Because 2 days is never enough.

I’m worried about making my gifts in time for the holidays. This is complicated by the fact that much of what I want to make is food-related and can’t be made too far in advance. In order to stave off a panic attack, I’ve started with a few items that are not time sensitive such as herbal tea mixes and mulled wine sachets.

Mindy’s Variation on Mulled Wine
2 cinnamon sticks
1 whole nutmeg
1 handful allspice berries
1/2 orange zest (or 1 handful dried orange peel)
1/2 cup sugar (or sugar to taste)
Magnum of red wine (equivalent of 2 standard bottles)

Mulling Sachet
Fold a piece of cheesecloth in half and cut an 8-inch round. Place the cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and orange into the center and tie with kitchen twine.

Mulled Wine
Add the wine to a saucepan along with the mulling sachet and sugar. Simmer on low heat. Ladle wine into mugs or remove sachet and serve.

These sachets also work well in apple cider (about 1 1/2 liters).