Do you ever just have one of those days that really really suck? Yesterday was that day for me. Really bad. Well, let me explain…

I was given a super simple project to work on that was done in an OLD program. Well, it is old to me since I had not used it in about 3+ yrs. And in that time there was a new release so when I had to get working on this project on Monday I was struggling. Big time. First I opened it all wrong so I didn’t have the right tool bars and elements. Then I couldn’t remember the commands- since it had been years. I had to do all this super simple work for Tuesday afternoon. Well get what? I missed my deadline since I was so slow struggling to navigate my way through. I DON’T MISS DEADLINES. I just don’t.

So Monday and Tuesday sucked and when I came in Wednesday I was so over it. I was inefficent, slow, fustrated, and I felt really dumb. I had to keep asking for help along the way so I felt really bad for interupting what my coworkers were doing. How could making these revisions be this overwhelming? When I was drowning in work last year on a project I felt better than having to do this work for a tiny bit. So I had a lovely lunch time meltdown and cried at work, then at the Whole Foods buffet bar venting to Price, and the again outside Whole Foods. I’m sure it was all lovely to observe. Which is why I ate pie (recipe to come) and had this hot chocolate for dinner. Did a good job of eating my feelings, eh?

So anyway… do you love all those little ‘holidays’ sprinkled throughout the year? The ones for random  things like ‘National Lost Penny Day’, ‘National Maritime Day’, or ‘National Brownie Day’. Well I do! Which is why I picked this theme’s Thirsty Thursday to be centered around bittersweet chocolate. I immediately jumped in and started to look around for recipes and the Italian Hot Chocolate from Paula at Bell’alimento just jumped out at me. Such a perfect amount of lovely, rich hot chocolate.

Maybe you have to celebrate something? Or eat your feelings like I did? (le sigh) Well, Amanda’s Everyday Chocolate Cake is there for you for whatever reason you need.

Italian Hot Chocolate with Orange Scented Whipped Cream

Makes 2 hot chocolates

Ingredients

•  8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, 70% or higher
• 3 cups whole milk
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons corn starch
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 1 orange)

Process

1. Into a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat, melt pieces of chocolate with a 1/2 cup of milk. Stir until melted.
2. Slowly add and mix in the remaining milk. Add the sugar and corn starch whisking to combine.
3. Continue to cook over low heat until the hot chocolate becomes thick, creamy and coats the back of the wooden spoon.
4. While the hot chocolate is thickening, combine the whipped cream and orange zest. Make the whipped cream to serve with the hot chocolate.