A Little Piece of Heaven

I love Christmas time of year:

happy spirits,

amazing decorations,

joyful songs playing everywhere,

the cold weather...

and hot drinks to keep our bodies warm

(and our houses smelling like Christmas!!!!)

That's when I know Christmas is right around the corner.

The other day, we invited my parents and in-laws over to our house for a little dinner. My mom suggested I made hot punch for our guests. I was shocked! You know, this is my first year as a "housewife", and I'm learning as I go. I don't do great cooking -just regular, easy things- besides, my husband's excellent in that deparment. Make traditional Mexican hot punch, for the very first time, to serve my in-laws? I'd better think twice!

Surprise is I made the most wonderful hot punch (and I'm not kidding, this is what my guests said ;). Credit goes to my mom, for telling me how to do it, and sharing her little secrets.

Now it's my time to share with you! If I could do it, you sure can.

I guess the biggest challenge here is getting all of the ingredients. Depending on where you live, it might be difficult to find all of them.

The beauty of this punch, though, is you can skip the ingredients you can't find.

It will still taste great.

Ingredients

1 cup dried hibiscus

3 or 4 guavas

10 tamarind pods

1 peeled apple

10 crabapples

1/2 lbs peeled sugar cane

(in chunks)

6 prunes

1/2 cup raisins

1/2  cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

water

The Secret Recipe

Place the crabapples in a pot with water and bring it to boil.

Turn off heat. Once cool, take off peels.

{tip: don't throw away water}

Put 4 cups of water in another pot and turn heat to high.

Add hibiscus flowers.

Cover the pot.

Meanwhile slice and cut the apple into squares, and quarter guavas.

Once it has boiled, take out the hibiscus flowers.

Add: 3 liters of water.

Put in the rest of the ingredients:

peeled crabapples (with their water),

tamarind pods,

guavas and apple,

prunes and raisins,

chunked sugar cane,

cinnamon sticks,

and sugar.

Let it boil. Once it has boiled, turn heat to low.

Simmer for an hour.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

{tip: you can also add a little rum}

If you make this in advance, try reheating it in your stove at least 15 minutes before you serve it. This will make your house smell like Christmas, and it will taste like Heaven!

Joining

Holiday Linky Party at The Inspired Room

Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design

DIY Day at a Soft Place to Land