Modern Day Thank You Notes

I have a love/hate relationship with the digital age we live in.

I kind of hate that unless your phone is turned completely off anyone can find you at any time. For the record, I never, ever turn my phone off. Not while I have kids out in the world, which is most all the time, but that's not important right now.

But I love when friends send me photos and we can share exactly what we're doing at any given time. It's the modern-day "thinking of you" greeting card.

In December, Lucy and I made vats and vats of Cuban eggnog, or Creme de Vie. I packaged it in the best, most beautiful bottles I could find and made custom tags to attach to them.

We delivered the local ones and I sent them out to friends that don't live in our immediate area code, too.

In this modern age, the "thank you" usually comes electronically (and I'm absolutely fine with that) and many times the gratitude comes with a photo.

Like this one, with the note that read:

"Thank you for the yummy treat and the beautiful bottle too! xoxo"

That's my dear friend, Desi Arnaz Jr. (be still my foolish heart!) sipping some of my famous Creme de Vie. *sigh*

He can keep the bottle. I'll keep the "xoxo."  ;-)

Salud!

I don't know anyone who truly likes egg nog.
And then they try our Cuban Egg Nog and all perception changes.
We call it Creme de Vie. ("creme" rhymes with Auntie M. and "vie" rhymes with More For Me! =D)

Rather than making cookies for gifts, we make and "package" the Creme de Vie. (we also keep a whole lot for ourselves, too.)
Typically we make it for the non-Cuban side of the family.  They seem to like it. Or at least they are very polite about it.
They have not yet asked us to stop, anyway. =D

Here is our super secret family recipe. Guard it with your life!

Creme de Vie (Cuban Egg Nog)
1 can condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
6 egg yolks
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup rum (make it Bacardi for the Cubanness of it)

Mix the sugar and water until the sugar is dissolved over very low heat, stirring constantly - about 3 minutes . It has to be low so the sugar doesn't carmelize, but makes a thick sugary water. Put the egg yolks in a blender and mix with the condensed milk.  Slowly add the evaporated milk and mix completely.  Flavor with the vanilla.  Add the sugar water and finally the rum as a preservative. ;-)

Now that I've told you, I'm going to have to kill you.