Top Shelf Elf and Festive Elf Ears: Signature Holiday Drinks

Let me introduce you to Rocky.  

Rocky is our elf.

Here he is meeting our family for the first time... 2009.

I'm sure you might have your very own Ham, Stanley, Snowy, Cookie or Jingle??  

and if you do...

Friendly reminder:

It's almost time for that little elf helper to reappear.

And just between you and me...

I am not ready for all the elf-keeping.

—although, I may have a special something to

 make us all feel better about the whole elf visit... 

I am almost never ready for the rigors of elf-keeping each year. 

 It's the one little extra something that almost 

falls completely through the cracks.

 And let's be honest...if I must let something fall through

 the cracks during the busiest time of the year, 

it's going to be the elf.

True Confessions:  

Rocky doesn't get nearly the attention he truly deserves.  Nope.

We always start out strong —very strong... 

and we sometimes end strong, but that whole in-between part...

It's pretty much hit or miss and if I am being really, really honest...

—well, it's usually a miss.

With the hustle and bustle of shopping,
 wrapping and decorating...

hosting, baking and Fa, La, La-ing...

Poor Rocky the elf often sits peeking at our family 

from the same eerie perch for sometimes days in a row... 

no more than four days...five tops.

You'd have to ask Rocky directly, he may have a different slant 

on how long he hangs out on the kitchen chandelier...  

I'm pretty sure he stays in the same place 

because it is obviously such a good vantage point...

and he doesn't want to miss a thing. 

 Not. One. Single. Thing.

I get that... and Rocky is just doing his job.

I LOVE all the creative Pinterest elf ideas out there, I really do...Truly!

Some elf ideas are so fun and so elaborate and 

are so never going to happen here in this house...

but I do admire the creativity and all the holiday

 magic those efforts surely create...  

I guess I just don't have the elf-stamina needed
 to successfully see through the whole 29 days or so of the elf visit...

Our elf will never have the life of Jingle Bell,
 Bubbles or Bernard... I'm OK with that too.

So, in the spirit of starting out strong or at least having a BIG finish

with an elf-themed send-off... I give you this:

Elf Ears...

a signature holiday drink for the kiddos in your life

AND

Top Shelf Elf...

for the reward ALL grown-up, elf-caretakers so deserve!!

Top Shelf Elf:

2 ounces White Chocolate Liqueur

1 ounce Peppermint Vodka

2 ounces 2% milk or half and half
(cookies as elf ears for garnish)

Pour over ice, shake and strain into a glass rimmed with festive sprinkles

Top with whipped cream and elf cookie ears.

Kids Elf Ears Drink:

Chocolate milk

1/8 teaspoon peppermint extract if desired

Pour into a glass rimmed with festive sprinkles, 

 add whipped cream and cookie elf ears... Makes a fun breakfast drink!!

I used honey to coat the glass before adding the sprinkles.  

Corn syrup will also work.

To make the elf ears...Use a serrated knife. 

 I used thin Oreos.

They worked perfectly.  

Use a gentle sawing motion to create a clean 

cut and you'll have plenty of elf ears made in no time!!

**Be sure to saw through both cookies, the top and bottom.

Slide the cookie onto the rim of the glass.  

The cream center of the Oreo acts like a glue, holding it in place!!

Let the elf-fun begin!!  
Let this be the year Rocky deserves!!

Cheers to Rocky!! 

Cheers to Fred, Carl, Teddy, Wilbur and 
Allison the elf ...and all the other millions of

elves out there!!

Cheers to all of us doing our best to keep

 the holiday magic alive...even if on an irregular 

every couple of days...or so, kind of schedule.

Gather up your children and your elf friends

 Gingerbread, Alex, Timber, Elfie and Evelyn...
...all dressed in their very best holiday red...
Let's make a toast to holiday magic!!

  May we all start out strong and finish well...let's never mention the in-between!!  

Cheers!!

Milk* and cookies never tasted to magical!!

 Whatever you do...Don't touch the elf...

P.S.

Rocky was thrilled to be included in this blog post... 

He mentioned that he had never done a photo shoot before...

and he thinks he can look beyond

my less than perfect elf-keeping skills... at least for now.

~Karri