SANGRIA

HELLO SUMMER.... BRING IT ON!

This bright and tasty Sangria has just the right balance of tart and sweet to make this your go-to summer drink. Sangria can be too sweet sometimes but with the additon of white rum you get the perfect combination of flavors and an extra punch too.

SANGRIA

1 lemon

1 lime

1 orange

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup orange juice

1 bottle dry red wine

1 1/2 cups white rum

Slice lemon, lime, and the orange into thin rounds and put them in a large glass pitcher. Pour in the rum, wine, orange juice, and sugar. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Just before serving, crush the fruit with a wooden spoon and stir.

Serve over ice and garnish with some of the fruit.

Recipe adapted from bespangled.

MICHELADA

It's nice having your nails done right behind a Mexican Restaurant and Bar. It's even nicer when your manicurist keeps the owners nails looking pretty in exchange for cocktails, and they deliver!

A couple of weeks ago I had my usual Margarita and she ordered a Michelada. Huh?? She said it was a Bloody Mary with beer instead of vodka! I had a taste. It was one of those moments where your taste buds take a long pause and then go into the happy dance. It really takes a moment to figure out how these flavors come together, but all of a sudden they work.

I came home and googled Michelada. There were so many different versions (who knew they were so popular) but I decided on tomato juice, light colored beer, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. I salted the rim of the glass with a mixture of Kosher salt and chili powder. This is a great, refreshing cocktail and perfect for our warm summer days.

MICHELADA

12 oz. light colored beer

1-3 oz. tomato juice or clamato juice.

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

2-3 dashes of hot sauce

1 lime

Kosher salt

Chili powder ( hot or mild)

Cut a small lime wedge and use it to moisten the rim of a tall beer or cocktail glass. Dip the rim into a small saucer of kosher salt mixed with chili powder.

Fill the glass with ice and add the ingredients to your liking. Pour the beer in last and give it a stir.

COCONUT-CUCUMBER MOJITO

How does your cocktail grow?

We read an article yesterday about cocktail gardens. It talked about the latest trend, mixologists planting cocktail gardens and using them as a living pantry for their favorite concoctions.  Using fruit for sweet drinks and vegetables for juice bases. Using herbs for infusions and edible flowers for garnishes. What a great idea!

A recipe for a Mojito called for cucumber, mint, and lime....all just steps away. That recipe inspired Ron to create this Coconut-Cucumber Mojito and it was great. The cucumber added a light and refreshing flavor that made this cocktail just perfect for a warm summer afternoon.

 This wasn't the first time we grew our cocktails. Check out this fabulous recipe for Kaffir Lime Lemonade here. Or this gorgeous and yummy Blueberry Mint Lemonade drink here. The possibilities in our garden are exciting. I'm thinking fresh vegetable Bloody Mary's, Blood Orange and Mint Mimosas, and Cantaloupe Coolers!


COCONUT-CUCUMBER MOJITO

6 slices cucumber

4 wedges lime

20 mint leaves

2 tablespoon sugar, or 2 oz. agave sweetener

8 oz. coconut juice

8 oz. white or golden rum

Make a simple syrup with the sweetener, 4 oz. coconut juice, and the mint leaves. Chill.

Add lime, cucumber, and ice cubes to a pitcher

Add rum, remaining coconut juice and the simple syrup to pitcher, stir.

Makes 4 cocktails on ice. Garnish with mint and lime.

 

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN MARTINI

                                

Please dear friends.....turn up the volume, press play on the video (be sure to hold cursor on video), kick back and enjoy my spiced pumpkin martini.

Thanks Sharon for the inspiration :)

Happy Halloween.

                                                                    SPICED PUMPKIN MARTINI

1 1/2 ounce Vanilla Vodka
1 ounce Amaretto Liqueur
1 ounce Half and Half
2 TBSP. Pumpkin Butter (Trader Joe's has it during the holidays )
1 dash Pumpkin Spice

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake vigorously (10-15 seconds). Pour into chilled martini glass and garnish with an additional dash of pumpkin pie spice.

Makes 1 drink.

Recipe from www.mylifeasamrs.com




















                 

TOASTED ALMOND

This after dinner drink is one of my favorite desserts. I'm not a big dessert eater but I do like to serve dessert when I entertain. How many times have you been served a great meal and then the dessert is served, it is delicious, but when you get home you are wiped out? That won't happen with this little treat.

It was Father's Day and I spent all day cooking a delicious meal. I just wanted something sweet, but not too heavy to serve for dessert. This was what I made. Quick, easy and to die for tasty. I won't mention any names here, but the guest of honor, (who will never read this because he doesn't know how to use a computer) came into my office the next day and said "Honey, that was a great dinner but what was REALLY good was the dessert". So...that was a great compliment but it made me wonder if next time I skip the 8 hours of cooking and get right to the dessert, all 2 minutes of it.

                                                              TOASTED ALMOND

1 part Kahlua

1 part amaretto

2 parts cream

In a small glass combine the Kahlua, Amaretto and the cream. Drop in a ice cube, give it a swirl and serve.

BLUEBERRY MINT LEMONADE WITH A KICK

This is a great way to get more fruit in your diet. This drink has a cup of fresh blueberries in it. BLUEBERRIES????  Who knew when blended they would turn this beautiful color?

This drink is sure to perk you up on a warm summer day. I know, it's Spring, but I have so many Meyer lemons, my mint is growing like crazy, and I needed to prepare for summer :)


                                                     BLUEBERRY MINT LEMONADE

1 cup of freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
3/4 cup of super fine sugar
4 cups water
1 cup fresh blueberries, stems removed
1/3 cup fresh mint
3/4 cup vodka (optional)

Juice the lemons and transfer the juice to a blender.

Make a simple syrup by bringing 4 cups water to a boil. Add the sugar and stir constantly until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.

Add the blueberries, mint and cooled syrup to the blender. Blend until the mixture turns pink and the mint is finely chopped. Add vodka if desired.

Let the flavors sit for 1 hour and then pour the mixture into a pitcher through a strainer to remove the blueberry skins and mint leaves.

Pour in a glass with some ice cubes and garnish with a mint sprig.

KAFFIR LIME LEMONADE

Mother Nature thinks it's summer. It was 80 degrees yesterday. I started craving one of my favorite summer time drinks. Lemonade. I was sitting in the sun reading the New York Times new cookbook when I came across a recipe for Kaffir Lime Lemonade. I looked around the yard and I had everything I needed just a few steps away.

Kaffir Lime is one of my all time favorite flavors. You grow this tree for the leaves. It is one of the major flavors you taste in Thai food. We planted a tree last year. I used to have to drive out to Indo China Market just to buy these leaves.

The tree looks like this

The leaves look like this

I made a simple syrup of sugar, water and the lime leaves

After it cooled I added fresh lemon juice, club soda, and ice.

And...uh....look at the first picture. The sun was setting so I made it a big girl drink with a splash of vodka.

                                                       KAFFIR LIME LEMONADE

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
10 kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (from about 2 lemons)
2 cups chilled club soda or seltzer
Vodka (optional)

Combine the water, sugar, and the lime leaves in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then refrigerate until cold.

Fill each tumbler with ice and top with 1/4 cup of the lime syrup, 1 TBSP. lemon juice, and 1/4 cup of club soda. Add a splash of vodka if you like and stir.

Makes 8  drinks.