Category: drinks

Boozy Dole Whips

delish-boozy-dole-whip-still002-1533300992

As much as I love bourbon and wine, sometimes it is just too hot to consider anything except something cool, fruity & boozy from the blender.  This timely little find from the team at Delish fits the bill perfectly!

Boozy Dole Whip

  • 5 Cups frozen pineapple
  • 3/4 Cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 Cup coconut rum (Mailbu)
  • 1/4 Cup sweetened condensed milk

  • Pineapple slices & Maraschino cherries for garnish

  1. Blend frozen pineapple, coconut milk, rum, and sweetened condensed milk in a blender.
  2. Pour into glasses and garnish each with pineapple and a maraschino cherry.

Boozy Hot Cocoa

Last year the weather reports for California promised the El Niño was coming which was supposed to mean many many opportunities to stay in, warm and dry, and sip on hot drinks.  The weather reports couldn’t have been more wrong!  Instead of rain filling up our reservoirs, lakes, and packing our mountains with snow, it was one of the hottest years on record!  I barely had to wear more than a sweatshirt and my Uggs stayed clean and dry, unworn, in my closet.  Hardly the kind of weather for enjoying hot drinks.

This year the weather reports predicted a La Niña, an unusually dry winter.  Thankfully, once again, the forecasters have been completely wrong.  We are just 3 weeks past the official start of winter and already we’ve had more cold days & nights, more rain than we’ve seen in years, and there’s more to come.  Instead of bone dry reservoirs, we are seeing them refilling to levels of 75-80% of capacity.  Thank you #PineappleExpress!

That also means that I can finally whip out the recipes I have been sitting on for boozy hot cocoa.  Yes!

Mint Cocoa Hot Toddy

  • 1 oz Kahlua
  • 1 oz Peppermint Schnappsmintchocolatetoddy
  • 1 envelope hot cocoa mix
  • 6 oz hot water (or milk, if that’s what pkg calls for)
  • Miniature Marshmallows
  • Chocolate Shavings
  • Cinnamon Stick
  1. Make 6 oz. of hot cocoa in a 10 oz mug.
  2. Add the Kahlua and the Schnapps.
  3. Place 8 or so miniature marshmallows on top.
  4. Grate some chocolate over the marshmallows, and stir with a cinnamon stick.

Toasted Bailey’s Hot Cocoa

  • 3 cups Milk
  • 1/3 cup Half and Halfbroiledbaileyshotchocolate
  • 1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1/2 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
  • Marshmallows
  1. In a small saucepan, add milk and half and half. Turn on medium heat and let mixture warm up. Add chocolate chips.
  2. Let chocolate chips melt in milk mixture, whisking frequently. Once the chocolate has fully combined, add Bailey’s. Stir to combine and transfer to mugs.
  3. Place marshmallows on top of hot chocolate and toast the tops of your marshmallows with your mini-torch. Once your marshmallows are browned and melty it’s time to enjoy!

Chocolate-Orange Hot Chocolate

  • 2/3 cups Milk
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Creamchocolate-orange-hot-chocolate
  • Zest of 1/2 and Orange
  • 2 oz Dark Chocolate chopped
  • 1 oz +/- Warmed Grand Marnier
  1. Heat the milk, cream and orange zest together in a saucepan until simmering then remove from the heat and pour through a sieve into a jug to remove the orange zest. Pour the infused milk mixture back into the pan and add the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate has melted and is really smooth.
  2. Put the pan back on the heat to warm through then add the orange liqueur. Pour into a mug and serve.

If you use Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: things like health articles, my favorite recipes, fun drinks, food facts, nutritional information, restaurant reviews, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a very active page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Green Tea: Good For The Brain & So Much More

Back and forth the news goes seemingly daily with the benefits or risks of one food, drink or other thing we put into our bodies.

Today it’s about green tea.  Most articles say the stomach, brain and the heart all benefit from drinking green tea, but it does so much more!


Looks like it’s well beyond time to make green tea part of the daily routine!

If you’re on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: my favorite recipes, drinks, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

NYE Drinks With a Twist

champagneAre you tired of serving the same champagne cocktails every New Year’s Eve?  I’ll let you in on a secret. I’m tired of drinking them!

Let’s face it, 2016 wasn’t a year that many of us would like to relive.  Between the circus of a Presidential election that has called the United States’ brand of democracy into question, the staggering number of terrorist acts perpetrated worldwide, and the deaths of some of the most beloved entertainers of our time, I think a few unique drinks are exactly what is called for to help give the boot to a year that’s left a rotten taste in most of our mouths.

vodkamartiniA simple and classy option is to stick with a straight forward cocktail served “on-the-rocks” or “up” like a Martini, James Bond style.   If your party is going to be one with low music and quiet conversation this is the type of drink to take it there.

