Witch's Cider Brew

Feliz Dia de los Muertos!  As sad as I am that one of my favorite holidays (Halloween) is over, I'll continue to celebrate into today's Day of the Dead by lighting a candle for my special Grandma Kay that passed away in September.

I'm not sure how yesterday's work festivities will ever be topped.  Not only did we have a costume parade with more participants than ever, but this year was the first for our company to throw together a fabulous Pumpkin Decorating Contest.  There were endless contenders and I'm happy to announce that my Witch Cauldron won under Honorable Mention.  I was the only one to do effects this year, so I hope my use of dry ice will set the bar for even wilder and crazy ideas for next year.

And while the effects of Apple Cider was brewing outside, the real spiced drink was warming in a slow cooker inside.  Despite our So Cal weather ups and downs, the morning ended up being overcast and cool, which was perfect timing for my hot cider.  The spices from the cinnamon and cloves warm you right up but the tang from the sliced oranges keep this sweet drink balanced with a slight refreshing kick.

What you'll need:  serves 15

1 gallon apple juice

1 orange (thickly sliced)

whole cloves

5 cinnamon sticks

In a slow cooker on high, pour in the apple juice and toss in the cinnamon sticks.  Poke the whole cloves around the rind of the sliced oranges and throw those in.  Let warm for about two hours until hot and all flavors have had enough time to meld together.

Some other fabulous pumpkin contenders!