Fall = Homemade Wassail

For the past couple of weeks, San Francisco has been experiencing an abnormal heat wave. The normally foggy skies and moderate temperatures were gone when 85-degree weather rolled in (I'm sure most of you would argue that 85-degree weather isn't anything close to a heat wave, but you should know that no one in the city has air conditioning in their apartments...).

BUT! Our beloved foggy skies and cool temperatures have returned, and with the cool weather here, I thought I'd make some wassail.

My mom used to make wassail every Halloween night. We'd freeze our fingers and toes off trick-or-treating for hours, and then warm up with a hot cup of wassail before bed.

If only I could take a picture of the smell. Wassail is definitely toward the top of my Favorite Smells list (along with fresh cut grass, summer rain, and movie theater popcorn). These spices all brewed together smell amazing. I think that's one of the reasons I like making wassail so much - yes, it's delicious and warms your whole body, but it makes your kitchen smell incredible too. 

This is definitely what fall smells like.

This recipe is quite easy. A bunch of spices, a few different juices, and a little bit of sugar. Boil together for a few minutes and voila!

Homemade Wassail

*I always half the recipe - it makes a TON!

1/2 c. sugar

3 lemons, juiced

1 qt. apple cider

2 qt. apple juice

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 Tbls. allspice

3 cinnamon sticks

1 c. orange juice

1 c. pineapple juice

1 piece of ginger

Combine all ingredients into a large pot. Boil for 5 minutes. Enjoy!