Cara/Andrea here,
If you’re like me, the first few days of the New Year are a time for tightening the belt (or drawstrings of my writing sweatpants!) and sticking to a Spartan diet to make up for all the holiday indulgences. You know, bread and water . . . well, maybe just a little dab of butter on the bread, and maybe a nice fragrant black tea to infuse the hot water. But you know what I mean!
Now, just because I’m imbibing doesn’t mean I can’t still read about food . . . and drink. One of my fun book presents this year was The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart, a delightful tour through the history of “plants that create the world’s great drinks.” It’s fun and fascinating, and chock full of interesting recipes for both classic and exotic cocktails and infusions.
Just in case you still have guests lingering, here’s a fun punch to serve to a crowd—with the added benefit that it comes with an intellectual teaser! It’s called Five Trees punch—and how many of you can name the ones represented in the recipe? (This serves 10-15)
1 750 milliliter bottle of Lillet Rouge
24 oz. unfiltered apple cider
4 oz. bourbon
2 oz. maple syrup
1 apple, thinly sliced
Mix the first four ingredients in a punch bowl. Add apple slices and serve in short tumblers over ice.
So, how many of you have a ritual of staring off the New Year with a few days of very healthy eating? Do you have a certain indulgence you give up? I always do New Year’s Day with just fresh fruit, grains and sparkling water. No sweets, no butterfat, etc. I feel very virtuous . . . for a day. (Thank goodness it's january 2, and I can scarf down a piece of chocolate!)
I don’t have any particular dietary rituals for the new year, though after Christmas is definitely a time to lighten up. It is, for me, a good time to have a bit of a clear out of “stuff” in general.
Love the look of your drunken botanist book — I enjoy reading about old fashioned recipes and herbal potions. As for the 5 trees involved in the Lillet, I’m guessing apple tree and maple, for obvious starters, then maybe it’s aged in oak barrels — well the bourbon probably is, so that should count, and it was a kind of bitters, wasn’t it, containing quinine, so cinchona tree maybe. And then I’m guessing some kind of citrus, because, well, why not, since most things taste better with citrus.
I don’t have any particular dietary rituals for the new year, though after Christmas is definitely a time to lighten up. It is, for me, a good time to have a bit of a clear out of “stuff” in general.
Love the look of your drunken botanist book — I enjoy reading about old fashioned recipes and herbal potions. As for the 5 trees involved in the Lillet, I’m guessing apple tree and maple, for obvious starters, then maybe it’s aged in oak barrels — well the bourbon probably is, so that should count, and it was a kind of bitters, wasn’t it, containing quinine, so cinchona tree maybe. And then I’m guessing some kind of citrus, because, well, why not, since most things taste better with citrus.
I don’t have any particular dietary rituals for the new year, though after Christmas is definitely a time to lighten up. It is, for me, a good time to have a bit of a clear out of “stuff” in general.
Love the look of your drunken botanist book — I enjoy reading about old fashioned recipes and herbal potions. As for the 5 trees involved in the Lillet, I’m guessing apple tree and maple, for obvious starters, then maybe it’s aged in oak barrels — well the bourbon probably is, so that should count, and it was a kind of bitters, wasn’t it, containing quinine, so cinchona tree maybe. And then I’m guessing some kind of citrus, because, well, why not, since most things taste better with citrus.
I don’t have any particular dietary rituals for the new year, though after Christmas is definitely a time to lighten up. It is, for me, a good time to have a bit of a clear out of “stuff” in general.
Love the look of your drunken botanist book — I enjoy reading about old fashioned recipes and herbal potions. As for the 5 trees involved in the Lillet, I’m guessing apple tree and maple, for obvious starters, then maybe it’s aged in oak barrels — well the bourbon probably is, so that should count, and it was a kind of bitters, wasn’t it, containing quinine, so cinchona tree maybe. And then I’m guessing some kind of citrus, because, well, why not, since most things taste better with citrus.
I don’t have any particular dietary rituals for the new year, though after Christmas is definitely a time to lighten up. It is, for me, a good time to have a bit of a clear out of “stuff” in general.
Love the look of your drunken botanist book — I enjoy reading about old fashioned recipes and herbal potions. As for the 5 trees involved in the Lillet, I’m guessing apple tree and maple, for obvious starters, then maybe it’s aged in oak barrels — well the bourbon probably is, so that should count, and it was a kind of bitters, wasn’t it, containing quinine, so cinchona tree maybe. And then I’m guessing some kind of citrus, because, well, why not, since most things taste better with citrus.
Ha! Good guesses, Anne. I’ll wait until the end of the day to post the answers! There’s always fun facts to discover. And this book is quite fun, and therecipes are interesting.
I love a history of most anything
Ha! Good guesses, Anne. I’ll wait until the end of the day to post the answers! There’s always fun facts to discover. And this book is quite fun, and therecipes are interesting.
I love a history of most anything
Ha! Good guesses, Anne. I’ll wait until the end of the day to post the answers! There’s always fun facts to discover. And this book is quite fun, and therecipes are interesting.
I love a history of most anything
Ha! Good guesses, Anne. I’ll wait until the end of the day to post the answers! There’s always fun facts to discover. And this book is quite fun, and therecipes are interesting.
I love a history of most anything
Ha! Good guesses, Anne. I’ll wait until the end of the day to post the answers! There’s always fun facts to discover. And this book is quite fun, and therecipes are interesting.
I love a history of most anything
We have Christmas again on Monday-Tuesday, so there’s not a lot of tightening going on here! Back to baking and cooking all weekend…
I’m a little too tired to think about a teaser, but I do like the sound of the punch!
