yummy warm beverages

 I like coffee, but I'm not a morning coffee drinker.  And anyway, Ami and I are a bit sensitive to the caffeine.  I drink decaf green tea, but sometimes I want something different.  I'm not a big fan of hot cocoa.  Hope is not a big fan of hot cocoa either, so I've been making alternate "hot milks".  You can get your coffee shop to make these for you or for your kids with steamed milk and they are even better - but at home, I just pop a mug of milk in the microwave just until hot.  Then I add a little agave nectar and some extract.  Our favorite is probably vanilla.  My girls love rice pudding and I chuckled the first time I served this mildly sweet, vanilla hot milk to Maddie because she held it up to her nose and said "ooooooh mama! this smells like vanilla and rice!"  The same is really good if you replace the vanilla with a little peppermint extract or almond extract or a combo like vanilla and raspberry.  This will keep you warm and happy for the rest of the winter! and it is a perfect drink before bedtime.