3rd Day of Christmas Giveaway with Tracie Miles

On the third day of Christmas…

We have Tracie Miles!

But, before I give the keyboard over to her, let me remind you that you may comment on each day’s post to be put in the drawing for that particular prize.

Then, one gal who comments on all 12 posts will win the grand prize. (You can scroll down below to day one to see it.)

You may comment on any post until midnight EST, Sunday December 11th.

All winners announced Monday, December 12th.

Oh, and I just had to show you the scene out my kitchen window this morning.

SNOW DAY!

For all my kids, homeschooled and public. :-)

We’re gonna  decorate the tree.

Good thing we got one yesterday before the storm hit.

Now, meet my friend Tracie Miles.

Tracie has been called a ‘Christmas-aholic” by her friends and family for years, because she loves the Christmas season!

Her holiday spirit is always contagious to her husband Michael, and her three children, Morgan, Kaitlyn and little Michael. They are excited about spending the next month celebrating family, and the birth of Christ, through all their holiday traditions.

Be sure to visit Tracie’s blog to sign up for her Christmas series which kicks off tomorrow, called “The Reel Side of Christmas” . This series will highlight movie clips from old and modern popular Christmas movies, and focus on the spiritual lessons tucked within these movies that we can share with our families.

Tracie’s memory:

When I was a little girl, I always looked forward to going to my Grandmother’s house at Christmas.  Every December, my family would drive several hours to reach her home which was nestled in the cornfields of North Carolina, to spend time with our aunts, uncles and cousins that we didn’t get to see very often.

Even though seeing family was the priority, there was something else that we eagerly anticipated  – all the delicious treats that we knew she would have waiting for us!  Grandma Josephine would have delicious goodies perched all over the kitchen and den, including all sorts of cookies, homemade candies, fudge, lady fingers and cheese straws.

One of her specialties was chocolate cake made from scratch, including the fudge icing, which is a recipe that none of us have ever mastered.   But despite all the food and desserts available at our fingertips, there was one special beverage that topped the ‘must have’ list,  called Russian Tea.

To this day, my Christmas is not complete without cooking up a big pot of this Russian Tea and indulging in my favorite hot beverage. The smell of cinnamon, cloves, and oranges that permeate the house when it is stewing on the stove, make the whole house feel like a warm, cozy old fashioned Normal Rockwell moment.

So today, I want to share that recipe with you, right out of Josephine’s hand typed family cookbook, which she titled At Jo’s from Five to Nine. This simple little spiral cookbook has become a treasured possession since my Grandmother’s passing, and her love of cooking continues to live on through me and my family. It is packed with yummy recipes, but below is the recipe for her Russian Tea.

Russian tea

Water

2 sticks cinnamon

2 tbsp whole cloves

5 small tea bags

1 Can frozen lemonade

1 Can frozen orange juice

1 can frozen apple juice

½ can frozen pineapple juice (optional)

1 ¾ cups sugar

In large pot, pour in 8 cups of water, cinnamon sticks, cloves and tea bags. Bring to a boil and steep 3 minutes. In another pot, pour in 8 more cups of water, all 4 frozen juices, and sugar.  Bring to a boil, stirring to make sure all juice concentrates are dissolved. Pour the mixture from the first pot into the second pot through a strainer. Serve hot, and enjoy!

Tracie’s giveaway

Leave a comment with your favorite winter-time drink and you might win the following from Tracie:

~ A holiday coffee mug

~ Two recipe cards (one for this recipe and one for Josephine’s homemade hot cocoa mix)

~A book about embracing the Spirit of Christmas through helping others, called If You’re Missing Baby Jesus, which you can read to your family around the Christmas tree as you are sipping your Russian Tea!

~A $5 Starbucks card so you can sip something yummy while you are out Christmas shopping

Okay, what is your favorite thing to sip on at Christmastime?

527 Comments

  1. Actually, any time of year I just love plain old hot Lipton tea with lots of sugar but I recently discovered non-alcoholic white grape juice and like it so much I drink it as a treat.

  2. This recipe sounds delish! I am going to have to try it. I love to drink tea on cold winter days. I especially love apple cinnamon and orange spice.

  3. I thought I posted yesterday and was checking to make sure so I had all 12 days and don’t see my post, please excuse if duplicate, my fav drink is hot choc or coffee with peppermint creamer.

  4. I have always enjoyed Russian Tea too, but my recipe is a bit different! I am looking forward to trying a new version!

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