Tasty Tuesday

“Get up and dance, get up and smile, get up and drink to the days that are gone in the shortest while.”
-Simon Fowler

Hello! Can you believe the New Year is upon us? I cannot believe how quickly 2010 has passed! I have a great drink recipe to share with you - it is one of my favorites, in fact I may make it too much. Enjoy!

“It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, one's present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason.”
-Latin Proverb


Winter Mimosa
Serves 2

Ingredients:

* 1 cup water
* 1 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 Tbsp whole cloves
* Cocktail Sugar
* 2 oz Asti or champagne
* 1 clementine orange, un-peeled, cut in half
* 1 oz vanilla vodka
* 2 oz orange juice
* fresh raspberries

Equipment Needed:

* Cocktail shaker
* Muddler
* 2 champagne glasses

Directions:

1.) Make clove simple syrup:

a.) Add water, sugar, and cloves to small saucepan on low.
b.) Cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved.
c.) Chill and strain out cloves.
d.) Set aside 1 1/2 oz syrup; refrigerate remainder for other uses.

2.) Moisten glass rims w/citrus wedge & coat with cocktail sugar.
3.) Chill glasses.
4.) Pour 1 oz asti into each chilled champagne glass.
5.) Muddle orange and syrup in bar shaker; fill with ice.
6.) Add vodka and orange juice.
7.) Shake and strain into glasses.
8.) Garnish with raspberries.


Thought of the Day:

"Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the first or last time."
-Betty Smith

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Temptation Thursday!

“Drink moderately, for drunkenness neither keeps a secret, nor observes a promise”
-Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra

Hello! Can you believe that is is Thursday already? I can't! Today I have two drink recipes to share with you - one with and one without alcohol. However, the alcoholic drink tastes great without the vodka also! The shake is a great way to start your morning, my kids love them for breakfast! Enjoy!

“Responsible Drinking? Now that's an Oxymoron.”
-Aaron Howard


Apple & Cranberry Cocktail
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
* 2/3 cup cranberry juice
* 2/3 cup apple soda
* 2 1/2 oz cranberry vodka
* Ice
* green apple slices

Equipment Needed:
* Shaker

Directions:
1.) Combine juice, soda & vodka in shaker & mix well.
2.) Place ice in glasses.
3.) Pour drink over ice.
4.) Garnish with green apple slices.


“It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend, one's present or future thirst, the excellence of the wine, or any other reason.”
-Latin Proverb



Banana & Orange Yogurt Shake
Servings: 4

Ingredients:
* 2 bananas, peeled & sliced (1")
* 1 1/2 cups orange juice concentrate (defrosted)
* 2 Tbsp orange marmalade
* 2 cups vanilla frozen yogurt

Equipment Needed:
* Blender

Directions:
1.) Puree bananas in blender.
2.) Pour in orange juice, a little at a time, until smooth & thick.
3.) Add marmalade & puree until smooth.
4.) Mix in yogurt & puree until smooth.
5.) Serve immediately (garnish with mint if you would like)

Silly Joke of the Day:
What's round and bad-tempered?
.....A vicious circle.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Tasty Tuesday!

"No one can understand the truth until he drinks of coffee's frothy goodness."
-Sheik Abd-al-Kadir

Hello! As I am sitting here the sun is streaming through my window saying, "WAKE UP!" However, I cannot seem to do that today. Several night of poor sleep will do that to you! The recipe I have to share today is the perfect pick-me-up for days such as today. It is non-alcoholic, but has coffee AND chocolate! I don't think it gets much better than that! (but that is just my opinion!) Enjoy!

“Coffee should be black as Hell, strong as death, and sweet as love”
-Turkish Proverb


Hot Coffee & Chocolate
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

* 40 miniature marshmallows
* 4 Tbsp chocolate syrup
* 4 Tbsp half & half
* 1/2 cup chocolate martini cocktail mixer
* 1 cup hot coffee
* Chocolate powder

Equipment Needed:

* Parchment paper
* Baking sheet
* 2 mugs

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.) Make 2 piles of 20 marshmallows (pyramid shape) on parchment-lined baking sheet.
3.) Bake 4 min or until slightly toasted and set aside.
4.) Add chocolate syrup to large coffee mug and set aside.
5.) Place half-and-half and mixer to small microwave-proof bowl.
6.) Heat in microwave 30-45 seconds.
7.) Fill each mug with a 1/2 cup of coffee.
8.) Add half of the microwaved mixture to each mug and stir well.
9.) Top with marshmallows.
10.) Sprinkle with chocolate powder.

"Mothers are those wonderful people who can get up in the morning before the smell of coffee."
-Author Unknown

Silly Joke of the Day:

What did the necktie say to the hat?
..You go on ahead. I'll hang around for a while.

Have a great day and remember: Go Ahead & Indulge!

Mangia Monday!

“Drink because you are happy, but never because you are miserable.”
-G.K. Chesterton


Sangria
Servings: 17

Ingredients:

* 3 bottles Rioja (Spanish red wine)
* 1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
* 1 cup brandy
* 1 cup Triple Sec
* 3 lemons, finely sliced
* 3 limes, finely sliced
* 3 oranges, finely sliced
* 2 pears, finely sliced
* 2 peaches, finely sliced
* Ice
* 1 liter sparkling water

Directions:

1.) Mix wine, limeade, brandy, liqueur, & fruit in large pitcher
2.) Stir well.
3.) Chill at least 2 hours.
4.) Place ice into tall glasses.
5.) Pour sangria over ice, until glass is 4/5 full.
5.) Top off with sparkling water.
6.) Garnish with more fruit.

“Drink nothing without seeing it; sign nothing without reading it”
-Spanish Proverb



Watermelon Martini
Servings: 2

Ingredients:

* cocktail sugar
* 4 oz (1/2 cup) vodka
* 8 oz (1 cup) Watermelon Margarita Mixer
* ice
* 2 watermelon wedges

Equipment Needed:

* 2 margarita glasses (chilled)
* Shallow bowl
* Shaker

Directions:

1.) Pour cocktail sugar into a shallow bowl.
2.) Moisten glass rims with water.
3.) Invert glasses and dip into bowl filled with sugar.
4.) Set glasses to the side.
5.) Add ice to shaker (fill 3/4).
5.) Pour vodka and cocktail mixer over ice in shaker.
6.) Shake vigorously and strain into glasses.
7.) Garnish with fresh watermelon wedge.

Wine is sunlight, held together by water.
-Galileo

Silly Joke of the Day:

What's gray, eats fish, & lives in Washington, D.C.?
......The Presidential Seal.

Have a great day and remember:
Go Ahead & Indulge!