Winter Warmth in a Mug

Usually, my go-to hot drink is coffee, followed very closely this time of year by hot chocolate. Hot tea is a distant third and the occasional hot simmering cider is always a nice treat. Hot milk, though, has never been in my repertoire of hot drinks.

Until now.

Now it's one of my favorites, right up there with hot chocolate. Easier, though, to make from scratch (although making hot chocolate from scratch is not super difficult) and in a jiffy. And soooo soothing... you might fall asleep immediately after imbibing!

If you are one  of the (un)lucky ones who have been dumped on liberally by snow this year (I'm one of the very lucky ones who has managed to miss it all for the most part!), you will want to keep this recipe handy and make sure you have plenty of milk in your fridge for the next snow storm. After a round of romping through the white stuff, this hot white stuff will hit the spot!

Soothing Hot Milk
1 cup whole milk
1 TBSP honey (or to taste)
1/8 tsp cinnamon
dash of grated nutmeg

Place all ingredients in a microwave-safe mug. Heat for one minute and 30 seconds or 2 minutes. Stir until honey is melted and spices are incorporated. Sip and relax!

You can also make this on the stove-top simply by placing all the ingredients in a quart-size saucepan and heating over medium heat, whisking constantly until it bubbles around the edges.

You can vary the flavorings to suit your taste: add a little vanilla extract, or try some more exotic spices like ginger or cardamom.

This is one of the QUICKest homemade hot drinks, just as quick as a packet of hot chocolate or hot tea.

It's also super EASY! Can't go wrong with this one!

It's just as CHEAP as making hot chocolate from scratch (which requires milk), but not as cheap as hot tea or coffee because it's mostly milk. If you don't mind buying a little extra milk, or cutting back your milk consumption in other areas, this is not a bad deal.

It's very HEALTHY! You can't get too much more straight-forward than these ingredients, all very beneficial each in their own way. Honey is still a sweetener, so it's important to remember that, as healthy as it is, you should still limit your consumption of it. However, in my opinion, it's the healthiest sweetener possible, and ideal for hot drinks.