Homemade Chocolate Syrup for Hot Cocoa & Cold Milk
Bittersweet, that’s what it was, sitting with my husband and oldest daughter across a desk from the counselor at school. Not the school psychologist, mind you. Or the academic counselor. The college counselor, for my daughter, who is closing in on her junior year of high school.
Yes college: a place that seemed so very far off until so very recently.
And so we listened and the counselor talked, spouting statistics about standardized testing, the merits of the SAT versus the ACT, AP credits, and application time tables. And then she lobbed questions, lots of them: What do you want to study? How big a school? Geographical preferences?
It was odd and oddly okay to be sitting there talking about something I wasn’t sure I was ready for. But this what we’ve wanted for her. To grow up, pursue her passions, find her wings.
The meeting was coming to a close as my daughter stood to return to class. She looked back at us, positively poised, fresh faced, bright eyed, beautiful, most especially to me, her mother, in a way nobody else is. She paused to thank the counselor, said goodbye to all of us, and walked out, her thick curtain of chestnut hair swaying behind her
I turned my gaze back to the counselor, who asked if we had any questions. And I did, but then opened my mouth, and found myself saying something entirely unexpected,
“I’m going to cry now.” I announced, barely able to get the words out. My eyes filled and tears caught in my throat. My husband came to the rescue with a question of his own, saving the counselor and me from the awkward silence in the room.
As they talked, I looked at my knees, trying to regain composure, and wondering why I was crying. It wasn’t what I would have predicted. It wasn’t the overwhelming ache over how quickly she’s grown up and how soon she’ll be gone. No, these were tears of relief. And motherly pride.
We spend years caring and hoping and loving and ferrying our children, worrying all the while if they will grow up to be the good citizen that we want them to be. To learn to use the potty, tell the truth, be on time, dress themselves, be kind, make their own breakfast, buckle their seatbelt, make friends, use a napkin, do their homework, say thank you.
We’ve passed all of those milestones. This giant experiment of parenting our first child to adulthood is nearly complete. She can hold her own. She’s bright-eyed. She says thank you.
She will leave our nest. She will find her wings.
I know she’ll be ready. As for me, well, that’s another question.
Bittersweet indeed.
Chocolate Syrup for Hot Cocoa or Cold Milk
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
-
Put the cocoa powder, sugar, and water into a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring regularly with a whisk, until the mixture melts into a syrup and just begins to bubble around the edges. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla.
-
Pour syrup into a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
-
To make a glass or mug of drinking chocolate, add 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons syrup to 1 cup of warm or cold milk. Stir and serve.
Comments
02.08.2015 at10:48 PM #
Pamela
Teary eyed and proud grandma too!
02.08.2015 at10:48 PM #
Katie Morford
🙂
02.09.2015 at7:52 AM #
Sonali- The Foodie Physician
Beautifully written post. My daughter is 20 months and the thought of starting her in daycare soon is breaking my heart, I can only imagine what it’s going to be like when she goes off to college 🙁 Gorgeous photos, delicious- pinning now 🙂
02.09.2015 at7:52 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks Sonali. So many little milestones along the way that are wonderful but not necessarily easy on us moms. Transitioning to day care, that’s a big one.
02.09.2015 at9:53 AM #
Elizabeth @ Enjoy Every Bite
This post was so sweet. My boy turns 2 next month and I’m already having a rough time about it! I’m trying to cherish every moment because I know he’ll be heading off to college before I know it.
02.09.2015 at9:53 AM #
Katie Morford
I think your blog is aptly titled, “enjoy every bite”. That goes for parenting too!
02.09.2015 at2:41 PM #
Pam H
made me tear up too… you are right to be proud of her, and your other two as well!
Pam
02.09.2015 at2:41 PM #
Katie Morford
Thanks Pam! Ditto for you 🙂
02.09.2015 at7:52 PM #
Hayley
Oh no! I have the same meeting with my daughters counselor Thursday. Now I’ll be thinking “don’t cry, don’t cry!” So my husband doesn’t tease me!
02.09.2015 at7:52 PM #
Katie Morford
At least maybe you’ll be a little bit more prepared than I was. Good luck!