We have Christmas again on Monday-Tuesday, so there’s not a lot of tightening going on here! Back to baking and cooking all weekend…
I’m a little too tired to think about a teaser, but I do like the sound of the punch!
We have Christmas again on Monday-Tuesday, so there’s not a lot of tightening going on here! Back to baking and cooking all weekend…
I’m a little too tired to think about a teaser, but I do like the sound of the punch!
We have Christmas again on Monday-Tuesday, so there’s not a lot of tightening going on here! Back to baking and cooking all weekend…
I’m a little too tired to think about a teaser, but I do like the sound of the punch!
We have Christmas again on Monday-Tuesday, so there’s not a lot of tightening going on here! Back to baking and cooking all weekend…
I’m a little too tired to think about a teaser, but I do like the sound of the punch!
By the way, I’m reading Scandalously Yours at the moment, and really liking it. 🙂
By the way, I’m reading Scandalously Yours at the moment, and really liking it. 🙂
By the way, I’m reading Scandalously Yours at the moment, and really liking it. 🙂
By the way, I’m reading Scandalously Yours at the moment, and really liking it. 🙂
By the way, I’m reading Scandalously Yours at the moment, and really liking it. 🙂
You have more stamina than I do, Sonya!(But I confess, I miss the cookies!)
You have more stamina than I do, Sonya!(But I confess, I miss the cookies!)
You have more stamina than I do, Sonya!(But I confess, I miss the cookies!)
You have more stamina than I do, Sonya!(But I confess, I miss the cookies!)
You have more stamina than I do, Sonya!(But I confess, I miss the cookies!)
Oh, thank you so much! I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying it!
Oh, thank you so much! I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying it!
Oh, thank you so much! I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying it!
Oh, thank you so much! I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying it!
Oh, thank you so much! I’m delighted to hear you’re enjoying it!
Okay, to give the answer to the five trees: cichona, which flavors bitters, aromatic wines and tonics; bitter orange; apple; oak (aging in oak barrels adds flavor to bourbon); sugar maple.
Okay, to give the answer to the five trees: cichona, which flavors bitters, aromatic wines and tonics; bitter orange; apple; oak (aging in oak barrels adds flavor to bourbon); sugar maple.
Okay, to give the answer to the five trees: cichona, which flavors bitters, aromatic wines and tonics; bitter orange; apple; oak (aging in oak barrels adds flavor to bourbon); sugar maple.
Okay, to give the answer to the five trees: cichona, which flavors bitters, aromatic wines and tonics; bitter orange; apple; oak (aging in oak barrels adds flavor to bourbon); sugar maple.
Okay, to give the answer to the five trees: cichona, which flavors bitters, aromatic wines and tonics; bitter orange; apple; oak (aging in oak barrels adds flavor to bourbon); sugar maple.
Okay, Anne, you were pretty much right. have listed the answers below.
Okay, Anne, you were pretty much right. have listed the answers below.
Okay, Anne, you were pretty much right. have listed the answers below.
Okay, Anne, you were pretty much right. have listed the answers below.
Okay, Anne, you were pretty much right. have listed the answers below.
It’s the New Year’s Eve fondue that gets me. I’ll be eating high in protein salads for the next few days.
It’s the New Year’s Eve fondue that gets me. I’ll be eating high in protein salads for the next few days.
It’s the New Year’s Eve fondue that gets me. I’ll be eating high in protein salads for the next few days.
It’s the New Year’s Eve fondue that gets me. I’ll be eating high in protein salads for the next few days.
It’s the New Year’s Eve fondue that gets me. I’ll be eating high in protein salads for the next few days.
This is my last weekend to eat whatever I want before I try to get my eating habits back into resembling those of a an adult rather than a college student! Too many aches and pains and too much feeling tired all the time. Time to get the culprits out of my diet. SIGH!
This is my last weekend to eat whatever I want before I try to get my eating habits back into resembling those of a an adult rather than a college student! Too many aches and pains and too much feeling tired all the time. Time to get the culprits out of my diet. SIGH!
This is my last weekend to eat whatever I want before I try to get my eating habits back into resembling those of a an adult rather than a college student! Too many aches and pains and too much feeling tired all the time. Time to get the culprits out of my diet. SIGH!
This is my last weekend to eat whatever I want before I try to get my eating habits back into resembling those of a an adult rather than a college student! Too many aches and pains and too much feeling tired all the time. Time to get the culprits out of my diet. SIGH!
This is my last weekend to eat whatever I want before I try to get my eating habits back into resembling those of a an adult rather than a college student! Too many aches and pains and too much feeling tired all the time. Time to get the culprits out of my diet. SIGH!
Yes, salads for me, too. (It was the double chocolate New Year’s brownies. Sigh. But they were worth it.)
Yes, salads for me, too. (It was the double chocolate New Year’s brownies. Sigh. But they were worth it.)
Yes, salads for me, too. (It was the double chocolate New Year’s brownies. Sigh. But they were worth it.)
Yes, salads for me, too. (It was the double chocolate New Year’s brownies. Sigh. But they were worth it.)
Yes, salads for me, too. (It was the double chocolate New Year’s brownies. Sigh. But they were worth it.)
Double sigh. It’s much more fun to misbehave, but the body does have a way of telling the taste buds to stop.
Double sigh. It’s much more fun to misbehave, but the body does have a way of telling the taste buds to stop.
Double sigh. It’s much more fun to misbehave, but the body does have a way of telling the taste buds to stop.
Double sigh. It’s much more fun to misbehave, but the body does have a way of telling the taste buds to stop.
Double sigh. It’s much more fun to misbehave, but the body does have a way of telling the taste buds to stop.