In preparing for winter, I got out my hot chocolate/hot cocoa mixes and ingredients. I found 1/2 box of Godiva Dark Chocolate Truffle Hot Cocoa, 1/2 box Ghiradelli Hot Chocolate mix, and The Fresh Market Hot Cocoa mix. I thought this would be a good time to taste test. To my surprise, the less expensive TFM was a little bit better. I combined all three into a large Mason jar. This winter I have been heating half & half, milk, a TJ's truffle, then adding the combined mixes to the hot milk. Add marshmallow fluff. Wow, now that's a low cal breakfast drink. I don't know who to credit with this recipe, but it's good. I have been making half batches: Hot Cocoa Mix Makes about 20 servings 3 cups nonfat dry milk 2 cups confectioners' sugar 1 1/2 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips 1/4 teaspoon salt Combine ingredients in large bowl. Working in two batches, pulse ingredients in food processor until chocolate is finely ground. Store in airtight container for up to 3 months. To make hot cocoa, stir 1/3 cup of this mix into 1 cup of hot milk. Top with whipped cream or mini marshmallows.

In our house, the old standby recipe on the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box is the best. I've made it on the stove then put it in the crockpot to keep it hot. We used candy canes with white-chocolate-covered large marshmallows strung on them for stirrers (I've found that it's best to put the marshmallows on the candy canes first then dip them into the white chocolate, especially since marshmallows are not always cooperative.) Now that everyone is grown up and either dieting or diabetic, that treat is off the menu for us :^( Edie

There are three different roses named Hot Chocolate and only one of them, the 2002 Carruth floribunda, is a synonym for Hot Cocoa. There is a 1986 Simpson floribunda and a 1999 Shuurman floribunda. The Simpson rose is available from Burlington roses but the other is only available in Europe.

I checked StillTasty.com - your ultimate shelf life guide, and they indicated it has an indefinite shelf life UNopened and 1-year after opened. Vacuum-seal it in a jar (to keep it free-flowing) with a FoodSaver and the jar sealer to extend the storage life after it's opened if you don't use it very often. The components in the mixture all have a very long, and very stable, shelf-life when stored at room temperature (70°F) or colder in the world of home food storage. -Grainlady