Today’s Musings:

 “Hush, hush, keep it down now, voices carry…” – Aimee Mann

My subconscious, whispering in my ear, played that loop over and over.  How foolish I was to disregard the implications.
I will not be silenced.

Siblings, secreting our history, provide a whitewashed version.
I will not be silenced.

Lovers, patronizingly deciding they know better, advise me not to post it.
I will not be silenced.

Confidants, with murky glimpses of my tale, admonish me for whom I tell.
I will not be silenced.

Childhood memories, keenly recall the consequences of talking back.
I will not be silenced. 

I will speak my truth, I will write my story, I will shout at the top of my lungs, because, finally, whether you choose to believe me or not, I will not be silenced. 

Today’s Recipe:

New Year’s Mulled Wine

• Servings: 6 cups
• Print

I’ve been making mulled wine for years, but my family declared this particular recipe “the best” ever.

Ingredients

• 2 cups apple juice
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 orange, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 24 whole allspice berries
• 12 whole cloves
• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 2 whole star anise pods
• 1 bottle dry red wine

Directions

1. Combine apple juice, sugar, orange, lemon and spices in a medium pot. Simmer until sugar has dissolved and spices have steeped, about 15 minutes. Do not boil.
2. Add wine and heat until hot.
3. Pour through a small sieve into mugs with an orange slice or cinnamon stick in each.