PROTIP: to put a tiny bit of spicy in your hot chocolate. Not enough that you can taste, but just enough that you can just barely faintly feel it in the back of your throat, as it enhances the sweetness without relying on salt. I generally do like a micro-pinch or cayenne powder, since that’s the easiest and what I generally have on hand consistently.

If you can taste spicy, it’s too much.

This reminds me of one of my favourite memories this time of year - walking the streets of Lisbon, Portugal with my wife. We didn’t have much money (we never did) but it was always fun to travel to new places in the world and to explore it as much as we could. It was December, cold, wet, miserable which is why we were there … it’s the cheapest time of year to travel because no one wants to go somewhere where the weather is not so great. But on those cold walks at night, they have street vendors selling roasted chestnuts … we couldn’t believe it. We had only read about stuff like that and it was the most cozy feeling to huddle in the drafty cold while eating a warm handful of freshly roasted chestnuts next to the hot fire of the cart.