Whip up this eggnog at least 2-3 weeks before you plan to sip; it’s quick to make but notoriously messy. I almost made the mess that couldn’t be cleaned up.

National Public Radio (NPR) wanted proof that it was safe, so they got some scientists to test the recipe. These scientists added Salmonella bacteria to the nog and tested it.

Good news! The verdict? The alcohol won. The bacteria couldn’t survive.

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Eggnog Recipe Made with Real Eggs

Course beverage

Cuisine British

Keyword eggnog, toddy

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Servings 20 servings

Calories 498kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1 quart heavy cream
• 1 quart light cream
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 pint bourbon
• 1 quart rum
• 3 cups of sugar or to taste rum & bourbon can bite
• Fresh grated nutmeg to taste
• cinnamon sticks to stir

Instructions

• Using a very large metal or glass bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer or a stand mixer until it forms peaks, 4-5 minutes or maybe longer. This will go faster if you chill the bowl and the mixer blades. The bowl must be twice as large as the amount of cream. Be careful not to over-beat or you will have made butter. Set beaten cream aside.
• Beat eggs with egg beater and so very slowly add the bourbon and rum, stirring the entire time to avoid “precipitation of egg proteins.”
• In a LARGE bowl (at least 5 quarts) stir together the beaten heavy cream and the egg-liquor mixture stirring with a whisk. Whisk in the light cream slowly, stirring the entire time. Whisk or stir in sugar. Grate fresh nutmeg on top and stir in. I used not quite a teaspoon.
• Store in the refrigerator for the first night with the lid slightly ajar. After that you can put the lid on the jar. Wait 2-3 weeks before serving.
• Grate fresh nutmeg on top of each glass of nog before serving. Bon appetite

Notes

This recipe is from Dr. Rebecca Lancefield, a microbiologist (1895-1991), who worked at Rockefeller University. Each year, she would brew up a batch of her eggnog just after Thanksgiving for the Christmas season. Forty years later, scientists in her lab are still brewing up her wonderful concoction.

Is it safe to drink eggnog made with raw eggs? Yes, given time and alcohol.

Scientists were enlisted to test the recipe. The researchers spiked the nog with Salmonella and waited. The verdict? The alcohol won. The bacteria couldn’t survive.

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal

Eggnog is the perfect holiday toddy

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay 

Quiet rentals for traveling nurses & professionals in eastern North Carolina 252-792-8787

Looking for extended stay lodging in Eastern North Carolina? Big Mill Extended Stay offers quiet, fully furnished rentals ideal for traveling nurses, medical professionals, contractors, and guests relocating to the area. Our accommodations provide comfort, privacy, and Southern hospitality – perfect for short-term or long-term stays. We also have three RV rental spaces.

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Cranberry Almond Biscotti

The biscotti will keep for several weeks if stored in an airtight container.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword cranberry almond biscotti, cranberry almond biscotti recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings 36 Biscotti

Calories 95kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 2½- cups all-purpose flour
• 1¼- cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 large eggs if mixture is too dry you may need to add another egg
• 2 large egg yolks reserve the egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring
• 1 teaspoon almond flavoring
• 1½ cup slivered almonds reserve ¼ cup
• Zest of one lemon or lime
• 1/2 cup sweetened, dried cranberries like Craisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Grease a large, heavy cookie sheet.
• Mix flour, sugar and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. In another large bowl mix eggs and egg yolks together. Add vanilla, almond flavoring, 1 ¼ cup of the nuts, cranberries, and the zest to the eggs.
• Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet mixture, stirring until just barely blended. You will have to use your hands and perhaps add another egg or you can use some of the reserved egg whites if the mixture is too sticky to form.
• Using greased hands, form dough into three 4-inch by 9-inch (or thereabouts) rolls that are 2 inches thick. Mixture will be sticky and you will have to use your hands. Using a greased spatula, gently place the “rolls” on greased cookie sheet, making sure the rolls are several inches apart.
• Press reserved almonds on top of the shaped dough.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until the dough will hold together. Remove from oven and cool slightly. (You must not cool the biscotti too much because they will get too hard to cut). When cooled slightly, gently slide the rolls to a floured cutting board and gently cut through each roll at an angle into 1½- inch pieces. Turn each piece on its side and place on the cookie sheet.
• Bake again for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and turn each piece onto another side. If you prefer harder biscotti, turn biscotti and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 95kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 60mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.7mg

Serving suggestions: Serve with morning coffee for dunking or with afternoon tea. I sometimes just serve them by themselves for a pick me up.

These wonderful “cookies” look like they are difficult to make – but they are really quite easy. Just smile and say, “Thank you – it was nothing!”

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A great way to welcome fall and the chill in the air is to make up some hot, spicy cider. If you live where apples are grown, then you can use fresh-pressed cider.

The rest of us can pick up some great cider in the store and create our own brewing spices. North Carolina apples are the best – I see a road trip coming! 

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Hot Spiced Mulled Cider

Warm mulled cider is a great way to please a crowd on chilly days. This easy-to-make brew can be made ahead and doesn't cost much.