My “Go-To” Martini Recipe

  • Fill cocktail shaker up halfway with ice cubes
  • Skewer 3 Martini Olives and Place in Chilled Martini Glass
  • Using a mister filled with dry Vermouth, give one short spritz over the olives
  • Add 1 + 1/2 to 2 Shots of Quality Vodka (I prefer Grey Goose L’Orange) to the cocktail shaker and give a couple of quick shakes
  • Strain vodka into glass over the skewered olives  enjoy

**Tip – If you like your martini dirty, add a cap of olive juice to the vodka in the cocktail shaker.  You can add (or substitute) pearl onions to your olive skewer if you prefer.

bluemooncosmoIf you want to shake up your boring martini affair and add some life to your party, change your music to something a bit more upbeat and consider serving one (or more) of the following variations:

Blue Moon Cosmo Martini

  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 1 ½ ounces Grey Goose L’Orange vodka, well chilled
  • 1 ounce blue curacao
  • 1 ounce white cranberry juice
  • sugar (optional)
  • Place all in a shaker with ice and shake well.
  • Pour into chilled glass and garnish with a lime slice

**Tip – Dip rim into cranberry juice then sugar.

Pomegranate Cosmo

pom-cosmo

  • 5 strips lemon zest
  • 5 strips orange zest
  • 2 teaspoons sugar (I use Superfine Bakers Sugar)
  • 1 cup crushed ice
  • 2-ounces pomegranate juice
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3-ounces Grey Goose L’Orange Vodka
  • 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, divided

 

  • Place 3 lemon and 3 orange zest strips in a cocktail shaker
  • Sprinkle with sugar and muddle
  • Add crushed ice, pomegranate juice, fresh lemon juice, and vodka
  • Shake well and strain into 2 chilled cocktail glasses
  • Garnish with pomegranate seeds, remaining 2 strips each of lemon and orange zest
  • Serve

**Tip – Dip rim into pomegranate juice then sugar.

If you were the lucky recipient of an Echo Dot or other Alexa voiced Amazon assistant, for a holiday gift, you can source the tunes for your party using Spotify.  You can also stream music from Spotify.com thru your network connected devices, like your home theater or stereo.  My son turned me on to this music source and for a limited time you can subscribe to their premium “Unlimited Streaming” option for .99 for 3 months.

Hopefully these libations and tunes will help us all usher in a more festive 2017!

If you’re on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: my favorite recipes, drinks, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

 

 

 

 

Holiday Gifts For the Cocktail Lover

tistheseasonIt’s the time of year when we all exchange gifts with friends.  If you’re college age to not-yet married or perpetually single and loving it, chances are you and your friends also love getting together for cocktails.

Since we all can likely name our best friends’ go-to drink orders here are a few ideas for inexpensive ways to make sure they can make themselves a “five o’clocker” using the proper tools and vessels to drink them from without breaking the bank.

You can probably figure out gifts for a wine drinker – glasses, a pretty corkscrew, funnychampagne napkins, an aerator, or a decanter.  For a beer drinker there is always the bottle opener, pilsner glass, mason jar glasses, or even (for the guy who hasn’t outgrown college) beer pong supplies/table.

If your gift is going to a margarita or  daiquiri lover:

Is your gift going to a Martini aficionado?

And finally, gifts for lovers of mixed drinks or straight up spirits:

None of the gifts we exchange with friends need to break the bank to show that we care. With a little forethought and a handy 20% coupon for Bed, Bath & Beyond  (you can use 5 per purchase you know) you might even save enough to grab a bottle or two to share with them!

If you’re on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: my favorite recipes, drinks, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Bedtime Red Wine Hot Cocoa

red-wine-cocoaRed wine to ease away the stress and tension from a day filled with kids, husbands, work, traffic, housework, bills, etc., then hot cocoa laced with more read wine to pave the way to bedtime?  Sounds too good to be true, but Scary Mommy says it’s so, so I believe!

Now, if you can keep yourself from chugging the entire bottle down you wino 😉 here is how you make your Bedtime Red Wine Hot Cocoa:

In a small saucepan combine:

  • 3 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 tsp sugar
  • 1/8th tsp salt

According to http://www.scarymommy.com, you are to, “Mix that shit together.”  Then stir in:

  • 2 to 3 TBLS milk
  • 1/4 Cup + a few more TBLS “to taste”
  • 1 tsp vanilla (if desired)
  • 1 cinnamon stick (if desired)

I like my wines to be hearty in body and bold in taste, so I use a Zinfandel, Meritage, Red Blend, Red Table Wine, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah or Petite Syrah.  Simmer until just warm.  You don’t want to cook off the alcohol!  I like to add a tsp of vanilla and a cinnamon stick to the pan while it’s simmering.  Top with some whipped cream and shaved chocolate if you’re feeling fancy.

