Mimosa Cocktail

One memorable Sunday morning, we remembered we had a bottle of champagne in the fridge. So I made each of us a Mimosa to go along with some muffins for a late Sunday morning brunch.  Mimosa cocktails are really good when having a group or party for brunch.

Serving size: 8 Mimosa Cocktails

• 1 750 ml bottle chilled champagne or dry sparkling wine
• 3 cups (750 ml) chilled orange juice

Serving size: 1 Mimosa Cocktail

• 1/3 cup chilled champagne or dry sparkling wine
• 1/3 cup chilled orange juice

Directions

1. Fill champagne flutes 1/2 full with chilled sparkling wine. Top with orange juice. 

NOTES:

• I don't mix the champagne and orange juice in a pitcher as I feel it goes flat fast when mixed. So I make them up individually before serving. 
• I don't stir them as again it can make it flat faster
• Keep champagne and orange juice chilled. They don't taste as good warm. 
• If you are serving a large group you can go less on the champagne/sparkling wine, but we prefer the flavor of using equal amounts of orange juice and champagne/sparking wine
• You can add a little splash of Triple Sec or another orange liquor for added orange flavoring. 

Cocktail: Adult Milk Shake

2 cups Chocolate ice cream
3/4 milk
3 oz. coffee liqueur

Using a blender, combine ice cream, milk, and coffee liqueur. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared milkshake glasses.

Serves 2

Variations:
* 1 cup chocolate ice cream & 1 cup coffee ice cream
*  need more chocolate add some chocolate syrup
*  want a little almond flavor add some Amaretto
* Garnish with any of the following: a drizzle of chocolate syrup, whipped cream, a chocolate covered coffee bean, or sprinkle of cocoa powder to make it a little bit more fancy

RECIPE for homemade Coffee Liqueur

Cocktail: Hot Apple Kiss

I made some wassail to sip on Thanksgiving day.  We had some left so I made what I am calling a Hot Apple Kiss based on the cold version here.

Add to mug:
1/2 oz to 1 oz amaretto
1/2 oz to 1 oz.spiced rum

Top with hot apple cider and mix. Garnish with apple or orange slices. 

Cocktail: Toasted Almond

Last December Katie posted 2 recipes for Coffee Liqueur. I made some for gifts Christmas 2012 and I am going to again this year. It did the 3-day method last year and will again this year.  

Our ususual drink for coffee liqueur is a shot or 2 in an old fashioned glass with ice and milk. The first batch I made this year went to a new drink a Toasted Almond. 

1 or 2 shots coffee liqueur
1 shot amaretto almond liqueur
8 oz milk

2 tbsp chocolate syrup (optional)
ice

Mix all together. Serve in an old fashioned glass over ice.

Cleaning a Coffee Grinder

Add a couple tablespoons to a handful of rice into the grinder. Grind the rice into fine particles and it will soak up the oils left from coffee beans, absorb odor and clean out residual grounds. Discard the rice and wipe clean with a dry cloth or use a clean paint brush to brush any left over particles.

Top row of 3 photos: 1) adding rice, 2) grinding rice, and 3) using a brush to clean up the left over particles
Bottom row of 2 photos:  1) Before starting this process, and 2) Clean grinder after using the rice to clean it.

Coffee Liqueur Two Ways

Looking for a quick last minute gift idea or just a way to fill up your liquor cabinet in a frugal manner?  Here is two ways to make coffee liqueur depending on the time you have available:

Coffee Liqueur - 1 Month Method

• 1 Vanilla Bean, split and chopped fine
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Water
• 1/2 Cup Instant Coffee
• 1 1/2 Cups Vodka

Combine the chopped vanilla bean and sugar in a saucepan, add 1 and 1/2 cups water and simmer for 10 minutes.  Combine the instant coffee with 1/2 cup water and stir until dissolved.  Add the dissolved coffee to the sugar syrup and allow to cool.  Add the vodka and let steep in a cool dark place for one month.  Strain the vanilla bean and bottle for gift giving or drinking.

