Vegan Hot Chocolate

The conversation I've been avoiding: Tom Whelan living alone. Claire brought it up on the video call after the kitchen fall. Not as a criticism of Tom's choices — she's too smart for that — but as a question about the medium-term future. What does the plan look like for the next two years. She looked at me on the screen as much as at Tom, which I understood: she knows I'm there every other day, knows I've been covering the falls and the recovery periods. She wanted to understand what I was willing to do and what the limits were.

I told her I'd do whatever was needed and that I understood her concern and that Tom was going to make his own decisions about his living situation. She said she knew that and wasn't trying to override it, just wanted a plan. We agreed on a check-in call each month, the rearranged kitchen, a medical alert device that Tom accepted with roughly the enthusiasm of someone accepting a prison sentence and then immediately forgot about and left on the charging stand. He'll wear it when he remembers, which is the version of compliance available to eighty-one-year-old Montana men who've been independent their whole lives.

Calving is three weeks out. The heifers first, as always. I've been getting the equipment ready, checking the barn, reviewing the herd records. This is the eighth calving season I've run, or the part of it I've run, and the preparation feels like putting on clothes I know well. Familiar and correct.

Made split pea soup Sunday from the ham bone saved from Christmas. The slow version, eight hours, the bone giving up everything it has into the pot. January soup. The kind that fills the house and keeps for a week and gets better every day it sits.

The soup was on the stove all day, doing its slow work, and there was nothing left to do but wait — for the bone to give up its last bit of flavor, for Claire’s words to settle, for Tom to come in from checking the barn. I made this while I waited. It’s not complicated, which is exactly what I needed — something warm and real that didn’t ask anything of me while I turned everything else over in my head.

Prep Time: 2 minutes | Cook Time: 8 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

2 cups oat milk (or other plant-based milk)
2 oz dark chocolate (70% cacao or higher), finely chopped
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup, to taste
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine sea salt
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
Vegan whipped cream or mini marshmallows, to serve (optional)

Instructions

Warm the milk. Pour the oat milk into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Warm gently, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to steam — do not let it boil.
Add the chocolate and cocoa. Whisk in the chopped dark chocolate and cocoa powder until the chocolate is fully melted and the mixture is smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Sweeten and season. Stir in the maple syrup, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt. Add cinnamon if using. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
Froth if desired. For a creamier texture, use an immersion blender or a handheld frother to blend the hot chocolate for 20 to 30 seconds directly in the pot.
Serve. Pour into mugs and top with vegan whipped cream or marshmallows if desired. Drink while warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Vegan Hot Chocolate — The Cup That Sits Beside You While the House Fills With Soup