Christmas Milk - It Does a Body Good...

Years ago, I received a wonderful Christmas gift from a good friend. A bottle of a special family recipe, Christmas Milk. I immediately fell in love with it and she was kind enough to refill the bottle. No, I am really not a lush but it's soooo tasty on the rocks. Equally wonderful in weekend coffee but of course, not in your travel mug while you drop the kids off at school. Not that I know anyone that completely accidentally did that on the first day back to school after winter break....I'm just saying.

Just looking at the bowl you know it's good. Rich and creamy, a bit of vodka scented with almond and vanilla. The ingredients are whisked together and it's ready to bottle.

I usually save neat bottles for these gifts throughout the year. Any clamp top bottle is really cool or a tall thin ice wine bottle. Although I love to upcycle, my presentation of choice this year is Weck juice jars. They come in three sizes but I opted for the smallest 8oz. size. They remind me of little milk bottles - get it? So clever.

I happened across some paper straws in several magazines this year and thought they would be the perfect addition to this gift. (get it? so clever) The deal of the season at $1 a box. Of course, I had to contemplate how many I wanted. I mean $1 a box, I hated to go all crazy and spend $10 if I didn't need to. You know where this is going, right? Of course, they sold out, even the boxes from another source for $3. If they had been $5 a box I probably would have bought 10 without thinking, but a good deal like that...well, that needed some mulling over. I was completely annoyed with myself, to the point of distraction for a day or two. Now I am over it....sort of.


Here is the finished project (ahem, sans straws) and I think it's cute. I rubber stamped the front of the tag and handwritten notes on the back.

Now here is the bad part. I was given the recipe on the grounds that I not share it with anyone. However, all is not lost. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by. I'm sure I'll have extra bottles and will even put a splash into your coffee.

It just can't be in a travel mug.