At this time of the year, and sometimes continuing through about February, stores frequently slash prices on boxes of instant cocoa to around a dollar a box.
I'm not fond of most instant cocoa mixes on the market, but I discovered that if you add one teaspoon of baking cocoa powder when you make a cup of instant cocoa, that the resulting cocoa tastes VERY good, like the gourmet brands which can be very pricey, hovering around a dollar, or more, per packet.
Baking cocoa is cheeeeep, because it lasts for years - and if unopened the tin is one of a few things that actually lasts indefinitely.
Anyway, for several years in a row, by keeping the cocoa coupons handy at all times, and carefully watching sales, I've been able to pick up many boxes of cocoa for under fives cents a box, not bad at all.
One of my friends on the east coast mentioned that adding a tiny bit of non-instant chocolate pudding to each serving of cocoa also results in a rich & creamy cup of "gourmet" cocoa at tightwad prices.
I plan to experiment this season, after the weather turns chilly - and of course, after the cocoa coupons start arriving and the big sales on boxes of instant cocoa start up again.
Almost time for cocoa sales!
September 27th, 2006 at 02:39 pm
September 27th, 2006 at 03:41 pm 1159371677
September 27th, 2006 at 04:32 pm 1159374778
September 27th, 2006 at 05:45 pm 1159379104
A dash of real vanilla tastes so good in cocoa, and sometimes I add a dash of cinnamon.
September 27th, 2006 at 06:52 pm 1159383123
September 27th, 2006 at 08:58 pm 1159390708
I simply won't purchase those single packets of gourmet cocoa which frequently retail for over a dollar per serving -- but I know what they taste like, and that some of them are scrumptious, as I pick them up when they are severely reduced during the springtime grocery clearances.
I don't always like all the fussy flavors, but if I absolutely can't drink one, it doesn't matter if I stubbornly waited until they marked it down to three packets for ten cents.
I'm going to pick up the ALDI chocolate pudding, NON-instant version, only, as I'm curious to see how that changes the taste of conventional cocoa.
There really aren't all that many foods which are listed at the "emergency" food sites as being essentially non-perishable for years & years & years, but the baking cocoa IS among them - so I keep it on hand, until it's opened, it's simply NOT going to start going bad any time this decade.
I think MAYBE the same thing is true of PROPERLY stored white sugar, which I'm sure would have to be carefully sealed airtight to lengthen the storage time, but I may be mistaken. My memory fails me.
September 27th, 2006 at 09:06 pm 1159391165
I'm not brave enough to fill out the info, I've never heard of them before. LOL