Saturday Sampler: New Year Edition

 First stitches of the new year and food. Lots of food.

Bonus Winter Tea recipe!

Pineapple-Orange Spiced Tea (slow cooker) 

3 quarts/12 servings (I halved this recipe for the two of us and it was a perfect amount)

2 qt. boiling water

16 tea bags (I mixed decaf and regular to lower the caffeine)

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

1 c. sugar (this is quite sweet, you may want to reduce this amount and then sweeten to taste when finished)

1 (12 oz.) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 (12 oz.) can frozen pineapple juice concentrate, thawed

1 c. cranberry juice

1/2 c. lemon juice

In a large slow cooker, pour boiling water over tea bags and let steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags and add remaining ingredients. Heat on low for 2-3 hours. Remove spices and stir well before serving. (This is delicious hot, but it's also great cold and mixed with ginger ale for a frosty winter punch. Mr. Wonderful was mixing a small amount with his Mountain Dew and it was so good--and I'm not a Mountain Dew fan!)

*****

Bonus Bonus Piggie suggestion! 

Pigs-in-a-Blanket are a falling-off-a-log easy snack perfect for this time of year, with all the staying up late waiting for Santa, ringing in the New Year, and football. If you've never made them before, use this method. Then, before baking, lightly dust them with grated Parmesan cheese, a little kosher salt, and a little freshly ground black pepper. You will thank me later. We destroyed 3 dozen of these in an embarrassingly short amount of time. Best piggies ever.

Happy Stitching (and snacking)!