Norwegian-Style Gløgg

On December 29, 2022December 29, 2022 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, Topic, Using1 Comment

As many friends and family approach the end of the year with subzero nights and canceled flights, a stay-at-home New Year’s Eve sounds welcoming. Whether you’re keeping it intimate or filling the house with friends, the hot spiced wine recipe in my latest Twice as Tasty column can be casual enough for a cozy fireside chat or tasty enough for a countdown party.

Various cultures have twists on the basic idea of hot red wine in a mug. Some are simply warmed with spices, others are sweetened or boosted with stronger alcohol, and some have it all. My favorite version, the Norwegian-Style Gløgg I share in this week’s Flathead Beacon, falls into the third category, with the bonus of vodka-spiked raisins and crunchy almonds in the bottom of each cup. Fortifying the wine with spice-infused vodka and adding a bit of sugar makes it adaptable to all sorts of reds, including cheaper bottles or ones opened but then forgotten.
Learn to make Norwegian-Style Gløgg

Hot Buttered Rum

On December 30, 2021December 30, 2021 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, Refrigerating, TopicLeave a comment

As the year winds down and snow piles up at my door, my drink choices tend toward hot, spiced, and spiked. The hot buttered rum recipe I share in my Flathead Beacon column this week fits all of those criteria. The recipe comes together in two stages: the batter that takes just minutes to make and the hot, rum-spiked cocktail. One batch of homemade batter will last months in the fridge and can fill many mugs on cold winter evenings. To mix the cocktail after a long day playing or working in the snow, simply to boil some water, stir in the butter batter, and splash in some rum. Ready, set, done.
Learn to make Hot Buttered Rum

Holiday Cheers

On December 19, 2019December 25, 2019 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Refrigerating, TopicLeave a comment

Choose a simple shaken eggnog for a cozy evening in or tom and jerry batter to mix once and pour often. Get cocktail recipes at TwiceasTasty.com.
Every year, when nights start to crackle with cold and I’m cozying up to the woodstove, my alcohol tastes shift. Instead of a gin and tonic, I order an old-fashioned. We buy more bottles of whiskey and fewer bottles of tequila. And I even find space for the occasional rich milk-and-egg drinks like eggnog and its warm cousin, tom and jerry.

I’ve made many variations on eggnog over the years before settling on a quick recipe that makes a pair of drinks at a time, perfect for an evening in. You’ll note it uses raw egg. I always recommend fresh eggs from a well-kept flock, but I became even more confident in the recipe when I learned that a scientist at Rockefeller University found bacteria can’t stand up to a mixture of raw eggs and 20 percent alcohol.
Learn to make Homemade Eggnog and Homemade Tom & Jerry

Gifting Food

On December 5, 2019December 5, 2019 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Baking, Canning, Dehydrating, Freezing, Refrigerating, Topic3 Comments

With a little thought, you can make your food gifts the highlight of someone’s holiday season—and of yours. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
With the holiday season on your doorstep, you’re likely planning meals and buying and making gifts. If you’re like me, you’re preparing to give the gift of food. It may not sound as sexy as an Apple AirPod or gravity blanket, but when you’ve taken the time to make it, package it, and set it aside with a specific person in mind, it carries far more love.

Still, giving and receiving food has its challenges. I’m not talking about the effort you put into preparing it, which you’ve likely already planned into your schedule and budget. I’m talking about ensuring your hard work will truly be appreciated by the receiver—and about how you, when you’re the receiver, can value what’s been created for you. With a little thought, you can make your food gifts the highlight of someone’s holiday season—and of yours.
Read more about gifting food