Silk…and Blooming Hot Cocoa
Is that a strange blog post title?
So be it. Life is strange for all of us, in one way or another, and today is my day to be strange on the internet.
It seems the biggest part of the country has seen bitter cold, snow, ice, and all sorts of winter weather in the past couple of weeks, and Twitter and especially Facebook have been overrun with parents loving (or hating) the sheer abundance of “snow days.”
Ahh, Snow Days.
Magic when you are six, delicious when you are 15, downright atrocious when you are 34. Which I claimed to turn today, in fact, as it’s my birthday. I’m not 34, but no one needs to really know that, especially my own son, who already thinks 34 is ridiculously old. My point though?
Snow Days are tough on parents. What do you DO with kids when you work? Where do they GO? Seriously, I am asking because I just don’t know how working parents manage. Luckily (??), I have a job that allows me to work from home, so snow days are no big deal, other than the fact that someone needs my everloving attention all the livelong day. It’s not easy, trying to type up recipes, answer emails, conference call, Skype, Tweet, Pin, photograph, edit, cook, bake, AND play Just Dance. At the same time. For eleventy hours in a row, in Just Sweat Mode. No one hates Medley Rotation more than this gal.
So I need a break. Because you know who doesn’t take Snow Days?
The internet. And I just so happen to work at The Internet. And my boss is a monster…she’s so much like me it’s insane.
One Snow Day just a couple of weeks ago, I was approached by Silk, to let all of you in on their #MyBloom campaign. What is it? Well, in a nutshell, it’s about healthy changes. Silk is made from plants, and like those plants, when YOU are getting everything you need to be healthy – you bloom. Perhaps you feel stronger, lighter, more focused. Maybe blooming means you are ready to take on the world. What does it mean to you to bloom? There’s really no wrong answer.
Despite that, I’ll be honest with you, I wasn’t sure I was up to the challenge. This particular Snow Day I was fresh off an hour long dance-a-thon of Toxic and Jump In The Line, and the idea of blooming into anything other than Silk Pajamas and taking a 3 day nap was a struggle.
But I agreed.
And here we are, 9 Snow Days later, and I now know a thing or two about a thing or two, including blooming. Here’s how it all happened…
Hot Cocoa.
Seven and his dad spent the biggest part of one particular snow day sledding. It was cold – soooo cold – and I stayed inside, working. When little man came in, I whipped him up a pot of my favorite hot cocoa, thick, rich, sweet. In the past, I have always used regular milk, but because of this campaign, I had a fridge full of Silk, and nary a drop of 2 percent.
I made the cocoa with Silk.
I really didn’t think much more about it, just mixed it up as per usual, and went back to my work. 5 minutes later, I hear the most amazing thing.
Silence. My mile-a-minute-mouth-first grader was standing, almost dumbfounded, holding a giant mug of cocoa in the middle of the living room floor, absolutely silent. I was afraid he’d burned his tongue, or suddenly developed an aversion to dark chocolate, or that maybe the Silk didn’t taste right in my cocoa mixture. Or maybe he realized that Just Dance wasn’t, in fact, the best game ever.
“This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted, Mommy!”
Oh dear Lord.
Of course, I had to taste it, to see what the fuss was all about.
That kid wasn’t lying.
It was so, so good.
And as much as I’d like to say – It was the Silk – it’s MY birthday, and I am going to say it’s because I made it with him in mind. With love. With thoughtfulness. Sure, it was probably because Silk itself tastes like melted vanilla ice cream, and that alone is just unfair to all other things in life, but I’m taking all the credit.
So how does Silk help ME bloom?
It makes me a better mom.
Not just because of the cocoa, no. But that’s part of it. It’s nutritious, so I feel good about drinking it myself as well as sharing it with my family. I add it to pancakes. To pudding. To cereal. We feel good, we laugh, we have fun. We are a blooming family, and I love that.
Plus there’s that freaking cocoa.
Hot Cocoa Mix
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- dash salt
- 1 cup Silk or milk (per serving)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, save for the milk. Keep stored in airtight container and use as needed.
- When ready to serve, scald Silk or milk in a small pot. Whisk in 1/3 cup of the mix and cook for 2-3 minutes, until thickened. Serve and enjoy.
From January 10th thru February 13th, you can join in the Silk #MyBloom Campaign, and possibly even win one of five up to $500 prizes that will surely help you find your Bloom! All you have to do is share with your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram Friends how it is that Silk helps you bloom – and you are entered to win! Sure, there are rules, like, you have to use the hashtags #MyBloom and #Promo, but hey – that’s easy enough right?
Bloom away!
For more information on Silk
Silk wants to hear from you. In your own fantastic words, what does Silk help you do? Tweet your story @LoveMySilk or share a photo on Instagram using #mybloom and #promo for a chance to win up to $500 to help you bloom big time!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
