We've already found out that it's National Fruitcake Month, but did you know that it's also National Egg Nog Month? Yeah, it was probably inevitable, but when I see a lot of months that have non-seasonal foods in them, it's comforting and reassuring to see that both National Fruitcake Month and National Egg Nog Month come during Christmastime.
When I was growing up, eggnog was one of my very favorite things about the Christmas season. I was often able to talk my parents into buying a quart or half gallon and if no one monitored my consumption, the container would be empty in far shorter order than was healthy. I loved the stuff. When I discovered eggnog lattes at a local coffee place during high school, all bets were off. I must have gained ten pounds alone from those drinks.
These days I try to stay away from eggnog, mostly because it's just not that good for you. However, a couple of years I discovered a drink at Whole Foods that tastes (at least to me) almost identical to eggnog. It's not nearly as bad for you and has lots of protein, which means that on occasion it's not too awful to use it to replace a meal. It's called Perfectly Protein and is made by Bolthouse Farms. They have a whole line of drinks, but this one is my very favorite. So if you're longing for eggnog this holiday season, but want something that isn't quite as artery-clogging, check out the Vanilla Chai Perfectly Protein. It's good stuff.
Looking for a holiday eggnog with a slightly different twist? If so, you might be interested in checking out this one created by Chef Guillermo Pernot, the concept chef at Philadelphia's Cuba Libre. It's on the menu at the restaurant through the end of December, but if you don't happen to be in the area, they've happily offered us the recipe so that Slashfood readers can make it at home. It makes two quarts and can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.
I have a bad habit of not thinking about holiday baking and other prep until Hanukkah and Christmas are on top of me (with a Jewish mother and a Unitarian father, I get the privilege of the holiday double-dip). Hanukkah is nearly over and while I did manage to make latkes (however well they worked) and mandelbrot, I still feel like I was unprepared.
Thankfully there are still a few weeks until the end of the year which means that there's still just enough time to make your holiday eggnog (you could also still bake up a batch of fruitcake to go along with it). Janelle over at Talk of Tomatoes says that homemade eggnog needs at least three weeks in the back of the fridge to mellow and so has whipped up a batch using a recipe she found over at CHOW. She says that if you make it now, it will be deliciously ready by New Year's Eve (but that you could break into it and give it a taste around Christmas as well). So get cracking!
I know that we had eggnog popovers yesterday morning, but I couldn't resist just one more eggnog-based recipe. Actually, it was the fact that the popovers were so tasty and reminded me so much of pancakes that I decided to try these.
Eggnog, especially prepared eggnog, is usually relatively thick, so it substitutes in equal volumes for buttermilk in a recipe. It does not have the same properties as buttermilk, however. Buttermilk is slightly acidic and recipes that use it often also use baking soda, which reacts with that acid to produce lift. Since eggnog is not acidic, I used baking powder and also added a beaten egg white to give the pancakes some lift. Overall, the pancakes were tender and tasted lightly of eggnog. You can add a little bit of rum extract, if you have it on hand, to jazz them up a bit, too.
Looking for a way to use up some leftover eggnog, I considered possibilities like eggnog cookies and eggnogcheesecake before deciding to make up a batch of eggnog popovers. A popover is made with an egg batter, very similar to crepe batter, that puffs up in the oven, literally popping over the top of the tin that it is made in. Since the batter is similar to pancake batter, I was hoping for something that would be appropriate for breakfast or dessert and that is exactly what I got.
The interior of these popovers is moist and tender, almost custardy, while the exterior is light and crisp. They're best when they're still hot or warm, but are still tasty at room temperature. You can really taste the eggnog flavor, boosted with a bit of nutmeg and vanilla, and they go wonderfully with maple syrup or powdered sugar.
The most widely available non-dairy nog is the Silk brand Soy Nog, although Vitasoy and Oregon Chai also have non-dairy nogs available. All three are good choices for anyone who is vegan, lactose intolerant or simply looking for a healthier - lower fat and lower calorie - alternative to traditional eggnog. I picked up Silk Nog, along with "light" and regular nogs (Rockview Farms brand from Trader Joe's) for an impromptu taste test.
