Locking up the liquor cabinet

I know, just as I opened it, too! Well, it's only temporary. I'll be back and posting around the 29th. I have a good reason. I'm a Penguins fan, but the reason I got into hockey in the first place is my wife L'Ailee, who loves the Detroit Red Wings. (To answer the inevitable questions: Yes, we're both women. I'm bi. I meant every last word I said about Bill Guerin's doability and Sidney Crosby's back porch...and wouldn't those be good names for cocktails? Yes, the last two Stanley Cup Finals were kinda hard on us, but we got over it.)

Anyway. We usually go home to my family in Florida around Christmas, but we decided we'd really rather, you know, enjoy our money, vacation time, and each other. (Since you probably have plenty family drama of your own and use hockey and/or cocktails as a means to escape, I won't bore you with mine.) We live in NYC. We hit on the idea of seeing our teams play in their home arenas. So we're leaving for Pittsburgh on Sunday night, if the weather allows it. I'm sure Monday morning, at least, will be go.

Our schedule is New Jersey Devils at Pittsburgh, go to Detroit, Chicago Blackhawks at Detroit, Christmas Day at *her* family's house for once in Ontario, Columbus Blue Jackets at Detroit, go back to Pittsburgh, Toronto Maple Leafs at Pittsburgh, then go home. There won't be any cocktailing for me unless I can sneak in an airplane bottle of bourbon to doctor my overpriced Diet Cokes, but that's not really the point of going to the arenas anyway. I feel kinda bad for L'Ailee. Just as she gets to go to Joe Louis for the first time in eons, the Wings are as decimated by injuries as, um, the Penguins were quite recently. Yeah, I know I'm a bad Pens fan for saying that.

I'll be watching the Penguins against the Buffalo Sabres (of course!), but probably won't have time to post a cocktail recipe of my own even if everybody's played out of their minds and the score is 20-0. However, of the ten I've already posted, some might be pretty decent for your own holiday parties. I was told by several of our guests that the Lucky 13 went well with Thanksgiving dinner. I also recommend the Penguins Power Play, the Super Duper Slapshot, and Staal's Shorthanded Breakaway.

I'll leave you with someone else's cocktail recipe. I wish I could be this creative and I'm very glad I'm not this creative, all at once. (What I post are recipes that can be made during commercial or intermission.) I'm finding a way to make this happen at my house, or perhaps L'Ailee's uncle's house. It'll make a real impact at yours. Just get your Stanley Cup Champions cap to protect your hair, your thickest leather gloves, your safety goggles, and, of course, your red hot fireplace poker, then see how to make a Red Hot Ale.

Happy holidays to all y'all, and let's go Pens!!!!