Egg Nog: Another Holley Family Tradition {a recipe}

I can’t tell you how many times I have heard in the past few weeks from The Fisherman how his mom made THE BEST egg nog when they were kids.  Sans “hooch” of course.  So, of course we asked her to make it.  The Fisherman wanted to drink it while watching National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.  I wanted to learn and share it. Its egg nog, its Christmas, it’s a Holley Family tradition that I want to pass down to my kids.  And I had the master herself here to teach me.

Surprisingly, you probably already have everything in your pantry:

And here we go*:

BEAT: 1/3 cup sugar, 2 egg YOLKS (save the whites)

ADD: 1/4 tsp salt
STIR In: 4 cups milk
COOK over medium heat stirring constantly**.  Constantly.  Pour yourself some coquito.  You’ll be there a while.  My MIL says it ready when it coats a metal spoon.

In the bowl you saved your egg whites, beat them, on HIGH speed, slowly adding 3 table spoons sugar.  Beat to soft peaks.  FACT:  This was my first time to succeed at beating egg whites to a soft peak.  According to The Fisherman, the result is usually me cussing the humidity, drinking a beer and smoking a cig.  Not this time.  My MIL was right there next to me coaching and cheering me on:

Add soft- peaked egg whites to cooled custard and mix with 1 tsp Adams Extract Vanilla.

Chill 3-4 hours if you can wait that long. Add your favorite adult spirit.  We chose Cruzan Rum, of course.  Serve in adorable glasses,  top with Whip Cream and nutmeg.  Sit back, relax and enjoy. {people, please.  No, SJ’s does not have rum in it}

*This recipe makes about one quart.  We tripled it.
** I learned that some people make egg nog without cooking it.  Maybe it doesn’t take as long, but the consistency and taste is not as good, and well, you’re eating raw eggs.

Mele Kalikimaka
bfm

Itsy Bitsy Pink Bikini.

Is this what you’re thinking?

More like this kind:

A super delish adult beverage I came across in Coastal Living last month.  I am usually a beer gal (Bud Light before SC and Corona ever since…strange).  I have been wanting something “light” than I can sip in the evening with out feeling totally full.  Maybe I am an alcoholic in the making, but life is different in Paradise.  Its acceptable to drink more than our American counterparts, so BLAH!  Actually, I feel like there are more closet drinkers in America because of the stigma associated with it.  So DOUBLE BLAH BLAH!  Move to the Caribbean.  You’ll fit right in!

In a pretty summer-tropical–esque pitcher, combine:

1.75 liter Rasberry Lemonade. (On Ghetto Island, Rasberry Lemonade is pretty hard to find.  I used regular Minute Maid frozen lemonade and added 1/4 cp Rasberry Puree.  Viola.)

1 3/4 cups coconut rum.  Cruzan of course.

1 cup ameretto

Stir.  Pour over ice in coconut cups cups made from trees in your yard.  Really.  Do it.

This drink is so yummy, you’ll forget there’s a little buzz maker in there, so be careful.  Right, moms?