Happy MMXI

I thought it might be a good idea – and helpful – to post some common cures for a hangover for those of us you who were a little too anxious to welcome 2011. Not that I did some research at 8:30 in the morning because I needed the information….as you know, this is a loosely informative blog and I’m just trying to be as obliging as possible to my dear readers.

I never did understand how sleeping with one leg hanging over the bed was effective…perhaps a good head start to a now very popular destination besides your bed? Regardless of that logic, there are some things that really do help the morning after an evening of debauchery:

• Libations dehydrate the body so drinking plenty of water is essential. Alcohol is a diuretic and your body is doing what it thinks you want it to do, to filter more water out of your blood, so it’s important to replace those fluids. Another explanation for the leg over the bed technique. Do you think it matters which leg?

• The minerals in electrolytes, found in drinks like Gatorade, are useful because they help to keep the body’s chemistry in balance and regulate body fluids. Don’t mix with gin, vodka, or rum, etc… to manage your hangover by “biting the dog that bit you” because this will only delay the inevitable.

• Sleep..no explanation required. You probably won’t feel like doing much of
anything anyway.

• Phran Novelli of KYW1060 suggests making a “tea out of various things from your garden: peppermint leaves soothe your stomach, as does ginger root, which people also use for motion sickness – maybe it’ll help the room stop spinning. Add fennel seeds to calm your insides…boil water, steep the herbs, then add honey to replace some sugars you’ve lost and lemon to refresh your system and make it all taste better.”

Speaking of spirits, we had a delightful New Year’s Eve gathering at the Architect’s house with her parents and some other friends. We enjoyed a drink northern Italians call Prosecco Sporco, which means “Dirty Prosecco.” It is made by mixing Prosecco – a dry, lemony Italian sparkling wine – with a small slug of Campari. The result is a lovely bejeweled red…very tasty and refreshing. We also had the most delicious roasted lamb and a variety of side dishes including sautéed swiss chard…very good.

Foodie made her version of Tiramisu with Mascarpone cheese and HOME-MADE lady fingers (I just opened a package of lady fingers for my version because, as you know, I am good at that). Architect’s mom decorated her lovely chandelier and I just had to take a photo!

Happy New Year all!


Prosecco photo from google images.