Make Your Own Coffee Syrup Do you have any coffee lovers on your holiday gift list this year? (If not, feel free to go ahead and put me on your list!) This is a cute little idea for making your own flavored coffee syrups that you can use at home to take your morning cup of joe to the next level. If you are making these as a gift I highly recommend making 2-3 flavors. We made vanilla, raspberry, and caramel flavored syrups. For the vanilla syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (the clear kind is much preferred here). For the raspberry syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup fresh raspberries. For the caramel syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup caramel (store bought or make your own). You can add decorative labels or ribbons to these when gifting them. Enjoy!
Fried Pickles + Spicy Dill Pickle Mayo Here's a weird connection for you: fried pickles + love. As I was making these fried pickles the other day I was thinking about the very first time I ate fried pickles. This is often my train of thought when I'm working on something. And I realized that the very first time I had fried pickles was at a bar with Trey. This was before we liked each other. Anyway. Fried Pickles + Spicy Dill Pickle Mayo, makes a basketfull. 1/3 cup cornmeal2/3 cup flour1/4 teaspoon garlic salt1/4 teaspoon cayenne1 jar sliced pickles, drained (reserve the juice) For the dipping sauce:1/4 cup mayo1 tablespoon pickle juice1/4 teaspoon fresh dill, chopped1/4 teaspoon cayennea sprinkle of salt + pepper In a large bowl stir together the pickle batter ingredients (the first four ingredients listed above). Stir together the dipping sauce ingredients and serve chilled beside the warm fried pickles.
Flavored Lemonade Inspiration Elsie and I are starting to plan some spring/summer back-yard parties for this coming season. It's going to be my first summer in my house (just became a first time home-owner this past autumn). We plan to host a few little get togethers, I may build a small fire pit for s'mores. Who knows! We decided to try creating a few different lemonades, gearing up for the season. Grapefruit Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add in 2 cups of grapefruit juice and fresh slices of grapefruit. Strawberry and Basil Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add 2-3 cups of chopped strawberries and a handful of chopped basil. Cucumber Mint Limeade-to a large pitcher of limeade (or lemonade) add one cucumber, thinly sliced, and a handful of chopped mint leaves. Blackberry Lemonade- to a small pitcher of lemonade add 1 cup of slighlty mashed blackbarries. Happy Monday!
We are not Martha Fancy Ice Cubes: 3 Ways As the summer heats up around here we are looking for ways to dress up our iced beverages. Here are three fun ideas for making your own fancy ices cubes; along with serving suggestions. Enjoy! Raspberry Mint ice cubes: to make simply add a fresh min leaf and a raspberry or two to each ice cube before freezing. These are super pretty! You can add any kind of berry or cut fruit that you like. Layered ice cubes: to make pour a layer of juice or other colored liquid into your tray, about 1/3 full. Coffee (or tea) ice cubes: to make simply fill your tray with left over coffee or tea. Have fun coming up with your own frozen favorites. xo.
In search of the perfect wine Can genetic engineering make wine even better? Holding a glass of wine by its stem, careful not to warm the liquid with body heat, you raise it to the light above your head. The bright, clear liquid is the shade of pale straw, informing you of its youth and pure character. You bring your nose to the rim of the glass and lower it in, inhaling deeply. Its aroma is inviting and fresh, full of fruit with strong notes of apple and citrus. As you finish inhaling, you begin to sense the more subtle hints woven into the complex mixture like mango, rose petal and an undertone of lime zest. This is the experience of a 2009 Heggies Eden Valley Riesling. Creating the perfect wine experience is a huge industry in Australia. Each Australian consumes 21.1 L of wine each year, on average. Australia is fourth largest exporter of wines in the world and the 16th biggest wine drinking country. But there is still a lot of uncertainty in the wine making process. Julianna Kadar is a Boston-based journalist.
Sweet Tea Hot Toddy One of our favorite local spots start serving hot cocktails during the colder months of the year. I love a good hot toddy. It's the perfect drink to sip and enjoy good company and chilly weather. Most hot toddy recipes are pretty simple and can be made with ingredients you already have. Sweet Tea Hot Toddy, makes two. Needed: tea of choice (I used a vanilla chamomile. Heat water and when ready steep the tea. Super easy and super comforting.