Coffee Liqueur - 3 Day Method

• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 Cups Sugar
• 2 Cups Water
• 1/2 Cup Instant Coffee
• 1 1/2 Cups Vodka

Combine the sugar and 1 and 1/2 cups water in a saucepan, simmer for 10 minutes.  Combine the instant coffee with 1/2 cup water and stir until dissolved.  Add the dissolved coffee to the sugar syrup and allow to cool.  Add the vodka and vanilla extract.  Let flavors marry for three days in a cool dark place.  Bottle for gift giving or drinking.

Lemonade Days

I know I just posted yesterday, but today I found a fantastic recipe I wanted to share!

Lemonade is one of my favorite summertime treats. Whether I make my own or buy it at the store, there is nothing as refreshing as lemonade to me. Here is a recipe I've had for years for lemonade:

* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 1 1/2 cups of water
* 1 tbsp grated lemon peel
* 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)


In a small saucepan, stir together sugar, water and lemon peel. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring and then remove from heat.

Stir in lemon juice.

Add mixture to 9 cups cold water.


Today while reading my Real Simple Magazine, I came across this recipe for Hibiscus Mint Lemonade. Since I grow fresh mint in my garden, and it has grown out of control this summer, I scooted out the back door and picked some to try this with.

Here's the recipe:

4 Hibiscus tea bags (like Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger, which I love!)
2 cups fresh mint leaves (this is a lot of mint, just fyi)
2 cups boiling water
2 1/2 cups lemonade

Steep mint leaves and tea bags in the 2 cups boiling water. Pour into a pitcher, straining out the tea bags and mint leaves. Add lemonade and chill. Serve over ice. Garnish with additional sprigs of mint.

There are other recipes on the Real Simple website as well!

Mid-Winter Treat

We're not used to cold and snow down here in Georgia, and this past week we had our second dousing of snow. Luckily, it didn't last long. Since I don't have a job where calling out because of snow is an option, when I came home I'd made a nice hot treat for everyone that is really simple.

After making a cup of standard hot cocoa, I'd add a small scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream. My favorite is Graeter's which is originally made in my hometown of Cincinnati, OH. It can be purchased now at Kroger Grocery Stores.

I've also tried this with Graeter's Black Cherry Chip and dark chocolate hot cocoa. It is sooooo good!!

Good Southern Sweet Tea

I am not a Southern girl. I was born and raised in the Midwest. For me, iced tea has always been the unsweetened variety. I prefer mine straight up, with lemon, no sweetener added. I had never even heard of Sweet Tea until I moved to the Washington, DC area.

For those of you not familiar with Sweet Tea, the sugar is added when the tea is hot to make sure it completely dissolves. Sweet Tea in the south ranges from lightly sweet to something akin to pancake syrup.

Although I am not a fan of it, my Sir is. And I learned from him and his mother the best way to make Sweet Tea and I wanted to share it with you. One of the big things I learned from Sir's mother was how to take the bitterness out of any brewed tea, sweet or not. The trick is baking soda, which counteracts the natural Tannic Acid in tea. The other trick that makes Sweet Tea better (according to Sir) is brewing it in a enamel pot.

So here's a list of what you need.

• 1 Gallon Pitcher
• 1 Enamel Pot
• 1 Family Size Tea Bag
• 1 1/3 cups of sugar (*this is how much Sir requires, some people want more or less)
• Water & Ice
• Baking Soda

Fill pot with water and add tea bag. Place on burner and heat till boiling.

While water is coming to a boil, place the pitcher in the sink add sugar. Add ice until about 1/2 full. When the water boils, add a pinch of baking soda and immediately turn off the stove, or else your pot will boil over.

Remove the tea bag from the pot and pour the tea into the pitcher and stir, adding cold water until the pitcher is full. Stir the entire time to make sure the sugar is well dissolved.

And that's all it takes!


** as a side note, cooled tea bags are good for puffy eyes.

Friday Favorites

Well, it seems most of us are stuck right in the hot, humid dog days of summer. If you're anything like me (in that you are too cheap to pay for central air), you're probably looking for ways to beat the heat.

Don't sweat it! (get it? sweat it? Ha!) I got you hooked up right here.

