Spicing Up Hot Drinks

The snow makes me want a hot drink.

A dash of cayenne pepper sprinkled into my hot cocoa gives it a wonderful punch. If you try it be very, very careful not to overdue and make sure you are not allergic to the pepper.

I do not put cayenne pepper in my Mom's cocoa bur top it with whipped cream and sometimes a bit of cinnamon.

For coffee, I add cinnamon to the grounds before brewing. It seems to give the coffee a smooth flavor.

Does anyone have any suggestions for variation on winter comfort drinks?

Carolyn's Incredible Pudding

I have an addition to Carolyn's wonderful homemade hot pudding topped with cold whipped cream.

I decided to put a banana between the pudding and the whipped topping to get Mom to eat an extra piece of fruit. On other occasions I place slices of banana under the pudding.

Today I also added some of my husbands chocolate, pumpkin brownies (no fat) to Mom's tapioca pudding for a banana split type dessert. I include freshly grated nutmeg or cinnamon depending upon the flavor Mom suggests for the day. I always include pure vanilla, eggs, whole milk, and tapioca in the basic pudding recipe.

Mom says this pudding is yummy. I estimate that it contains a serving of calcium per the milk, a serving of fruit (banana), a bit of chocolate, protein (egg), and a bit of vegetable per the pumpkin brownie sliced in the smallest pieces under the whipped cream.

Mom tells me when the whipped topping disappears and needs to be refreshed.

I will try variations of the pudding by including cherry topping, peaches, blueberries, fruit cocktail, or cooked apples to keep Mom interested in this wonderful, quick, and simple dessert.

Colorful toppings might appeal to those with low vision.

Carolyn's incredible pudding is truly a winner for those that need the extra calories and a time saver for caregivers!

Add Pizazz to Incredibly Delicious Pudding

My friend Carolyn has added a wonderful ingredient to her incredible hot pudding recipe. Carolyn tops each serving of hot pudding with real whipped cream.

It is exciting to see the whipped cream melt into the pudding at the edges, adding richness, cooling the pudding, and increasing the calories for those that deserve this most special treat.

Mom is eating the whipped cream topped hot pudding as I write this. Mom is skimming the edges of the pudding as she always does but now enjoys an additional treat, the whipped cream melting into the pudding. She is thoroughly enjoying herself. She loves this pudding so much that I will have to come up with a version for my husband who is sitting with her in the kitchen.

While reading Carolyn's email about her new pudding creation, I envisioned use for the cans of whipped cream I often pass in the dairy case at Costco.

For my husband, I will try to top his pudding based on almond or rice milk with fat-free Cool Whip topping.

My mother asked me to taste her delicious dessert. I was able to decline today, as I have gained a tremendous amount of weight just licking the pots of the meals I prepare for her. If I had her metabolism I would love this warm dessert that appears to be as beautiful as it tastes.

As I watch the whipped cream melt into the pudding, I remember a vacation at Cape Cod years ago where on a very cool day, we sat in a waterfront restaurant eating a very hot blueberry cobbler topped with cold whipped cream!

Thanks to Carolyn, my warm homemade pies and cobblers will include cool whipped cream for my Mom who will be 92 years young this March.

The warm pudding, now topped with whipped cream, turns an ordinary glass bowl into a piece of art. The topping adds more than pizazz to one of our most cherished comfort foods.

My adviser at The Ohio State University always said the kitchen is the science laboratory and
adds a creative side to my research activities in the materials sciences (see http://www.raskinfo.com)

Thanks once again to my dear friend Carolyn, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, for sharing her special pudding creation.