motd Wed Dec 7, 2011 - Eggnog

[Guest guest]

STRAIGHT FROM

THE CARTON

Wednesday, 07 December 2011

One year, I went home to New Orleans to spend

the holidays with my parents, Leonard and Shirley and

my brother, Lenny. While home that Christmas, my

mother told me this story about me when I was just a

baby. Oh, you've gotta hear this.

After my mom shared that

story, it became clear to me,she was the one who got me

hooked on eggnog.

She told me that when I was a baby, she'd add a little

eggnog to my milk before handing me my bottle. Of

course, I got this special treat only during the

holidays. Shirley told me that as I drank my eggnog

flavored milk, I'd have the most content look on my

face and even let out a little giggle as I drank. Mmmm!

So after my mom shared that story with me, it became

very clear to me, she

was the one who

got me hooked on eggnog, all of those years ago!

There was a great local dairy in New Orleans that put

out their own brand of homemade eggnog every year

during the holidays. And, hands down, it was the best

you could get in town! Their eggnog came in these

little quart-sized cartons and looked like, well, a

carton of milk. (Of course, you still buy eggnog in

those same kind of cartons today.) During the

holidays, my parents always kept a coupla cartons of

eggnog in the fridge for when we had company over.

Well, my, my, my. All of that eggnog presented a

little problem. For

me, anyway! Okay, it's confession time. See,

when my parents weren't home, I'd pour myself a big

glass of eggnog then replace what I drank with an

equal part of whole milk. Then I'd put my "doctored"

carton of eggnog back into the fridge. (I know, bad

wasn't I?) But hey, for a while, I got away with it.

That is, until...well, keep reading.

Shirley, this eggnog

isn't bad but it sure doesn't have a lot of eggnog

flavor.

One evening during the holidays, my parent's best

friends stopped by. My mother poured them each a

glass of eggnog, from

one of the cartons I'd added plain milk to.

Well, my mother's friend, Ella Mae, took a sip. When

she did, there was this little look on her face as she

turned to my mother and said, "You know, Shirley,

this eggnog isn't bad but it sure doesn't have a lot

of eggnog flavor."

Well, my mother marched right into the kitchen and

poured herself a glass of eggnog from the same

carton. I can still remember hearing her voice loud

and clear, "Dicky,

you get into this kitchen...now!" Then she had

me taste the eggnog and I said to her, (as

convincingly as I could), "Oh,

mother...this is the most delicious glass of eggnog

I think I've ever had!"

Let me tell you, Shirley didn't fall for that one at all!

(Oh, why did she suspect me!)

I got a stern lecture about my eggnog tricks and my

mother told me that from then on, if I wanted some

eggnog, to just pour myself a glass and put the rest

back into the refrigerator. "No more

mixing regular milk with the eggnog. Do you

understand me, ?!"

But oh my, only a week later, Shirley caught me

drinking eggnog straight

from the carton. I guess that was the last

straw for her because I was banned from

drinking eggnog for the rest of the holiday season.

Oh, my...such a cruel punishment!

50 years later, I still

love that eggnog!

Fast forward and over 50 years later, I still love

that eggnog! But let's face it, eggnog is not the

most nutritious beverage for us to be drinking. Check

out these facts: One half-cup of egg nog, (that's only

four-ounces), contains 200 calories, 9 grams of fat

and 65 grams of cholesterol. Wow!

Can you imagine what 2 servings, three or more means for

those arteries of yours?

In today's more health-conscious times, there're a few

low-calorie versions of eggnog. I tried one once and

you know what? It kinda taste like someone had mixed regular

milk with

the eggnog. Boy, I'm sureElla Mae would have

just hated it!

Love,