First, since I mentioned the dog days of summer, remember your pets out there in their non-removable fur coats. If you are hot, imagine how hot they are. Keep them cool, too! Keep your dog cool and keep your cat cool.

Now for us. Here are some links for soothing DIY summer skin care. Tomato Facials, Make your own rose water, and Make your own refreshing tangerine body spritz.

DIY linen spray to keep your linens summer-time fresh. Creamsicle (!!YUM!) and basic spray.


Home Remedies for Sunburn for when you go outside without planning to stay out there but you get distracted with weeds and flowers and what have you- and end up rather red and sore.

Just some simple tricks to keep your house cool, including jedi mind tricks. ;-)


Awesomely yummy-sounding summer drinks. Honeydew lime?! Watermelon mint!!?! Nom!

Summer drinks aren't complete without good old iced tea and lemonade. Here are some recipes to jazz up your lemonade.

With all these tips, we should be able to keep the AC off all summer! Which is easy for me since I don't even have one. :P

Review of: Wine Intro with Lisa Shea

I am not at all a wine guru. I like what I like, and that's about it. It doesn't have to be pricey, it doesn't have to be a specific type or color, and it doesn't really matter much to me if it is the "appropriate" wine for a specific food. That said, I do very much believe that when you find a good wine and are able to pair it with some great food, you then have a fantastic meal. So in the interest of creating, serving, and completing many a fantastic meal, I have spent time researching the subject of wine.

In doing this I came across a great website that I have found to be an extremely useful tool in learning about wines, in selecting just the appropriate wine for the approriate meal etc. I hope that you all come to enjoy this site as much as I do.

Lisa Shea manages to make you feel at home with her site and doesn't make you feel stupid or uneducated when it comes to wine. She doesn't give you the feel that she is putting down your choices and gives you so much valuable information that you can't help but learn alot even when you set out to only learn a little.

Her site has so much knowledge and information on it that I find I am still learning and exploring her site even after many months of using it as a valuable resource. It's broken down into various bits and you don't feel that you need to spend hours researching to find your answers. You can spend as little as 5 minutes or as long as you desire learning about wines.

I would love to hear back from any of you who start to use her site on what you think of it as well. May you have many a wonderful wine with a great meal!

Wine Intro with Lisa Shea

Book Review: Wine, Food and Friends

Wine, Food and Friends by Karen MacNeil

When I picked up this book, I didn't realize that this author was a host of a PBS show of the same name as the book. I did do a search for the show to see if they carried it on our PBS but it looks like it is a canceled show. I now wish I had read the book earlier as I really enjoyed the book and feel I would have enjoyed the show.

I would give Wine, Food and Friends 4 out of 5 stars. I was looking for a book that had specific recipes and suggesting a wine to go with it. And MacNeil did exactly like that.

The layout of the book is great. It is divided into seasons and then has 6 to 8 themed menus for each season. Such as for Autumn it has these menus: Autumn Light, Homestyle Supper, Asian-style supper, Casual Harvest Dinner, Flavors of Fall, Moroccan Nights and Classic Thanksgiving. At the beginning of each menu she tells you which wines to pair with all or some of the courses and why. The food and recipes she picks are perfect for the season. And all the recipes are from Cooking Light.

She picks very specific wines and even includes images of the label. She has little side bars of tips and little tidbits about the wine. And at the beginning of the book she has general charts about pairing wine with certain foods plus a quick guide where you can look at the chart and see Pinot Noir and see which recipes in the book go with a Pinot Noir.

My main problem with the book is that some of the wines she picks are very pricy and she doesn't offer alternatives. I wish she would have done more wide range. She does do menus with low-cost wines but one of her menus has wines that are $75 and up. And no alternative for other wines in other price ranges. I know I could probably pick a wine that is similar - such as if she recommends a chardonnay out of my price range I could pick another chardonnay but often she has specific reasons why she chose that chardonnay so that might not always work well with the meal just pairing it with another chardonnay. And then another problem is that I not sure I could always find a substitute at all as they are just one of a kind type of wines. But overall the recipes and the pairings are great. And it is a book I would enjoy having on my bookshelf.

