New Year’s Eve by the Fire Place Recipe
One of my favorite Christmas songs is by The Waitresses. I know, you have never heard of them. I think they were a one-hit wonder in the 80s. (Actually, they had a couple of hits.) When I hear their song “Christmas Wrapping,” it always makes me feel melancholy and nostalgic, just like New Year’s Eve.
When I was in my teens, I had great visions of growing up and moving to a cosmopolitan, exciting, urban locale. (I grew up in the stix and perhaps this was a little bit of rebellion.)
My friends and I at one point made plans to study music and film and move to New York to become VJs at MTV. (Yes, I am that old and I do remember the first video played on MTV as well as when Video Jockey was first introduced into the lexicon.)
So, back to the melancholy and nostalgia. As I hear “Christmas Wrapping” now, I always project myself into the setting of the song: A cosmopolitan “Sex and the City” type career girl spending Christmas alone because she needs the peace and quiet from her hectic, busy, exciting life. BUT, there is a happy ending.
Can you be nostalgic for something that never happened?
Well, thank goodness it didn’t. I love where I am today. Although I do not live in NYC or LA, I have a wonderful life. I have an adoring husband, a cat (who adores my husband more than me), my health, my family, my friends. Even though we still live in Oklahoma, we do live adjacent to a pretty darn awesome little city that keeps me fixed with cosmopolitan flair.
So, as we celebrate tonight, we will sit by the fire place, sip some mulled wine, and perhaps crack open a mini-bottle of champagne at midnight (if we are up that long). It’s a long way from what I once imagined but this is our traditional celebration and I wouldn’t change it for the world. That being said—I might force my husband to find The Waitresses on the iPod before the evening is over.
Cheers! Here's to much happiness in 2012!
Have a very Happy New Year!
Please check out a great spiced wine recipe for “Aunt Gretel’s Gluhwein” at The Crispy Cook. Rachel’s recipe makes enough for 15 servings. Since I wanted to remember the first day of 2012, I adapted her recipe for a much smaller party.
- Mulled Wine
- 2 1/2 c. old vine Zinfandel
- 1 3/4 c. Chardonnay
- 3 c. hot tea like Lady Early Grey
- 1 orange, juiced plus slices to garnish
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 whole cloves
- 1 whole allspice
- 1/4 c. honey
- 2 oz. spiced rum
Heat wines but do not boil. Add hot tea, juices, and spices.
If you have not tried this tea from Twinings, you must. It is delicious!
Add honey and stir to dissolve. Reduce heat to simmer. Add rum.
Rachel, The Crispy Cook, states that you can light this punch on fire after you add the rum. She also stated that she did not want to “risk self-immolation.” Rachel, I agree. I have had bad experiences with lit alcohol in the kitchen!
Add slices of orange to each cup and ladle in hot drink. Enjoy!
Here’s wishing you much happiness in 2012!
I will be back with Santa Fe news on Tuesday. Happy New Year!