Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Tis the season.  I warned you I'm Christmas' biggest fan, and to start the holiday extravaganza off right, I thought we needed a cup of hot chocolate.  Peppermint hot chocolate, that is.

I love me a cup of sugary, rich hot chocolate, but that's obviously not calorically feasible on a daily basis (and I like to enjoy hot chocolate on a bi-daily basis), so I buy the "no sugar added" kind.  (Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets is a good one...gets nice and foamy).  You will also need some pure peppermint extract.

A word of warning:  For a mug of hot chocolate made to your liking, you need A DROP of peppermint extract.  Like, either get a science lab pipette, or a baby medicine dropper, or something, but you need a super small amount (I pour a drop on a clean spoon, and if it's too much, I can get some back in the bottle). There is a frightfully small volume difference between a lovely peppermint-y chocolate treat and chocolate-flavored toothpaste.  No kidding.

So make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, add a scant amount of peppermint extract, and savor the tree you put up waaaayyy too early.  Or am I the only one doing that?