The regular eggnog was the thickest and most yellow - no doubt to reassure the drinker as to the number of egg yolks - and the others were progressively less so. Personally, as I have a preference for thinner, uncooked eggnogs, I liked the "light" version better than the full fat. Neither had a strong egg flavor, but both had the feel of custard and a nice nutmeg-y taste, although there was an almost minty quality about them that seemed like it would work well with alcohol (I tasted all these plain). The Silk nog was not too sweet and was drinkably thin, making it more refreshing than either of the eggnogs. It also had a much milder taste to it, which I preferred. Overall? An eggnog aficionado is not going to be satisfied with the Silk nog and will probably enjoy the heavier stuff, but the Silk nog is tasty - and at only 90 calories and 2 grams of fat per serving, it's a holiday treat worth having.
Jonathan mentioned that Oregon Chai has a soy Chai Nog on sale for the holidays for anyone who avoids dairy or is just a fan of chai in general. If you fall into the former category and prefer soy milks to dairy, there is another nog option available: Vitasoy's Holly Nog. Spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, the creamy holiday drink is a good stand-in for traditional eggnog. As an added bonus, it has only 120 calories per serving, a fraction of the dairy-based recipe.
If eggnog - or soy nog - isn't you're cup of tea, Vitasoy also has a new Peppermint Chocolate Soy drink out this year, which it touts as being delicious hot or cold, and an excellent choice for chocolate fans. It is low in fat and makes a great, seasonal creamer for coffee. Both drinks are dairy, lactose, cholesterol and gluten-free and both are USDA certified organic.
We already had a brief discussion about the worst holiday foods and responses included canned cranberry sauce and fruitcake. But it's no fun to dwell on the negatives when you're supposed to be celebrating and spending time with your family, so why not think about the best holiday treats instead? What are those foods that you look forward to all year?
When it comes to store bought treats, peppermint bark and chocolate covered graham crackers always seem to be readily available, but the best holiday foods come from home. Here are some suggestions from around the blogosphere for holiday favorites that should make your menu this year:
The Bûche de Noël, simply known as a "yule log," is a classic, chocolatey Christmas dessert that consists of a rolled, filled cake that is covered with a chocolate frosting and shaped to look like a log.
At about this time last year, we took a look at a couple of the most fattening cocktails out there. This list, which includes Pina Coladas and Long Island iced teas, still stands, but during the holiday season you're not going to be reaching for a fruity, ice blended concoction if it's snowing outside. Holiday drinks can be hot and steamy or rich and creamy, but it's a good idea to keep tabs on the calorie counts to avoid blowing your efforts to keep your diet under control during the holidays. Here are a couple of calorie counts for some common seasonal drinks:
Hot spiced cideris usually only lightly sweetened, since apple juice is naturally sweet anyway. A half-cup serving has only about 80 calories.
Hot buttered rum has about 200 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, which involves a bit of buttery batter being stirred into a cup with a shot of rum and hot water.
Eggnog, if you're opting for a tradition version, will have about 450 calories and 22 grams of fat per serving. Fortunately, there are some ways to lighten it up a bit, like using a milk-based recipe, rather than a cream-based one. A part-milk, part-cream recipe should give you a middle ground.
Hot Cocoa could have up to 300 calories and 8.5 grams of fat per serving, excluding whipped cream or marshmallows, but can also be lightened by using a lower fat milk in the recipe.
Champagne Punch is bubbly, refreshing and packed with fruity flavors that are more festive than summery. A half-cup serving will run about 105 calories.
Chai Lattes can really warm you up with spices and are a nice change from sweet ciders and thick nogs. A one-cup serving will probably come out around 110 calories and 3 grams of fat, although this is also a recipe that could use lower fat milk.
There are many more drinks to choose from this season, and not all of them will be high in fat or calories, but keeping these drinks in your mind as treats will help you to keep your intake under control and to enjoy them more during the holidays.
First off, does Ray have to be on the cover of every issue, like Oprah? We get it from the name, it's her mag. She's everywhere nowadays, even on the box of Triscuits I bought the other night.
