The celebration begins in November when we draw names for Secret Santa (a ritual that becomes more and more obnoxiously giddy as one of us will undoubtedly draw their own name forcing us to start over and over again). We’ve tried other ways to exchange gifts with the girls over the years but Secret Santa seems to work best and picking the name is part of the fun.

Come December after a month of trying to guess who has who, we all meet at my house which has become another tradition. Jodi brings her Hot Wine. Never having it before our first Christmas Club 7 years ago, like any tradition that you look forward to, I can’t imagine warming our cockles (Do women have cockles?) without it.

We sip hot wine, eat appetizers and desserts and finally, with much goofiness, we exchange gifts.

Make Hot Wine for Your Hot Mamas
Invite some friends over this holiday season and toast your friendship with some hot wine. Thanks to Jodi, the recipe is as follows:

8 cinnamon sticks		10 whole cloves*
1/2 gal. burgandy (8 cups)		1/3 C brandy
2 C sugar		2 lemons cut in thin slices
4 C water