Nog, Nog...Who's there? Peppermint ice cream - Hot Chocolate!

'Tis the season of holiday drinks and parties, my friends! So I am here to share with you a little of both. Dick and I hosted an Ugly Sweater/White Elephant Christmas party over the weekend, and it was a hit, if I do say so myself. My parents were kind enough to let us borrow their house for the night - we would have been sitting on each others' laps in our tiny basement apartment, which would have made it a completely different kind of party! haha There was lots of yummy food and plenty of delicious treats - one of which Dick actually made himself! I'm so proud of him, that he'll be the star of my next post. Anyway, my brother-in-law, Scott, won the trophy for the Ugliest Sweater, and we all walked away with wonderfully useless gifts. I'm thinking we'll make this an annual party because it was just that much fun!

On to the drinks! Egg nog is a tricky thing. It seems like people either love it or they hate it. I tend to love it, but to each her own. My fabulous mother-in-law has her own recipe for the drink, but it calls for no eggs, which is why it is so famously called "No-Egg Nog," or just "Nog." It is loved by traditional egg nog lovers and haters alike. I actually tested it on a self-proclaimed hater last night, and she poured herself a second glass! If that isn't enough proof for you, you'll just have to conduct your own experiment. It's super fast, easy, and delicious!

For the Ice Cream Hot Chocolate, I also have to give my mother-in-law credit. She introduced me to this divine treat earlier this year, and I've never looked back. You may be thinking, "ice cream in hot chocolate, what's the point?" I was in the same boat, but once you taste it, you'll just know. The point is the perfect treat on a cold winter's day! It can be done with any kind of ice cream and any kind of hot chocolate. To be festive, we really like peppermint ice cream with just plain old chocolate flavored hot chocolate, but have fun playing around with it!

THANK YOU to my brilliant drink-whiz mother-in-law, Liz!

No-Egg Nog a.k.a. Nog

From Liz Smith

Ingredients

1 package instant french vanilla pudding

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

5 c. milk

2/3 c. sugar

1 c. whipping cream, whipped

nutmeg for garnish

Directions

In a blender, combine all ingredients, except the nutmeg and whipped cream. Blend the mixture into the whipped cream and chill thoroughly. Shake/stir just prior to serving, and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Peppermint Ice Cream - Hot Chocolate

introduced to me by Liz Smith

Ingredients

Very hot water

hot chocolate mix, flavor may vary

ice cream, flavor may vary

Directions

Make your normal mug of hot chocolate, leaving a few inches at the top so it won't overflow when the ice cream is added. Add two big scoops of your ice cream to your hot chocolate. Enjoy!




Ugly Sweaters & BFF's...Merry Christmas!