Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Happy Holidays

Holiday posts tend to be full of survival advice of one form (sticking to your diet) or another (how to not kill your visiting relatives) or they seem to just be trying to shove enough sunshine up your ass that you won't be capable of killing your relatives.

So let's try something different!

The World's Best Hot Chocolate:

4 oz Ghiradelli's 100% cacoa unsweetened chocolate
2 cups heavy whipping cream
6 cups whole milk
1/3 cup sugar (or sugar substitute)
1/2 cup peppermint schnappes
1/2 star anise (the whole star, not ground)

In a crock pot or double boiler or whatever you have that won't burn, mix the chocolate and cream and slowly melt. Once it is fully melted, add the milk and sugar and bring to a low simmer. You don't want it to boil! Add the star anise and schnappes.

This makes four servings. (1/4 cup = 4 T... so each serving gets 2 T of Schnappes - adjust accordingly).

This will ruin you for powdered cocoa forever.

Cheers!

In other news, I found out today that "It's a Wonderful Life" is *not* actually about a drunken angel that shows some idiot how good the world is without him and helps him kill himself. Those were the spoofs. It is actually about some idiot with very little character who destroys his friendships, marriage, relationship with his children, and tries to kill himself just because life got royally screwed for him. In the end, some angel shows him that everyone would be miserable without him, he buys this, becomes the happiest person ever, and everyone gives him money to save him from the trouble he was in.

Really damned lame.

I mean, seriously, one little mishap and the world is over? Even if it was a really big damned mishap. He takes it out on everyone, hurts all his loved ones, and then decides to kill himself to give his family the insurance money on him when everyone knows they don't pay out for suicides.

To top it off, everyone "worse off" without him proves that none of his family has any character either. His uncle goes in some insane asylum just because his business fails. Hello?!? MOST businesses fail. Most people try four or five times before finding one that works for them.

I know that holiday movies are supposed to be trite and silly but this one was pretty impressive. Even Miracle on 34th Street had more redeeming value!

Still, it was better than any of the creepy ass cartoons out there, like Rudolph and that freaky dentist elf and that perverted snowman they can't kill.

The best Christmas show ever was Tales From the Crypt: And All Through the House. Now this made a lot more sense. It's about what a bad idea it is to kill relatives at Christmas and the dangers of letting Santa into your house.

Here's wishing everyone an enjoyable and jail-free holiday season! Eat lots; if you fall off your diet there are another eleven months in the year! Enjoy the hot chocolate.

3 comments:

Linda said...

That hot chocolate sounds yummy. And I prefer South Park for Christmas. Hiiideeyyyyy hoooooooo!

Joe said...

Anise is hot chocolate? Ack! Personally, I prefer a touch of Bailey's myself. Otherwise it sounds good.
In regards to your movies, you are definitely a cynic:) Obviously, you don't go in for the light, feel-good movies most people prefer. But then, plenty of research has shown that most people prefer not thinking as well:)

Abifae said...

*laughs* My roommie is allergic to cinnamon or else I would have used that. But the anise has a great flavor. It blends with the peppermint.

I have seen, I think, a Christmas version of South Park. *tries to remember*

And I'm not a cynic! I just think light hearted fluff is also brain dead and pointless. Okay, maybe a wee bit of a cynic.