The Recipe

Back in the day, many, many moons ago, there was a television show called The Waltons. A few, but not many, may remember it, the reasons for which we shall not disclose here 😊. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday so recalling a TV show that aired in 1972 is monumental.

The show featured Ma and Pa Walton and their children, along with Grandma and Grandpa Walton. The three generations lived under the same roof and experienced the joys and hardships of mountain living during the Great Depression. Every episode came full circle by the end of each hour (that life should be so neat and tidy) and ended with everyone in the house telling John Boy “Good night.” Those were simpler times.

The show featured several other characters, my personal favorites being the Baldwin sisters. Miss Emily and Miss Mamie portrayed feisty crones who were rumored to produce moonshine on Waltons Mountain. Their specialty was known as The Recipe. During my extensive taste-testing research, I was surprised to learn there is an actual Recipe:
750 ml tequila; 2 cups of sugar; 3 cups of water; 1 ounce orange extract; and 23 ounces of lemon juice.

I’m not much of a drinker, and the original Recipe doesn’t really appeal to me. However, while in grad school, I created my own Recipe in their honor. My signature cocktail is a winter favorite:
Hot cocoa; Baileys Irish Crème; Kahlua; Butterscotch Schnapps; and whipped cream. (No measuring required.)

I highly recommend this deliciousness. While in school, one mug in front of the fire while reading boring textbooks provided the perfect respite. A second mug resulted in waking up several hours later with the textbook on the floor and a kink in my neck from falling asleep in the chair. All things in moderation.

Fast forward 50 years and imagine my surprise when I see a recipe for “Christmas Cookie Jello Shots” on Facebook. The recipe includes the exact ingredients I used to create my masterpiece, minus the whipped cream. I can’t decide if I should be flattered or sue for copyright infringement (if only I had patented my invention).

Bottoms up! You can thank me later!