Eggnog

Eggnog is one of those foods that I initially distrusted.  Before I ever tried it, something in the name made me suspicious... eggnog?  It certainly doens't tell you anything about what to expect!  As it turns out, the etymology is unclear but the drink itself is sweet and frothy and creamy and it took Rob bringing it home from the grocery store at some point for me to realize I actually like (love) it. 

Making eggnog at home isn't difficult and it tastes worlds better than store bought nog.  I served a virgin version on Sunday afternoon with grated nutmeg on top and it helped to put me in the holiday spirit.  The house is decorated, most of the presents are wrapped, and now we just need snow!  

Homemade Egg Nog

The NY Times 
Yield = 8 servings 

Ingredients

• 4 cups whole milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 large eggs, separated
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups dark rum (optional)
• Whole nutmeg

Preparation

1.  In a saucepan, heat 2 cups milk but don’t boil. Turn off the heat.
2.  In a mixing bowl, gradually add the sugar into the egg yolks and whisk until thick and pale.
3.  Whisk 1 cup of the warm milk into the yolk-sugar mixture. Add this back to the milk in the pan, stirring over low heat until thickened and blended.  Turn off the heat and quickly stir in the cream.
4.  Place pan in a large bowl half-filled with ice water.  Stir occasionally, until chilled.  When chilled, stir into punch bowl and add rum and remaining milk.
5.  In a mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Then fold them into the nog.  Top each serving with grated nutmeg.  Note that you'll have to re-whisk the nog if you wait to serve it because the frothy egg whites will separate a bit from the milk/cream/egg base.  And if you aren't serving the nog immediately, refrigerate it until you are.

Ashley Brooke Designs

Since I can't possibly get "ahead" in my preparations for Christmas (case in point - we cut our tree on Sunday and while it is up in our living room, it has neither lights nor ornaments on it yet), I'm thinking ahead to the Super Bowl!  I love the idea of having a Super Bowl party and inviting people using these invitations from Ashley Brooke Designs (plus, I'm feeling good about Tom Brady leading my team to the Super Bowl again).

If you couldn't care less about football and you still need Christmas cards, the Santa Baby and Favorite Things cards are cute options.  Both are available as postcards, too.  All images credit to Ashley Brooke Designs.

2012 Holiday Gift Ideas for Men

With Christmas fast-approaching, I've gathered a few of my favorite gift ideas for this holiday season.  Some are silly (the Noël Crewneck Sweater), some have been tested and approved in my household (Dollar Shave Club), and hopefully some are just fun (LEGOS for adults!).  

#1 - LEGO Architecture: Empire State Building Set.  Who says kids get to have all the fun on Christmas morning?  I think it would be awesome to build a LEGO Empire State Building or Fallingwater House.  Image credit to MOMA Store.

#2 - Grey Area Fake Roley by Shelter Serra.  From the designer - “I designed and created the Fake Roley as a homage to the ultimate watch of status, The Rolex Submariner."  I first saw one on the wrist of a college friend who is a founder of Grey Area, but spotted one on my Uncle-in-Law later in the summer.  Hip and ironic and now available in a range of colors!  Image credit to Jordan Doner via Grey Area. 

#3 - Mighty Wallet!  Rob has a Mighty Wallet printed with the London Underground Map.  He constantly gets comments from people when he takes it out.  Is it the most professional wallet?  Definitely not.  But is it fun?  Absolutely.  The wallets are made of Tyvek® and are tear-resistant, water-resistant, expandable, and recyclable.  Best of all, the wallets are super slim -- perfect for men who put them in their back pocket.  Image credit to Mighty Wallet.

#4 - Sea Bags x Woolrich Harvest iPad Case.  Upgrade your iPad's look with this sturdy case featuring a fall-inspired plaid from Woolrich.  Image credit to Seabags.

#5 - Jack Spade Noël Crewneck Sweater.  This sweater falls into the same category as the Bonobos Tryptopants - seasonal and ridiculously fun.  How awesome would it be to wear this to a holiday party?  Jack Spade has a ton of great clothes and accessories for men, so check out the store for some more serious options.  Image credit to Jack Spade.

