Eggnog Redux

Call me the DIY-Diva. At least when it comes to the kitchen. No pre-packaged, pre-mixed items, please. I'll do it myself, homemade style. You might also call me the Exhausted-Diva by the time I've chopped and diced, squeezed and puréed my way through a self-imposed menu of food and drinks.

This year we had a cocktail party on Christmas Eve with 50 of our closest friends. Once again DIY-Diva was at it in the early party planning stages. Homemade cookies and cakes, chutneys and dips, nibbles and nosh. Homemade wreaths and garlands, too. But early into the process Exhausted-Diva was rearing her head, a winter cold began to creep in and DIY-Diva began to lose steam. So, in the spirit of the New Year and, for that matter, not being bedridden for the New Year, a new Balanced-Diva emerged. Homemade cookies - sure! - but not 6 different kinds. Homemade wreaths - absolutely! - but not necessary to hike miles into the forest to find a sprig of holly. Homemade gløgg - a given! - but let's draw the line at the eggnog. A trip to Trader Joe's was just what the party planner ordered. At Trader Joe's the cookie aisle is formidable, the flower department is affordable, and, yes, Virginia, there is a delicious organic eggnog in the dairy department. This year Balanced-Diva reigned.

Now, perhaps because the eggnog was not homemade (and the gløgg was), Hostess-Diva did not push the eggnog in her usual hostess-y way. So, today there are a few cartons of leftover eggnog in the refrigerator. Here are a few suggestions on how to use leftover cartoned eggnog - courtesy of DIY-Diva.

Eggnog Latte
for a sweet start

1/2 cup eggnog
1/4 cup whole milk or reduced fat milk
1 shot of espresso
Pinch of nutmeg

Combine eggnog and milk. Steam with the wand of an espresso machine until frothy and temperature reaches 145 F.
Prepare a shot of espresso and pour into a mug. Fill mug with eggnog mixture. Top with foam from the eggnog mixture. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Spiked Eggnog Latte
for a sweet finish

Follow above recipe, except add 2 tablespoons of bourbon (or 1 tablespoon rum and 1 tablespoon bourbon) to the espresso before adding eggnog mixture.

Peppermint Patty Party Cocktail Shots

This sweet and minty shot is an excellent way to welcome guests to your holiday party.  It also works well served as a martini.  Either way, it's festive, fun and delicious!

Peppermint Patty Shot or Martini

• Peppermint Schnapps
  
• Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
  
• Vodka
  
• Candy Canes for garnish or rimmer
  
• ziplock baggies
• rolling pin

1. To Rim: Put 1 or two candy canes in a ziplock bag.  Roll over the candy canes with a rolling pin to crush them until fine.  Use the vodka to moisten the rim of the glass and twist it in the candy.
   
2. Mix equal amounts of the Peppermint Schnapps, Godiva Liqueur and Vodka and shake with ice. Strain into shot glasses or martini glasses.  If you are serving these as martinis, garnish with a mini candy cane.
   

There's No Season Like Gløgg Season

The best part about December is that it is the beginning of gløgg season. Gløgg is the Nordic version of hot, mulled wine, known as vin chaud in France and glühwein in Germany. Red wine is heated with fruit and spices for a festive, warming drink for a cold winter day.

There are many pre-made mixes for Gløgg, but the best way to make it is from scratch. It's easy to do and requires an inexpensive dry red wine. Not only that, when you make it yourself the simmering spices and wine fill your home with wonderful holiday aromas.

Gløgg

Serves 8

For the garnish:
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup Cointreau or Rum
1/3 cup whole almonds

For the gløgg:
1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
zest of 2 oranges
2 cinnamon sticks
10 cloves

1 cup Port wine or red dessert wine
1/2 cup Cointreau or Gran Marnier
1/4 cup brown sugar

2 bottles dry red wine

Prepare the garnish:

In a small bowl, combine the raisins and Cointreau. Let sit at room temperature for one hour.
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet on the stove. Remove from heat and coarsely chop in large pieces.

