CHEERS! Holiday Drinks.....

Still talking holiday entertaining here at LIT--wish I was as clever as Amanda and could post in verse form, but alas....I have no poetic talents whatsoever!

I know Amanda and Charlotte will likely have some exciting holiday libations to share, but I thought I'd share my favorite, family-friendly holiday punch--a recipe that my mom submitted to Southern Living magazine back when I was a kid, and they published it!

I serve this wonderfully flavorful, fragrant punch in a beautiful cut-glass punch bowl with matching little punch glasses, and it's generally the centerpiece of my buffet table, surrounded by holiday greenery.

Enjoy!

Laurie's Cranberry-Cinnamon Punch

1 lb. fresh cranberries
4.5 to 5 qts. water, divided
2 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. to 1 c. hot cinnamon candies (i.e. "Red Hots")
2 whole cloves
1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted
juice of 3 lemons

Carefully sort and wash cranberries; cook in 1 qt. water until skins burst (about 5 min.). Strain off juice and set aside.

Combine 1 qt. water, sugar, candies, and cloves; heat, stirring until candies have dissolved.

Combine cranberry juice, sugar mixture, orange juice concentrate, lemon juice, and 2 1/2 to 3 qts. water; stir well. Chill. Yields about 5 qts.

You can garnish the punch with slices of orange or lemon, if you'd like. Oh, and it's also delicious served hot! (that's how I drink the leftovers!)

Okay, your turn--share some of your favorite holiday drinks (non-alcoholic or alcoholic!) in the comments!

And in the meantime, I'll leave you with this....Enya singing "Oíche Chiúin" ("Silent Night" in Gaelic). When I was writing "Lover's Dawn," I listened to this track over and over again, to help set the mood. It's perhaps my new favorite piece of holiday music (and you can find it on her "And Winter Came" album).