Peppermint Mocha Pick-Me-Up

It's that time of day again. I don't know about you, but every day around 2 or 3 o'clock I start to drag. I just don't know how I am going to get through the rest of the day. Well, I have discovered the cure for this mid-day drag, and the best thing about it is it only takes a few ingredients and they are easy to keep on hand all the time. I call it: The Peppermint Mocha Pick-Me-Up!

Here's what you will need:

• Your favorite coffee mug (actually, any 'ol mug will do, but it tastes even better in your favorite one)
• Coffee 
• 1 heaping tsp of cocoa powder
• 1 peppermint (the little, round, red & white ones that come individually wrapped are perfect. If it's near the holidays, 1/4 of a candy cane works great too. In fact, that's what I had on hand when I originally brewed up this concoction)
• Cream and Sugar to your taste

Directions: Put your cocoa powder, peppermint and sugar in the bottom of your mug. Brew you cup of coffee like you normally do and pour in you mug. Stir until your mint is dissolved, then add your cream or milk. Adding the cream after ensures that your coffee stays hot enough to melt your mint. If you want to get extra fancy, I suppose you could add whipped cream. I never have, simply because I never have it on hand, but if I did.... I would :)

 Viola! You have just created an expensive-tasting coffee house treat for a fraction of the cost. Pretty simple, huh? This also works well as an attitude adjuster for first thing in the morning if you happen to wake up completely grumpy and resentful of the fact that you are out of bed..... not that I ever feel that way ;)