Christmas tree trimming or Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of Rum!

I love getting the house ready for Christmas. It has always been a time for me to set aside the common and the everyday and to delve into my holiday decor mode and get focused on the coming season. Now, even if I do say so myself, I trim a mean tree. I love all the little details that go into getting the tree to look just so. Now that being said I have to admit that don't do the real tree thing. I know that there are those of you who would consider this sacrilege and I am sorry but no real tree for Me, with their imperfections and uncertainties! Oh no! I want to know that my tree will fit exactly where I want it every year and most importantly..... it will not shed. Yes, my distain for cleaning up after pets and Christmas trees... well....that and the cost every year ( 60 dollars for a lousy smallish tree..really!!?? ) are the real reasons I don't do a real tree. But whatever, I mean we are supposed to plant more trees not cut them down, right???

So anyway there I am the other day and we start to decorate and of course there has to be a beverage with the tree trimming. Now I love the seasonal tastes of the holidays, and I especially love that so many of the flavors we associate with the holidays originated in the colonial period. So the drink I called upon was a beverage I had not made in years. but it is a drink that stems from the time of the revolutionary war with it's "Molasses to Rum to Slaves" flavorings.  And it also so happens that when I was in college I worked for a chain restaurant called "The Magic Pan" where I knew this drink!  The "pan" as we called it, was a French Style creperie which had started in San Francisco and had spread nationally. It was one of the first national chains with the upscale suburban diner in mind. They were known for many things but at the bar they were known for two drinks. The first was their bloody mary recipe which was stellar and we will revisit in another post. The second was their hot buttered rum drink. Smooth, warm delicious and creamy it held all the ladies enthralled after dinner or was it before dinner....or both, on some days!

So for your Christmas Tree and house trimming pleasure I give you my version based on The Magic Pan's version of.....Hot Buttered Rum which I call Yo! HO!HO! Buttered Rum....enjoy!

Forrest's Yo Ho! Ho! Buttered Rum Recipe

First make the Buttered Rum Batter

For this you will need:

1 pound medium Brown sugar
1 stick of Butter at room temperature
1/3 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 of a teaspoon salt

Slowly cream all this together till well mixed
This will keep in the fridge for weeks

To make the Drink:

In an 8oz glass
Spoon in 2 good tablespoons of the batter
Add 3 oz of dark Rum ( I like Sailor Jerry's)
Stir to combine
Then top the glass of the rest of the way with boiling water ( boiling!!)
Stir and garnish with a cinnamon stick

Yo Ho HO!!!!!!!! Merry Christmas Matey!!!