TIP OF THE DAY: Instant Holiday Ice Cream

Turn any flavor into “Christmas” ice cream with red and green sanding sugar. If you want to save calories, check out Halo Top: our favorite of the low-calorie ice creams with just 240 calories for the entire pint. And it has extra protein—really! Here’s our review (photo courtesy Halo Top),   When you hear “Christmas…
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TIP OF THE DAY: Holiday Champagne Alternatives

Whether for Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve, Champagne is a tradition in holiday homes; that is, holiday homes with means. Champagne, by far the most famous sparkling wine in the world, is in the highest demand. But can only be produced on limited acreage, the region of Champagne, in northeast France. The worldwide demand…
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RECIPE: Sparkling Pear Cocktail

[1] La Poire sparkling cocktail (photo courtesy Grey Goose). [2] America’s favorite pear, the Bartlett (photo courtesy CookThink). There are also red Bartlett and d’Anjou are available in green and red varieties.   This week we had a bottle of Angry Orchard’s Knotty Pear Cider at lunch, and it reminded us that fall is also…
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TIP OF THE DAY: The New Bloody Mary Garnishes

[1] Aquavit Bloody Mary with beets, a half-sour pickle spear, and fresh dill; photo © Flavor & The Menu. [2] Mary garnished with crab claw and dilly beans from Ramos House. [3] Surf and Turf Bloody Mary with bacon and shrimp, plus an antipasto skewer and, as a nod to the past, a celery stalk.…
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Eggnog History: Know Your Eggnog!

Eggnog or egg nog is a descendant of milk-and-wine punches that had long been part of European celebrations when colonists arrived in the Americas. Rum, a New World distillation, enabled a spirited substitution for the wine. And eggnog history? Eggnog became a popular wintertime drink throughout Colonial America. Then as now, people loved the rich,…
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