Geno's Hat Trick

"Please notice when you are happy."--Kurt Vonnegut. Also, the tattoo I got on my wrist yesterday.

I wasn't going to post any recipes for a while. I was going to wait. Once again, I just have to jump the gun.

This is a recipe I sat on for a while. I can't take credit for it. My brother invented it and shared it with me on Thanksgiving weekend. What I can take credit for is always having chai-flavored tea bags and vanilla vodka around the house...oh, and the fact that I taught him enough about Penguins hockey that he's perfectly okay with my naming it after Evgeni Malkin, or any player but Jordan Staal. (My SIL said that Staal is, quote, "fine as hell." She's very glad that his face will heal up okay from its meeting with the puck on December 21. So am I.)

Anyway. December 23 found me at Joe Louis, suffering through the Chicago Blackhawks' shutout of the Detroit Red Wings with the only Wings fan I'll ever kiss. Meanwhile, over in Pittsburgh, Malkin was roaring back to life with a vengeance, scoring a hat trick against the Ottawa Senators. Of course. I think it's time to bring this out for him, and perhaps try to fix a couple of them in my hotel room.

Geno's Hat Trick

1 bag Bigelow Vanilla Chai, or other chai-flavored tea
1/4 cup milk, more or less
1 ounce cinnamon schnapps
1 ounce vanilla-flavored vodka
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Use a large coffee mug for this. Steep the tea bag in 8 ounces of very hot water for 3-5 minutes.

When tea is done, take bag out. Slowly stir in milk, then brown sugar, then liquors. Drink warm.

This is good for sipping and contemplating things like our new tattoos, why our timing sucks so badly that we haven't seen either of our favorite teams score even one goal in person this week, whether we are jinxes to our favorite teams, and whether I can put together a warm cocktail that does not involve cinnamon schnapps.

Oh, and it's Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates, and a good weekend to everyone else!