Not everyone views an injury as an injury.
Growing up, I had the coolest aunt. Technically, she was my great aunt, but since it was far too complicated for us to say “Great Aunt Marie,” we just called her Grammarie instead.
It was Christmas break as kids, and we had a terrific blizzard that dumped a ton of snow. We had driven a few hours north to eat some fried chicken, visit the largest Christmas store possible, and see my aunt, who conveniently lived right there.
My aunt was famous in her teeny little town for teaching the neighbor kids how to cross country sky, along with her legendary toboggan collection.
Which is how my aunt and I ended up going sledding at the local school while my parents were out shopping. My aunt even ever so nicely let me sit in the very front of the toboggan so I could see best (and have the most excitement). She then hopped on the back and away we went!
We were racing down the hill (which turned out to be a bit icy, so my aunt’s running start and jump onto the toboggan might not have been totally necessary) when all of a sudden, I got the sinking feeling that we weren’t going to stop. There was, however, something that was going to stop us: a fence at the bottom of the hill.
I realized too late that protecting my head was a wise idea, and instead bounced face-first into the wire fence. However, I didn’t seem to be hurt, so we continued sledding for the rest of the afternoon.
It wasn’t until we got back that I realized that something had happened.
Mom: Oh gosh! What happened to you?
Aunt: We hit the fence. She’s fine.
Mother: But she has the impression of the fence ACROSS HER FOREHEAD!
Aunt: Ehh, she’s a kid. It’s just a battle wound. She’ll be fine.
I might have walked around for the next few days with a bruise on my forehead in the shape of wire fence diamonds.
My parents might also have required parental supervision the next time my aunt took us sledding.
Accident Free Spicy Hot Chocolate
Hard to mess this up
Ingredients
- 1 C nonfat powdered milk (this is normally 1 package in a box of this stuff)
- 6 packets Sweet’N Low sugar substitute
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (can increase if you’d like it hotter!)
- pinch salt
- 6 oz hot water (per cup of hot chocolate)
How-to
- In a jar, combine powdered milk, sugar substitute, cocoa powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Cover jar and shake to combine.
- To make hot chocolate, add 1 1/2 tbs mix to 6 oz hot water (feel free to add more mix for a richer hot chocolate). Stir until combined and enjoy!
- If desired, serve in a mug with a spritz of whipped cream and a pinch of dry mix to make it look fancy.
- To make an adult version, use 5 oz water and 1 oz vanilla vodka.
This post is part of a DailyBuzz Food Tastemaker Program with Sweet’N Low
domestic diva, M.D. 
sounds like a great Aunt!…and we made hot chocolate like this at school with our Special ids…but, no cayenne pepper…Is it really good with that in it???
It’s a nice spicy kick…feel free to omit, but with the cayenne it makes it more like a mexican hot chocolate 🙂
think I’ll try it…thanks!
That’s too funny! I have a similar story only our fence was a tree and the tree won! Gotta love winter sports. Have you ever used a snow tube? We use that too but we spray Pam on the bottom of it. You pick up some super speed with the Pam spray!
Yup I’ve used snow tubes before! And we also did the Pam trick. I can’t imagine how bad my forehead would have looked if I had used that instead on that afternoon…
What a great story!
We should all have one of these “aunts” in our life and we should all be one of these “aunts” for someone.
I’m experimenting with Mayan chocolate and a few other recipes since I just got back from Mexico. I’m doing more of a thick sipping-chocolate so I’m using dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage and a few other spices. Trying to replicate one that I had there. Will post when I have it nailed. In the meantime I’m guzzling all versions that don’t meet quality control! 🙂
Oh very nice- I hope it turns out!
And what better than some spicy hot chocolate for any battle wound! Happy New Year Domestic Diva … looking forward to more stories from you next year …
And a very happy new year to you, too!
I had a special Aunt and have always known how lucky I was to have her in my life. Thank you for reminding me with this post. She didn’t sled, which would have been great, but she did other things like bake cookies with me and bottom line – she loved me unconditionally.