Course beverage

Cuisine American

Keyword apple cider recipe, hot cider, mulled cider

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 88kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 1 orange washed & sliced
• 7 8 cloves whole
• 2 quarts cider Apple
• ¼ cup brown sugar light brown sugar
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger ground
• ½ lemon washed and sliced
• Brandy optional

Instructions

• Stick the cloves into the orange and then slice the orange. Combine the clove-orange pieces, cider, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and lemon slices. Simmer in a large pot over low heat for at least thirty minutes. A crock-pot works great for this. Serve hot.
• A splash of brandy can be added to each cup for an added kick. Garnish with a dried slice of apple or orange or a star anise.

Notes

This cider can be made ahead of time. If you do this, remove the cinnamon and citrus before storing. Cook in a crock pot to keep warm all day.

Nutrition

Serving: 8g | Calories: 88kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Sodium: 14mg | Potassium: 220mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 35IU | Vitamin C: 12.3mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 0.6mg

I like to make this recipe for spiced mulled apple cider in the crock pot and let the aroma fill the house. Guests love it. I make the drink even prettier by adding a slice of dried apple or orange.

If you want to add a kick to the cider, just add brandy to the cup — or serve virgin. Either way, it is wonderful.

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Big Mill Bed and Breakfast 252-792-8787

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How to Make Orange Extract

Course Condiments

Cuisine American

Keyword how to make orange extract, orange extract recipe

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 4 organic oranges if possible otherwise, 4 large oranges (bright colors make the extract prettier) *
• 1 cup vodka

Instructions

• Wash the oranges and pat dry.
• Using a citrus twist peeler, make strips of the orange without getting any of the white pith. I use a bartender’s tool called a citrus twist peeler; it is not the same as a zester.
• Place the orange strips into a pretty glass jar and cover with vodka. Shake and let this sit for 4-6 weeks in a dark cabinet. If you put it in the window, the pretty orange color of the strips will begin to fade. You can smell and tell if the extract is ready.
• After about 3-4 months, I strain out the orange "twists." If they remain in the mixture too long, it can become bitter.
• * You can also make lemon extract using lemon "twists." Follow the recipe for Orange Extract, substituting lemons for the oranges.

I love making gifts for friends, especially at the holiday season. This recipe for homemade orange extract is good any time of year. Just having these extracts on display brightens my kitchen.

Be sure to let me know on the Big Mill B&B Facebook page if you tried it and liked it.

Click on PINTEREST button to PIN FOR LATER

Big Mill Bed & Breakfast, Williamston, NC 252-792-8787

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I remember making Christmas decorations when I was a child. we would gather things like cotton bolls, sweet gum balls and pine cones. My mother would work her magic and we made pretty decorations for our tree, and they were all made with what we found here on the farm. 

We dipped sweet gum balls in this wonderful gray paint that was always here. Now that I am grown up I realize that this paint is the roof paint for all the tin roofs here on the farm.

I still love making gifts for my friends, especially for the holidays. And I like getting homemade presents. I have gathered some fun Do-It-Yourself crafts and gifts that you can make for holidays. I hope you enjoy making and giving these unique gifts.

You can find the “how to” for each of these throughout Chloe’s Blog – just click on the image and it will take you to the original post.

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Hover over the image to see the “P” and PIN for later

Hover over the image to see the “P” and PIN for later

Hover over the image to see the “P” and PIN for later

And — If you’re on Pinterest, I’d love it if you’d PIN your favorites from this post to your boards and share these recipes with others. Most of these supplies I found around the farm at Big Mill B&B. Check us out, we would love to see you at Big Mill B&B

Hover over photo and Click the “P” to PIN for Later

Big Mill Bed and Breakfast 252-792-8787

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Honey Glazed Pecans

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword honey glazed pecans, honey roasted pecans

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings 12 servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Chloe Tuttle

Ingredients

• 3 cups shelled pecans
• 3 Tablespoons honey local to you is best
• 1/2 teaspoon salt plus extra for sprinkling

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
• Spray a heavy, rimmed cookie sheet with cooking oil spray. Place pecans on cookie sheet in a single layer.
• Bake pecans for 7 minutes. Watch closely - if nuts are older it will take less time. Remove from oven and put nuts in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add 3 Tablespoons honey and stir to coat pecans.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir again.
• Spray cookie sheet again and put nuts on the sheet in single layer. Bake at 220-250 for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring one time. I may take less time if nuts are old.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with a wee bit of salt. Separate any nuts that have clumped. Cool and store in air tight container. Nuts will keep fresh for at least a week. Perfect hostess gift or for holiday giving.

Nutrition

Calories: 187kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 101mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 0.6mg

At Big Mill B&B Extended Stay, we grow pecans on the same trees that my folks planted in 1922. Often my guests won’t leave without a to-go bag of my pecans.

If you don’t have a pecan tree, then look for a farmer who does have pecans. They are better because they will be this year’s crop.  Our local feed store Martin Supply has a Pecan Cracking Machine that makes the shelling easy. Sadly, they have closed, but I found another pecan cracking place.

Anyway, the other day I was looking at which things from Chloe’s Blog and the website are being pinned to Pinterest.  I was surprised and delighted that my recipe for Honey Roasted and Glazed Pecans is so popular. Especially during the holidays … it’s such an easy way to make guests smile!

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PS: If you’re on Pinterest, check out all of Big Mill’s boards. Follow any you’d like and re-pin to your heart’s content. I love all the gorgeous photos!

We grow these pecans here on the farm at Big Mill Bed & Breakfast Extended Stay in Williamston, NC. Tel. 252-792-8787