It’s that time of year again.  Eggnog is finally gracing the grocery store shelves and Eggnog Lattes are popping up in coffee houses everywhere.  I like an eggnog latte because it has a bit of sweetness and a bit of spice and tastes like Christmas, but since most eggnog lattes are made with actual eggnog rather than a flavored syrup they aren’t sickeningly sweet.  Luckily, you can buy plenty of low-fat eggnogs now which makes your eggnog latte no worse for you than your usual latte.

I have an espresso machine which I love dearly (thanks Mom!), but you can make this with strongly brewed coffee if you don’t have access to a shot of espresso.  If you need help frothing your drink without a frothing wand, I would invest in one of these hand held frothers. Just combine your coffee and eggnog mixture, heat, and froth away!  Kids love these things by the way and they make excellent chocolate milk.

Eggnog Latte

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup eggnog
• 1.5 oz brewed espresso or strong coffee
• nutmeg

1. Combine cold eggnog and milk in a large mug or frothing cup.
2. Tilt mug at a 45° angle and move frothing wand slowing up and down and back and forth until milk is thickly foamed.
3. If frothing in a mug, pour your espresso over the top.  If using a frothing cup, pour espresso into a mug and pour hot eggnog mixture over.  Then spoon the foam on top.
4. Sprinkle with nutmeg.  Enjoy!

Personally, I like this best with a double shot.  You might like to add a little sugar to your eggnog/milk mixture.  That’s the great part about making these at home-experiment and find the combination you love!

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One of my absolute favorite fall treats is hot apple cider.  I love the cinnamon apple smell and the steamy mug.  Most store brand apple ciders are too sweet for me without any distinguishable cider spice.  I like to make apple cider from scratch, a tradition my kids look forward to as well since they do most of the work.  Like many homemade things it isn’t hard to do at all, just takes some time.  But when the snow and cold keep you inside for the day and your pile of orchard apples are past their prime, homemade apple cider is a wonderful activity that yields an even greater reward.  My recipe is here.

Another way we make apple cider, when we don’t feel like waiting for a pot of apples to simmer all day, is by keeping the adorable cider beetles you see above on hand.  Making them is a really fun activity which yields a dozen little beetles you can keep in the cupboard or give away to friends.  To make cider from a beetle you simple warm up a couple quarts of apple juice and drop in one of your pre-made cider beetles and simmer a few minutes.  The recipe for these cute treats is here.

Apple cider or hot chocolate?  Which one is your favorite chilly weather beverage?

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One of my favorite restaurants in Hawaii was Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine.  Although there are Roy’s restaurants all over the world, their fresh pineapple infused martini will always embody Hawaii in my mind.  Roy’s signature drink can be seen infusing in huge glass jars all around their outdoor bar and a fresh batch is made every couple of days in the summer.  A mixture of vanilla vodka and coconut rum infused with fresh pineapple slices, and served with a slice of marinated pineapple, this drink is smooth and creamy with a thick layer of sweet foam on top.  Start a batch of these today and enjoy them with friends next weekend for an end of summer luau!

Hawaiian Martinis

• 1500 ml (2 750 ml bottles) vodka
• 500 ml vanilla vodka
• 500 ml coconut rum (like Malibu)
• 2 fresh pineapples, cut into 1 inch wedges

1. In a large (6 quart) container with a spigot-such as a lemonade, ice tea, or a punch dispenser-layer pineapple.
2. Pour alcohol over pineapple making sure to completely cover the pineapple.
3. Allow to infuse at least a week, will stay good much longer as long as the pineapple slices remain submerged.
4. To serve (makes 2 drinks), measure out 4-6 oz liquid.  Add along with ice to a martini shaker and shake vigorously.
5. Strain into two martini glasses, garnish with a wedge of marinated pineapple.

This recipe is different from other recipes on the web but is straight from the bartenders at the original Roy’s in Hawaii.  Their mix is huge though: 2 bottles of vanilla vodka, 2 bottles of coconut rum, and 6 bottles of regular vodka.  Feel free to do the math if you want to make an even smaller batch.

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I love coffee. I love to have coffee throughout the day starting with a steamy, hot espresso in the morning. My favorite method of making iced coffee is to blend sweetened condensed milk with a pot of brewed coffee. You can keep this mixture in the fridge and pour over fresh ice as desired. The only problem is I can’t quite drink that much iced coffee. I like it more in single servings. Our local Vietnamese restaurant serves not only fantastic Pho but also sells these little Vietnamese coffee presses for about $5.

The method is the same, pour about 2 tbsp of sweetened condensed milk in a glass, add two to three spoonfuls of coffee with chickory to the press and pour boiling water to the top. Once the coffee has brewed, top it off a second time with boiling water and watch it brew again. Stir to combine the milk and coffee, then pour over a tall glass of ice. The coffee is smooth and strong, sweet and chocolatey. The perfect iced coffee for a hot afternoon in Houston in January.

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Going apple picking this fall? Unfortunately, living on the gulf coast means I can’t bring bushels of apples home from the farm, so pick a few for me. We aren’t huge applesauce or apple butter fans, so if I could bring home dozens of cheap apples, this is what I would make. Homemade apple cider is a fun project and a great way to use up all of those little, imperfect apples you get from pick-yourself farms or in huge bags at the grocery store during this time of year. It is incredibly easy with almost no prep work: just simmer your apples with your favorite cider spices, then strain and serve hot and steaming. You can make this cider as sweet, tart or spicy as you’d like which is why I like it. I will admit my favorite cider comes from cider beetles, but this is a close second and a fun project nonetheless. The kids wash the apples, I give them a rough chop then they throw everything in a pot and fill it with water. They love it and we sit around the table before bedtime, sipping from warm mugs, and talking about all of the fun we are going to have in the coming weeks.

Old Fashioned Apple Cider

• 12 or so small-medium apples, assorted types
• 1 small orange
• 1/2-1 cup brown sugar
• 3-4 cinnamon sticks
• 1 whole nutmeg
• 1 tbsp whole cloves
• water to cover

1. Wash and roughly chop apples and orange-do not worry about removing peels, seeds, or stems. Toss into a large stock pot.
2. Add sugar (I start with 1/2 cup, you can always add more later).
3. Add spices, and cover with water.
4. Bring to a boil and boil uncovered for at least an hour.
5. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Allow juice to simmer for at least two hours.
6. Uncover and use a potato masher to roughly mash content of pot. To further reduce: continue simmering until cider is dark and tastes sweet and spicy.
7. When cider is ready allow to cool then strain apple pieces and whole spices into a clean pitcher or pot. If you feel like it you can strain everything through a cheesecloth and twist and squeeze to get every last drop.
8. Serve hot. Store in the fridge and reheat as desired. I usually get about a 1/2 gallon.

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