give-away day is here!

*this give-away is now closed… check back later today for the winner!

Hi everyone, and thanks for stopping by! Give-away day is fast becoming an annual favorite and I’m so excited to go and see what all the other bloggers are giving away today! Check out this link for a list of all the participating blogs – there are lots, so settle in with a cup of tea for a couple of fun hours of blog surfing!

As for my corner of cyberland I have a fun little gift to give out to one lucky reader. A festive set of eight handmade coasters! These coasters are so cute and could be made up in so many different color combinations that I highly recommend making some for any and all special occasions! Click here, here, or here for some great links to make up a similar batch of your own… But first, leave a comment to this post sharing your favorite holiday treat for your chance to win this lovely set! All you need to do is leave a comment by Sunday, December 6th and then I’ll randomly select a comment from the entries and announce the winner here on Monday, December 7th!

Until then, I thought it would be fun to post some recipes for my favorite holiday drinks as nothing begs for a festive drink more than festive coasters! So without further ado, here are my top three favorite holiday beverages!

Eggnog

serves 12

Ingredients
4 cups milk
5 whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
12 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups light rum
4 cups light cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
1. Combine milk, cloves, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.
2. In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.
3. Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Creamy Hot Cocoa

serves 4

Ingredients
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream

Directions
Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn’t scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

*Add a candy-cane to each mug for peppermint hot cocoa, or add a cinnamon stick or two with the cocoa, sugar and salt to make Mexican hot cocoa (remove cinnamon stick before serving).

Caroling Wine

serves 8

Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups pineapple juice
1 cup orange juice
6 whole cloves
3 whole allspice berries
2 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups red wine
2 oranges
8 cinnamon sticks, garnish

Directions
1. In a large non-aluminum saucepan, combine water, brown sugar, pineapple juice, and orange juice. Season with cloves, allspice, 2 cinnamon sticks and salt. Cut the rind of 2 oranges into strips and stir into the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Pour in the wine. Heat to just boiling and remove from heat. Serve hot with a cinnamon stick for garnish.