Holiday Madness, Part II

Okay, I blew it on the Dancing With The Stars call. Dead, dead wrong.

Who knew? Well, I did, when the last show opened and they announced that Jennifer Grey would perform in **spite or her back injury**!! Oh, no — The hero moment! That meant…she would win. OMG, as we say in blog-text!

Just for the record, like the other 95% of men who watch Dancing With The Stars (the other 5% being dance officionados), I watch it because The Lady I Love Dearly forces me to. She believes in the theory of osmosis, in which if she forces me to watch the show for ever and ever I might some day be able to dance like that. Sigh!

Anyway, I got it wrong. Which is humble pie for the guy who has done tech predictions for the CPA Technology Advisor for the past 17 years or so. And no, I am not going back to change my predictioins for 2011…you’ll just have to wait until my column is printed.

But I do feel that I owe some compensation to those who bet their life savings on my prediction of Kyle Massey as the winner on DWTS. S0, forthwith, I am willing to part (again) with my sister-in-law’s super-secret recipe for the best eggnog you will ever serve. Sorry, Sis, I just had to. Again…Mary Sue’s Eggnog:

1 quart milk
6 eggs, divided into yolks and egg whites
1 dash salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Cup heavy cream
1 small container Cool Whip

Heat milk in a large saucepan, scalding it but not allowing it to boil. Beat egg yolks and salt in a large bowl; gradually add sugar, mixing well. Gradually stir about 1/4 of hot milk into egg mixture; add to remaining hot milk, stirring constantly. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and reaches 160 degrees. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. Set saucepan in refrigerator to cool.

Whip egg whites until they form soft peaks. Slowly fold in Cool Whip. Fold in cooled egg yolk custard and the heavy cream. Add alcohol if desired (I usually leave it as is so the kids can enjoy it, and let the adults add liquor to the glasses). Sprinkle with ground cinnamon.

Can be made in advance by a day or so. I usually save a few plastic one-gallon milk jugs in the weeks before the holiday, make a bunch up and store it by the gallon ready for use in case the Sixth Army drops by for eggnog and cookies.

Those of you who have ready my reviews know that I like my eggnog with a quart of Wild Turkey 101…but you can use or not use as you like.

Happy holidays to you and yours, and a Merry Christmas to those who are of my Scottish heritage.