Let’s talk mornings. I am not a morning person. It took me a long time to embrace my night owl, but I have always been more productive in the latter half of the day, and often that means beginning a big project at 2 or 3 pm. While most folks tend to relax in the evening after a day of work, my preference is to have a slow start, do any chores or errands that need doing and then work. My slow mornings allow me the time to ease into my days slowly.
For me slow wake up means hitting the snooze button once and lying in bed in that half awake half sleep mode for ten minutes before getting up.
Next up is a drinking chocolate. You would think that there is just one way to enjoy drinking chocolate, but I do love change and like to switch up my morning mug of coziness each day.
Drinking chocolate, sipping chocolate, hot chocolate, or hot cocoa, whatever you call it, however you make it, starting my day with a warm drink and a few minutes spent mindfully enjoying it is my idea of a perfect start to the day.
I usually wander to the kitchen in my pjs and turn on the kettle to heat up the water.
As the water warms, I think about what chocolate I want to enjoy. Sometimes I am wanting some fudgy chocolate, maybe something with an earthy undertone, or possibly even a white chocolate with a fruit inclusion.
It’s often the chocolate that I feel drawn to tasting that day that dictates the way I make the day’s hot chocolate.
Maybe I decide to go for a bit of bites of bars and just add hot water to drink it similarly to a hot chocolate shot.
Maybe I add some frothed oat milk to a powdered hot chocolate mix.
Maybe I am feeling like a 100% bar that I melt on the stovetop adding a bit of dairy milk.
Occasionally, I may even just have a mug of oat milk with a sprinkle of maple sugar and cinnamon and a side of chocolate. This is likely to happen if I have some other decadent chocolate treat to enjoy with it, like a brownie, chocolate muffin, or chocolate chunk cookie.
Whatever is in my mug I snap a photo, seeing beauty in it as I smell its wonderful aroma, and then I sit, hold the mug in my hands, feeling its warmth, and then I sip, feeling it in my mouth and tasting it with my taste buds and my thoughts. My mind enjoying the flavours as much as my mouth enjoys the warmth and texture. Honestly my morning mug of chocolate wakes up all my senses each morning.
Honestly for me the ritual of this morning routine of making, savouring, tasting, and really enjoying a morning chocolate is precious. Time to myself to wake up. It puts me in a great mood for the day.
I love my morning mug of drinking chocolate, and while I know most people drink coffee first thing I wonder if you have ever tried hot chocolate as a different way to begin your day.
My routine after drinking chocolate usually includes reading for awhile, often a book about chocolate, but sometimes whatever book I am reading that week. I continue with the slow wake up, make breakfast once I am done reading, and then ease into all the things that have to get done.
Do you have a morning routine? Do you find it makes a difference to your day?
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