02.10.2015 at5:09 AM #
Kate
What gorgeous words Katie. Of course all your daughters will do well, you are an incredible mom! We’ve had a couple of particularly hard weeks over here in toddler world so its good to now that someday they might grow up. Thank you!
02.10.2015 at5:09 AM #
Katie Morford
Your comment made me smile. Toddlers are a little like teenagers, you love them to bits even as they drive you a little nutty.
02.10.2015 at6:51 AM #
Monica
Reading your post made me watch “how to make cinnamon kettle corn,” just so I could see third grade Rosie Bear again!
And thanks too for the chocolate syrup recipe. I just bought some fancy cocoa powder (for the packaging, I admit it) and was wondering, what am I supposed to do with this?
02.10.2015 at6:51 AM #
Katie Morford
Ahhh…sweet to think about third grade Rosie. I’m not sure my unfancy recipe is up to your fancy cocoa BUT, hard to go wrong with choclate milk. Nice to hear from you 🙂
02.10.2015 at7:15 AM #
Q
Oh Katie! What a beautifully written piece, I got teary eyed reading it. My daughter turns 15 this year and is an 8th grader. I had just gotten done talking to my husband about the details of what it would take for her to get her driver’s permit AND that I was going to make our appointment with our daughter’s schools counselor for her C.C.R (College and Career Ready) too. Then I opened your email and read your post and you stated exactly how I felt! Good luck to your beautiful little girl…. and, oh yeah thanks for your chocolate syrup post 🙂
P.S. any chance of a new cookbook coming from you any time soon?
02.10.2015 at7:15 AM #
Katie Morford
Thank you. Glad it was well timed for you! And yes to another cookbook. I am finishing up the manuscript as we speak, but it won’t be out until 2016. This time, it’s all aboout breakfast!
02.10.2015 at9:07 AM #
Julie @ Florence & Isabelle
Beautiful post! Made me tear reading it…
02.10.2015 at9:07 AM #
Katie Morford
Thanks Julie….feelings every mother knows. Our babies, they do grow up!
02.10.2015 at11:24 AM #
Beth
You had in me in tears too Katie! What a beautiful piece. And boy do I feel your pain, and pride, and sweet sadness, and everything else. As you know, we our facing Nathan’s departure imminently (or so it feels), but I can so relate to those feelings of pride, and foreshadowing of all the future moments of pride and glory as from here on out, we watch our children continue to move through milestone after milestone of increasing adulthood! Wow…pretty incredible.
02.10.2015 at11:24 AM #
Katie Morford
Thank you Beth. It all happens so fast and seems to speed up the older they get.Can’t hang on, just have to be present for the ride!
02.10.2015 at3:06 PM #
Karen
Perfect timing on this, Katie. It is bittersweet. My daughter is in her senior year, and it’s getting time to make a decision. I think about how much her daily presence will be missed and how the dynamics of our family will change (down to me, my 13 year old son, husband and the dog) and I have to console myself since she made a point to apply to schools within a 4 hour drive from home. I think I will be finding great reasons to leave the boys alone while I take some road trips! Homemade chocolate syrup sounds just about perfect 🙂
02.10.2015 at3:06 PM #
Katie Morford
So nice to hear from you Karen. I will be in your shoes a year from now. Sort of mind boggling! Nice to know your daughter won’t be too far from home. By the way, your blog and your photos are so beautiful.
02.13.2015 at12:56 PM #
Jessica @ Nutritioulicious
What a beautiful post. I have chills now and was getting teary-eyed myself. Having two little girls who are only 3 right now, I can’t even imagine the day I will have the same meeting with the college counselor, but I am sure I’ll be crying as well! Good luck with the transition and well done to a great mom!
02.13.2015 at12:56 PM #
Katie Morford
Thank you! Enjoy those sweet girls.
01.26.2024 at6:27 PM #
Troy Stallard
Just what I needed. I always drink a mug of home-roasted dark coffee in the morning, with a couple of spoonful’s of hot cocoa mix. Finally got smart and decided to make some chocolate syrup instead, since I have cocoa powder and sugar in the pantry….
01.26.2024 at6:27 PM #
Katie Morford
That sounds fabulous! Glad you like the recipe.