Saturday, October 18, 2014

Fall Drinks

I was just sitting with my Mom yesterday, and we were trying to figure out what to have with our pumpkin roll I pain stakingly made from scratch yesterday with cream cheese frosting, it was heavenly, but all we had was cherry chocolate hot cocoa mix. Now I'm not the most sophisticated person, so I could be wrong, but cherry chocolate and pumpkin didn't sound the best to me...

Also being part of a german family, they would have made gluvine, which is a spiced win drink where you cook the wine, lumbrusqo, with cinnamon sticks, cloves, maybe some sugar, zest lemon rind, and simmer it for a minute. but seeing as there is wine in it, its not really family appropriate.

So here are some good fall drink ideas, including my signature recipe.

Parker's Hot Cocoa
serves 1, but you may double or quadruple this recipe to your hearts content.

  • 1 tsp. cocoa powder (I prefer dark, or organic dutch.)
  • 2 tsp. sugar, (again I prefer xylitol or evaporated cain juice, only use one tsp for they xylitol.)
  • 1 mug of milk, or milk substitute 
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla, (any extract you think would be good with chocolate)
Pour your dry ingredients in a small sauce pan, then add your vanilla and a little of the milk, make a sauce, (kind of like when you make a rue), cook until sugar is dissolved, but do not let boil, or you will have crusty hot cocoa. Add the rest of your milk, and whisk that together then allow to cook for 3-5 minutes, mainly just until hot. Add marshmallows, whipped cream, chocolate shavings, what ever you want.

Spiced Cider
serves 1

  • 1 mug cider
  • a dash cinnamon
  • a bit of nutmeg
  • a small pinch of cloves
Heat in a sauce pan for the spices permeate the cider, low to cook for several minutes, then remove from flame, to allow to cool, or leave it on stove to have hot apple cider. 

Spiced Tea
serves 1
  • Plain black tea, or Bangle spice tea from Celestial Seasonings.
  • 1 cinnamon stick,
  • a hint of ginger
  • a peck of cloves
  • 1/8 Cup. of milk, or cream.
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla, or desired flavoring
Steep tea as usual in your desired mug with room for cream or milk, then add spices, flavoring and let steep longer without tea in it, then add you cream.

if you want to change things up, get a frying pan with
  • 2 tsp tapioca pearls
  • 1 cup water
allow to cook until the pearls are soft and squishy, and your spiced tea has become bubble tea. 

Enjoy! Happy Autumn!
-L.R.Parker

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