MULLED WINE KIND OF DAY

Rain.  Again.  Rain, rain, rain.  Lazy, lazy day.

I'm not really complaining, but I guess I sort of am complaining.  I bought snowshoes last winter, and, after having to return the wrong ones I was sent, by the time mine arrived, I only got to use them once.  This winter?  Well, it was 70 degrees on Christmas Day, so I guess my snowshoes are staying put in the closet.

Today brings rain.  Oh, it snows for about a millisecond, but, for the most part, it's like spring outside.

I spend the day finally putting Christmas away, cooking meatballs, baking banana and pumpkin breads, and switching channels between football and hockey.  My biggest decision today is what to drink.  I head to the wine rack (not exceptionally far since it's in the kitchen right now), and decide on a summery bottle of red.  I bought it at a local winery on the way home from the beach this past summer.  The label and the cork have sunglasses artistically decorated onto them, and the rainy (slightly snowy) day seems slightly brighter just opening the bottle.

I pour a glass of red wine, sip a bit, then decide that it's really a rather raw and dreary day.  Tearing apart the spice cabinet, I locate an unopened container of cinnamon sticks and a semi-full container of whole cloves.  I don't have much for fruit -- a lime and some strawberries -- but that should do.  After all, it's just me drinking the red wine.

I set a saucepan on the burner, add some water and sugar, boil it all together, add the spices and fruit, then pour in the rest of the red wine from the bottle.  All it needs is some honey and it's almost ... almost, but not quite ... like the homemade mead my buddy used to make. 

A mug of mulled wine, some munchies, two sports, and I regain my living room today after ten weeks.  I look back now, sitting in front of the television watching hockey, realizing I actually worked my butt off today, but it seems like a lazy day and evening, so that's my story, and I'm sticking to it.  Here's to hoping tomorrow is equally unproductive!