Get Your Wassail Here

Christmas time is upon us. Yes, it's that time of the year already, it amazes me how quickly it comes each year.

Time for shopping for our loved ones, holiday baking for our co-workers and neighbors, trimming the tree, plugging in all the lights to see which ones work and which don’t, Christmas cards, table centerpieces made of holly, greenery and cranberries, choosing the perfect wine to accompany the perfectly planned out Christmas dinner and all the laughter and joy around the Christmas tree opening gifts and treasures. What isn’t there to love about Christmas!

I’ve been busy decorating our house since right before Thanksgiving. Yes, I’m one of those people that like to get a jump start on Christmas decorating. But, before you judge - let me explain.

I put out 10 trees (all with themes), plus outside decorations- so that takes a lot of time. My goal each year is to have the house decorated by Dec 1 and have Christmas cards mailed out the first week of December. Both of which I accomplished this year! Thank goodness. After I get all of that done I can kick back and relax.

I always think how pretty our house looks with all the trees, stockings, lights and other décor – until I go to Silver Dollar City (SDC). Then I see real work at its best during the holidays.

My husband and I took a getaway this past weekend to Branson to “see the lights” and stay at my most favorite place in the world – Chateau on the Lake. SDC always gets us in the holiday spirit with the hot wassail, beautifully decorated trees, holiday music and Christmas parade (which is every night at 7pm). Plus, I always get great ideas for next year’s Christmas trees from walking through the Christmas ornament shop at SDC.

So, in honor of our trip to SDC or “Steal Your Dollar Holler,” as my husband likes to call it – I’m posting a Hot Wassail recipe I know you will all love!

Wassail is a mulled cider type drink that is a holiday tradition in many countries. This hot, spiced punch is most popular at Christmas. It usually contains fruit juices, cinnamon, cloves and other spices.

McConnell Holiday Wassail
1 qt. apple juice
1 qt. orange juice
2 c. cranberry juice
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 T. honey
1 cup sugar
4 cloves
3-4 cinnamon sticks
8 whole allspice
Navel Orange Slices

Combine all ingredients in listed order to your crockpot, at least a 4 quart crock. Cook on low setting for about 4 hours or until heated to desired temperature. You may also cook it on high initially for an hour and reduce the heat to save time. This reheats well for 3 days, plus your entire house will smell like Christmas – what gets better than that!