The Tradition of wassail

12/21/2018

It’s the time of year that you’re likely to hear songs of people proclaiming “here we come a-wassailing”, but if you aren’t sure what that means, we’re here to help.

Wassail is a hot, mulled cider drink whose name comes from the Anglo-Saxon phrase “waes hael” which means “good health”. Getting your hands on this beverage was the goal of “wassailing”, which was an English tradition that dates back to the 1600’s.

During wassailing, the less fortunate would travel the streets while singing songs of good cheer and good fortune in the hopes that someone would open up their home to them momentarily for a bite of food, warmth from their hearth, or a hot drink of wassail from their large, silver communal wassail bowl.

Traditional wassail was made of:
• mulled ale
• curdled cream
• roasted apples
• eggs
• cloves
• ginger
• nutmeg
• sugar

Most modern recipes include (but can vary quite a bit):
• apple cider
• orange juice
• pineapple juice
• lemon juice
• brown sugar
• cinnamon
• ginger
• cloves
• optional alcohol (brandy, sherry, whiskey, rum)

The modern version of the drink is typically warmed in a crockpot and shared among guests at holiday gatherings, mimicking the large wassail bowls of old but keeping the same spirit of generosity.

SOURCES
https://www.whychristmas.com/customs/wassailing.shtml
http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Holiday06/wassail.cfm

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Amanda is a mother of three (10, 7, and 5) and has been married for 14 years. My weight loss journey started July 17, 2008, one day after my daughter's first birthday. Tipping the scales at 235 pounds at 5'3, being an over weight, over tired, out of shape role model no longer appealed to me and I knew it was time for a change. Three pregnancies later, I had lost a total of 105 pounds. I had run 2 marathons and dozens of half marathons. Something was missing. I was thin, but I wasn't fit. I wasn't healthy. I could feel it in my insides. I was 136 pounds and a size 8. Something didn't add up. I got my certification in personal training, nutrition, weight management, and dove into supplementation and whole foods. 90 days later, I gained 10 pounds and lost two pants sizes (8 to a 4).

Continuing on this path, all of my clients wanted to know how I was doing it. I always dreamed of creating a business that truly added value to people and improved their health. My husband, Grant, and I decided it was time to take that leap.

December 9, 2016, Simply Prepped Meals was born. Based around the mission of providing whole food based nutrition to people's doorsteps, we set out to create a new idea that fast food didn't have to be expensive or bad for you. Six months later, we built our permanent location in Cynthiana, IN. Then, January 2, 2018, we entered into a partnership with the YMCA of Southern Indiana to continue spreading the word of meal prep and eating with purpose.

Amanda coaches individually as well as continues to drive their business. Any questions about personal coaching can be directed to her at amanda@simplypreppedmeals.com

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