNAP. Courtesy of Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA) newsletter.
Our state legislature is considering two important issues that could affect Washington farmers and low income shoppers outside of Seattle who rely on programs like Fresh Bucks and WIC. We invite you to take a stand for small farms and food access today! Sign on to the letters of support below coordinated by our partners at the Anti-Hunger & Nutrition Coalition.
Read more and sign on to urge the state legislature to invest in the sustainability of WSDA’s Regional Markets program & Farm to Food Pantry program
Read more and sign on to support funding for access to fruits & vegetables for SNAP clients.
Lavender Hot Cocoa
Serves 2 (8 oz/240 mL each)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (480 mL) milk (I like whole milk or almond milk)
- 1 tsp culinary lavender*
- 2 TBSP + 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1 TBSP sugar, or adjust to taste
Equipment
- A tea ball or tea strainer that you can submerge in the pot
- Knife
- A small saucepan
- 2 mugs (size: 8 oz mugs)
- Recommended: a large (3-4 cups) measuring cup with a lip for pouring the drink into the cups
Procedure
- Crush the lavender lightly with a knife and place in the tea ball or strainer.
- Add the milk to the saucepan. Set the tea ball in the pot so the lavender is submerged in the milk.
- Heat milk to a simmer, stirring often.
- When the milk is just at a simmer, whisk in cocoa and sugar until smooth. (You’ll have to whisk around the tea ball/strainer or lift it a little.)
- When the cocoa and sugar are completely incorporated, remove from heat and remove tea ball.
- To make pouring easier, pour the hot cocoa from the saucepan into a large measuring cup with a lip and then pour into the mugs.
- Adjust sugar to taste and serve hot.
*dried lavender buds.
I'll Make It Myself! 