Prepare the Gløgg:
In a heavy large pot with a lid, combine all the ingredients except the 2 bottles of red wine. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced to 2 cups, about 15 minutes.
Add red wine and warm over low heat with the lid on the pot. Do not boil.

Serve in glasses or mugs with a spoonful of raisins and almonds in each glass.

Target Dollar Bargain Delight: Edible Candy Cane Shot Glasses

The Target Dollar section is featuring a gem right now:  Candy Cane Shot Glasses! These make an excellent hostess gift or welcome drink for your next festive holiday gathering.  

These cute and tasty glasses are super easy and delicious to fill with the liqueur of your choice.  Some of our recommendations are:

Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Bailey's Mint Liqueur

Vodka (for those calorie counting purists)

Peppermint Schnapps

Go Wild:  Mix the Vodka and any of the above!

Essential Beverage for the Holiday Season: Water

Water? What kind of a beverage is that? An essential beverage, in fact, and even more important during the festive holiday season. While certainly not a substitute for cocktails and tipples, water is a must-have addition to any party menu. Water is refreshing, hydrating, and a good foil to over-indulgence. A lack of water can cause dehydration, which in turn impacts blood circulation. This can cause fatigue and reduced brain activity. Water also cleanses and removes toxins from our body, hydrating our skin and, better yet, is recommended for aiding weight loss.  Don't these benefits sound appropriate during a season associated with parties, drinking and excess?

Planning on throwing a dinner or cocktail party for the holidays?  Make a point of offering water along with cocktails. Today, bottled waters, sparkling or still, are all the rage. Bottles of all sizes, shapes and design quality offer water with a travel pedigree that makes our passports pale in comparison. Still water from the French Alps, sparkling water from Norway, fizzy water from Italy. The choices are endless, and the bottles are tempting in their variety of presentation - if not for the water itself, than for re-use as table ornaments. 

But in this age of frugality and environmental awareness, these choices and designs impact our wallets and our global footprint.  So, if you would like to offer a posh sparkling water at your holiday party, what should you do? Try using a water filter for your tap water and pour the still water into carafes. Even better, invest in a water carbonator, and add your own fizz to your purified water.  A water filter can cost as little as 35.00 and prices for a carbonator start at about 59.00. This will be a cost at the outset, but with a bottle of San Pelligrino running about 2.00 a bottle, this cost will be rapidly recovered during an active party season. Stylish, green, hydrated, moisturized, purified and ever-so posh - what better recipe for a Diva?

Wine Bargains: Tasty and Inexpensive for Holiday Gifts and Parties

Attention Wine Lovers who like bargains!

Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2006 Mendocino County is definitely a wine that is perfect for the holiday season.
It's a delicious, big pinot noir without the big price. Give it a try, and if you get it on sale, then it’s all the better.

It’s great for gifts and parties--especially if you are having a party and buying wine by the case. I’ve bought it at Safeway and Bevmo, too.

Don't forget Safeway gives you an additional 10% off if you buy 6 or more bottles. Every penny counts these days and even a Diva can be a Recessionista!

FREE GIVE-AWAY--PARTY BLUPRINTS.COM Holiday Cookie Exchange Party Guide

With money tight and holidays afoot, here is a way to entertain, share holiday cheer, and get some baking done. 

Partybluprints.com is offering a 17 page FREE GIVE-AWAY  eGuide on "how to host a Holiday party that is low on stress, mess and expense." 

Check out this link for your free download: http://www.partybluprints.com/Articles.asp?ID=154.  A Diva can never have too many good ideas up her sleeve!

The Autumn Russian--Enjoy Quickly, December is Almost Here!

If you braved the Pumpkin Pie Martini and you're looking at a half FULL (not half EMPTY) bottle of Pumpkin Spice Liqueur--it's time for you to shake up an Autumn Russian.

