My sister Marci, who left us too soon at the unripened age of 30 in 1987, loved to cook and sew. She was creative--and she was fun-loving. One of my most precious mementos of her is her recipe box. It is one of the few tangible connections to her I have. How I love going through those recipes! I can almost feel her sitting next to me at the table, with her curled inward left hand holding the marker over the index card, precisely printing out the letters of each ingredient and instruction.
After she was gone, it took me a while to be able to open the box. It was almost too painful to look inside. But a few years ago, I was needing a recipe for Spiced Tea Mix. You know--the kind you mix up, put in jars decorated with pretty ribbon and give as Christmas gifts. I knew Marci had a recipe for that. So I found the recipe box in the back of my kitchen cabinet. I took a deep breath and opened the lid. And there it was--the very first recipe I pulled from the box was Spiced Tea Mix!
I smiled. Just like so many other times before, I felt her presence. As I was thumbing through the recipes, I found one that actually made me laugh out loud. It is the one in the middle of the picture above; homemade Cranberry Wine.
I have often wondered if Marci ever made a jug of that wine. I suspect she did--and I suspect she enjoyed it! I included the recipe in my cookbook, page 5 to be exact, along with several more of her wonderful dishes.
I now refer to her recipe box as my treasure box. And I do treasure it! I hope if you decide to make your own jug of Cranberry Hooch, you will feel the presence of a fun-loving angel on your shoulder. And don't forget to let me know how it turns out. Better yet, invite me over and I'll share a glass with you!
Much Love & Happy Brewing!
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