Linda Marrone: Mulled wine for a chilly night (recipe)

I confess that most of the time I sort of know what I’m going to write about in advance of me sitting down in front of the computer. But today is a first, because I’m sitting here and there is nothing rolling around up there. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve been writing this column for 18 years and have shared most of my favorite recipes or because I’m tired of cooking and more so of thinking about, “What to Cook!” So, this is going to be short and sweet.

I wanted to put something pumpkin in for the upcoming turkey day that was easy to make for those who don’t have the knack for making pie crusts. My granddaughter, Breana, made the pumpkin cheesecake you see in the picture and it looks good, tastes good but is more complicated and takes way longer to make than a pie. If you want the recipe you can go to Carson Farmers Market website for it. This morning I made a Pumpkin bread pudding and while it was OK not what I had in mind for delicious.

I’m cooking our traditional Thanksgiving dinner and making to-go plates for my dinner guests. I’m going to try and make everything on Wednesday so it will be ready for them to pick up and they can eat whenever it suits them plus it takes the pressure off me to have it ready on Thanksgiving Day. I’m hoping to give everyone a few extra slices of turkey with some dressing for a sandwich on Friday and will make a big pot of turkey soup to share on Saturday.

So, after all is said and done the recipe I’m going to share with you today is for a mulled wine. I’m not a big wine drinker but this is great to make and have on hand. Refrigerate it and you can just microwave a glass when you want one or two. This is especially good when it’s chilly and cold out because it warms you right up!

Linda’s Mulled Wine

4 cups apple cider (I like one that is not too sweet and my go to is, Honeycrisp unfiltered from Trader Joe’s)

1 bottle red wine, I use a blended one

1/4 cup honey

2 cinnamon sticks

4 whole cloves

3 star anise

Combine all ingredients, bring to a simmer, do not boil, strain and enjoy.