Beat the egg yolks together with the sugar until pale and very runny

put the milk and cream in a saucepan

whisk in the eggs

stir with a wooden spoon over medium-low heat, about 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to thicken up

be sure to scrape across the bottom of the pot while you're stirring to keep the milk and eggs from sticking while they thicken up

after 10 minutes or so your eggnog should begin to get thick

get a fresh spoon and taste it, it should feel thickened

if it's not thicker keep cooking

as soon as you feel it's thick remove it from the heat

whisk in the vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and the nutmeg

pour it through a sieve into a bowl to strain out any lumps

if you're adding booze add it now!

fill the sink with cold water and set the bowl in the water for 5-10 minutes to continue cooling

taste and add more spices as needed, remember it will be stronger in taste after cooling

pour into a quart jar, cap it and refrigerate

you can drink it as soon as it's cold but it tastes best after a minimum of 4 hours, even better after 24 hours