#6 - Handmade Copper Flask.  For the man who loves to tailgate or bring a little treat on a winter adventure.  The flask is handmade of pure copper.  This would be great to give with #8.  Image credit to Kaufmann Mercantile.

#7 - McGrady Cable Sweater.  I'm trying to convince Rob to branch out into cardigans and I think this one might be it.  My favorite detail is the woven leather buttons.  Image credit to Jack Spade.

#8 - Leopold Bros. Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur.  Leopold Bros. is a family owned and operated small batch distillery located in Denver, Colorado.  I rarely drink liquor, but there products are delicious and unique.  We toured the distillery over the summer and sampled almost everything - you really cannot go wrong.  My favorites were the Michigan Tart Cherry Liqueur, the Rocky Mountain Blackberry Liqueur, and the Three Pins Alpine Herbal Liqueur.  You can buy Leopold Bros. products locally, but also can order them online here.  Pair this with a few bar accoutrements.  Image credit to Leopold Bros.

#9 - Swiss Army Tool in Hardwood.  A rustic take on the classic Swiss Army knife and potentially a good (and useful) stocking stuffer.  Image credit to West Elm.

#10 - Leather Head Football.  A football handmade in Glen Rock, New Jersey of leather from Prime Tannery in Hartland, Maine.  Who doesn't love to toss a football around from time to time... and this one is pretty enough to display in the off-season.  Image credit to Unionmade.

#11 - Dollar Shave Club Membership.  Rob joined Dollar Shave Club earlier this year and loves it.  He selected a razor (he went for the $6 middle-of-the-road option) and each month he receives new blades in the mail.  Check it out!  Image credit to Dollar Shave Club.

#12 - Lettuce Turnip the Beet T-Shirt.  I bought this t-shirt for Rob in NYC in 2011.  He's super picky about his t-shirts but this one went over well.  The shirt is soft and the message is witty.  For some other funky t-shirts, check out Denver-based designer Adam Sikorski.  Image credit to Coup via Etsy.

Homemade Advent Calendars

Last year, I posted about advent calendars.  I love our tradition of hanging our advent calendar and alternating days where we fill it for each other.  Ours looks like this.  I adore the version I posted about before from Terrain and the newer verison they have where the pouches hang from a grain sack; however, I've seen a number of options that you make yourself.  

First, I found this Puzzle Advent on You Are My Fave.  What a neat idea!  Head over to the You Are My Fave website for step-by-step instructions on making this.  All images credit to You Are My Fave.

The latest issue of Martha Stewart Living showed a super simple version made of different sized envelopes that hang from the wall.  Paper-Source would be an excellent source for envelopes (or MS suggests Paper Presentation).  Online, Martha also suggests hanging paper treat bags from a string or ribbon with clothespins.  Etsy has a ton of cute paper treat bags (e.g., chevron stripes, a mix of patterns on kraft paper, polka dots, and regular stripes) and also decorative clothespins.  Image credit to Martha Stewart.

Another take on using clothespins for an advent calendar is pictured below courtsey of Visual Heart.  If you don't want to paint clothespins yourself, definitely check out Etsy (I plan to use decorative clothespins to hang our Christmas cards this year so I ordered some of these already).  Head over to Visual Heart for instructions and image credit also to Visual Heart.

Finally, an option that is a bit more complicated but certainly a kid-pleaser is the piñata advent calendar!  Instructions to make this awesome calendar can be found on Handmade Charlotte.  I can only imagine how excited kids would be to break open a piñata every day leading up to Christmas.  All images credit to Handmade Charlotte.

Finally, there is the Whisky Advent Calendar for adults!  The calendar pictured below retails for $240, but you could easily DIY.  You could combine the box advent calendar above with your own nips of whiskey or a spirit of your choice...

Bonobos Tryptopants

For the man who has everything (including a disposable income), why not turkey-laden pants for Thanksgiving?  Rob has Bonobos pants and  they fit well, are sold in an array of nice colors, and are lined with fabulous prints.  Shockingly, I can't convince him that these are something he should buy, but I couldn't resist sharing them.  All images credit to Bonobos.