It’s a thing, winter chocolate is most definitely a thing. We have hot chocolate, advent calendars, Lindt Christmas decorations and teddies not to mention warm melting lava cakes (curtesy of Kaja)!
When I was in France last week I had so much hot soya chocolate (and normal milky chocolate as apparently dairy-free isn’t a well-known thing out there?) I could burst! I am so in love with hot chocolate or as the French say, chocolat chaud. 
Since maturing into a fine young lady and moving away from my girly hot chocolate days of whipped cream and sprinkles, I moved over to chai latte, which in itself is a little cup of cinnamon happiness. I can’t quite explain what made me have a hot chocolate almost every day in France but I’ve got the bug now and even bought myself some chocolate powder to make it at home.
As a lactose free (which means dairy free for the most) individual due to lactose intolerance, I don’t get to eat as much chocolate, dessert or tuck into hot drinks as often as I’d like too, so I’ve come up with alternatives to help me manage which you can read about below!
This is the most adorable of hot chocolate designs I was presented with in France! Look at his little face!
So you ask, what do I do to manage my choco cravings and how do I cope? Well, for the most part I just have alternatives. I drink lactose free milk, try to have more coconut milk, soya and juices when I can, but find the transition to vegan more difficult than I anticipated.
When it comes to treats I have dark chocolate a lot and found I didn’t mind the change much as I was feeling better due in myself as well. There are so many types of vegan chocolates out there that you wouldn’t even know were vegan and taste just as yummy!
For Christmas Jon’s Mum got me some adorable dark chocolate stars covered in raspberries from Cocoa Loco! 
These aren’t advertised as being dairy free, which I think is good, so in a way they’re accidentally dairy free. They were so yummy and the raspberries on them just added to the yumminess! They are a fair trade company too which makes it all that tastier in my opinion.
I also had a Mini Moo vegan chocolate Santa which meant I didn’t miss out on any festive treats! 
Her Country Living 