bourbon

Glogg (Swedish Mulled Wine)

This recipe is adapted from the Swedish side of my family’s cookbook. Glögg, pronounced like glug, is powerful stuff. A drink that warms the soul on cold winter nights (or days depending on your drinking habits), it’s what I would call a mulled wine/Scandinavian Long Island Iced Tea. There are a number of variations, but this particular recipe is made with red wine, rum, bourbon, brandy, warm spices and some fruit. The warm liquid raises the temperature of the mouth and stomach, and pushes blood to the surface of the skin temporarily giving you a warm feeling.

You don’t have to purchase expensive wines and spirits for this drink. The robust spices will overpower any subtle notes that more costly drinks contain. Something inexpensive, but not cheap is the way to go. When the pot of glögg is warming on the stove, make sure the contents do not boil – boiling will quickly dissipate the alcohol. Speaking of alcohol content, this stuff is high-octane, but it doesn’t taste like it – so be careful! I don’t call it the Swedish Long Island Iced Tea for nothing!

Cranberry Relish

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There is usually at least one recipe that gets passed down through the generations. Every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember, we have always had Cranberry Relish at the table. This recipe is from my grandmother’s recipe box (on my mother’s side). The yellowed, stained, and dog-eared card tell a story of potentially hundreds of holiday dinners, family gatherings, and memories formed. My grandmother was born in 1908 and sadly passed just a few years short of her 100th birthday. She had a good run of things… we like to think it was her ritualistic evening cocktail that kept her young (or at least that’s what I’m betting on, considering my own habits). She was elegant, giving, and always exuded an air of grace. I don’t know where she obtained the recipe – if it was passed down to her or she found on her own, suffice it to say, this Cranberry Relish recipe has stood the test of time.

8 Incredible Breakfast and Brunch Recipes

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Hi there! I hope you had a wonderful week. My husband and I are finally back from our trip to Europe – boy did we have a great time! Over the next few weeks I’ll be posting stories and recipes associated with our travels. (St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner – stay tuned for a fantastic Shepherd’s Pie inspired by our trip to Ireland).

Until then, let’s talk breakfast! One of my favorite ways to close out a long week, is with a big weekend breakfast… or if you like to sleep-in as I do, you call it brunch. These are some of my favorite food bloggers and their fantastic recipes. They’re sure to get your weekend started off right.

Bourbon Pecan Waffles

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Do you like a little booze with your brunch? I know I sure do! Of course, you can have these Bourbon Pecan Waffles for breakfast without feeling guilty about your alcohol intake before noon, I just don’t get up early enough on the weekends to do so. Wow… that really makes me sound like I have some kind of problem, doesn’t it? I suppose it doesn’t help my image when I pull up to the liquor store at 9:30am to find that it hasn’t opened yet. Mind you, there was a man sitting in his car watching me as I was turned away from the locked door. The liquor store didn’t open until 10am so I decided to pick up a few groceries next door.

Groceries purchased and placed in my car, I walked into the liquor store precisely at 10:01am to buy a bottle of bourbon. When I walked up to the counter I felt the need to tell the cashier that I required this for a recipe, but I think my explanation only made me look like I grasping for an excuse. I suppose it also didn’t help that I was in sweatpants, a hoodie with a hole in the sleeve, and a baseball hat. And then of course I had to walk out of the store, and back past the gentleman sitting in his car, clutching my brown paper bag of booze. This did not look good, not good at all.

Regardless of the hour of day, what you’re wearing, and who’s sitting in their car watching you and probably passing judgement – go out and get that bottle of bourbon and make these waffles! They’re worth the early morning boozehound perception.