Early Christmas tipple... an ideal distraction from snowy thoughts?

As perverse as it seems in this late summer sun I’m already in full Christmas preparation mode.  I can only explain it as a way of drowning the horrible niggle rattling away in the back of my head.  The niggle which tells me this winter I won’t be going out to spend 5 months up a mountain snowboarding my little heart out... again... THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW!!  

It makes me sad to think about so I keep my mind elsewhere... Now that my holiday is out of the way Christmas at home with my family is the next big distraction – especially with the added bonus of an impending nephew! 

And so, just like last year (although somehow it's SOOO much worse) - Christmas is my get to point.  If I manage December without unintentionally smuggling myself aboard a bus full of departing seasonairres I'll be over the first hurdle.

This might just be the drink I toast myself with when I (fingers crossed) manage to make it through my friends’ en masse desertion – a tasty little beverage if ever there was one... unfortunately it’s mighty quaffable so won’t necessarily last the distance!

Zest the oranges in long wide strips using a potato peeler (ensuring no pith is attached).  Fill a large kilner jar with the zest, spices and vanilla pod then pour over the vodka.  Seal and leave to steep for a week, shaking the jar every day.

After a week of shaking, dissolve the sugar in 500ml boiling water.  Add to the vodka mix and then leave for another week, shaking the jar every day.

After this second week strain into bottles and discard the solids.  This is ideal for gifts – just drop some fresh peel and spices into the bottle before giving.

It will keep for 6 months.  Which coincidentally is long enough to keep me going until March when I'll be off visiting friends in La Plagne for (almost) the whole month...

Spiced arancello:

1L vodka

5 large oranges, zest only

2-3 cardamom pods

1 vanilla pod

1 cinnamon stick

600g sugar

Extra oranges, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and vanilla pods for decoration once bottled.