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Bethany's Blog, Favorites, Lifestyle

Winter’s Wine- Mulled with Spice + Everything Nice

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Lazy Saturday in February, temps in the 40’s, and no place to be. It’s the perfect time for one of my winter favs- mulled wine! I’m always so surprised when I hear people say they’ve never had it before. Like sangria in the summer, it’s a staple in our house in the winter. Aside from the obvious that it tastes delicious, it’ll warm you from the inside out, make your house smell oh so good and leave you feeling nice and cozy. Not to mention the fact that it’s so pretty to look at- having a pot on the stove just makes me happy!

So what is mulled wine?! Simply put, mulled wine = spiced wine. Start with a dry red of wine (I prefer a merlot), add spices (cinnamon sticks, cloves and star anise), throw in sliced oranges and whole cranberries, and simmer. From here, there are lots of options and recipes out there. Sometimes I add apple cider, other times I add brandy. Once you know how you like your mulled wine, you can make it by taste.

If you’re thinking this sounds just like another warm wine drink called Glühwein, then you’re right! Glühwein is what they call hot spiced wine in Germany + Austria, and is traditional found at Christmas markets. Sometimes we’re lucky and find actual bottles of Glühwein- here in Japan, Kaldi Coffee Farm often carries it, which is always fun because I love the pretty, festive label on the bottle…

Kaldi Coffee Farm

But if I’m being honest, making our own from scratch is my favorite. Here’s a recipe I’m loving this winter from #wowitsveggie …

Easy Gluhwein Recipe (Mulled Wine)

Ingredients

  • 2 bottles of dry red wine
  • 2 cups orange juice
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar [or maple syrup/agave]
  • 2 oranges, sliced
  • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 4 star anise
  • 6 cinnamon sticks
  • 1/2 cup brandy [optional]

Instructions

  1. Place a medium sauce-pan over medium-high heat on the stove.
  2. Add the orange juice and granulated sugar and stir until the granulated sugar is dissolved.
  3. Then, add in the red wine and all of the spices and fruits.The spices will be whole, not ground in a container, so their flavors will infuse into the liquid! Add the brandy if you are using it.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the mulled wine for 30 minutes. At this point, taste the Gluhwein and adjust the flavor as necessary! You may want to add a little more sugar or add more brandy if it is too sweet for you! You can simmer the Gluhwein for up to a couple hours if you have time!
  5. Serve the mulled wine garnished with cinnamon sticks, orange peel, star anise, cranberries, and more!

What’s your favorite way to make mulled wine?! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comment below!

Cheers!

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Bethany's Blog, Lifestyle

My Story, My Blog

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Let's Get Cozy

Ahhhhh! I am so excited to finally be able to say… WELCOME TO MY BLOG!! I’m jumping into this new adventure, not entirely sure where I will land, but ready for this next journey…. so without further ado… here we go!!

…Constantly moving, reinventing myself, settling into a new home… it’s become routine for my family and I to pick up and start over. And through it all, I find myself with one main goal- to create that cozy feeling that makes me feel warm, safe, secure, at home. If I can create that feeling no matter where we are in the world, then I’m providing some continuity for my family. It’s my way of planting roots for my kids that we can pick up, take with us, and replant in the next place, without having to wait years for them to take hold. I hear all the time, “we’re only going to live here for X amount of time- I’m not going to go through the effort of decorating the house.” If I went with that thought process, my 10 year old child would never know the joy of the Fall decoration bins coming out signifying the start of our favorite time of the year. The excitement of transforming the house from a pumpkin patch to a winter wonderland. The faces of our family from generations ago that line our stairwell walls. Their brave relatives who make up our military gallery showcasing a family legacy of service to our country. The cork board that holds the tickets to places we’ve visited over the course of our lives together. The photo wall that includes a picture from every family photo shoot from the time our oldest was born through now.

These things all make up my story. My Mom has always told me that my house tells a story. When I think of it, it makes so much sense. Moving with the military can be lonely. Hard. Isolating. I could live with white walls, or I can surround myself with things, pictures, pieces that make me who I am. Make my family who we are. Reminds us that even though the walls around us and the view outside our front porch changes, we have a rich history all our own. That is our identity. And that doesn’t change when we move. It adds to our story, and we take pieces from every place we live with us. It becomes part of our story showcased in our home. From the sea glass in the mason jar collected from Newport, RI to the one next to it with broken pottery collected from the Izu Peninsula in Shimoda, Japan. From the palm tree cross from Jacksonville, FL that protects our home from hurricanes to the tanuki statue from Japan that brings us good luck and fortune. From the windmill that sat in my Grandpa’s work shed for decades, to the paper dolls my husband’s Obachan made by hand 40+ years ago.

It has taken me 15 years as a military spouse to put this into words and define my identity. I don’t have a simple recipe or guidebook on how to live the lifestyle we life, but what I do have is a desire to fill my life, my home with things that make me happy. Things that make me feel whole. Things that remind me that even as a Navy Wife, I can have a Cozy Life. And if sharing that with the world can help even one person out there find the comfort, confidence and contentment in their life, I’ll call it a win! So THANK YOU for being here with me. Can’t wait to get to know ya’ll!!

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