Comfort in a cup

My house smells like scorched dust, leftover spaghetti and hot cocoa. Mmmm.
It is 39 degrees and drizzly here on the mountain. My husband turned on the furnace tonight when he got home -- unbidden. I was prepared to bundle up and take it a few more weeks. Also without much prompting he made hot cocoa from scratch while our daughter took her bath. "Smells like brownies," she said. After she was tucked in, I set to putting away our summer clothes and hanging up our winter wear. I couldn't think of a nicer way to welcome my favorite season on the first truly cold night.

Here's the recipe:

HERSHEY'S FAVORITE HOT COCOA
Top of stove six servings
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup Hershey's Cocoa
Dash salt
1/3 cup hot water
4 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix sugar, cocoa and salt in saucepan; stir in water.
Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils; boil and stir 2 minutes.
Stir in milk and heat. Do not boil.
Remove from heat; add vanilla.

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