DIY Mulled Wine Kits for Teachers

Tonight we elfed (yes, that is a verb!) and finished the presents for the teachers. Last day of school tomorrow. All the gifts are ready, but we will still need to get up early and make a kale salad and bake some gingerbread for D's class party. Then, they'll be officially on Winter Break! Phew.

For some I created earrings. For others I made flower arrangements in Christmas-themed mugs. And for still others we put together DIY Mulled Wine kits.

The Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf blended the spices, so I don't know the proportions. But I do know what he put in there. It smelled fabulous.

Ingredients

cinnamon sticks
star anise
whole allspice berries
dried ginger
rainbow peppercorns
green cardamom pods
white cardamom pods
whole cloves
ground black lime
Also needed: cheesecloth, cotton twine, whole oranges

Procedure
Blend all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, breaking up the cinnamon sticks into small pieces.

Place the spice blend into jars. Include instructions - Place 1 bottle of red wine, 2 T honey or organic granulated sugar, 1 T spice blend (tied into cheesecloth with twine), zest and juice of 1 organic orange into a large saucepan. Warm till wine begins to steam but don't let it simmer or boil. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 or 15 minutes. Rewarm before serving. Cheers!

Comments

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an...

Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream

As we headed inland from the coast, I cringed as the temperature gauge in the car for outside temp climbed into the triple digits. Ugh. I'm a rather wimpy central coastal Californian who begins to wilt when it's 70 degrees outside. Thank goodness for air conditioning and a planned ice cream stop. When I parked the car outside Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream in Santa Rosa, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We knew that we still had to get to the campsite...and set up our tents in the heat. But we were going to enjoy the cool, sweet treats from Frozen Art first! Michoacana ice creameries are the equivalent of Starbucks in Mexico; they're ubiquitous. Purists, however, claim that operating a true Michoacana ice cream shop require ties to Tocumbo. It's estimated that almost ninety percent of the Tocumban population is currently employed in the ice cream business from making ice cream itself to making equipment. But the real art of Tocumban ice creams: imaginat...

A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige #ItalianFWT on CulinaryCam.Com

I am in the process of migrating over to my new domain. Come on over to read " A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige " for December's #ItalianFWT.

Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Search This Blog