Like many people you probably overloaded on goodies and treats over the holidays, and now your guilt has settled in and convinced you to resolve to never eat sugar again during 2009! Just 2 weeks after that resolution your spouse caught you stashing chocolate in the back of the cup towel drawer, so now you are busted and your resolution has already collapsed (or was that just me??). Let’s be realistic here. We need sugar! It is detrimental to our happiness to go without!

I know that Amy from Delicious By Nature agrees with me! Just because we are weak beneath the persuasion of the almighty sugar, doesn’t mean that we have to give in completely. Amy has concocted this amazingly delicious hot chocolate recipe that is free from dairy, artificial flavors, and those dreaded calories. Her recipe is the perfect base for any flavor combination you can come up with. Some of the flavorings she suggests are vanilla extract with a sprinkle of cinnamon, a tiny dab of peppermint extract stirred in with a candy cane, a bit of coconut extract or even using coconut milk in the base, or maybe try a splash of almond extract with a coconut milk base for an almond joy inspired hot cocoa! Yum! What flavors can you come up with?!