After much thought and much more prodding from my husband and sons, I am beginning my blog. They assure me there are many out there who will be interested in what I have to offer, so here goes.
The focus will be on what has been my passion for as many years as I can remember…. feeding people. It will cover entertaining ideas, with an emphasis on cooking and baking. I’ll also include ideas for gardening, interior design, and decorating with special attention to the seasons and holidays…all the things that through the years of raising our family have helped to transform our HOUSE, be it a furnished apartment in Tallahassee, Florida, a second floor walk-up in a six flat building in Chicago, a three bedroom house in the Chicago burbs, or our current house in the DC area, into a HOME.
Below you will find my first entry I wrote last January when I intended to begin this blog, but didn’t. For whatever reasons…procrastination, nervousness about being a “blogger”, or lack of confidence in my abilities …I have successfully overcome them and have decided to seize the day! So here goes, and I hope you’ll have as much fun reading it as I think I will writing it.
Though the weather outside is frightful, the fire is so delightful, and if you’ve no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…there’s nothing better to sip on a cold winter’s night than a cup of warm mulled wine. After looking at many versions I selected this mulled wine recipe from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa. It received rave reviews at my recent Hanukkah party.
MULLED WINE
4 cups apple cider
A (750-ml) bottle red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
¼ cup honey
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, zested and juiced
4 whole cloves
3 star anise
4 oranges peeled for garnish
Combine the cider, wine, honey, cinnamon sticks, zest, juice, cloves and star anise in a large saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Pour into mugs, add an orange peel to each and serve.
As my buffet was set up on the island in my kitchen I simply ladled the mulled wine from the stovetop as guests came. I also had cinnamon sticks available as stirrers. All I can say is one guest who told me he doesn’t drink that much, and hesitatingly decided to try it, came back for thirds!