Chocolate Sauce

Last year, the little guy next door was in a school play, taught Mark his song, and the two little guys ran around our houses and yards singing something to the effect of "Is it fresh, is it new, blah, blah, blah, or is it full of stuff you can't pronounce?" Well, even our junk indulgences don't have to be full of stuff we can't pronounce, do they?

I found a recipe for chocolate syrup which promised to taste just like the "name brand" syrup now appearing at your local supermarket, and my little boys assure me it lives up to that promise and then some. Best of all, there's no "stuff you can't pronounce" in it. So feel good about feeding your children or your inner child chocolate milk and sundaes! And, best of all, do it using only the microwave and the jar in which you plan to store your chocolate syrup - no dirty dishes (except for the whisk or spoon).
CHOCOLATE SYRUP

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 cup hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Put the sugar, cocoa and salt in a jar, put the lid on, and shake to combine. Add the hot water and stir well, so there are no dry pockets in the jar. Microwave for a minute, until the sugar is dissolved, stir, and microwave for about 2 minutes more, until the mixture boils. Let it cool slightly, and add the vanilla extract. Serve hot over ice cream, or chill for use in chocolate milk.

And you can see that this really dresses up James Beard's Praline Ice Cream, at least in the opinion of the boys, although I ate mine straight, without topping.
Sinfully delicious, and as healthy as chocolate can get. Who could ask for more?