25 Days of Christmas: Day 20 - Our Favorite Hot Chocolate

Day 20: Our Favorite Hot Chocolate

For those of you who don't know, I am a Spanish teacher by day, and I sincerely love love love my job. I am lucky enough to work at my old high school with my former Spanish teachers- two of the people responsible for the love I have of language, especially Spanish...people who taught me a language that has given me countless opportunities in my life- opportunities that I would never have had otherwise.  Teaching is my jam.  Teaching Spanish is really my jam. 

Now, I'm not too "Pollyanna" to admit that even people who love their jobs have their days, and I definitely have mine...but most of the time, I feel incredibly blessed to teach teenagers from a small town to speak a language that gives them the ability to communicate with people from all over the world.  I love the look on their faces and the swell in their chests when they master something really complex...especially after they really worked for it.  

Around this time of year, I like to play Christmas music during passing periods and as my students are working.  I always put a YouTube fireplace on my projector screen.  The students always love it, and they don't hesitate to let me know when I forget to "light" a fire in our "fireplace."  I also take the opportunity this time of year to bring in MB's and my favorite hot chocolate!  I wish I could say that it is a special family recipe that we have perfected over decades, but the truth is- it is made by Nestle.  You can buy it at Kroger when you pick up your Christmas tree.  This is hot chocolate is actually Mexican hot chocolate- Abuelita.  MB probably likes it because it means Grandma in English.  We like it better than our traditional hot chocolate because it has notes of cinnamon, it doesn't require marshmallows (don't get us wrong, we love marshmallows...), and it doesn't leave a film in your mouth after drinking it.  

Abuelita actually comes in the form of dense chocolate disks that you cook in milk on the stove (or in a crockpot).  I typically make mine by throwing three disks into a pot along with an entire gallon of milk.  Seeing how tomorrow is the last day before Christmas break, I have three batches going for my Spanish students.  I'll let it cool and poor it back into the gallon jugs to transport to school in the morning.  This way, all I have to do is reheat in my crockpot.  

I hope my estudiantes love it as much as we do!  

BONUS: A little Spanish lesson for you: