Brittany's Pantry

Greetings! Hello again to the second installment of Reindeer Recipes Blog Hop! If you found me after stopping by Life At Lydia’s House, then welcome! Her post about Christmas in the Dining Room is amazing and I am happy you followed the hop to get here!

Is there anything more comforting than something hot to sip on a chilly day?

My current situation absolutely warrants this drink, and I will tell you why. Imagine if you will…
A blonde, curly haired little boy with gigantic blue eyes. And I mean blue. Like, super blue. Like, romance novel blue. He gets them from his Dad who has-you guessed it-dreamy blue eyes. *sigh* But I digress…

This little boy is curled up next to you on your old, yet comfortably squishy couch, wrapped in a red and white Christmas blanket. As requested by said adorable boy, all the lights are off in the house, with the exception of those on the Christmas tree. Why? “Because its better that way,” he states matter-of-factly. You don’t argue.

Your laptop is balanced on your lap (no pun intended) and you are typing one handed because little boys like to snuggle and one of your arms is being held hostage inside the Christmas blanket. The little boy is sniffing and snuffling, fighting a cold that makes his nose run and his eyes watery. He’s droopy and tired and barely paying attention to the iPad balanced on HIS lap that is playing the same episode of the Octonauts over and over for an hour and a half. He will be asleep in a few minutes and you don’t plan on disrupting that for anything in the world. At the ripe old age of 4, these quiet (read: still) moments with him are few and far between. You glance out the window and see that it is still raining, as it has been for the last several days. Your house is tucked into a massive forest in the middle of South Carolina, and the last of the fall leaves are coming down with every heavy drop that falls from the sky. Its overcast and wet and dark and damp and cold. Miserable.

But then, with your one free hand, you reach over and grab your favorite mug which is sitting on the side table next to the couch. Its hot and steaming. You raise it to your lips and inhale the scent of cinnamon and clove. A few big sips and the tangy apple sweetness spreads warmth all the way down to your toes. You sink just a bit deeper into that couch and gently rest your chin on top of the your curly haired munchkin.

Best day ever?

It just might be.

And THAT is why you need to make this Spiced Apple Cider! 🙂
Spiced Apple Cider
This is an updated version of a previous post.
Apple cider usually comes in quart, half gallon, or gallon jugs. Adjust the ingredients based on how much cider you are making!

half gallon of good apple cider (maybe from your local orchard?)
1/2 c brown sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp of WHOLE cloves

Heat all ingredients in a large sauce pan over low heat until sugar dissolves and it all is steaming. Add more sugar if needed! Enjoy!

Note: There are so many different ways to change this. Use honey or pure maple syrup instead of brown sugar, but taste as you go. The level of sweetness you prefer and what you cider may need is different depending on what you use. You can use ground cinnamon instead, but add a bit at a time to figure our how much you want. Adding the peel of an orange (just the peel-no white pith) gives great flavor, or even a shot of orange juice if you want. And nothing was ever harmed by adding a glug of jarred carmel sauce to it. Experiment and see what you like! Also, feel free to use the crock pot if you are serving a crowd and are low on stove top space.

Don’t miss a thing! Check out all the other posts as we celebrate the Christmas season!

Tamyra at Positively Southern
Shelly at ConfettiStyle
Marsha at M Jones Style
Gwynn Swirls of Flavor
Lisa at Cluttercafe
Pat at Life at Lydia’s House
Brittany at Brittany’s Pantry-You are here!
Heather at Totally Tailgates

Tweet