Hot Chocoolate

          Stop.Listen has now entered the 21^st century!! This is good news! If you have facebook it is completely free to take a couple seconds and click “Like.” So please share the love! Thanks!

It’s still been snowing and snowing here lately and since I have not had to go anywhere, I love it! I've included a pic of the latest dumping. Right now it looks absolutely beautiful outside because the sun finally came up.

One of my favorite winter traditions back at home is hot cocoa. I have memories of sledding and playing outside for a couple hours and then coming inside for a cup of cocoa with marshmallows on top- more the better. I’ve tried different kinds of cocoa from the store but nothing beats my mom’s recipe. It’s easy to make and you can cut down or double the size depending on how many people you are entertaining. It's delicious!

Quick and Easy Hot Chocolate

4 c powdered milk
¼ c +1 T cocoa powder
1 ¼ c cane juice crystals
pinch of salt
10 cups water
2 cups milk, half n half, or cream

In a large stock pot combine everything except the milk. Stir with a wire whisk and heat on medium until all is very hot and dissolved being careful not to boil. Remove from heat and add the milk. Serve in mugs with a few mini-marshmallows on the side.

 

Christmas in Denmark    

In the United States usually the gift and stocking tradition is based on Santa coming down your chimney and bringing you your gifts, ho ho ho. It’s different in Denmark though. Starting the 1^st of December the Christmas stockings are put up and every morning the kids awake to see what “the Elves” have brought them. Kinda cute.

My previous TSA post was only talking about airports and such. It sounds like Big Sis wants scanners and TSA checkpoints at bus stations and other various public places. I think we have a bit of a problem... how is treating US citizens like criminals really helping? Obama did promise more jobs and such, so maybe this is his way of helping that one out.

And that's Emily reporting to you from Denmark

The French Parliament and Copy Machines

The French Parliament is approving a ban on face covers; burqa veils included. On the surface, you can come  up with a couple good reasons to do so. According to Yahoo News, “the niqab and burqa are also seen here as a gateway to extremism and an attack on secularism, a central value of France for more than a century.” So because France is proud of their secularism they are going to impart their views on the few that actually wear burqas. I don’t really care what one’s view on Muslimism is, I think it is irrelevant in this situation.

Let’s look at it from another angle. Say that in the US you are banned from wearing hats because the US Supreme Court rules in favor of the “wearing of hats as a disrespectful act towards Mother Nature.” I would consider that an infringement on my rights. How is that so different than the French Parliament approving the burqa ban? Of course it is titled something else… but that is essentially what it is doing.

I  like the freedom of opening my closet and choosing what to wear without thinking, “Oh, I can’t wear that scarf…. It’s orange. That’s illegal.” It seems that the direction we are headed for globally is repressive.

I have a volunteer job and I put in my first day yesterday. I spent 4 hours using a copy machine to copy proposals and store files on the computer. It was interesting. It’s in the Finance department so I have great hope that once the 3 filing cabinets are done, I’ll be doing something more finance like. However, it will look smashing on my resume. Can “shred paper” “make photocopy’s” etc… I did learn all about Ledger paper though. You never think about the different types of paper until you are spending time changing the copy setting every 5 minutes before you can slide the paper through.

Be careful what you twitter if you are in Venezuela. Apparently their laws are pretty tough….

And that’s Emily reporting to you live from HB, California.