New Year's Tea

It's nearly time to ring out the old and ring in the new. What better way than to share it with Kimmie and all my Tea Tuesday friends. You can join, too. Since I still had my Holly glasses unpacked, I thought I would use them at least once more.


Today I'm serving eggnog in the same carafe I made sun tea in this summer. One of these days, I'll actually use this carafe for its intended use, using a tea light or sterno container to keep the liquid warm. However, eggnog, which I vowed I wouldn't make ever again, is usually served chilled and my vow has been broken.

I remembered making eggnog years ago and it took half a day to make it. However, I couldn't find the recipe I used in any of my cookbooks. I'm glad too, because I went on the internet and found one much easier and quicker.

There are tons of eggnog recipes on the internet, but the majority use raw eggs. I know! I ate raw eggs as a child when I "licked the batter bowl," but that exposure was minuscule compared to using six or eight eggs in a drink recipe. So here is the rexipe I used when I made this yesterday. I actually doubled it, since I'll be taking some to a friend this afternoon:

Ingredients:

• 8 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons
• 1/2 quart whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 6 ounces bourbon (optional)
  
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 8 egg whites

Before we begin, I want to say I'm a non-alcohol drinker, so there is no alcohol in this recipe. However, I simply skipped the alcohol and it tastes as wonderful without the bourbon. You are more than welcome to add some when you visit me. I may even have some in my liquor cabinet left here by visiting friends. I don't have anything against it, I just don't care for the taste (and occasionally the smell) of any alcoholic beverage.

Instructions:

Beat egg yolks using a mixer until they lighten in color. This took about 5 minutes using my mixer. Gradually add 2/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.

In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream, and nutmeg. Bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture. Then return everything to one pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F (71.1 C). Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon if using it, pour into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold, then whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture. Serve cold.

Add noisemakers and count down the timer to New Year's Day.


Today I'm visiting a friend whose gift I hope will finally be finished. As you can see, I've just added the embellishments to the quiltlet. I still need to wrap the stick and add either wire or ribbon I'll be using for the hanger. I felt this piece was disjointed and not exactly cohesive, but I tried all kinds of arrangements and this seemed to be the least disorganized (did I mention that composition is my downfall?). This is for a friend's new sewing room. I hope she likes it because altered art isn't exactly her thing. Next time I make something similar using old book pages, I'm going to follow Dianne's lead (see her fabric collage in my previous post) and coat the paper in matte or gloss medium.

Today marks my final Tea Tuesday blog. I was certain I had featured Nathalie when she first joined our little tea group, but a search of my blog shows that was not the case. So today I am pleased to introduce our latest Tea Tuesday player, Nathalie Thompson from An Artist's Legacy. Nathalie introduced me to the concept of orphan and widowed tea cups and saucers, and it opened my eyes to endless possibilities. Her blog is filled with art made from old thrift store and garage sale finds. And it is AWESOME art, too. Of course, she adds a few rubber stamps and some hand stitching to the mix, but most of her art comes from the same places mine comes from: other folks' cast-offs. I love what she makes, and of course, if you love it, she has an etsy store where you can buy some of her art. I hope you'll stop by and visit Nathalie today. An Artist's Legacy is well worth the visit.