If your like me, nothing says winter like a big cup of hot chocolate next to the fire place. While playing in the snow and having snowball fights are fun, sharing a cup of hot chocolate afterward can be a wonderful tradition to start with your kids.

Before you head out to play, make up this quick little recipe and put it in your crock pot on high. Then your cocoa will be hot and ready when you are.

Cook Time: 2-3 hours
Ingredients:

* 3 cups dry milk powder
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 3/4 cup cocoa powder
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp. sea salt
* 2 tsp. vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup chocolate syrup
* 1/2 cup powdered nondairy creamer
* 7 cups water

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients except for the water in a 4 quart slow cooker and stir well to combine. Then gradually add water, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 2-3 hours. Stir before serving. This makes about 10 cups, or enough for everyone to have seconds.

The first snow fall is always the best. Everything seems quiet, you're ready to drink your cocoa, curl up next to the fire place and enjoy winter. Then day two comes. The kids are restless, they have run circles in the once beautiful snowy landscape, your carpet is wet from them coming in and out and their bored.

Time to pull out the snow paints. It's best if you have stocked up before hand on empty spray bottles, but in a bind old cleaning bottles will work provided you wash them out thoroughly. Fill the spray bottle half way with water, add several drops of the food coloring of your choice. Fill the bottle the rest of the way with water and shake. Bundle up the kids again and send them on their way to turn your snowy white canvas into a work of art.

The wonderful thing about this activity, besides how cheap it is, is the easy clean up. Just wait for the weather man to tell you when it will snow again and they can have another clean canvas to create their masterpieces.