Winter Solstice Craftbrunch

The winter holidays often feel like a blur, one minute it’s Halloween and then suddenly it’s January and while every moment has felt busy, you aren’t quite sure what you even accomplished. I started hosting “craftbrunches” years ago to slow down and connect with friends and family. The premise is simple,  everyone brings a simple dish and works on a seasonal craft together while laughing and gossiping. It’s a daytime event which feels easier to schedule when every evening is packed with holiday parties and pageants. Including a simple kids craft keeps the littles occupied while the moms catch up. A Winter Solstice craftbrunch is a perfect respite from the chaos of the season, connecting us with nature and with friends. 

The Winter Solstice is the day that the earth is tilted the furthest away from the sun and consequently has more hours of darkness and less hours of light then any other day of the year. Every day after the Winter Solstice there is gradually a little more light until the Summer Solstice. Ancient people thought that the sun was dying and being reborn on this day. The Winter Solstice most often falls on December 21st and has long been a day of celebration. In fact, it was a whole season of celebration in ancient times. Remember that when planning your own celebration, the day isn’t as important as the company! 

Start your gathering by bundling up and heading outside for a nature walk. Give the children vessels for collecting nature treasures: berries, nuts, interesting sticks, whatever grabs their attention. Adults can take clippers and baskets to collect greenery. Wander through the woods together stopping to examine anything that catches your eye– tracks in the snow, pieces of lichen, or a beautiful icicle. Take your time! The woods in winter feel different. Look for the tiny new buds on the bare trees, nature’s promise that the light will return in the spring. After everyone has suitably explored and materials have been gathered, head back inside to warm up and make some winter wreaths.    

Warm up with Rock & Rye hot toddies for the grownups and cocoa for the kids. (Make cocoa in a crockpot so it’s ready for you as soon as you come back) Dig into the food everyone brought, set the kids up making simple nature ornaments and then get to the business of making wreaths. There are a million ways to make a wreath– using a grapevine form (or making one from vines) is an easy starting place. Use florist’s wire and hot glue to attach your greenery and nature treasures to the form. The whole wreath can be covered or just a part of it. Use whatever is available to you- pinecones, crystals, even dried flowers or mushrooms. Bringing evergreens indoors is an ancient tradition that substantially pre-dates the tradition of the Christmas tree. Greens have been seen as a symbol of hope and good luck that will carry over into the next year. There is something magical about these plants that continue to thrive when everything else has died, and for many cultures they represent life and rebirth.   

Enjoy your time together– from the frosty rambling walk to the cozy chats indoors. Make a wreath or don’t, but celebrate the season either way.       

Rock & Rye Hot Toddy

A warm drink is in order after a winter walk through the woods. A toddy is the perfect combination of brunch day drinking and “I have to keep an eye on the kids.” It’s just enough to warm you up and Rock & Rye is an old fashioned cold remedy to cure the inevitable winter sniffles. It’s an infused rye with rock candy (the rock) and various herbs and spices. Like most recipes of this era, everyone has their own spin on the classic, but horehound is a key ingredient. Horehound is an herb that is traditionally made into syrups, teas, and  lozenges as a cough and cold remedy. “At a 1952 conference of the Common Cold Foundation, a prominent Johns Hopkins virologist, Dr. Thomas G. Ward, was asked what medicine could do against the stubborn rhinovirus. “Personally, my favorite treatment is old Maryland Rock and Rye,” he replied.” Whether or not it cures your cold, this toddy will warm you up and help you toast the Solstice!

Ingredients (for each drink):

• 2 oz. Rock & Rye (recipe follows)
• Cinnamon stick
• Orange or grapefruit slice
• Your favorite neutral tea (I like roasted dandelion or chai, don’t use anything too fruity or strong so that the Rock & Rye can shine)
• Boiling water
• Rock Candy or yellow rock sugar for garnish (yellow rock sugar is naturally crystallized sugar made from unprocessed sugar cane. It has a yellow tinge to it and is often used in Asian cooking.) 

Method:

Pour Rock & Rye, tea, cinnamon stick, and citrus into a mug and fill with boiling water. 

Garnish with a rock candy, yellow rock sugar or honey.

Enjoy!

Rock & Rye:

Ingredients: 

• 1 bottle of rye
• handful orange slices
• handful lemon slices
• a string of rock candy– 6 inches or so
• a pinch of whole cloves
• a cinnamon stick
• 1-2 TBS dried horehound (if you can’t find the herb look for horehound candies that use real horehound)

Method:

Pour everything into a pitcher and steep for at least two days or until the sugar has dissolved completely. I prefer to steep for a several weeks, but in a pinch, a few days will do.

Strain and use.

Crockpot Hot Cocoa

Making hot cocoa in a huge batch in a crockpot is a lifesaver this time of year. You dump everything in, turn it on and forget about it. I make it vegan for myself and dairy- full for the kids. This makes 4-6 cups, double or even triple depending on your crowd.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups milk (or lactose free or oat milk)
• 1 cup heavy cream (or coconut cream)
• whipped cream, marshmallows, candycanes etc for serving (optional)

Method:

Put everything except the garnishes into your crockpot and whisk until well combined.

Set to low for two hours.

Keep on warm until serving.