Christmas Tree-Hunting Punch

Brew up a batch of this, pour into thermos jugs and insulated cups, hop into the car and drive to the Tree Farm to find your perfect Christmas tree. This will warm you up while you traipse through the rows and rows of trees. When you find the perfect tree, then pour a cup of punch, nibble on some Christmas cookies you also thoughtfully packed (needing nourishment after all that hunting!), and enjoy the scenery. If you're lucky there will be some beautifully falling snowflakes to add to the anticipation. Double or triple the recipe for a crowd--this freezes and thaws nicely for another occasion, too. You can adjust this and make it in the crock-pot too. Count on the Gooseberry Patch ladies to come up with another winner!

• Ready In: 18 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 1 full pot

Ingredients

• 5  cups  unsweetened pineapple juice
• 5  cups  cranberry-apple juice
• 2  cups water
• 2⁄3 cup brown sugar (scant)
• 4  lemon slices
• 4  cinnamon sticks, broken
• 3  teaspoons whole cloves
•  cinnamon stick (for serving)

Directions

1. Pour juices into coffeepot reservoir.
2. Spoon sugar, lemon slices, broken cinny sticks and cloves in basket where coffee-grounds normally go.
3. Brew through a complete cycle.
4. Serve with cinnamon sticks in each cup.
5. HELPFUL HINT --
6. After making this in the coffee machine, please run plain water through (with no grounds), so your next batch of coffee doesn't have a "funny" taste -- just in case you have a coffee afficinado there who would be irritated by such use of his or her machine! :-).