How to Cheer Up

Disclaimer: This is how I cheer up.  Maybe you have a completely different way of cheering up, but perhaps this could help you on the path to cheerfulness!  All I know is, when I am in a funk, this always does the trick!

When I studied in Ireland, our friends used to make us cups of tea when us poor Americans were too cold and rained-upon to stand the weather any longer.  Very strong tea with milk and copious amounts of sugar.  They called it a mug of skald, which is slang for "tea".  We would drink it while eating biscuits (cookies), and watching "Home and Away", an Australian soap opera that everyone was crazy about, especially the boys.

Ok, reminiscing time is over!  Sorry for the trip down memory lane!  So, when I need to cheer up now, I make a mug of skald.

I brew some very very strong tea (usually Irish Breakfast by Twinings).  Really really squeeze the tea bag before removing it from the tea, so you get that strong flavor.

Add about 1.5 tablespoons of sugar, or more!  This is not one of the healthiest things that I make, but it's definitely one of the tastiest!

Add enough milk to cool the tea down to a reasonable drinking temperature, and stir it all up!  

Once you have your mug of skald made, get on Youtube.com, and search for Dean Martin videos, particularly from the Dean Martin Show.  I recommend starting with Foster Brooks as a drunk airline pilot.  I promise, it is impossible to be downcast or depressed while watching Dean Martin videos.  Try it.  

How do you cheer up??  

Pumpkin Hot Toddy

It has been downright chilly here in Pensacola!  The other day, it was in the 40s!  During the day!  This South Florida girl was not made for this kind of weather...luckily, I have created the most delicious hot toddy to get me through this difficult time.  For those not "in the know", a hot toddy is "a mixed drink made of liquor and water with sugar and spices and served hot".  Supposedly, they are good to drink when you have a cold, because they help you sleep and relieve stuffiness, but they are also good for when you are out of wine and your toes are freezing.

To make this lovely lovely warm and sleepy-making drink, you just need pumpkin tea, honey, and Bacardi OakHeart spiced rum.  The tea that I use was a gift from Abbi, and I try to use it sparingly, because I can't get it here!  This tea is particularly good for a hot toddy because it's pretty strong and spicy; you don't want to try making one of these with a light or weak tea. 

So!  Brew your tea!  Like I said, make it fairly strong, because you still want to be able to taste it through the honey and rum.  Once you get it as strong as you'd like, remove the bag, and add about a tablespoon of honey.

Next, the rum.  I honestly am not sure exactly how much I add, because I use the "Aunt Nesi" method of pouring, in which I count to 4 while I pour.  I would say it's probably a little less than a shot.  In any other hot toddy, you could add lemon juice at this point, but that's not so tasty with this recipe.  Your call.

Mix it all up, and enjoy under a blanket with a new magazine and a sleepy pup!  (This step is optional.)