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Gingerbread Snap

December 23, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 9

I love Ginger Snaps. I love Gingerbread. I just love Ginger. To be fair, I love Mary-Ann more, but that is a different story. Ginger is seriously one of my favorite flavors and Gingerbread is one of the most perfect expressions of it. So, with all that said, you know what I hate? Gingerbread houses. They could make high quality tasty gingerbread strong enough to build with, but the folks behind big gingerbread never do and, in this day and time, I am not sure that is good enough. So, won’t you join me now as we stand and make a Gingerbread Snap.

Kir Royale

December 22, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 8

Sometimes the holidays are about just making it through. Sure, we start the season imagining afternoons baking cookies, singing carols by an open fire, maybe even roasting a chestnut or two, but by the time that last week rolls around, we just hope we can get the most stuff completed before taking time off with the family. The lights are not always going to shine brightest at just the right time. I get that and there is nothing wrong with it. You do the best you can. So, with a nod toward not beating yourself up when that one light knocks out the whole strand, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Kir Royale.

Dark Hedges

December 21, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 7

I used to know a guy who seemed unable to escape the fact that he was born during, “the darkest days of the year,” as he put it. I suppose that was his particular demon to face. I guess we all have our own. I have never really thought of the Winter Solstice as the darkest day of the year, but rather, as a new beginning. From here forward, every day has a little more light, so it is the dawn of a brighter time. A chance to start over, to get things right this time, or perhaps, more right. So, with an eye on those better days to come won’t you join me now as we stand and make Dark Hedges.

Italian Cookie

December 20, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 6

It is all about the traditions of the season and one of my favorites is baking. There is little better than a day spent indoors baking cookies with the family as the chill wind blows outside. I always want to be one of those people who bakes all kinds of wonderful treats and then shares them with everyone I see. I also want to be the kind of person who remembers to make and send out Christmas cards on time. I fail more often than I succeed, but like they say, it’s the thought that counts. Still, I want to be that person and maybe if I believe hard enough, someday it will be true. So, with a nod toward those best laid paving stones to hell during this busy time of year, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Italian Cookie.

Verte Chaud

December 17, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 1 Comment

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 5

The holidays are a time for the classics, if you don’t believe me, check the viewing schedules for the next week or turn on your radio. It is a pretty steady diet of things you know and, possibly, love. It is also a time when you have to be careful, there are many remakes hiding out there just waiting to disappoint you. Don’t get me wrong I love a good remix, but if your re-imagined take on a classic doesn’t bring something new, don’t bother. We’re not very keen. We’ve already got one, you see. It’s very nice. So, with a nod toward those rare cases where we can improve on a classic won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Verte Chaud.

Peppermint Patty

December 16, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drink of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 4

It’s the fourth day of Christmas and here I am under the weather. Good grief! The boy had a stomach bug and I thought I had escaped it, but in the middle of the night it hit me. Trying to look on the bright side and make a connection to the holidays, I could argue that an upset stomach is part of the season on some level. What with all the rich foods and opportunity for overindulgence that marks the holidays of many of us, but this is a bit much. My grandma used to give me peppermint to settle my stomach, so with a nod toward those home remedies, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Peppermint Patty.

Coconut Eggnog

December 15, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 3

It’s not always easy to slow down and relax during the holidays. I know that everyone is supposed to be taking a little more time for friends and family, but it sure feels rushed, doesn’t it? There is so much to be done, decorating the house, getting the right gifts, going to holiday events, juggling schedules, baking cookies and watching Christmas movies, or at least feeling like we should be doing al those things. Folks have got a lot on their minds, not the least of which, is trying to figure out how to pay for it all. It can get hectic. So, in the spirit of giving ourselves a little gift, let’s take a moment for a short tropical escape as we stand and make Coconut Eggnog.

Color in Your Cheeks

December 14, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 2

You never know what you are going to get when it comes to the holidays in the South. Winter in Tennessee is a bit of a mixed bag. I’ve seen a few White Christmases and I have worn shorts and linen sweating through last minute shopping on Christmas Eve. Sometimes we even get both ends of the spectrum in one day. I woke this morning to frost on the ground and bundled up in a nice cardigan before heading off to work. By mid afternoon the high was in the 70’s and I had to shed that light sweater. A few hours in the breeze and that afternoon sun and I could feel my face burning ever so slightly. So, with a nod toward our ever changeable weather, won’t you join me now as we stand and make Color in Your Cheeks.

Happy Huladays

December 13, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The Twelve Drinks of Christmas: Volume 2, Drink 1

The lights twinkle on our tree, the mistletoe hangs in the kitchen doorway inviting mischief and our stockings are hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Monkey soon will be there. That is right, Christmas time is here, or at least it is in our house. Of course, that is mostly a function of geography and genealogy, that’s how traditions work. We tend to do and celebrate the things our parents did, like their parents before them and so on. That doesn’t make us right, but it does make us consistent. Of course, lots of other folks celebrate different holidays during this time of the year with their own traditions and that is awesome. It takes different strokes to move the world and there you have the facts of life. So, in celebration of this time of year and the wonderful diversity of celebrations, won’t you join me now as we stand and make the Happy Huladays.

Dominicana

December 7, 2021 / Monkeybrad / 0 Comments

The season is upon us and since we are not stuck at home for the holidays this year I have been out enjoying one of my favorite pastimes, buying local. Seriously, I love getting stuff directly from the people who make it. We do the same thing with our business, buying as many supplies from local producers as we can. There are a ton of great reasons, like keeping money in your community, supporting the folks who support you and all that, but one of my favorite parts is making connections with other makers. So, with a nod toward being a better neighbor, won’t you join me now as we stand and make, the Dominicana.

Inside the Mind of the Monkey