Thinkin' Bout Drinkin'

As a special New Year's Eve related post, I'm going to tell you about a few of my favorite festive drinks. To me, nothing says "celebration" like punch. I'm sure you've all had wedding punch and a few of you may have tried Hunch-Punch at a party in college (guilty). This one's a little bit of both - very delicious and sweet but with a kick.

Celebration Punch

1 Pint Trader Joe's Tangerine-Mango Sorbet

1 1/2 Cups Bacardi Gold Rum

1 Cup Orange Juice

1 Cup Cranberry Juice

Ginger Ale

Put sorbet into a large pitcher or punch bowl, pour in everything but the ginger ale and allow the sorbet to soften. To serve, ladle into cups and top off with ginger ale.

Other punches to consider are Egg Nogg (it's not just for Grandma anymore) and Milk Punch, which I prefer.

My next favorite things are for you to enjoy any time during the holiday season, especially if it's cold. Do yourself a favor, and around Thanksgiving buy yourself a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream. Whenever you want a little dessert in the evenings, make a cup of decaf coffee and add a little bit of Irish Cream. Need I say more? Here's a list of appropriate and delicious coffee additions that you may enjoy:

Bailey's Irish Cream

Butterscotch Schnapps

Peppermint Schnapps

Irish Whiskey

Brandy

For New Year's Eve, you must have sparkling wine. Of course, real Champagne is divine and my personal favorite is Perrier-Jouet. It's very dry and sophisticated and should never be mixed into a cocktail. However, it doesn't have to be champagne, in fact, Christmas Day at the Crane house featured delicious Mimosas made with Prosecco. Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine and is very delicious. Equally good and even more affordable is Cava from Spain. I find these much more exotic and interesting when compared to California sparkling wines. Although there are some good domestics, you can usually find an excellent Cava or Prosecco for around $10. I love Champagne-Cocktails and here are a few fun ideas for New Year's:

Kir Royal (Champagne and Kirsh)

Kiss of the Butterfly (Champagne and Grand Marnier)

Mimosa (Champagne and OJ)

Champagne Cocktails (Champagne, sugar cube, Angostura Bitters)

Ghost (Champagne and Midori)

Poinsettia (Champagne and Cranberry or Pomegranate Juice)

Bellini (Champagne and pureed fruit)

With sparkling wines, the possibilities are endless and delicious. So, if you want to add something special to your celebration, I highly suggest that you just let your imagination run wild.

Our new year is going to be the best-ever, right? Give it the party it deserves - out with the old and in with the new!!! Happy New Year's, everyone! May God bring you innumerable blessings and happiness in 2009.

Slackin' Off

The girl with the food blog is bringing cranberry sauce, rolls and booze to her brother's this weekend!? What a slacker I am!! No, seriously, I just have to take things that don't require fresh-prep on Saturday as we are going to Atlanta on Friday for a puppet show. Also, I am being kind to Jennie and trying not to overload her refrigerator with stuff before the big party. A good house-guest tries to keep out of the way! I have also decided to make a trip over to Trader Joe's on Friday afternoon and pick up some stuff to throw on a platter (relishes, pickled and roasted veggies - sort-of an antipasto plate, if you will). It will be my first time there and I'm sure I will have plenty to share about the experience.





I feel so guilty about the lack of homemade goodness this week that I thought I'd share a good breakfast recipe with you.

Pumpkin Pancakes

These are the perfect thing to make with half a can of leftover canned pumpkin! They turn a gorgeous golden color and are fabulous for breakfast or a fun snack!

Whisk together in a large bowl:

• 1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1-3/4 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Combine in another bowl:

• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 can of cooked, pureed pumpkin (not pie filling)

Mix the liquid ingredients quickly into the dry ingredients. Cook on a hot griddle until the edges are dry, then turn and cook until golden brown on 2nd side. Serve with real maple syrup and cinnamon-nutmeg whipped cream*.

*To make cinnamon-nutmeg whipped cream, simply add a few shakes of each to your heavy whipping cream along with the sugar. This stuff rocks on coffee!!