Friday Favorites

Just a few links...some of course are Valentine's Day inspired. I know many don't celebrate it and in fact we are very romantic but we don't do a lot on Valentine's as our anniversary is the first of the month. But I am sure we will do something.....even if it is a romantic dinner at home.

So here are a few Valentine inspired links but also a few that can be used all year round or for other celebrations or special occasions....

Light Your Lover's Fire - sensual homemade massage oils

And just a FAQ on massage oils

Champagne and Sparkling Wine Cocktails - so many yummy recipes.

20 Lightened Chocolate Recipes by Cooking Light

Martha Stewart's Making Valentine Cards

Felt Fortune Cookies

Sentimental Valentine's Wheel - Okay this is mostly because I think it might be a cute idea to make something like but with a twist of course...make it more sexy, naughty and kinky!

Friday Favorites

Lisa's Kitchen - After posting yesterdays review of the Moosewood Restaurant cookbook, it made me realize that I hadn't posted this website before. It has a lot of really good recipes for vegetarians. I also look at them for meals for us when we go meatless or some to add as a side dish.

Free Printable Book Plates - We love books around here. And in the past I have lost a few books due to lending. But having a book plate in them helps those you lend them to remember the owner of the book. These are also stylish without being overly girly.

Wine 4 Beginners - I saw this website mentioned by another blogger so checked it out. It is what it says it - Wine 4 Beginners.

Appreciate your Imperfect World - I don't think we shouldn't strive for excellence in everything we do but there are some things here that I know I should remember.

Vintage Sewing Info - Okay this is a wealth of information on vintage sewing. It has many books online that I know I would never get to see in person. And I am sure I could learn a lot from many of these books.

New Years

Doing a few links that might come in handy for New Years Eve and New Years Day...

Martha Stewart's Printable Checklist on How to Stock a Bar (if for some reason it loads to the first slide - it is slide 3 that has the how to to stock a bar check list)

Martha Stewart Holiday Dips and Spreads - most of them look fairly easy to me. Some that I would like to try: Cheese Ball 3 Ways, Blue Cheese and Walnut Spread and Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut

Martha Stewart Quick Appetizer Recipes - just too many to name that I would like to try or that I think are super easy. Some that look very pretty for being quick...so would look pretty on a tray for a party.

Food and Wine's Party Dips - It is a slideshow that goes as soon as you open it. I paused it and went through it at my speed. Quite a few I would love to try and bring to a party...just a few favorites to share...Guacamole with Charred Jalapeño and Scallions, Deviled Egg Spread, Potato Crisps with Chive–Sour Cream Dip and Warm Piquillo and Crab Dip

Food and Wine's Value Champagne

Epicurious has a How to Plan a Cocktail Party - I am linking to the part on setting up the bar. Has an equipment list and just a how to set it up that makes sense for a party.


Martha Stewart's New Years Party Crafts

Friday Favorites

Sesame Chicken - yes another recipe from Sugar Crafter (had one last week on Friday Favorites). I have made Sesame chicken before but this is a slightly different recipe that I want to try. It looks easy.

Pottery Barn's Party Planner- I really like Pottery Barn. I don't buy a lot there because it is out of my budget often. But have gotten some great things on sale. In (online) window shopping I found the party planner. And if this link doesn't work for you, go to potterybarn.com and then search for party planner. The Party Planner has videos, recipes, tips, printable invitations, music play lists, printable lists and guides for download. It is broken down into different sections such as cocktail party, dinner party, bridal shower, movie night and several other. Of course it is Pottery Barn so they are trying to sell their products and some of them are great. If you have the budget, indulge. But if you don't, think about about ways to do it within your budget and things you have around your home already.

Pottery Barn Design Tips - Again found this while (online) window shopping. It has so many wonderful tips covering virtual room tours, color, wall decor and then has design tools and videos too.

Teacup Card - I think would be a great Thank you card.

What Would Emily Post Do? - The great-great granddaughter of Emily Post, Anna Post has a blog titled "What Would Emily Post Do?" Just a blog that I enjoy every now and then with good etiquette advice for this modern age.

