drinks and cocktails

Mango Margarita with Chile Salt and Lime

Frozen cocktails aren’t really my thing. I save my frozen tendencies drinkable with a straw for milkshakes and smoothies.

My idea of a great margarita is to make it strong and put it on the rocks.

That is, until, it’s a Mango Margarita. Then I say make it fruity, a bit limey and add some spice and bring me another.

The first time I had a mango margarita was on a Mexican vacation in the small beach town of Todos Santos (if you haven’t been, you HAVE to go) with my little family of three and my BFF Kim and her husband. We’d rented our other friend’s vacation house (see it here) where we blew up the pool toys and made the very necessary trip to the Mexican market to stock up on essentials: Chips and salsa, Mexican pancake mix (loaded with sugar and insanely delicious,) Nutella, mangos, lime and tequila.

Bienvenidos! Let’s get this party started.

continue to the recipe… about Mango Margarita with Chile Salt and Lime

Beet Lemonade and a Cheese Lover’s Giveaway Plus Friday Faves

Beets. Lemons. Sugar. Combined into one lip-smacking Beet Lemonade. Have I lost my mind? That’s entirely possible, but most likely not due to this drink.

Who came up with this root vegetable meets citrus elixir? It wasn’t me. No, It was the bunch at Wisconsin Cheese who asked me to photograph cocktails and cheese for their latest issue of Grate, Pair, Share.

You thought I just did photo shoots for my own online magazine? Nah, I spread my foodie love around.

But just to be sure, you have read the summer issue of FoodieCrush magazine, right?

I must admit I had my doubts about trying this Beet Lemonade from the get-go. Kind of like my Smudge whenever she spies some foreign looking object on her plate. That would be a new vegetable and you’re going to try it little lady.

I’m a novice juicer on a time schedule so I went the much easier and far less messy route and let my juicer languish in the pantry while I shopped for beet juice at Whole Foods. I dutifully followed their recipe, still skeptical of this unusual combo and then…I was stunned at the taste.

In a good, very, very, very, very good way. Very.

continue to the recipe… about Beet Lemonade and a Cheese Lover’s Giveaway Plus Friday Faves

Roasted Cherry Sangria

Red, ripe and juicy, these cherry bombs are ready to be toasted in this Roasted Cherry Sangria recipe sponsored by my friends at Harry & David.

I’ve been known to enjoy a nice, cold refreshment on a warm summer’s eve. Maybe once, probably twice. Okay, like, definitely more than that.

Back in the day I was a red wine kinda gal. Once I’d graduated from wine coolers, aka college, I discovered my happy spot when I was with friends or family with a freshly opened bottle on the table and glass of red in my hand.

As I’ve gotten older my tastes have changed, thanks mainly to the increased rate of heartburn I somehow have contracted with red wine consumption, and thus I’ve switched over from reds to whites, with a steady lean toward unoaked chardonnays or a fruity and bubblicious Prosecco.

While I certainly love a great sauvingnon blanc in summer—light, fresh and a little more like the wine version of a summertime gin and tonic—it’s not really the type of drink that calls out, “Hey, it’s time to sit by the pool and drink like we eat in the heat.” As in fresh, cold and happily.

That’s what this Roasted Cherry Sangria is for. To make me happy.

continue to the recipe… about Roasted Cherry Sangria

Celebrate with the Bubbly French 75 Cocktail

In December of last year, my husband and I took a quick weekend-er to celebrate our anniversary and get some much needed “us” time in one of our favorite cities, San Francisco.

My dad grew up just outside San Francisco so I spent a lot of time there visiting my grandma every summer. It’s also the scene of the crime, the first time my husband met my dad at the Hyatt Hotel sports bar before my dad and mom took us to a San Francisco 49ers game. At that time I was a college-graduated-sorority-girl-waitress dating a guy with purple hair and pierced ears and who was the lead singer in a punk band. Polar opposite of the preppies I was normally attracted to, and one of the funniest, easy going guys I’d ever met. He was my perfect foil.

After that visit, San Francisco became a spot we’d visit as often as we could. Since having Smudge we haven’t been back for a while and we were due.continue to the recipe… about Celebrate with the Bubbly French 75 Cocktail

Hotel Inspired White Peach Sangria with Harry & David

The weekend started innocently enough. We landed. We checked in. And then, we discovered our gift boxes. And that’s when the party started.

