Hot Apple Cranberry Cider

Some people call it wassail, some call it cider.  Some purists don't consider it a cider because of the added cranberry juice.  Whatever you may call it, it is sure to make your house smell like "HOME".  I love to serve this with appetizer and dinner parties starting as soon as the weather changes from warm and sunny to cold and rainy!  Just be sure to stock up on to-go cups or send extras home in an old fashioned Mason Jar! 


Ingredients:
2 cans frozen cranberry juice or 1 large container of cranberry juice 
1 gallon apple cider
1 orange sliced into 8 rings
1 lemon sliced into 4 rings

Spice packet: 
6 whole cloves
12 whole allspice cloves
3 cinnamon sticks

Place ingredients in crockpot for at least 4 hours before you plan on serving it. Place 4 orange rings, 2 lemon slices, and spice packet into cider while preparing drink. 

Remove orange slices and lemon slices and replace them with fresh fruit rings right before you serve it. That way it tastes so good, but the fruit isn't falling apart.

{You may want to throw your orange and lemon slices down the garbage disposal...for an extra zesty citrusy smell in your kitchen!}

For gift giving:  I stamped a spice bag with brown food coloring paste.  Let it dry and add your spices.

Place your cider, cranberry juice, orange, lemon and spice bag in a white bag with pumpkin-colored tissue paper for a great hostess gift!  A brown paper bag with newspaper used as tissue paper is also a fun change of pace for a bit of shabby chic!

What would you use spice bags for?

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