Friday Favorites

Chicken Piccata - not quite how I make it but it still looks like a good variation and also looks easy.

Etiquette, Ceremony & Tea - lots of information and links on all things Tea.

8 Free Amy Butler Patterns - "FREE" patterns that I would actually use. Napkin rings and napkins, ties for packages, snow mum pillow, Christmas stocking, tree skirt and several others.

Martha Stewart's Cleaning Checklists - I think these are a great for someone who doesn't know where to begin or just needing reminders or even just a fondness for lists.

Natural Beauties - This year for holiday gifts I have decided I am going to make scrubs, frizzes and other homemade bath and beauty products. I have been checking out lots of books to get different ideas. But this list of labels, how-to and information on MarthaStewart.com is really good start.

Book: What to Drink with What You Eat

What to Drink with What You Eat: The Definitive Guide to Pairing Food with Wine, Beer, Spirits, Coffee, Tea by Andrew Dornenburg, Karen Page

Publishers Description (I am abbreviating it as it was a little long)

"The most comprehensive guide to matching food and drink ever compiled, by the James Beard Award winning author team of Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg, with practical advice from more than seventy of America’s leading pairing experts...

Exceptional in its depth and scope - with over fifteen hundred entries - What to Drink with What You Eat is based on the collective wisdom of experts at dozens of America’s best restaurants, including Alinea, Babbo, Bern’s, Blue Hill, Chanterelle, Daniel, Emeril’s, French Laundry, Frontera Grill, Inn at Little Washington, Jean Georges, Masa’s, The Modern, Per Se, Rubicon, Tru, and Valentino.

You’ll find authoritative recommendations for stocking your cellar and kitchen with must-have beverages, from wines to waters. You’ll also learn what to drink with everything from French toast to Chinese food, and what to eat with everything from Pinot Noir to green tea, to create mouthwatering matches. Follow the authors three simple Rules to Remember when making a match - or just dive into the wide-ranging listings in chapters 5 and 6. "

I really really want to have this book on my bookshelf. It is amazing. It made me feel so much more at ease about pairing food with not only wine but tea, beer and other beverages. It mostly talks about wine though. It is put together in a way that makes it easy to follow - very user friendly. It is an essential reference for serving to me.

It not only goes in how to pair food and wine but a little bit of history, geography of wine such as what areas produce what types of wine, it gives how to actually taste wine and other expert techniques.

They had 3 simple rules to follow to when starting out...
1 - Think Regionally: If it grows together, it goes together.
2 - Come to your senses: Let your five sense guide your choices
3 - Balance Flavors: Tickle your tongue in more ways then one.

Of course they explain those rules indepth in the book. And make the process as easy as possible for those of us new to pairing beverages with food or foods with beverages. And it does go both ways in this book to make it very easy. Lets say someone gave you a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and you want to make something to go with it. You would look up Cabernet Sauvignon in the book and it has a list of food that go well with it. It has a list of herbs, meats, cheese, veggies, legumes, fruits and just everything you can think of but not only that it also tells you how to cook. Such as it said Cabernet Sauvignon that grilled meats such as hamburgers and beef - braised, grilled, roasted or stewed. It also works the other way if you are serving chicken in cream sauce then it tells you what wine or beverage goes good with it it (Chardonnay - especially a full bodied California). It lists things in general too so if you aren't sure what you are going to do with the chicken yet. It just has suggestions for chicken in general. I just really loved how easy it was to follow.

As I said above I think this is an essential book for those of us serving but also those of us that enjoy wine.

Friday Favorites

Potato Salad with Country Ranch Dressing - Memorial Day is usually when I make potato salad for the first time during the spring/summer. This recipe looks especially good to me.

Review of a book Sew What!Skirts - with my re-newed interest in sewing - I believe this will be a read eventually.

And to kind of go along with the last one....
How-to Hand-Sew a Blind Hem - making clothes last a little longer

Ikea Hacker - taking Ikea furniture and making them into something else something better hopefully in most cases.

Glossary of Wine Pronunciation - something I have trouble with so a much needed link as Master and I enjoy wine