January 31st is National Hot Chocolate Day.

We have two recipes for you, plus:

 
 
RECIPE #1: MOCHA HOT CHOCOLATE

This recipe is a hit with lovers of coffee and chocolate. Legend has it that the original mocha coffee beans from Yemen had distinct chocolatey flavor; hence the name mocha when the two distinct flavors were combined in beverages and desserts.

Those coffee beans were exported through the Yemeni port of Al-Makha, which was subsequently transliterated to mokka and mocha.

For a richer beverage with either recipe, substitute milk for the water.

Ingredients For 8 One-Cup Servings

 
Preparation
1. PLACE coffee in filter in brew basket of coffee maker. Place sugar in empty pot of coffee maker. Add water to coffee maker; brew as directed. Stir in peppermint extract if desired.

2. MICROWAVE half-and-half and chocolate in medium microwavable bowl on HIGH 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through, stirring halfway through cook time. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Stir into brewed coffee.

[2] Non-dairy hot chocolate made with yummy coconut milk.

Turn hot cocoa from a mix into a luxurious treat by preparing it with coconut milk. You can make a spicy version with pumpkin pie spice, or layer on the coconut flavor with coconut extract and a coconut garnish.

Ingredients For Four 1/2-Cup Servings

 
Preparation

1. HEAT the coconut milk and water in small saucepan until hot (not boiling). Remove from the heat.

2. WHISK in the hot cocoa mix and pumpkin pie spice or extract, until dissolved. Garnish as desired and serve immediately.
  

How to make ribs taste even better? Cut the sweetness of the barbecue sauce with bourbon!

For Super Bowl fare, we couldn’t resist these ribs: the personal recipe of Fred Noe, Jim Beam’s master distiller and global ambassador.

June 14th is National Bourbon Day. July 14th is National Barbecued Spareribs Day. September 3rd is National Baby Back Ribs Day. And for a ribs lover, every day can be a ribs celebration.
 
 
FRED’S SMOKEHOUSE RIBS

Ingredients For 6 to 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°.

2. COMBINE the vegetable oil, onions and garlic in a large pot over high heat. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3. ADD the bourbon and cook over medium heat until there are about 2 tablespoons of liquid left in the pan. Add the brown sugar, molasses, vinegar, ketchup, water, soy sauce, chipotle powder, salt and pepper and simmer over low heat for 2 hours.

4. SEASON the ribs with salt and pepper and sear them in large sauté pan on high heat until golden. Once the ribs are browned, transfer to a large casserole dish and pour ½ of the BBQ sauce over the top. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven for 2½ hours. When ribs are done cooking…

5. REMOVE from the pan and serve alongside the remaining BBQ sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and scallions.
 
 
COLE SLAW RECIPES

Mrs. Thinsters cookie thins were a happy accident.

One day, “Mrs. Thinster” decided to make a batch of cookies. Then, realizing she only had enough dough for one tray, she dropped the dough on the baking sheet with a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon.

The result: ever-so-thin, crispy cookies.

The homemade cookies turned into a full line, which now includes Thinsters in:

 
All the flavors are delicious. But there are other good cookie brands in the world.

What we like best about Mrs. Thinster’s is the crisp snap…and the fact that the thinness means fewer calories.

We’re a bit of a Cookie Monster, and must have our coo-kies. Four Mrs. Thinsters cookies, at 130 calories, hit the spot. We’ve been known to be satisfied with just two cookies!

We’ve been using Mrs. Thinster’s for:

 
The cookies are all-natural, non-GMO, rBGH-free and corn syrup-free. They are made in a peanut-free facility.

They’re available in 4-ounce packages and 1-ounce individual snack packs.

The line is certified kosher (dairy) by OU.

You can find them at retailers nationwide.

Discover more at MrsThinsters.com…and enjoy!

[1] America’s favorite cookie—chocolate chip—in a thinner, crisper version (all photos courtesy Mrs. Thinsters).

[2] Key Lime, a new flavor, is a taste of the tropics.<
[3] We love making mini ice cream sandwiches with Toasted Coconut Mrs. Thinster’s.