Here’s another way to make it that’s even more decadent:

  • 3 Cups Dark Chocolate Chunks
  • 1+ ½ Cups Milk (Substitute Half & Half or Cream if desired)
  • 1 Cup Red Wine

red-wine-hot-chocolate-5In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and chocolate chips. Whisking constantly until chocolate is melted into milk and you have a thick and creamy chocolate milk. Pour in red wine and heat until everything is hot. Pour into 2 mugs and top with whipped cream.

You can also add in marshmallows, sprinkle more cocoa powder or cinnamon on top.  The possibilities are only limited by your imagination, how much you love wine, and/or how bad your day was.

If you’re on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to: my favorite recipes, drinks, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Thanksgiving Night Helper

Bon Appétit is always such a lifesaver!

When we are at a loss for how to wow dinner guests, they have just the recipe for us.

glazed-and-lacquered-turkey-overhead-horizontalWhen we’ve agreed to host the feast and  bitten off a more than we could chew , I meant do, they’re there for us with Live (yes! Live) help via Facebook, podcasts we can play again and again, and even via shared tips and tricks on Instagram.

Tonight they seek to come to our rescue yet again, this time with a recipe to help all of us digest the mass amounts of food that we all intend to stuff into our bodies on Thanksgiving day.

Mint, ginger, fennel, and cayenne are known for their digestive properties.

Their recommendation is to have this ready for the morning after, but why suffer all night with a bloated belly?  I would make this the  day before, when you are prepping the rest of your feast, and make a double batch so it’s ready to go before you hit the hay on Thanksgiving night.

Overeater’s Tonic

Makes about 3 cups

  • 3 sprigs mint
  • 1 1½-inch piece turmeric, peeled, thinly sliced
  • 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, thinly slicedovereaters-tonic
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds or aniseed
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoon aromatic bitters
  1. Muddle mint sprigs, turmeric, ginger, fennel seeds, and cayenne in a 4-cup measuring glass until turmeric and ginger are broken up into bits.
  2. Add vinegar, honey, bitters, and 3 cups cold water; stir to dissolve honey.
  3. Chill until very cold, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
  4. Strain.
Per 4 servings: Calories (kcal) 60 Fat (g) 0 Saturated Fat (g) 0 Cholesterol (mg) 0 Carbohydrates (g) 13 Dietary Fiber (g) 0 Total Sugars (g) 8 Protein (g) 0 Sodium (mg) 10

Tip:  Turn this into a spritzer by using club soda instead of water.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

 

Wine Before Bed = Lost Weight

COUNT ME IN!

Marie Claire says it’s true, so who am I to dispute this fantastic piece of scientific weight loss news?  Don’t believe me?  Want to look a gift horse in the mouth?  I’ll share the article with you just as it appeared in the pages of Marie Claire Magazine – no edits, no comments:

Drinking wine before bed helps you lose weight. Seriously. Science says so

Marie ClaireBy Marie Claire February 18, 2016

This is a wine related Public Service Announcement

Kristen Wiig

Dear everyone who thought it appropriate to sneer and cast a judgmental eye over us when we’ve admitted to enjoying a glass or few of wine before bed. You can go firmly back in your boxes, because scientists have discovered that drinking wine late in the evening aids weight loss.

The above paragraph is what music to our ears looks like.

wigwine

via GIPHYCINEMABLEND

Now let’s get scientific with the help from Washington State University and Harvard. In wine there is a chemical called resveratrol which works in the body as a means to stopping fat cells gaining more fat, therefore helping you slim.

And this isn’t one of those incidences when we’re told we can drink wine, but only a thimble mixed with vinegar every other Wednesday, according to scientists, drinking at least two glasses – half a bottle a day can help beat obesity by 70%. There’s no messing around with a number like that, is there?

The reason why coiffing your best glass of Blue Nun in the evening is best, is because the pringles_originalcalories help keep you full and reduce the need to late night snack, which is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to weight gain. *Glances towards Pringles under bed*

To back this up with even more scientific evidence, the University of Denmark found that people who drank everyday had slimmer waistlines compared to their sober lamarca-proseccocounterparts, while Harvard’s weight gain study of 20,000 people revealed that out of all of those that gained a large amount of weight, none of them were drinkers.

Oh science we love you. Now we’re off to celebrate your innovative findings by climbing into bed with a bottle of Prosecco.

