January happens to be National Sunday Supper Month. For traditionalists, Sunday supper usually means one thing – a hearty, robust family meal of roast beef and potatoes swimming in a rich, velvety gravy. If you’re British, Sunday supper might even be ingrained in your national identity. In fact, in a 2012 poll in the UK, people rated roast dinner as their second favourite thing about Britain. (Incidentally, a bacon sandwich landed the top spot.)

While we might be inclined to change up the menu now and then, maybe even ordering in when we’re too tired to cook, the spirit of Sunday supper remains the same – a time to slow down after a busy week and enjoy a cozy meal with family and friends. So, haul out that Dutch oven, gather your peeps around the table and let’s reignite this lost tradition.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s hot chocolate season in Calgary. YYC Hot Chocolate Fest, an annual event hosted by Calgary Meals on Wheels, runs through the month of February. With more than 70 coffee shops and restaurants participating every year, the festival is bound to uncover a new favourite. But if venturing out has you shivering, brew your own cozy cup with Belgium’s finest, Barú hot chocolate powder and marshmallows. We picked up a cannister of Swirly Hot Chocolate Powder and Assorted Chocolate Marshmallows at the Italian Centre Shop. The chocolate-covered marshmallows, which come in four flavours–milk chocolate, dark chocolate, sea salt caramel and chocolate raspberry–melt slowly, creating a rich, comforting escape from the cold.

Barú Hot Chocolate Powder and Marshmallows | Hot chocolate $10.49, Marshmallows $27.95 | The Italian Centre Shop | italiancentre.ca