Highmoon's Ponderings

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHMOON MEDIA PRODUCTIONS LAUNCHES HIGHMOON GAMES

January 6, 2009 (MIAMI BEACH, FL) — Highmoon Media Productions launches today its new division, Highmoon Games, transferring all of its hobby game-related business and products to it, effective immediately.

Highmoon Games will continue to produce and distribute the same excellent gaming products in support of the Open Gaming License as always, as well as expand into new areas, acting as a design studio for other 3rd-party companies, and producing materials for new game systems.

“Highmoon Media Productions was always meant to be an umbrella for various projects,” said owner Daniel M. Perez. “By launching Highmoon Games, we can use the new brand to emphasize our work in the hobby game industry, and let Highmoon Media Productions take its role as the parent company for a variety of endeavors, including The Digital Front and The Gamer Traveler Podcasts.”

You can find Highmoon Games‘ products on RPGNow.com and DriveThruRPG.com, and on the web at www.highmoon-games.com.

ABOUT HIGHMOON GAMES
Highmoon Games is a Miami Beach-based e-publisher of hobby gaming products, including Ancient Adventures Magazine (formerly Targum), and designers of True20 Ancients. Highmoon Games is a division of Highmoon Media Productions, which produces The Gamer Traveler Podcast and The Digital Front Podcast. Learn more about Highmoon Games and Highmoon Media Productions at www.highmoon-games.com & www.highmoonmedia.com.

# # #
Highmoon Media Productions Media Contact
Daniel M. Perez
daniel@highmoonmedia.com

My 3-year-old nephew came to stay with us for a week, and my wife got him a proper bike. We saw his “bike” at home in Orlando, an old tricycle he got when he turned 2, and it was just not working for him; his legs are now too long, so he couldn’t pedal well, making him very frustrated and not wanting to ride at all.

This new bike is the perfect size for him. Though he was fussy when he first got on, he quickly picked it up and a couple of days later, was out riding his bike with his uncle and aunt to the nearby park, a distance of about 1/2 mile round-trip. He doesn’t care for speed; he just wants to ride and see what’s out there. That’s a slow biker-in-the-making, for sure.

Despite many planned things I wanted to write before the end of 08, here I am, already January 5, now writing my first post of 2009.

Better late than never, eh?

Though I will do a Year in Review, I can say one thing about 2008: good riddance. Shoo!

To welcome 2009 and the promise of new and better things, I share with you the secrets of Coquito.

Coquito is Puerto Rico’s own “egg nog”-style drink, except it is tons better. It is customarilly made during the end-of-year holidays, and I am happy I was able to uphold this tradition this year in my house. Now that I have a good recipe that tastes just like the one I remember my grandmother making, I fully intend to make this a recurring tradition in my house as well (I can see this being a great nightcap with a donut during Channukah). Without further ado…

Coquito

This creamy drink might camouflague as egg nog but it is something all its own. The mixture of evaporated and condensed milk with the coconut milk and cinnamon water produces a sweet flavor that is a perfect compliment for the rum that goes along, creating a mildly sweet but deceptively strong drink perfect to share with friends. Make it ahead of time so that it gets very cold, a great refresher for tropical “winter” nights.

Ingredients
Yields 5 cups.

• 1 cup of coconut milk
• 1 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup white rum
• 1 cup of water
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 4 egg yolks, well beaten
• Ground cinnamon for decoration

Instructions

• Toss the cinnamon sticks in the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 2-3 minutes, turn off the heat, then allow to cool to room temperature. Remove the cinnamon sticks.
• Combine all the milks and the rum in a blender or food processor. If you have an immersion blender (motorboat), even better.
• Combine all the other ingredients (except the ground cinnamon) and blend until well-mixed.
• Pour into containers and chill. Puerto Rican tradition has it coquito must be stored in glass bottles, but I have buckled tradition there a few times. I leave it up to you where you store it.
• Serve chilled with ground cinnamon sprinkled on top.

If you want to enhance the coconut flavor, use a bit more coconut milk or use coconut rum. Adding an extra 1/2 cup of condensed milk increases the sweetness, if you like that (and I do). You can also make the cinnamon water ahead of time and chill so that the finalized coquito has less time to go in the fridge before it is ready for drinking and sharing.

I have made coquito following the above steps and also just blending everything together at once with my immersion blender. Both times the coquito has been fantastic, so feel free to try that as well. Lastly, double up all the ingredients to make about 1/2 gallon of coquito, a perfect amount for a small party or to share a few cups with friends. If you’re having a medium to big party, be ready to make 3 or 4 times as much, because coquito goes fast. You’ve been warned.

Many thanks to Visit the Coqui website where I got the recipe for coquito, above.

Enjoy this drink and may you all have a happy new year 2009.

We have decided to extend our $1 Sale until the end of the year.

All our d20/OGL products will be deactivated for the time being while we remove all traces of the d20 license, which expires on Dec. 31, 2008. So if there is something in particular you wanted, your best bet is to get it in the next two days for only $1.00!!!

RPGNow.com: Highmoon Media Productions

Just announced by Mayor Manny Diaz over at the Bike Miami blog are the dates for Bike Miami Days in 2009, not only January, but the first half of the year, all the way through May! In addition, the programs offered in conjunction will also be expanding, and then we get this awesome bit of news:

The tentative dates for Bike Miami Days 2009 include February 8, March 8, April 26 and May 17. We are hoping to bring the event to Little Havana, Wynwood, MiMo, Coconut Grove and other neighborhoods, too!

A big hurrah to Mayor Diaz and his entire team for supporting Bike Miami Days. See you there!

To celebrate the holiday of Channukah, we are holding a fantastic sale on all our products.

From Sunday, Dec. 22 until Monday, Dec. 29,

all products in our catalog are on sale for $1.00!

RPGNow.com: Highmoon Media Productions Page

Have fun this holiday season, whatever you celebrate.