Spice Punch

My friend, Deborah, doesn't do anything halfway. This drink takes a little time to make, but it's the perfect drink to have available in the background of any holiday gathering. And it smells so good!

4 quarts water

2 ½ c. sugar

1 large or 2 small cinnamon sticks

5-6 cloves

1 can (11.5 oz) frozen orange juice concentrate

1 can (11.5 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate

     Combine first four ingredients and simmer for about 1 hour on low. Add orange juice and lemonade concentrate. Allow to melt in the mixture and heat up. Serve hot. (It won’t hurt to leave this on low for an extended period of time. Can be kept in crock pot for hours.

White Punch Slush

Honestly, I've never made this, but I remember my mom making it when I was growing up. It's deliciously refreshing, but I'm really not a fan of carbonation so I haven't been tempted to make it myself.

One 12 oz. can frozen limeade

8 c. water

3 c. sugar

     Stir until dissolved. Freeze. Take out 1-2 hours before needed (it will start to get a little slushy). Add 3-4 quarts Sprite. Makes a lot!

Hot Cocoa Mix

1 ½ c. cocoa

5 ½ c. powdered milk

¾ tsp. salt

3 c. sugar

2 c. creamer (powdered, non-dairy)

     Combine all ingredients. Mix 1/4 to 1/3 c. mix per cup boiling water.

Hot Cocoa

My friend, Kathryn, taught me how to make this years ago. It's so easy, but so yummy.

1/3 c. sugar

1/4 c. cocoa powder

1 c. milk

       Combine all ingredients in a pan. Cook over medium heat just until boiling, stirring constantly. Add another 3 c. milk. Stir over medium heat just until warm.

Hot Holiday Punch

This is a fun holiday drink from my friend, Jeanee.

2 c. Tang powder

2 c. Country Time Lemonade powder

1  1/3 c. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

     Mix ingredients and store. To use, stir 1 to 1½ Tbsp. of mix into 8 oz. hot water. Stir until dissolved.

Grape Juice

If you ever have fresh, home-grown grapes, you NEED to make this! 

2 c. purple grapes from garden

1 c. (or less) sugar

6 c. boiling water

     Pour boiling water over grapes and sugar in a pan. Let sit until cool enough to handle. Crush grapes with fork or mash to release flavor and color. Pour liquid into a container through a tea towel to strain. Squeeze out the grapes that collect in the towel into the juice (this is where the color really releases). You’ll end up with a super yummy hot pinkish purpley juice that is smooth and almost creamy tasting. Put in 10 or so ice cubes to get it cooling and refrigerate it. So good!

Effortless Egg Nog

I found this recipe years ago at Taste of Home. I can honestly say I like this more than regular egg nog. I love the subtle flavor of the nutmeg and cinnamon. The original recipe calls for vanilla pudding mix, but once we tried it with white chocolate pudding, we've never looked back!

½ gallon cold milk, divided

1 package (3.4 oz) instant white chocolate or vanilla pudding mix

¼ c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

     Whisk ¾ c. milk and pudding mix until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the remaining milk. Refrigerate until serving. (110 calories per ½ cup serving.)

Orange Julius

This whips up quickly and reminds me of summers growing up. 

½ can orange juice concentrate

½ can water

½ can milk

½ tsp. vanilla

2-3 Tbsp. sugar

~6 ice cubes

     Combine all in blender. Enjoy!

Lemon Water

Don't be fooled by the name. This is nothing like water with a bit of lemon. It's more like a lemonade, but oh, so much better! This is so easy to make, but it tastes kind of fancy so it's perfect for events and gatherings with friends.

1 gallon water

2 Tbsp. citric acid

1 Tbsp. lemon emulsion (preferred) OR 2 Tbsp. pure lemon extract

2 c. sugar

     Combine and stir well. (If using extract, you might need ½ c. more sugar.)