Frozen fruit ice mold - A day or two before the punch is to be served, slice 1 lemon, 1 lime, and 1 orange. Place the fruit slices in a large jello mold or plastic container. Add 1/3 to 1/2 cup marachino cherries. Strawberries can be also br added, if desired. Carefully add water to the mold, allowing space for expansion. Place in the freezer. When it's frozen solid, the ice mold is ready for your punch bowl. Dip the bottom of the mold in warm water to remove the molded ice.

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• juice of 3 fresh lemons or 6 T. bottled lemon juice
• juice of 1 fresh lime or 2 T. bottled lime juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 quart ginger ale
• 1 small jar red maraschino cherries
• a few green maraschino cherries

Preparation -
A day or two before serving, pour the red maraschino cherries, with the juice, into a jello mold or freezer proof plastic container. Add the the green cherries. Add a small amount of water if necessary to cover the cherries completely. Freeze until you're ready to serve the punch. A few hours before the punch is to be served - combine the cranberries, water and sugar in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Strain the mixture. Let it cool completely, then add the citrus juices. Chill thoroughly. Just before serving, remove the frozen cherry mold from the container or jello mold. Place it in a punch bowl. Add the cranberry citrus juice and the ginger ale. Stir and serve.

On a cold winter's evening, a warm beverage can be a very nice welcome. Fill Christmas mugs for each guest or let everyone serve themselves from a crockpot full of delicious hot chocolate. Use marshmallow snowmen in place of regular marshmallows to melt in the hot chocolate.

• 1/2 gallon apple cider (apple juice is okay too)
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup rum

Preparation -
Simmer the juice, sugar, and cinnamon for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the butter and rum and simmer for another 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Combine the apple cider and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Add the cherry gelatin and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove the cinnamon stick. Pour into a crockpot, set on low, to keep warm for serving.

• 1 gallon fresh apple cider
• 3 cups ginger ale
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 2/3 cup cinnamon heart candies
• cinnamon sticks
• 1 or 2 oranges - sliced crosswise

Preparation -
Set the crockpot on high. Pour the cider, ginger ale and orange juice into the crockpot. Add the ground cloves and cinnamon hearts. Cook on high until the cinnamon hearts are dissolved - about 1-1/2 to 2 hours. Set the crockpot on low and cook for about 1 more hour. To serve - Ladle into glass mugs or Christmas mugs. Place an orange slice (standing on end) and a cinnamon stick in each mug before serving.