New Year’s Eve by the Fire Place

One of my favorite Christmas songs is by The Waitresses.  I know, you have never heard of them.  I think they were a one-hit wonder in the 80s.  (Actually, they had a couple of hits.)   When I hear their song “Christmas Wrapping,”  it always makes me feel melancholy and nostalgic, just like New Year’s Eve.

When I was in my teens, I had great visions of growing up and moving to a cosmopolitan, exciting, urban locale.  (I grew up in the stix and perhaps this was a little bit of rebellion.)

My friends and I at one point made plans to study music and film and move to New York to become VJs at MTV.   (Yes, I am that old and I do remember the first video played on MTV as well as when Video Jockey was first introduced into the lexicon.)

So, back to the melancholy and nostalgia.   As I hear “Christmas Wrapping” now, I always project myself into the setting of the song:   A cosmopolitan “Sex and the City” type career girl spending Christmas alone because she needs the peace and quiet from her hectic, busy, exciting life.  BUT, there is a happy ending.

Can you be nostalgic for something that never happened?

Well, thank goodness it didn’t.    I love where I am today.   Although I do not live in NYC or LA, I have a wonderful life.   I have an adoring husband, a cat (who adores my husband more than me), my health, my family, my friends.  Even though we still live in Oklahoma, we do live adjacent to a pretty darn awesome little city that keeps me fixed with cosmopolitan flair.

So, as we celebrate tonight, we will sit by the fire place, sip some mulled wine, and perhaps crack open a mini-bottle of champagne at midnight (if we are up that long).    It’s a long way from what I once imagined but this is our traditional celebration and I wouldn’t change it for the world.  That being said—I might force my husband to find The Waitresses on the iPod before the evening is over.

Cheers! Here's to much happiness in 2012!

Have a very Happy New Year!

Please check out a great spiced wine recipe for “Aunt Gretel’s Gluhwein” at The Crispy Cook.   Rachel’s recipe makes enough for 15 servings.   Since I wanted to remember the first day of 2012, I adapted her recipe for a much smaller party.  🙂

Mulled Wine

2 1/2 c.  old vine Zinfandel
1 3/4 c.  Chardonnay
3 c. hot tea like Lady Early Grey
1 orange,  juiced plus slices to garnish
1 lemon, juiced
1 stick of cinnamon
2 whole cloves
1 whole allspice
1/4 c.  honey
2 oz.  spiced rum

Heat wines but do not boil.  Add hot tea, juices, and spices.

If you have not tried this tea from Twinings, you must. It is delicious!

Add honey and stir to dissolve.   Reduce heat to simmer.  Add rum.

Rachel, The Crispy Cook, states that you can light this punch on fire after you add the rum.   She also stated that she did not want to “risk self-immolation.”   Rachel, I agree.  I have had bad experiences with lit alcohol in the kitchen!

Add slices of orange to each cup and ladle in hot drink.  Enjoy!

Here’s wishing you much happiness in 2012!

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I will be back with Santa Fe news  on Tuesday.   Happy New Year!

 

9 comments to New Year’s Eve by the Fire Place

  • Liz

    Happy, happy New Year, my friend!!! Your evening sounds perfect…and I’d love to try your mulled wine.

  • Happy New Year to you and the ones you love my dear friend. I hope your new year is filled with everything that you desire.

  • No self-immolation indeed! Sounds like a perfect, cozy New Year’s Eve and I’m so glad you enjoyed my buddy’s heirloom gluhwein recipe. Naztrovia!

    • Eliot

      Rachel—

      Thank you again for this recipe. Unfortunately, it was 70 degrees here yesterday—go figure? So, I have some in the fridge for later. (I think it is suppose to be 25 degrees tonight.) Ya’ know—just stick around a minute and the weather will change in Oklahoma!

      All the best to you and yours in 2012!

  • I’ve never had a mulled wine with tea or rum in it, sounds like it’s right up my alley! BTW, I fell asleep and my son woke me up five minutes before the drop. I watched it and went to bed…what an old fart 🙂

  • Ann

    What a great post! It’s amazing how many folks wonder about that right turn/left turn moment in their life! I always remind them that EVERY movie ever made about that…..people ALWAYS choose the life they already have! I’m quite happy! Happy new Year!

  • Happy new year! I love mulled wine. We have it every holiday season. Wish I had some right now, it is super cold outside and it would definitely warm me up! 🙂

  • I LOVE mulled wine! I just had it for the first time this winter and it was so good. Also, to answer your question, I will definitely be posting from the beach in Hawaii with plenty of delicious recipes and scenic photos!