It took 40min. to find Pectin at the grocery store; the cute store guy didn't even know where they kept it (see? it's a good thing I spent so much time primping). It's appearance was only made known by accident--I had given up and was finishing up my other shopping. Strolling from the popsicle aisle to the wine aisle (such is the diet of the college student), I spied the canning supplies and bingo! There's the pectin!! And just an FYI, I don't binge drink like many of my peers--rather, I like to think of myself as a self-proclaimed wine connoisseur. (I earned this title by taking a sip and (usually) promptly spitting it back out--but hey, if at first you don't succeed--try, try again? Hey, gimme a break--I didn't like coffee at first either! lol) Anyways, a glass a wk is suppose to be good for your heart--but unfortunately, I don't think Boones Farm qualifies as "real" wine and my grocery budget doesn't actually allow for a $20.00 bottle of stuff I won't drink.
I digress...
As I dined on my tantalizing red meat (a ham/cheese hot pocket) and a glass of coke (thought it was gonna be the wine, huh?) my thoughts turned to the yummy dessert awaiting my eager digestive track. Finishing the last crumb that clung mercifully to the saucer, I sauntered to the kitchen.

The instructions called for 1/2 c of expresso--welll...the grocery store was out of expresso and rather than 'faking' it (running it thru the pot twice), I decided just to turn the knob to "strong" and improvise. I actually followed the directions (a miracle in itself) and when I took a sip, it was pretty yummy--not just pretty yummy--REALLY yummy! Tasted just like the real stuff!! But then I got the bright idea to add the rest of the pot of coffee and eyeball the measurements.
***I'll pause here to foreshadow my second mistake. I have a problem with judging measurements whether it be distance or time. Unfortunately, this became a henderance to my 3d archery hobby. If somone can TELL me the distance, I'm a dead shot. If you can't tell me, well...I'll give you a head start in the opposite direction because my inches sometimes resemble feet, my feet inches. 15 minutes can equal an hr, and...you get the picture.***
So with the pot of coffee gone, I added 3 tablespoons of pectin (the original called for 1tblsp). I added some, I don't know how much, cocoa powder--the original called for 1/16 tblsp. Now...just through in some sugar, pour in some milk, and then stir!

(cont'd)