Garlic Chicken | Playful Cooking I was reading Judith Jones’s “My Life In Food” and she mentioned that her mother banned garlic from the kitchen because it covered the natural smell of the food. Instantly, it got me thinking about my mom’s cooking style and how she uses garlic only when she is preparing meat. As for me, it’s almost like a routine I follow while preparing any savory dish – first smash couple of garlic cloves and then comes the rest of the flavor profile. I didn’t grow up eating ton load of garlic but then, how did I fell in love with garlic? I really don’t have any answer to that. I believe that there is no right or wrong way of cooking. As for today, let’s indulge in garlic and I mean, lots and lots of garlic. What I love the most about this curry is that it’s fuss free, it doesn’t have a long list of ingredients and it cooks fast. It was not a problem for us at all. Something tells me that Judith Jones’s mother might have changed her kitchen rule if she had tasted this garlic chicken. Ingredients Notes
Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes Uhhh yes… why yes, I am posting a “recipe” for a milkshake. Feel free to kick me in the teeth. It’s not that I think you’re too inept to know how to put ice cream scoops and milk in a blender and push “start”… it’s just that I’m not sure you know how to add a few hefty slugs of bourbon. See? Ooooh and I also really enjoyed this (some would say too much) and didn’t want you to go a day without it. Okay… and the third (real) reason is that my last-minute planned cookies were a big fat fail on Tuesday and my teeth are sweet today. And I’ve already done all the other boring-yet-delicious, typical, ! This is my kind of thing. Print Save Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes Yield: 2 shakes Total Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 2 cups vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup cream or half and half 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 2/3 cup pureed pumpkin 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 2-3 ounces of bourbon frosting + sprinkles (or cinnamon sugar) for glasses Directions:
10 Cocktails Inspired by Pop Culture Have you ever wanted to drink just like your favorite book, TV, movie or video game character, or at least drink a cocktail inspired by them? Well, good news. Thanks to the creativity and goofiness of many amateur mixologists, now you can, and here are some of the best cocktails based exclusively on pop culture icons. Special thanks to The Drunken Moogle, which specializes in pop culture cocktails. 1. While the Harry Potter series might be written for kids and young adults, there are enough references to Butterbeer and Firewhiskey that plenty of adult fans were inspired to create their own versions of the drinks. Little Pink Blog has a whole series of Harry Potter cocktails, including drinks inspired by Hermione, Lord Voldemort, Sirius Black, and The Golden Snitch, but the most visually impressive by far is the Goblet of Fire, which contains vodka, blue Curacao, lemonade, Bacardi 151 and a pinch of cinnamon and is served flaming. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Caramel Apple Martini I'm trying to remember the first time I tried a caramel apple martini. I think it was at my 25th birthday party. I had a sip of Rachel's and then promptly got my own. And that's partly why, to me, caramel apple martinis are a party drink. I tried a couple recipes I found online and most seem to suggest a 2:2:1 ratio of sour apple schnapps, butterscotch schnapps and gin or vodka. Caramel Apple Martini, makes two. Needed: 6 ounces sour apple schnapps, 4.5 ounces butterscotch schnapps, 3 ounces gin (or vodka), 1-2 tablespoons caramel, sour apple slices + cinnamon and sugar for garnish. In a martini shaker or mason jar combine half the ingredients with ice, shake and strain into a prepared glass. For garnish I thinly sliced an apple and dipped it in cinnamon/sugar. Make some festive drinks this season and enjoy time with friends and family. xo.
Peppermint White Russian Recipe In our group of friends everyone loves White Russians. We even served them at our wedding! Here's a fun Holiday spin on an old favorite. We're big fans of peppermint over here! Peppermint White Russian, serves one Fill a glass with ice and then combine- 2 parts peppermint schnapps, 2 part Bailey's (the coffee flavored kind), 1 part half and half. The recipe above is mildly minty. Do you have a favorite Holiday cocktail (or mocktail) recipe? In our group of friends everyone loves White Russians. The recipe above is mildly minty.
3 Classic Cocktails Cocktail story: One of my favorite bars in town has a special for classic cocktails on Monday nights. (Yes, I've been out for drinks on a Monday night—judge if you must!) And that was how I tried a Sidecar for the first time (I picked it for it's name—classy!). And loved it! Now it's kind of my go-to drink. But I loved the idea of having a classic cocktail night, so I decided to learn how to make a few of our favorites. Manhattan: This cocktail is very Don Draper. One serving: 2 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters, 3-4 maraschino cherries with a dash or two of their juices too (if you want, no pressure—I like it sweet!). Sidecar: This one is my favorite, and I love this at-home version. One serving: 3/4 ounce triple sec, 3/4 ounce bourbon whiskey, 1/2 ounce sweetened lime juice (make your own or buy one—I used Rose's brand), a small squeaze of lime juice and garnish with a lime wedge. All recipes were adapted from Drinks Mixer and The Bar.
2 Super Simple Sangria Recipes If you've never had Sangria before you are in for a treat. I adore wine but it can be so fun to add seasonal fruits (plus a sweetener). I love how Sangria can be super informal, like fruit punch. This beverage conjures up images of laid back beach days or casual back yard cook outs. Here are are two super simple variations of Sangria that anybody can make and enjoy! Plum and Grape Red Sangria, makes one large pitcher. Needed: 2 bottles of red wine (any kind you prefer), 4 cups juice (I used pomegranate, but you could also use grape or blueberry), 4 sliced plums, 3-4 handfuls sliced grapes and a few cubes of watermelon. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. White Raspberry and Citrus Sangria, makes one large pitcher. Needed: 2 bottles of white wine (any kind you prefer), 3 cups orange juice, 2 sliced oranges, 2-3 handfuls of white raspberries. You can add any kinds of fresh fruits you have one hand, so feel free to experiment.