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

Apple Cider Sangria

Yesterday I made a batch of spicy apple cider that filled the house with a delicious early fall smell.  Tonight I think I’ll spice things up a bit more by sharing a recipe I have for a large batch cocktail featuring my sweet spicy apple cider.

Fall Apple Cider Sangriaapple-sangria

  • 1 Granny Smith Apple
  • 1 Fuji Apple
  • 1 Golden Delicious Apple
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 Navel Orange
  • 2 Cups Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider
  • 4 Cans Stoli Ginger Beer
  • 1 Bottle Sauvignon Blanc Wine – I prefer one that has peachy/apple/honeysuckle undertones when I am making this Sangria.  One that leans toward the citrus/grapefruit might throw the taste off.
  • 1/4 Cup Cinnamon and 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

cinnamonsugarrimPrepare Serving Glasses:  Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon and pour onto a shallow rimmed plate (like a salad plate); Dip the rim of your serving glass into water and then touch edge of glass into the cinnamon/sugar mixture on the plate; Lightly tap the excess off of each glass and set them aside.

Prepare the Sangria:

  1. Using a Mandolin or other thin slicer (I prefer the OXO 6 Piece Grater Slicer) thinly slice the apples, orange and lemon.
  2. Fill a Large (At least 1 gallon) Pitcher, or Mason Jar with a dispenser with the fruit.
  3. Add apple cider, ginger beer, and Sauvignon Blanc wine.
  4. Stir mixture, pour into the prepared serving glasses and garnish with thin slices of apple on a small skewer if you desire.

TIP:  If you are not a White Wine person, a lot of people aren’t, here are some recommendations for the type of wine you are looking for in this recipe:

Angeline Sauvignon Blanc – About $13 “With graceful aromas of white peach and nectarine, green apple and lemon…”

Low Hanging Fruit Sauvignon Blanc – About $8  “Flavors of honeydew melon, lemon-lime and ripe apple, followed by a refreshing crisp finish.”

Cloud Break Sauvignon Blanc – About $8  “lively flavors of honeydew melon, juicy peach and pear.”

This would be a great light drink to serve while the family is gathering before Thanksgiving dinner is served, an easy picnic or tailgate treat, and would be a really fun poolside treat.

With a 7:30 PM Thursday night USC game two weeks away, I can’t think of a better time to break this recipe out alongside my cider as a bit of a treat on, what may very well be, our first chilly night of the season!

Cheers!

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood

It’s Fall Cider Time!

can-apple-cider-vinegar-help-goutWe are approaching mid-October and still seeing daytime temperatures over 90°F in Southern California.  I’m not a cold weather lover, but I do like to have 4 separate seasons and I do appreciate it greatly when we dip into the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s so I can wear my boots, jeans and sweaters and start cooking hearty soups, stews and sip warm drinks by the fire!

Having spent the weekend sweating and getting a sunburn, it was so exciting to wake up today to a gloomy, overcast morning.  I turned off the air conditioner, opened up all the windows to let the cool outside air in and grabbed a sweatshirt.  Then, even better, I remembered that I have a bowl of apples on the kitchen counter.  It’s Cider Time!

Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider

  • 12 Apples (I use a mixture of Granny Smith and Fuji)
  • 1-2 Navel Oranges
  • 3 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
  • 6-8 Whole Cloves
  • 1+ 1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom (or 2 Pods)
  • 8 Cups Water

Preparation:

  1. Core the Apples
  2. Cut the Apples and Oranges into Quarters
  3. Place Fruit into the Inner Pot of Pressure Cookercider2
  4. Add the Spices
  5. Cover with Water
  6. Close the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for a 10 minute cycle
  7. Quick Release the Pressure and Mash Up the Fruit at the end of the cycle. I use my 3 sided steel meat tenderizer and get after it to make sure the oils from the skin of the apples get agitated and the oils release from the orange skins
  8. Reclose the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for an additional 10 minute cycle.
  9. When cooking is complete, unplug the Pressure Cooker and allow to come back to cider1natural pressure on its own.
  10. Strain cider through a fine mesh sieve (I use the back of a ladle to push as much out of the solids as I can) into a large bowl or pitcher.  You can transfer to a tea kettle on the stove, your crock pot, or a pan to keep warm if you are planning to drink the cider immediately.
  11. Serve with a thin slice of apple or orange and a cinnamon stick if desired.
  12. You can also add cider to bourbon, champagne, or make a fun fall martini with it

Cheers!

If you are on Facebook and are interested in the things I may not devote an entire blog post to, recipes, food facts, nutritional information, photos and other things that make my mouth water, I have a page on Facebook you can visit too:  https://www.facebook.com/ThisGirlLovesHerFood