Hot Chocolate Stations - how does it work?

[DiamondBright]

I'm not criticising anyone, I just don't understand how they fit into Christmas.

If you have one is hot chocolate with marshmallows and candy canes etc. a regular thing in your house in the winter anyway, so it makes sense to keep all the fixings on display? Is it a daily treat?

I get maybe setting one up for a party or maybe on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day if you have guests but I gather they go up with the tree and stay up all December in some homes.

I don't have snacks out all December either and I know people have Christmas snack baskets, in the world of Instagram and YouTube anyway. Maybe I'm just the wrong demographic, I'd like to be eating treats and drinking hot chocolate all December but i already have a weight problem and wouldn't trust myself.

I bake and put out chocolates but not usually until around the 22nd or 23rd.

’ What?! President squirty cream is divine, M&S do a chocolatey one which DH and the kids love too.’

Yes exactly, we get a big president squirty cream from Costco and it is so good. I used to love Asda’s own make chocolate mousse spray cream which was much nicer than the anchor one but it hasn’t been available in couple of years. Great to know M&S do one as I’ve nearly resorted to making my own!

I don’t get this craze for hot chocolate at Christmas.
Hot chocolate is a staple cupboard item in my house and drank all year round.
Squirty cream is in the fridge every week so I am not snobby about it but I just do see why it is such a treat.

Btw Lidl’s own just add water is lovely and just as good as any fancy brand.

I just read a mug higher is a thing now too. Good job my dd has not heard of them.

@Proudboomer is that goody coa from lidle? That’s the only instant hot chocolate I have ever enjoyed. I don’t have cream in fridge all year round or I would get fat and the dc would want it all the time. We save it for a treat for December as enough other temptations through the year to contend with!

This thread is peak mumsnet. Take anything that’s currently popular and hundreds of mumsnetters will fall over themselves to shout about how they’re so above it that they don’t even understand it or have never heard even of it.

It’s just hot chocolate ingredients displayed on a counter, there is nothing to get.

My children joke mil's house is the chocolate centre of the universe at Xmas. She has many, many baskets of chocolates and fun size in baskets all over the house. The lounge has 5 baskets, kitchen 4 even hall has 2 baskets and dining room 3. Every evening before she goes to bed she goes around refilling them. The first year my DC visited over Xmas their eyes lit up like lights. They had probably never seen so much chocolate on offer to them. Mil encouraging them to eat as many as they liked. They thought they were in chocolate heaven.

[quote Blackmagicqueen]@Proudboomer is that goody coa from lidle? That’s the only instant hot chocolate I have ever enjoyed. I don’t have cream in fridge all year round or I would get fat and the dc would want it all the time. We save it for a treat for December as enough other temptations through the year to contend with![/quote]
The brand is Bellarom in a dark blue container.

I can’t now drink the hot chocolate or use the cream as I am now a diabetic but others in the house do and as I buy both with a normal shop I don’t see either as a treat for anyone.

Ah I see, I guess anything isn’t a treat if you have it all of the time.

@caringcarer oh wow what a cool grandma but not so great for Mummy I bet! My dm buys the dc so much it literally will last all year, I never buy chocolate myself anymore!

I have quite a few of those things in my pantry, if anyone want fancy hot chocolate they are welcome to root around for toppings. Personally I like cocoa, I make it with mostly water and hardly any sugar, but then I eat 90% cocoa chocolate too

Oh rats.

I have just seen mention of M&S chocolate flavoured squirty cream and I know I won't rest until I've tried it.

Anyway the cat would send them flying if my dog visits (lives with ex)

@UnderBlanket

Brilliant reply ... we have at least a dozen teas too.

My DD's do love hot chocolate but toppings of choice are baileys, brandy or Malibu, they are over 18

A station? What???? Like a hot chocolate machine? What on earth for????

There is no way on this earth I would ever put on display the hot chocolate and assorted gubbins. Excuse then DH and DC would be able to see how much I snarfle when they aren't joining in.

Oh, and skooshy cream is DIVINE. As fake as possible please.

@Classica

Oh rats.

I have just seen mention of M&S chocolate flavoured squirty cream and I know I won't rest until I've tried it.

FFS. Same.

Never heard of this before but I think it would be fun for a one off and I know my DC would enjoy it.

Currently I don't have any chocolate in the house and the only Christmas sweets/chocolate we ever have is the selection box in their stocking.

@NeverTheHootenanny

This thread is peak mumsnet. Take anything that’s currently popular and hundreds of mumsnetters will fall over themselves to shout about how they’re so above it that they don’t even understand it or have never heard even of it.

It’s just hot chocolate ingredients displayed on a counter, there is nothing to get.

What is difficult to ‘get’ is why leaving stuff out on a worktop constitutes some kind of Insta statement.

Like forgetting to put away the tins from your supermarket delivery being a Baked Bean Station.

Had never heard of a hot chocolate station. We do have flakes marshmallows and squirty cream in the house from October ish onwards and most days after school the kids (and me) have a fancy hot chocolate. It’s all tidied away after use though.

@mafted

We have a tray with the coffee pods, hot chocolate and mini marshmallows out all year next to the coffee machine. The children can help themselves. I like how it looks. In December I add a jar of those mini tree shaped shortbreads from M&S or some mini lebkuchen and the many Christmas mugs we have amassed over the years because they won't fit in the mug cupboard. I don't bother with candy canes etc but I have bought a cinnamon shaker because I love it and have a coffee with baileys frothed in the milk frother every morning after school drop off in December.

You have a Baileys coffee before kids drop off every morning ? Who are you !!!!😂

Ah sorry. After school pick up ! Still! I love the extravagance

@Comedycook once toddler DD is big enough to see what's in the bowl on the table, it'll probably have to stop! I dread to think of the trail of wrappers she'd leave in her wake! 😂

[quote MsSquiz]@Comedycook once toddler DD is big enough to see what's in the bowl on the table, it'll probably have to stop! I dread to think of the trail of wrappers she'd leave in her wake! 😂[/quote]
Yes exactly!

You have a Baileys coffee before kids drop off every morning ? Who are you !!!!😂

@Suffolkpunch345 After dropping them off, I'm not a savage

@megletthesecond

I wouldn't want to do anything to encourage my DD to mainline more sugar and make more mess than she already does.

My thoughts exactly 😂