Our favorite way to warm up and snuggle up after a long session with the snow shovels is about as simple as it gets. Warm apple cider (we get ours from Jericho Cider Mill), sprinkled with cinnamon and garnished with a big cinnamon stick in a cozy mug smells cozy and tastes delicious. Call me ridiculous, but for my money a little bit of heat stirs up more complex flavors, so the sweet and the tangy elements mellow and become more interesting. Things got really interesting when I mistakenly sprinkled ancho chile powder instead of cinnamon for my son recently, but it is actually inspiring some experimentation with chile in my own cider mug.
The long cinnamon sticks are hard to find in conventional supermarkets; I find mine in the Mexican spice section of my local Latino grocery store. They are handy to have around (the kids use them as straws) and also make a lovely garnish for apple cider, cinnamon and prosecco cocktails served in flutes.
For more simple recipes, visit Natalia’s blog, Hot, Cheap & Easy.
