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!