recipe for wassail - a hot toddy for heavyweights and other holiday traditions from a single girl.

i'm not dating anyone special right now, have no kids, and yet i have an ever-growing list of holiday traditions i observe and share with friends that make me merry happy. perhaps without this structure of the-things-i-love-to-do-in-december, i'd get real grumpy this time of year. i'm not gonna test it. unless anyone has a companion ticket to escape the city for a few weeks of travel.

firstly, i have to run out as soon after thanksgiving as possible to pick out a tree. i can barely contain myself when the trees are put on display at the nursery down the street. there's something comforting to me about waking up and saying good night to a beautiful tree. i think it reminds me of home.

there are a couple of downsides to the tree decorating. unfortunately it involves my dragging it across the lawn and up the steps, mauling it while i wrench and twist it through the door by myself (save the years where there was a guy involved - always better to have help). i almost can't do anything until it's decorated. except make hot chocolate. getting the ornaments down from my cold and scary attic is the other troublesome thing - i move quickly though and close that thing right back up before i see the family of "squirrels" that has been rummaging through my stuff up there all year. i won't even go into stringing the lights because no matter how many people you have it's tough. this year i have a stepstool (thanks to last year's boyfriend; nice). lighting the tree is probably best done alone to avoid a small scuffle amongst loved ones.

once that's done, let the fun begin. opening my ornaments is as exciting as unwrapping presents. i have a thing for christmas ornaments. one of my traditions is to buy myself two new ones: the annual white house christmas ornament (regardless of who's in office - this is bipartisan), and the neiman marcus peacock ornament. what's that? well it was intro'd to me a few years ago as a gift from my dear friend nicole. who knew they designed a different one each year?! i've got three now and they're gorgeous with plumes and feathers and sparklies. they're about $42 (to me, priceless) and you have to hurry and go there to get yours - they run out. last year a poor sales associate had to grab a ladder and climb a tree in the middle of neiman's to get the last one from the very top of the tree (whew).

my other traditions include the following shows i have to watch:

christmas vacation

christmas story

love actually

listening to as much christmas music as i can on 97.1 wash-fm is yet another. to some, this is annoying because they play non-stop christmas music beginning the monday before thanksgiving. a few of my personal favorites:

george michael last christmas

mariah carey all i want for christmast is you (cheesy i know)

the waitresses christmas wrapping

i love to put eggnog in my coffee every morning instead of cream.

i have to have a gingerbread latte at starbucks.
lots of hot chocolate on hand.

a trip to barnes & noble; not sure why
a chef's tasting menu at some swank restaurant - nothing beats the winter tasting menus

i'm gonna try to add a new one this year: ice skating at the sculpture garden

last but not least, i have to make sure there's a plan in place for the annual bookclub ornament exchange. this sounds nerdy but it's not. under the guise of bookclub, it allows the marrieds and boyfriended to escape men and children for the night for some important discussions on a classic book, like east of eden or the sun also rises. perhaps i'll rename this. mainly because we're no longer an official bookclub. we just drink a lot of wine and gossip. this annual party is conducted like a white elephant gift exchange, if that's the right term - everyone brings a wrapped ornament and we draw numbers and person #1 gets screwed because someone steals her ornament. for a group of attractive and civilized chics we have on occasion, become a little catty during the exchange. you see, most people bring a fabulous ornament (it's becoming competitive - everyone wants to see her ornament as highly desirable and passed around like a trophy, not stuck in the hands of girl #1 all night). it's all in good fun though and one of my favorite things at the holidays, as i love a new ornament. i also love to gossip.

i like to host the "meeting" at my place. that way i can make sure my next holiday tradition is observed: the making of the wassail. what can i say about wassail? it makes you feel warm from the inside out. the mulling spices simmering stovetop make your house smell like the holidays.

the recipe follows and i should warn you - it is delicious and deceitful. it is alcoholic and it will sneak up on you. the next thing you know you're walking funny and slurring your words; laughing uncontrollably. (we used to have this on a weeknight, but that doesn't work out so well.) so just beware and alternate your wassail with something less potent like a glass of wine or champagne! this year's invites are out and it's at my place on friday night. i hope you enjoy and try wassail yourself.

wassail

{about 10 servings}

ingredients
5 small apples
5 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 bottles dry sherry or dry Madeira
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 cloves
3 allspice berries
several sticks of cinnamon
2 cups superfine sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup brandy

method

core the apples and fill each with a teaspoon of brown sugar. place in a baking pan with 1/8-inch of water.
bake in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes or until tender. combine the sherry or madeira, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, allspice berries, cinnamon, sugar and water in a large, heavy saucepan and heat without letting the mixture come to a boil. leave on very low heat. add the brandy. pour into a metal punch bowl, float the apples on top and serve in 8-ounce mugs.

(note: i make it differently every year: to make it less potent, add a bottle of old-fashioned apple cider for more apple flavor and omit the water. you can use orange juice and zests as well to change up the recipe. spiced rum instead of brandy or sherry works well too. it looks nicer to dice the apples and toss with the brown sugar and a little melted butter before roasting.)