Eggnog's Medieval Magic

Well now, friends, let me tell you about eggnog - it's no yolk, this drink has been around forever! While history scholars are still whisking through different stories, most agree it sprouted from a Medieval drink called posset.

Posset was hot milk curdled with wine or beer, served in a two-handled pot when folks caught the sniffles. Yup, that's right, I said sniffles. The warmth would settle your bones, the milk kept your strength up better than a day of plowing, and the alcohol and spices worked like nature's own medicine chest.

Posset recipes were as varied as quilting patterns, every homestead had their own way to make it, and from this patchwork of kitchen wisdom grew a whole crop of milk based treasures, including... eggnog itself.

Eggnog is a rich, chilled, sweet dairy drink that'll make you smile like you just finished morning milking. It's made with milk, cream, sugar, egg yolks, and spices, simple as that! Most folks only raise a glass during a short spell around Christmas.

It was those fancy British folks in the 1700s who turned eggnog into a holiday tradition. They'd add expensive spirits and spices to milk to preserve it through winter (yep, aged eggnog, just like preserving pickles in the cellar).

Eventually, eggnog crossed the ocean to the Thirteen Colonies. As times changed and food became easier to come by, common folk adopted it as a cherished holiday drink.

Today, food is everywhere you look, but finding the right kind is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. Store-bought eggnog is stacked in every store, but I won't hitch my wagon to it.

Store-bought eggnog is cooked up in factories to taste good and stay the same every time. But it's packed with additives, loaded with more sugar than a honey wagon, and has less than 2% egg yolks. Might as well call it milknog! And don't get me started on all that pasteurization business.

If you've got the time, eggnog is easier than feeding chickens. Here's what you need:

• 4 egg yolks (fresh from the henhouse)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup (the real stuff, tapped honest)
• 2 cups raw milk (straight from Bessie, if you're blessed)
• 1 cup raw cream
• 1 tsp nutmeg (or whatever spices suit your fancy)
• 3 oz bourbon or rum (if you're of a mind to)

You can mix these ingredients raw (like we do on the farm) or you can warm it up. Your barn, your rules.

For a fuller eggnog, beat those yolks until they lighten like sunrise. Then fold in the rest.

For a frothy eggnog that'll make you grin like a cat in the creamery, beat 4 egg whites until soft peaks form, then stir them into your finished batch. I highly recommend doing this whether you bought it from a farm stand or made it yourself. It's wonderful.

So please, enjoy your eggnog this winter season. When you raise your glass, think on what you're celebrating. Toast to home remedies, good health, the wisdom of those who came before us, and honest food that comes from the land.