Early on, Not-for-profit-dad (another father of twins) advised me to drink coffee, and lots of it, to help fight the fatigue of raising two babies. There’s only one problem – I don’t really like the taste of coffee. Chocolate, on the other hand, I really like the taste of that. So, if I’m going to have coffee, it has to have plenty of chocolate in it.

Prior to the babies being born I frequented Starbucks just about every day for a chocolate mocha and their comfy chairs so I could take a break from work and read the paper. It became a way to relieve the stress of work and, in the process, I became well known at my local Starbucks. Once we found out we were having twins it became apparent we were going to have to make some serious sacrifices to be able to afford two babies instead of the one we thought we’d be getting. No vacations for the next four or five years?  I can handle that – besides we live in San Diego for cryin’ out loud! No new car? My car can make it to 200,000 miles, no problem. No more Starbucks? Okay, this could be a serious problem. However, at $3 – $4 a drink, it was getting pretty expensive so I knew that my hanging out at Starbucks days were soon to be over.

The hardest part for me is not the lack of mocha’s because I have come up with a much cheaper solution which I’ll share momentarily, but rather it is missing the experience of going to a place where everybody knows my name ( the Cheers of the non-alcoholic set), relaxing in a big comfortable chair, listening to music over the loud speakers and reading the paper. That has taken some getting used to and, I must admit, I haven’t gone cold turkey but I’m trying my best to wean myself from this expensive habit.

The coffee part, however, was easier to solve than I thought. Since I’m not a coffee snob at all and all I really want is caffeinated chocolate, I have come up with a homemade recipe that is cheap, quick, full of caffeine and, if I do say so myself, downright tasty.

1. Using a sixteen ounce travel mug fill with two heaping teaspoons of Folgers instant coffee crystals.
2. Add three to four heaping teaspoons of hot cocoa mix (I prefer dark chocolate).
3. Add a tablespoon of sugar
4. Pour hot water into mug and stir vigorously.
5. Optional: add a splash of raspberry syrup for a little twist
6. Top with whipped cream from the can.

Disclaimer: I will not be held responsible for the downfall of Starbucks once this recipe gets out. Enjoy at your own risk.