The Pumpkin Spice drinks might the most popular seasonal beverages - hot or cold - at Starbucks and there are more than a few people who mark their calendars with the release date every fall, but their two more Christmas-y drinks - the gingerbread and the eggnog lattes - deserve their time in the spotlight, too. Especially since those flavors are popping up at other coffee houses. The gingerbread latte is made with a spicy gingerbread syrup that is blended into a regular latte and topped, if desired, with whipped cream. The eggnog latte is a bit different and is made with real eggnog, which is mixed with a bit of regular milk (whole, nonfat, etc) and steamed as usual. You might not expect eggnog and coffee to go well together, but the combination is actually quite good. Especially if you know a barista that will a little something "extra" to the eggnog lattes on Christmas Eve (not that that would ever happen or anything...).
Gingerbread is my favorite, as the spices are both warming and satisfying. Which do you prefer - or do you skip those typically seasonal flavors in favor of the peppermint mocha?
With the six weeks of the holiday season rapidly approaching I thought I would take a look at some of our holiday traditions and ways we celebrate. For all of us it's a time when friends and family get together to give thanks. We think about life and religion, and exchange gifts to show we care. We also have parties to celebrate the old and the new, and to blow off some steam so we don't get too crazy. For many of us, libations are a part of how we celebrate. Eggnog and punch are some of the traditional holiday favorites that we serve, most especially eggnog for Christmas.
My parents came from opposite ends of Europe and moved to the US right after getting married. They were used to celebrating in vastly different ways, but ended up forming their own holiday traditions; some of which have changed over the years to meet our families needs. For us serving eggnog, and the tradition of my father sitting in the kitchen preparing it the day before, signified that we were coming together as family and friends. A time when we celebrate all the reasons why we know and love each other; and to try and forget all our disagreements, stress, and strife. While thinking about all this I thought I would do a little research on these two related holiday beverages: eggnog and punch.
Nina Lalli from the Village Voice says that the flavored coffee
movement has, by and large, passed her by. One day she wakes up, smells the Starbucks Gingerbread Latte, and
wonders, "Am I the weird one? Is my "small coffee with milk—no sugar" a sign of my utter
party-pooperness?"
In a world where every coffee establishment competes to offer more and better, and more
oddly-colored, Christmas blends, flavors and sweet additions, is it bah-Humbug-ism at its worst to pass all this by for
a regular, ordinary coffee with milk?
I’ve already eschewed egg nog as a too thick, too. A lot of folks love the
sweet, creamy, egg-y stuff, but I find it a little too thick too drink.
I have no problem eating ice cream and other custard-based desserts, which is basically what egg nog is. Made of
eggs and cream, egg nog can be used for a very sweet, rum-spiked French toast. (Or Bourbon-spiked, depending on
what’s in your eggnog – and if you’re drinking the virgin stuff, well, I’m sorry).
Eggnog French Toast
Slice day old bread into 1½ “ thick slices.
For every 2 c. of eggnog, add an additional 1 whole egg and mix.
Soak bread in eggnog mixture for a few minutes. You can also let it soak overnight which makes a super soft and
gooey French toast.
Melt butter in saute pan. Fry eggnog-soaked bread in butter on both sides.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or warm maple syrup, or cranberry
compote.
We've already found out that it's National Fruitcake Month, but did you know that it's also National Egg Nog Month? Yeah, it was probably inevitable, but when I see a lot of months that have non-seasonal foods in them, it's comforting and reassuring to see that both National Fruitcake Month and National Egg Nog Month come during Christmastime.
The most widely available non-dairy nog is the Silk brand Soy Nog, although 
Jonathan mentioned that Oregon Chai has a 
We already had a brief discussion about the 
At about this time last year, we took a look at a couple of the 
First off, does Ray have to be on the cover of every issue, like Oprah? We get it from the name, it's her mag. She's everywhere nowadays, even on the box of Triscuits I bought the other night. 
The 
With the six weeks of the holiday season rapidly approaching I thought I would take a look at some of our holiday traditions and ways we celebrate. For all of us it's a time when friends and family get together to give thanks. We think about life and religion, and exchange gifts to show we care. We also have parties to celebrate the old and the new, and to blow off some steam so we don't get too crazy. For many of us, libations are a part of how we celebrate. Eggnog and punch are some of the traditional holiday favorites that we serve, most especially eggnog for Christmas. 
Nina Lalli from the 
I’ve already eschewed egg nog as a too thick, too. A lot of folks love the
sweet, creamy, egg-y stuff, but I find it a little too thick too drink. 
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