My friend Theresa Albert first shared this recipe with me over ten years ago, and I haven’t been tempted to try any others (although this spiced hot cocoa recipe is pretty highly regarded). Theresa is a holistic nutritionist and food communications expert who runs the Stratford B&B Rosehurst Stratford. She told me that cocoa is an anti-aging, anti-inflammatory super food that is full of antioxidants. Her take on this classic comfort drink will have you wondering how you tolerated anything before; it’s delicious and nutritious

Theresa advises that the key to this hot chocolate recipe is using a good quality cocoa powder. When choosing a brand, look for one that does not say “Dutch processed.” You want one that has only cocoa powder in its ingredient list. A cocoa powder that is (Dutch) processed uses an alkali that diminishes the quantity (by half!) of the antioxidants.

So basically this hot chocolate is totally good for you!

The Easiest Recipe for Hot Chocolate, Ever

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And we are here for it!

Servings:

Serves 4

Cookies and Cream Milkshakes:

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I suggested she try offering them ham. Not that I think that’s in any way a superior replacement for poultry or fish, but I have yet to meet a kid that didn’t like ham. Ham and cheese sandwiches are popular for a reason, right? I know that with my own kids, if I make a soup they’re less than crazy about and add some bacon or ham to the pot, it’s devoured much more easily than if the meat was missing altogether.

Which brings me to my new favourite slow cooker recipe: Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham. I’ve long been a lover of split pea soup, with or without the ham, but seeing as we’re in ham-serving season (side note: why do we almost only ever eat ham at the holidays or for Sunday supper?) this a great family-friendly soup recipe to keep tucked in your back pocket for weekend lunches or a quick and easy weeknight dinner.

After you’re finished serving your ham supper, reserve the bone and keep it for soup. If you don’t feel like making it right away, it will keep in the fridge for a few days. Alternatively, you can easily purchase ham hocks from most butchers so if you don’t happen to have ham on menu plan for the coming week, feel free to use one of those in place of the reserved bone.

Note:

This soup is thick and stocky, which is how I like it. If you prefer a thinner soup, feel free to add more water or chicken stock to the slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup with Ham:

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Of course a slow cooker is made for dishes like stew. Some of us are staunch supporters of a slow cooker stew whereas others believe part of the stewing process is getting a good canalization of flavour on the meat prior to cooking.

So, in order to make everyone happy, we have combined the two methods.

Prep everything in the morning and cook on low instead of high and you’ll come home to an amazing-smelling house and easy meal. Or you can easily whip this up on a chilly afternoon for a warm, comforting dinner.

Serve with a crusty, fresh bread or skip the potatoes and serve over rice.

Servings:

Serves 4 to 6

Easy Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

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If leftover Halloween candy is ever an issue in your house, here’s a great idea to use up your kids’ haul that you can even package up as gifts or goody bags for fall festivities and birthday parties.

Servings:

Serves 6-10

Halloween Candy Bark:

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