Monday, December 18, 2006

Out, OUT Damned Spots...A Pox Upon My House

Yep, the chicken pox are firmly ensconced in the Compton house. This evening I lifted my son up and saw one on his back as his shirt rose up. Great, just in time for Christmas. The boy doesn't seem overly concerned about them, and has yet to discover they itch. I only saw one. So I went out and bought supplies at the store, benadryl, children's advil, and the makings for a large batch of hot toddies for me and Charles. Snow is falling, and supposed to pile up pretty high here, perhaps as high as 2 and a half feet. We have had a bunch of warm spicy drinks and are feeling pretty festive here. Two hours ago I was saying, "Ugh...snow.." Now I am saying "Ugh! SNOW!!!"

My recipe...it changes as the drinks keep going...

Boil together in about 5 cups of water the zest of one lemon, about 10 cloves, and four sticks of cinnamon. Boil for about 10 minutes, and let it cool off a little. Juice about four lemons and pour into mugs about 1/4 of lemon juice, add 1/3 of the mug of the infused water, and a couple of table spoons of honey. Then fill the rest of the mug with burbon and have at it.

I am on my third. Typing is becoming a challenge. The snow is getting deeper so I will go make a fourth.

Number four seems to be more burboney and less lemonish. There is a good level of honey. My hands are sticky. I licked the bottle as I put it away (the honey bottle). I think I am going to have to clean the keyboard tomorrow. We have about an inch of snow now, and it is moving in more heavily.

The toddies are very drinky. Number five is pretty strong. I think I forgot the honey, but I licked the burbon bottle this time. It is warm in here now. Very warm and very sleepy in here. I think I will go to bed and write more tomorrow.

2 comments:

deuddersun said...

I'm with you so far on the toodies, but, you have to excuse my ignorance, what is a "zest" of lemon?

d.

Cara A. Valente-Compton said...

the zest is the very outermost portion of the skin of the lemon, the bright yellow part. Don't grate down to the white, use a microplane. It has the most lemony goodness available!