The Shameless Request
Please share Wiser Now Wednesday with anyone you think might be interested, and if you represent an organization that would like a customized version, send me a note at Kathy@WiserNow.com.

The Quirky Quote
Sips happen. ~ Unknown

The Quirky Facts
Both eggnog and wassail can be served with and without liquor. We’ve offered one recipe with and one without. You choose.

According to this article, George Washington was fond of serving eggnog during the December holidays. This was his recipe:

One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, ½ pint rye whiskey, ½ pint Jamaica rum, ¼ pint sherry—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.

Note that he doesn’t mention how many eggs to include. Perhaps he was tasting a bit too frequently? (Other sources say he used 12 eggs.)



Most wassail recipes I found do not include a bottle of fruity red wine, but such recipes are easy enough to find if only adults are being served. Here’s a typical non-alcoholic recipe:

 

• 2 whole apples poked with whole cloves on all sides (at least 16 total)
• 8 cups apple cider
• 2 cups orange juice (Some recipes call for adding orange and lemon slices to the pot and/or serving bowl)
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
•  4 cinnamon sticks
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Add all of the ingredients, including the apples, to a large pot over medium low heat.
• Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. (Some recipes call for slow cooking the ingredients for 3 hours or more.)
• Remove the apples and whole cloves. Ladle and enjoy!

The special appeal to wassail is that it is warm and aromatically spicy – great served in a hand-warming mug on a cold winter’s evening.

The Quirky Observation
Wassail, which comes from an Anglo-Saxon phrase meaning “good health” is essentially made of mulled cider, and “mulled” means warm sweet cider flavored with spices and citrus fruits. It has traditionally been served on New Year’s Eve or Twelfth Night, usually with great fanfare, but is yummy enough for any cold night. The ancient tradition called for people to go into an apple orchard to sing carols, dance, and make loud noises to scare off evil spirits and  to “wake up” the trees to encourage a good crop in the coming year, but they also stopped to thank the trees for the apples given in the year past.

I don’t think loud noises are necessary or appreciated by the trees, but I do think it’s a lovely idea whenever we enter a forest, to thank the trees for their beauty and bounty.

The Question
Do you have a favorite cold weather drink? What is it? Share your memories with me if you’re willing (Kathy@WiserNow.com) but certainly with those around you.

Featured Product

As noted last week, I am taking the opportunity in December to highlight worthy charities rather than my own products. This week I’ve chosen Kitchens for Good which provides an answer to the typical food bank question of “How do we go from feeding a family for a week to creating a system in which vulnerable individuals can lift themselves out of poverty?”

Kitchens for Good offers food and hospitality training  -- what co-founder Aviva Paley calls “life skills and knife skills” to not only teach participants how to cook, but also about the nuances of the professional world like communication skills, punctuality, workplace behavior, accountability, financial literacy, and skills for coping with stressful situations. Like everyone else, they’ve had to make some adjustments in recent months, but are still focused on ensuring that society’s most marginalized are protected during and after the pandemic. I’m impressed by their vision and their work.