Warm New Year's Drinks for Family and Friends

Just in time for New Year's is a list of warm holiday drinks for you to try and share with friends. The first warm holiday drink we will talk about is the Russian tea; which is made from the following ingredients: The juice & rind of 1 orange, ½ c of pineapple juice, 1 Tbsp of tea, 1 stick of cinnamon, the juice from 2 lemons, 1 c of sugar, 4 cloves, and ¼ tsp of allspice.

Put orange rind and spice in cloth bag. Boil in small amount of water 3 minutes. Scald tea with 1-quart boiling water and let steep 5 minutes. Strain; combine juice; spices and tea. Serve piping hot. Serves 15. The great thing about Russian tea is that it's a little different, but your holiday guests should more than agree that this is truly straight from Russia with love.

Another incredible warm drink that you can make for the holiday seasons is the hot and spicy tomato slipper. But I know what you are thinking, a hot and spicy tomato slipper sounds like a V8 on steroids right? Just trust me on this, and I think you'll agree that if you give it a try this is will actually become one of your favorite drinks. To make this spicy warm holiday drink you will need the following: 3 c. tomato juice, 1 stalk celery, cut into 3 pieces, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp lemon juice, ½ tsp prepared horseradish, 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce, ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper, and Pats of butter (optional).

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until simmering. Simmer 5 minutes on low. Remove celery and discard. Serve hot. 4 servings. **This is really good with a pat of butter in each mug, but that's optional of course.

The last drink we will talk about is a hot cranberry punch. The good thing about this cranberry is that we are going to add a little twist to it. This hot cranberry punch blends cranberries, pineapple juice, brown sugar, and cinnamon sticks. All of this combined creates a warm, smooth and stimulating drink for new years. Just gather the following: 2 c. cranberry juice cocktail, 2 ½ c. unsweetened pineapple juice, 1 c. water, 1/3 c. brown sugar, 1 ½ tsp. whole cloves, 1 ½ tsp. whole allspice, 3 (2 inch) cinnamon sticks.

You will need a percolator. Dissolve brown sugar in 1 of the liquids before adding to percolator. Percolate until done. Serves 6. You may multiply quantities by 3 or 4 to serve a larger crowd.