It's the Week Before Xmas!

That's right!! Last chance for holiday shopping and party preparation. I'm so not ready.

So in celebration of my unpreparedness, we'll be doing 5 days of holiday cocktails!! Today's theme is Traditional Drinks.Here are a few fabulous recipes for classic cocktails you can serve up at your festivus get-together:

Candy Cane

-3/4 oz peppermint schnapps

-3/4 oz creme de cacao

-1/4 oz grenadine syrup

-half-and-half

-7-Up® soda

Directions

In highball glass filled with ice, combine peppermint schnapps, white creme de cacao & grenadine. Fill glass with half-and-half. Top with 7-up. Garnish with a small candycane or filbert nuts. Great for the Holidays!

Cranberry Bog

-4 ounces champagne

-1 ounce cranberry juice

-Whole cranberries, for garnish

-Mint leaves, for garnish

Directions

Combine champagne and cranberry juice in a champagne flute. Drop a few whole cranberries in the glass and garnish with mint leaves.

Hard Cider Punch

-1 cup hot water

-1/4 cup granulated sugar

-1/4 cup finely chopped fresh ginger

-7 whole cloves

-1 stick cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

-1 quart hard cider

-1/2 cup applejack

-1/2 cup brandy

-8 slices Gala, Braeburn, or Red Delicious apple

Directions

Place the hot water in a small stainless steel saucepan and add the sugar, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg to the pan. Bring to a boil, place a lid over the saucepan and reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer until the flavors have married, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a non-reactive bowl and allow to cool. Once cool, add the cider, applejack and brandy to the bowl. Stir to mix well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and up to 5 days. Serve in a small punch bowl with an ice mold, if desired, and garnish each glass with an apple slice.

White Chocolate Eggnog

-1 quart eggnog

-1/2 cup white rum (recommended: Myer's Platinum)

-1/2 cup white chocolate liqueur

-1 cup whipped topping

-Grated white chocolate, for garnish

-Pumpkin pie spice, for garnish

Directions

In a punch bowl, combine the egg nog, rum, and white chocolate liqueur. When you are ready to serve, whisk the egg nog to make it frothy and pour the mixture into cups. Place 1 heaping tablespoon of the whipped topping into each cup. Garnish each with the grated white chocolate and a sprinkling of pumpkin pie spice.

Hot Buttered Rum

-2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

-1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

-1/4 cup honey

-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

-Pinch salt

-3/4 cup spiced rum

-2 cups boiling water

-4 sticks cinnamon, for garnish

Directions

Using an electric mixer, beat the brown sugar, butter, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl until blended and smooth. Transfer the mixture to a 4-cup (or larger) measuring cup. Add the rum and then 2 cups of boiling water. Stir until the butter mixture dissolves. Divide the buttered rum among 4 mugs. Garnish with the cinnamon sticks and serve.