Hot Chocolate! It didn't Start Out as Hot Chocolate.

Cortez, the Spanish conquistador, was the first European to taste chocolate. Montezuma, the Aztec emperor of Mexico, gave a big feast and served "chocolatl" to his guest in a golden goblet. it was really a bitter mush, served stone cold. Cacao beans had been roasted and ground, then mixed with corn meal, vanilla, peppers, spices and herbs. Cortez learned that the cacao beans were used as money among the Indians. he procured some. Soon the Dutch, Italians, Austrians and French were experimenting with these beans. in 1637, a notice to a London newspaper announced that a Frenchman in Bishopgate street was offering an excellent West Indian drink, "jacolatte." Chocolate houses sprang up where society gathered afternoon to gossip and drink the new delicacy. Soon chocolate was being served by English colonist in America. (Betty Crocker picture cookbook, 1950)

Type of Cocoa and Chocolate Available Today (Betty Crocker, 1950)

Unsweetened Chocolate: Made from cocoa beans with no fat removed.

Semi-Sweet Chocolate: just enough sweetening added to give a partially sweet flavor. More cocoa butter is also added.

Cocoa: Made for cocoa beans with varying amount of cocoa butter removed.

Breakfast Cocoa: Has a minimum of 22% cocoa fat.

Dutch Process Cocoa: Made from special cocoa beans processed to make the more soluble.

Ready to Serve Cocoa: Needs only addition of hot or cold water or milk to be ready to serve.

Hot Cocoa: For each cup of cocoa, mix together 1 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. cocoa and 1/4 cup cold water. Cook over low heat (boil about 4 minutes). Add 1 cup of milk. Heat until scalded, but do not boil. Add a pinch of salt (a drop of vanilla, too, if desired.) Just before serving, stir until smooth. Serve hot. Pour over a marshmallow in each cup.

Hot Chocolate: For 6 servings, heat over low heat 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate (2 ounces) and 1 cup of water, stirring until chocolate melts. Add a pinch of salt and 3 to 4 tablespoons of sugar. Boil 4 min., stirring. Then slowly stir in 3 cups of milk. heat until scalded. Do not boil. Just before serving, beat with rotary beater until smooth. Top with whipped cream. Serve hot.

Iced Chocolate: Make cocoa or chocolate your favorite way. Cool. Serve in glasses with chopped ice. Top with sweetened whipped cream.

(recipes from Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook, 1950 - my mothers cookbook)

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Black and Gold - Collegiate, Spirit or School Colors

Several college football teams have black and gold as their team colors, as do many, many high schools. Here are a few poly mesh ribbon ideas along with some ornaments perfect for creating team color arrangements.

Black - Gold - Black poly mesh netting style ribbon on rolls of 30 feet and 21" wide are great for wreath making, draping around tables, making swags for corners of tables etc. Some other styles of ribbon to go with this include solid black mesh ribbon and gold; Poly Deco Flex Tubing in gold or black color.

Typically, one roll of the 21" by 10 yd mesh netting will create one 24" wreath, but it all depends on the size of your "poofs" bunches that you use. Sometimes it good to start with a roll of one color and do your basic wreath; then go back and add a different color, size or texture to give it more dimension or a pop of color. Wreaths can be created started with two different colors and going around the wreath form at one time, or go around with one color and when you're finished with that, go back with the second color.

We have listings for several different video that explain how to create a wreath using the Work Wreath and mesh netting style ribbon. Just browse through our "Instructional Videos" section. I have previewed each one of the videos and selected the ones I thought were the best before adding their links. Work Wreaths we have in stock are the ones that give you a finished 24" width typically. The actual wreath measures 15" in width, but when you're finished, will typically measure 24" They are available in many colors.

Christmas ornaments make great embellishments for your wreath or other project. Black and gold just happen to also be the school colors of our local Pontotoc High School. Go Warriors! Browse through our selection of Collegiate Football ornaments from Merck Family's Old World Christmas. We also have several different colors of a Megaphone ornament from Inge-Glas of Germany.

The Purdue University Boilermakers Football Christmas ornament from Old World Christmas has black and gold on the front of the ornament. The Mizzou Tigers of the University of Missouri have a tiger on the front of that football ornament.

The Colorado Buffaloes from the University of Colorado team colors also are black and gold. The Football Christmas ornament has a picture of a black, outlined in gold buffalo with CU on the front.

I'm sure there are many more colleges with black and gold as their colors. These are just a quick few listings to give you ideas. If you're ever looking for a particular college ornament, just drop us an email and we'll be glad to help you find it if we have it. We continually growing our collegiate collection from Old World Christmas.

 Visit us at Trendy Tree to see our large collection of Collegiate Christmas ornaments from Old World Christmas!