Haha my aunt was more likely the one to teach me how to upholster an ottoman than she was to bake cookies with me 😉
Lol that’s a great story! I like that your aunt was so tough and so were you! I went sledding last year and some how landed on a tree root. I knew I had hurt myself but wasn’t quite sure what happened. Well, the next day, my bottom was black and blue! I’m a lot more cautious when sledding now! 🙂
I’m still convinced the worst bruising I ever got was from attempting to learn how to snowboard…
What a nice lo-cal hot chocolate recipe. Your aunt was tough. Nowadays we are all so wary and cautious.
what a great Lo-Cal hot chocolate recipe. Your aunt is tough. Nowadays we are all wary and cautious.
My aunt would have been delighted to hear you call her tough 🙂
Great story and recipe!
Merci!
We used to sled in the front yard of our house, with a nice shrub fence. I’ve face planted into a plant many a time. I bet you rocked those diamonds though. Also, on this chilly day, hot chocolate with a kick sounds divine! Happy new year!
Happy new year to you, too!
Love this. We went ice sledding for the first time on the day after Christmas. I made sure to teach my son how to bail before he hit the trees. He was flinging himself off the sled screaming “Abandon ship!”. Good times.
Haha I had my younger brother and aunt squished in too tight behind me to do that!
Did pretty much the same thing with my daughter on the front of one of those plastic flyers only I decided to try to dump the flyer which rolled us over. Ended up with my leg twisted behind my neck & a few ripped tendons – should have just hit the rock I think. Of course my daughter reminded me – “if Dad were here, he’d tell you to walk it off – I’ll call 911”.
I’m convinced that sledding is rarely without injuries…
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Hah, that’s great. I also ran into a chain-link fence once. In high school, friends and I were camping out late at night at a park (it was a historical reenactment and we were off duty) and had been spying on a suspicious-looking car. (We were pretty sure people were gettin’ jiggy with it there.) Suddenly, the car door opened and the person started walking towards us. So we all got up and ran! And we ran down a hill and it was dark…and it was too late to see the fence before I hit it. Thankfully, not with my face like you did, but I also had fence-marks on my legs for several hours afterwards, too!
And the fence marks are so recognizable…everyone knows what they are!
Thanks!!!
Love hot chocolate with hot pepper in it. Reminds me always of my favorite movie, Chocolat.
Hmm, regular version for the day, adult version for cozy nights by the fire!
Definitely 🙂
My daughter did the same thing, but it was my idea to go down the hill on her belly.. I never thought she would travel as far as the fence.., I never saw all the neighborhood moms leave our yard as fast as they did when she hit the fence. It is an all too familiar tale, I am afraid! LOL
It was funny because, where my aunt lived, my mother was the only person who freaked out 😉
I wish you would have a picture to share 🙂 Happy New Year!
Haha that was unfortunately back when we didn’t want to “waste” film!
You are hysterical! I wondered how I would find time to blog what with working 50 hours a week, but now I’m embarassed to admit that given your 80 hrs.! Love your writing style.
I might write a bunch of posts at once and then just hit submit when I have a quick moment at work- that way I can post regularly!
My son and I went sledding and got caught at the bottom of the back yard, up against the fence, in a tiny valley of ice. Had to send my daughter to the house, to get my clawhammer so we could climb back out. 20 feet from the house and no rescue in sight – how embarrassing.
Lately I’m seeing chocolates with chilis in them everywhere. Yum.
Oh dear that does sound like quite an ordeal…
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Why thank you very much!
You’re welcome!
Oh my gosh! I had to have a giggle when I read this because the exact same thing happened to me the very first time I went sledding. I had that cyclone-fence impression on my cheek for days!
Too bad makeup can’t even cover it up…
I’ve never thought about adding cayenne pepper! But I love a little spice, so I can’t wait to try it out!
It’s a nice unexpected kick!
The things we did as kids! It’s a wonder we walk at all!!!! 🙂
I try saying I was accident prone as a child, but really- I was just your average kid.
Admiring the persistence you put into your blog and in depth information you present.
It’s nice to come across a blog every once in a while that
isn’t the same unwanted rehashed information. Wonderful read!
I’ve saved your site and I’m adding your RSS feeds to my
Google account.