Bun in the oven

Now I don't want to be one of those people that bore people to death with family photos, but there are those members of my family that would probably like to see pictures of their grandchildren, neices/nephews and/or cousins. So for those of you who are interested I have posted the following pictures, for your viewing pleasure.

These are the pictures that we had taken at our most recent ultrasound. Cassie has affectionately named it "our alein baby". That coupled with other things she has said about this fetus are making me wonder if I had anything to do with the conception. Things that make you go HHHMMMM? In a strictly physical sense the baby is fine, meaning it has all its fingers, toes, arms, legs, etc. The mother is also doing fine, cravings and all.

Winter drinks

In an effort to keep up with my little brother I decided to post my own recipe for winter drinks.

Tea and Cider Wassail
bhg.com

Ingredients
• 6 cups freshly brewed hot tea
• 6 cups cranberry juice
• 6 cups apple cider or apple juice
• 3 cups orange juice
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/4 cups lemon juice
• 9 inches stick cinnamon, broken
• 3/4 teaspoon whole cloves
• Apple slices (optional)

Directions1.
1. In a 6- to 8-quart Dutch oven, combine tea, cranberry juice, apple cider, orange juice, sugar, and lemon juice. For spice bag, place cinnamon and cloves in the center of a double-thick, 6-inch square of 100-percent-cotton cheesecloth. Bring the corners of the cheesecloth together and tie with clean string. Add spice bag to juice mixture.

2. Bring mixture to boiling, stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve sugar; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and discard spice bag.

3. To serve, ladle the wassail into a heatproof punch bowl. If desired, garnish with apple slices. Makes about 22 (8-ounce) servings.

4. Slow-Cooker Directions: Combine all the ingredients in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove and discard spice bag. Keep warm on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours.

For the tea I just got a raspberry herbal tea at any supermarket. I used the slow cooker method and it made my whole house smell so good. It is great for parties and large get togethers (like church parties). Try it you will not be disappointed.