I served this as an opening cocktail at Thanksgiving, and all legally drinking generations fully enjoyed it.  Shake it fast--December is almost here.

Autumn Russian

• 1/2 ounce Vodka
  
• 1/2 ounce Kahlua
  
• 1 1/2 ounces Pumpkin Spice Liqueur
  
• 1/2 ounce cream
  

Shake the ingredients with ice, strain and serve over ice.

Yummy Pumpkin Pie in a Martini Glass

Hi, I'm Diva Deb and I can't cook.  I will admit this after years of denial.  Once, I was making grilled cheese sandwiches for friends and kept burning them.  My daughter said, "That's o-k, mom, these are just like you always make.  We like them burnt."

So, here is a recipe for Pumpkin Pie in a glass--a martini glass to be exact.  This is going out to all of those Divas out there who want to celebrate Thanksgiving and enjoy the flavors of the holiday--BUT who are kitchen-challenged.

Or maybe we all just like to enjoy a festive cocktail!

Pumpkin Pie Martini*

• 1 part Hiram Walker Pumpkin Spice
  
• 1/2 part Kahlua
  
• 1/2 part Hiram Walker Butterscotch Schnapps
  
• 1/2 part half and half
  

Shake well with ice and strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

*Recipe courtesy of Hiram Walker's Pumpkin Spice liqueur.

The Best Bloody Mary

As you may rightly have noticed, the season for parties and festivities is upon us. While still October, yet well into myriad Halloween parties and events, Thanksgiving is fast approaching, and Christmas and New Years are lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce.
We Divas enjoy our parties and holidays, and welcome events that bring us together with friends and family. We don't welcome, however, the morning after a particularly late evening involving lots of libations and lots of food. Our bodies cry out "Time Out!" and we consider a life in baggy, cozy, fleecy clothing - 24/7 - when our only obligations are to warm our sofas.

This beverage is the perfect answer to Divas seeking diet or de-tox during the active holiday season: The Bloody Mary. And this Mary is a classic - timeless, always in fashion, the Diva of drinks. It's satisfying, savory, healthy and low-fat. It can be served with or without alcohol, depending on your stamina. And with this particular recipe, it can be a meal in itself, as it's loaded with lots of goodies and nibbles you can sink your teeth into.

The Best Bloody Mary

1 oz. or 1-1/2 oz. vodka, to taste
6 oz. (3/4 cup) tomato juice
Juice of 1/4 juicy lime
1 teaspoon bottled pure horseradish
2 dashes Lea & Perrin's Worcestershire sauce
1 dash Tabasco
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste

Celery stalk as garnish
Lime wedge as garnish

Combine the vodka, tomato juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, pepper and salt with 1 cup ice cubes. Shake well. Pour into a highball glass.
Garnish with celery stick and lime wedge.

For the Diva De-Tox:
Omit the vodka. Add additional 1/4 cup tomato juice.

For the Diva Diet:
View the beverage as a liquid salad: Omit the vodka. Add additional 1/4 cup tomato juice. Add additional garnishes such as carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, black olives.

Pumpkin Nog

Who needs an egg when you have the pumpkin? We don't know about you, but we cannot wait for the Christmas season to indulge in this rich and decadent beverage. The eggs and the carols come in due time, but right now as we celebrate autumn, Halloween and the Pilgrims, let's salute the all-mighty pumpkin in this delicious version of Egg Nog.

Pumpkin Nog

1.5 oz. Brandy, such as Calvados
2.0 oz. Half and Half or whole milk
2 teaspoons Maple syrup
2 teaspoons canned pumpkin pie filling

Prepare:
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into a shaker with ice cubes. Shake well. Strain into a high ball glass with ice cubes. Garnish with ground nutmeg.

Non-Alcoholic Version:
Omit the brandy. Add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract and additional 1.0 oz. Half and Half.

Birthday Basket: 50th Birthday Shots

Sometimes, I'm at a loss of what to give a man for a birthday gift. Women? Easy! A trip to the spa, a candle, beautiful bath salts or lotions--as I said, easy! Men? Yikes.

