New Name board for RYAN

A friend of mine, *Hi, Miranda* asked me to make a name board for her nephew. Here it is... and like the others, it has become my new favorite!
Merry Christmas Ryan!

Holiday Recipes: Hot Beverages: Hot Cocoa, Hot Toddy, Mulled Cider,

I am a little biased but, one of my Clients CHEF HARRY SCHWARTZ has posted some awesome Warm Beverage RECIPES just in time for the cold weather and the HOLIDAYS. I have stolen a couple and they are below.

Hot Cocoa 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/3 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup water 1 quart whole milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup heavy whipping cream 2 tablespoon powdered sugar Dash cinnamon In a heavy saucepan, whisk together the cocoa, granulated sugar and water until smooth. Place over medium heat and whisk while bringing the mixture just to a boil. Slowly whisk in the vanilla and milk and bring just to a simmer. Keep over low heat. In a bowl, whisk together the whipping cream and the powdered sugar until soft peaks can be formed when the whisk is lifted from the cream. Pour the cocoa into cups or mugs and top with the whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon. Makes 4 cups.

Ginger Spice Tea 2 cups water 4 whole cloves 1 cinnamon stick 4 whole allspice 1 slice fresh ginger 1 teaspoon orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon or 1 bag Jasmine Tea Bring the water, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and zest to a simmer and simmer slowly for 5 to 10 minutes. Strain into a heatproof bowl and stir in the lemon juice and honey. Place back in a saucepan and bring just to a boil and remove from heat. Add the tea to the hot water and allow to brew a few minutes. Serve in teacups. Makes 2 cups.

Rasberry Orange Coffee 2 tablespoons orange zest 4 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup water 1 cinnamon stick 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups fresh brewed coffee 4 tablespoons raspberry flavored liqueur Sweetened whipped cream Mix together the zest and sugar with the water in a small saucepan. Drop in the cinnamon stick. Simmer until sugar dissolves and mixtures simmers a few minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Stir in vanilla and coffee. Re-heat if needed. Place a tablespoon of liqueur in each of four cups and divide coffee among the cups. Top with whipped cream. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Mulled Wine 2 tablespoons sugar 1 bottle red wine (Merlot is wonderful) 1 cinnamon stick 1 tablespoon orange zest 1 tablespoon brandy Heat the sugar, wine, cinnamon stick and orange zest in a non-reactive pan over medium heat until hot but not boiling. A scum will appear on the surface. At that point, remove from hearth and skim off the scum. Add the brandy and strain the liquid into heatproof glasses. Makes about 6 glasses,

Swedish Glogg 2 cups red wine 2 cups brandy 6 whole cloves 1 cardamom pod, slightly crushed 1 cinnamon stick 1/2 cup currants 1/4 cup slivered almonds 3/4 cup granulated sugar In a non-reactive pan, stir together all of the ingredients reserving 1 teaspoon of sugar. Heat the mixture slowly and just until it begins to boil. Carefully ignite the mixture by passing along lit match over the top. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the flames and, after about 10 seconds, cover the pan to extinguish the flames. Strain into small, heatproof glasses. Makes about 8 servings.

Wassail 6 apples 6 cinnamon sticks 12 ounces ginger ale 2 slices of lemon 3/4 cup granulated sugar 64 ounces beer or ale 1 cup Concord grape wine Core the apples and place in a baking dish with a cover. Place a cinnamon stick in the hole from the core of each apple. Pour the ginger ale over the apples and add the lemon slices to the dish. Cover. Bake in a 350-degree oven until the apples are tender, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool. Discard the cinnamon sticks and lemon slices. In a non-reactive, pan. Heat half of the beer or ale with the sugar until it is hot but not boiling. Add the apples and their liquid along with the remaining beer to the pan. Heat until hot but not boiling. Ladle into mugs and enjoy. Makes about 6 cups.

Hot Toddy by the Fire 4 ounces Calvados 2 ounces apricot brandy 1 teaspoon powdered sugar 2 ounces heavy whipping cream Make a fire in the fireplace. Warm the Calvados and brandy until hot but not boiling. Whisk together the sugar and cream until thick and frothy. Pour the Calvados mixture in a warm mug and then pour the cream mixture into the mug. Do not stir! Sip by the fire. Makes 1 toddy. Sparkling Strawberry Punch 1 tin frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed 16 ounces lemon lime soda, chilled 32 ounces club soda, chilled 12 fresh strawberries Place the thawed strawberries in a pitcher and mix in the lemon-lime soda. Divide among 12 champagne or wineglasses. Top off with club soda. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. Makes 12.

Blog Party: Favorite Holiday Recipe

MomDot Blog Party day 4:
I am just finding out about this "blog party", so I am a little behind.
Today's Question: What is your favorite Holiday recipe?


It's funny that this is the first question, and so it allows me to be a bit lazy. The last blog I have posted just happens to be my Thanksgiving Menu which is full of my favorite holiday recipes. The favorite being my Butternut Squash soup. I wish I could take credit for it, but here's the cool story to go with it:

My husband and I went to Big Sky, Montana for our honeymoon. It was a dream trip. I always wanted to stay at the top of a snow-covered mountain in a private cabin, with a hot tub and a fireplace. Well, this is exactly what Gabriel arranged. We were in this cabin which was "Ski in, ski out". But for us, is "Board in, board out". These cabins were associated with a beautiful lodge at the base of the mountain. We would spend the day out on the mountain, going to the lodge only to have a quick warmer-upper of coffee, hot chocolate and lunch.
Every day, the chef featured different soups~ and my favorite of the bunch was the Butternut Squash!
SOOOOOO creamy and sweet and deliciously orange!
After a week of eating this soup, I had to ask the chef for the recipe, not believing he would give it to me, BUT HE DID!
So, I have made this soup now every year for the Holidays. Holidays being October through January. My family fights over it. My friends beg me for the recipe. BUT FOR ME, it is about the nostalgia of it all. And for some weird reason, I feel that if I give the recipe out freely (as it was given to me,) it will subtract from the specialness of it all. I plan on passing this recipe on to my daughter, so she can pass it on to her daughters~ and the story of the dream honeymoon, the celebration of our promise to be together in sickness and in health, for richer and for poorer will be remembered for generations to come.

I look forward to the day/s I prepare this soup because I make an event out of it. It takes a whole morning or afternoon to make, so I plan for it, and enjoy it to the FULLEST! The smell that emulates from the kitchen on that day is tantalizing! And this is the first year that my daughter was old enough to help (sort-of). At almost three, she was able to stand on her stool and stir the pot and help pour the diced squash into the pot at the right moment~ and pushed the button on the blender when it was time to puree...

I will give the ingredients, at least:
Whole Butter
Sweet Vidalia Onions
Butternut Squash
Heavy Whipping Cream
Chicken Broth
Fresh Sage

I say it is "my" recipe, because I have made it mine.
And "mine" will become "ours" as our family grows.

I LOVE THE HOLIDAYS!

Soup Photo: © VisualCuisines.com, Pro Photographer, and BFF Susan Bourgoin.

Sponsors: Day Four Blog Party Question is Brought to you by Bottlewise and Glow Mama