Sweet Riesling, sparklin peach juice, fresh fruit and a few resourceful food bloggers. I smelled Sangria, but we’ll get to that in a minute.

back row: Rebecca, Kristen, Jenna, Lori, me and Bridget front row: Maria, Sandy, Rachel, Jessica, and Amy

This was a weekend of food bloggers on a trip to learn about a storied company. Yeah, you’ve heard about these gigs before. Well, this was my first one. The newbie in “the group.” A little trepidatious and a lot honored at being asked to go. I mean who am I? I’m just someone who likes to tell people about cool recipes and food bloggers. I’m not of “their” echelon.

But guess what? They didn’t have an echelon. They were just real. Live. And lovely. And thanks to our hosts, Harry & David and Sandy and Paul, I figured that out really quickly.

And yes, the sangria didn’t hurt either.

continue to the recipe… about Hotel Inspired White Peach Sangria with Harry & David

Bubbly Champagne Punch

I love my bubbly so when Carson Daly is counting down the final minutes of 2011 as we all wait for the big New Year’s Eve ball to drop, you can bet I’ll have a cold flute of Champagne or Prosecco in my hand, ready to toast in the new year. I may even be making up the 51st language to toast in before I’m done.

When I’m hosting a festive holiday party, I like to offer my celebratory guests something a little more special than the old standbys of wine and beer. Is it just me or have we totally forgone the tradition of cocktails?

2011 did see somewhat of a resurgence of the cocktail glam thanks to shows like Mad Men and Pan Am, but as a host I want to spend time with my guests, not trying to impersonate a mixologist behind the bar.

So come on, lets do this. Let’s make 2012 ‘The Year of the Punch.‘ Yep, I said it, starting a trend, right here, right now.

Why punch? Punches are easy to prepare, lighter on the pocketbook and let your guests know that you put some time and thought into their drinking selection. That you didn’t make that last minute rush to the liquor store for the same old beers and wine.

This champagne punch is one I’ve made for one holiday party or another over the past 10 years (yep, ahead of my time on the trend) and its always been a crowd pleaser.

continue to the recipe… about Bubbly Champagne Punch

Kentucky Derby Inspired Mint Julep Recipes

Like most events, its not always about the event itself, its about the food and the fashion. And nothing says Derby style like the classic Southern Mint Julep and those fantastic hats.

Food first.

Traditionally served at Churchill Downs in a pewter or metal tumbler and often engraved with your pedigreed monogram, the classic Mint Julep is sipped in an oh-so-civilized manner as wild beasts pound past the the be-hatted crowd in a rampant stampede. And that’s just the line for the bar (da-dum-dum).

Since I won’t be joining the elite this year at the Downs (not that I ever have) the following recipes will add a touch of grandeur to my weekend. So look for me with a refreshing minty julep in hand, as I cheer on Cindy Napravnik one of only five women jockeys to ever compete in the Kentucky Derby and who this year riding Pants on Fire (how great is that name!) has a real shot at the roses. My money’s on the ladies this weekend.

photo > Brown Eyed Baker

Chocolate. Bourbon. Nuts. Pie. Is there really anything else to say? Only that I’d have to make one substitution to Michelle at Brown Eyed Baker‘s Chocolate Bourbon Walnut Kentucky Derby Pie recipe: switch out walnuts for pecans to keep the dreaded canker sores at bay.

photo > Jeffrey Morgenthaler

If you have any questions at all about this classic Mint Julep cocktail, this post by bartender, mixologist and Saveur magazine Best Cocktail Blog nominee Jeffrey Morgenthaler will provide the answers. With 3 great videos giving plenty of background and advice, all you’ll need is a jug of smooth brown water, fresh spearmint, a little sweetness and a mighty steed to get your Derby started.

photo > Fake Food Free

Here’s a way to kill two weekend event birds with one ~~stone~~ scone: Get mom in the Derby spirit by baking up a batch of Lori’s Mint Julep Scones from Fake Food Free and add them to your mother’s day brunch. Can’t. Resist. Mint. Sugar sprinkles…

photo > Bunky Cooks

Although this recipe doesn’t follow the mint julep theme, I couldn’t pass up adding it to the mix because, really, who can say no to mornay sauce, bacon and tomatoes all baked into gooey, yummy breadiness? Bunky Cook’s Hot Brown post also gives a true insider’s look at the historic Brown Hotel, it’s kitchen and a how-to cooking video from the Brown’s Chef Géroli. Regardless of whether you use the Hot Brown baking dish or instead opt for the au gratin dish like she does, Bunky Cooks delivers a hearty addition to the Derby menu. And for lighter (?) alternative, check out her panini version.

And now, onto the fashion and more amazing hats.

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