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Only available for purchase in most areas during the holiday season, eggnog delights as well as frustrates  people every year. Why should such a rich, creamy, delicious treat be available so rarely? I see no reason to wait for retailers to decide that it is time to indulge! Luckily, for eggnog lovers, it is easy to make at home with simple ingredients and, as usual it tastes even better when you make it yourself! Double bonus!

Now, I must admit that I was not raised on eggnog. I have no timeless family recipe to treasure. My husband loves eggnog, however, and whenever he comes to the grocery store with me this time of year he sneaks a carton of nog into the cart. I thought I’d do something nice for him this time and make it from scratch. I have come to love it as much as he does so I was excited to learn how it was made. After a lot of research I have come to understand that there are different styles of eggnog. There is the “fluffy” kind that is usually made of beaten egg whites that are brought to a fluffy meringue consistency as well as freshly whipped cream that are folded into beaten egg yolk along with milk and flavourings. This kind of eggnog is usually made with alcohol (though not always) and the eggs are of course raw. Then there is the thick rich type of eggnog. This kind is basically just a thin drinkable custard. Now, when I say thin, I mean thin for custard, as far as drinks go, it is very very thick. This kind of eggnog can be made with raw or cooked eggs and some recipes use only yolks while others use whole eggs. It can be made to be alcoholic too but is often served virgin. This is more like the kind sold in those cartons in grocery stores. It is the kind that my husband likes, so it is the kind I learned how to make.

This  eggnog can be prepared with raw or cooked eggs. I like to cook the eggs because I think the end result is thicker and more creamy. You can opt not to cook the eggs and it will still make a very nice eggnog, just be sure to take all the typical precautions when serving raw eggs (Don’t serve to elderly, young children,pregnant women, or people with compromised immune systems). Cooking the eggs will make it safe to serve to anyone. Also this is a non-alcoholic eggnog. You can replace some of the milk in the recipe with rum, bourbon, brandy or any alcohol of your choice, or you can just add a little bit to the finished eggnog before drinking. Try adding some Kahlua, Baily’s Irish cream, or Godiva liqueur to the finished product! Delicious!

This recipe will yield about 6 cups of eggnog. This should be enough to serve 4 to 6 people, depending on how much each person drinks of course.

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You’ve heard it before and you are about to hear it again. Homemade chicken stock is FAR better than canned or boxed. It is fresher and more flavourful, and making it yourself gives you unlimited options as to the flavours and consistency your stock possesses. Every home cook should have stock at hand at all times, and ideally, that stock is homemade. Not only does it taste better and provide you with more options, but there are serious health benefits that come with consuming well made stock. I touch on some of that while explaining the recipe in this article.

Making homemade chicken stock is easy. It does take time, but it is very little work. I never measure the ingredients when making it, as there is no need. For the purposes of this post I will be describing specific amounts, but this is only to be used as a VERY rough guide. Feel free to alter (within reason) the amounts of vegetables and chicken scraps as you desire. The stock will be fantastic regardless. Also keep in mind that vegetables are not even needed. I like my stock to have the added flavour of vegetables, but others might enjoy a more pure chicken flavour. That is perfectly fine! Play with it! Find what works best for you! This recipe is just a good starting point for those who have never made it before and are curious about the process.

Your results will probably vary due to many factors, but this recipe left me with a little over two liters (quarts) of rich flavourful chicken stock.

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Tomato soup is one of the most popular soups in the world. Unfortunately, however, to most people the idea of tomato soup has become synonymous with the factory produced, condensed canned varieties. While condensed, canned soups are convenient, they greatly lack in flavour, and you never really know what is in them, with those cleverly worded ingredient listings featuring things like “spices” or “natural flavours”. Not to mention the questionable ingredients that are often listed such as MSG. By making it yourself you will know what is in it and it will taste far better!

This recipe is not designed to be quick and convenient. It is designed to make great tomato soup. It is meant to be a simple tomato soup that can stand on its own or that can be used as a substitution in recipes that called for a can of tomato soup as an ingredient. This does not mean,  however, that this recipe is designed to mimic the quality of the canned version. It is far more delicious! It will take some time but you will find it well worth it.

This recipe makes four servings.