Recently, a good friend of ours turned 50. I came up with this little gift basket and a shot that I call: The Fabulous and Fifty Shot.

Fabulous and Fifty Shot

• Bourbon Whiskey
• Amaretto

Pour straight up equal parts into a shot glass.

This shot is manly, yet has the amaretto to temper the bourbon--so mixed company can enjoy it, too.

I added the bottles to a gift basket. I bought festive shot glasses at the local party store, added a card and some ribbon.

(It was momentarily confiscated by our waiter at the restaurant as it was enthusiastically opened and sampled by the entire table. Never fear, the birthday boy got it back at the end of the night...but that folks, is a whole other story!)

Football Party Beverages

In the spirit of lifting our spirits, what better way than inviting a few friends over to watch the football game and enjoy some food and drinks? A little communal couch-potato action sounds like the ultimate cosy get-together. You can do a pot-luck in the food department, or for some do-ahead menu suggestions read here. As for beverages, aside from the requisite beer, here is a cider recipe that should help spike up the ambience.

Not for the faint of heart, this cider is fortified with tequila and triple-sec, creating an autumnal version of a margarita. Yet, served warm it's a perfect harvest concoction. Got thermoses for the tailgating party this weekend?

Tequila-Spiked Cider with Cranberry and Lime
Serves 6-8

5 cups apple cider
1 3-inch cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1/2 cup tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
Lime slices for garnish

In a medium saucepan, stir together cider, cinnamon and cloves. Simmer covered 10 minutes. Remove cinnamon and cloves. Add cranberry juice and heat until hot, without boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in tequila and triple sec. Pour into mugs or thermoses. Garnish mugs with lime slices.

Transylvanian Blood Transfusion: Easy Entertaining for Halloween

This is easy to prepare for a big party and delicious. It will get the wolves howling and awaken the vampires for a bloody good time.

Transylvanian Blood Transfusion

2 parts Cranberry-Raspberry Juice
1 part Vodka

Mix a 2 to 1 ratio of juice and vodka. Pour into shot glasses and share! This can be poured on the spot or pre-mixed and refrigerated for Diva-style hosts who like to enjoy their party, too.

Highway 12 Wines at Costco

Long time ago, when I confessed that I chose wine by the intrigue of its label, some very wise person (and I can't remember who, forgive me, we must have been drinking at the time) gave me some very sound wine purchasing advice:

When you are in Costco, circle the wine area bins. When you see a bin almost empty, pick that wine. Hands down, the wine lovers of Costco have consistent good taste.

This is good because, there are many times the pretty labels fail me. I've also learned just because a wine costs $20 to $30 dollars, doesn't mean it's worth drinking.
Recently, we used the Costco trick and bought two of the Highway 12 (Napa Valley) red wines. Both the Merlot and the Cab Blend (equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot) were very tasty. We considered these affordable at around $15 a bottle.

Cheers!

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About

The Siskel and Ebert of Cocktail Divas

You are really getting the polar opposites of women writing this blog.  Diva Lynda is all things elegant and classy.  She is a food writer, recipe developer, cooking instructor, designer and a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu Ecole de Cuisine in Paris. Her food and drinks are luscious and beautiful. Her kitchen is a shrine to all things delicious. She is skilled at making any party special with wonderful, personal touches.

Diva Deb can't cook to save her life and is looking for the easiest entertaining tips possible. She buys her cocktail appetizers at Trader Joe's and heats them up in the oven.  Sometimes she throws away the box and arranges the appetizers nicely on a serving tray--sometimes the box is in plain sight and the appetizers are served from the baking pan.  Even if she tries, she isn't fooling anybody.  

Her favorite cocktails are easy to make and easy to drink.  The less ingredients the better.  If you can't buy it at Safeway, Bevmo or Costco, forget it.  She is not driving to some undisclosed locale to find a magic ingredient.