Hot Vanilla Cider
In the world of beverages, this hot vanilla cider is as versatile as a little black dress. Serve it at a child's holiday party or a wintry baby shower and you have yourself a guaranteed hit. Fill up a thermos and instantly enhance your Christmas tree purchasing experience. Add whipped cream on top and you'll make an incredible liquid dessert. Spike your vanilla cider with bourbon and suddenly your little black dress turns frisky!
The problem with the frisky/boozy side of this drink is that it goes down too easy. I'm just gonna put that out there for your interpretation. I stopped at 1.5 drinks because I totally know my limits; I'm like a grownup or something.
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Gin Toddy
Every cloud has a silver lining. I taught my German friend the meaning of that idiom the other day while we were hanging out in the parking lot at preschool. I think we were commiserating over living with an active 3 year old!
I've been sick for over three weeks. I'm on the mend, but man was it was rough! After finally caving in and going to the doctor, I found out I have bronchitis. Yikes. As miserable as it was, I found a silver lining to being sick. I finally gave myself permission to slow down and the dire need for hot toddies spawned a new toddy recipe! The silver lining of this bronchitis cloud was most definitely made of hot gin toddies.
So what does a gin toddy taste like? It's kind of like a gin & ginger ale but all wintry! I liken it to a bright yellow polka dot raincoat. It will remind you of summer, but somehow it's appropriate for the cold weather outside.
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Hot Toddy
TODDY. It's a funny word, right? I always feel weird when I say it out loud. If I've had enough toddies, the weirdness totally disappears and I might even shout TODDY if given the chance. I can also speak fluent Italian when I'm drinking. We'll get into that some other time.
It's toddy season! The weather is cooler and it's time to get boozy. Bourbon in hot water with lemon, honey & ginger is supreme. I live off these drinks in the winter because they make me feel like I'm wrapped in a fuzzy cashmere blanket and I'm sitting by a fire. Toddies are also great if you've got a wicked cold. I like to put ginger in mine to give it an extra health boost.
HOT TODDY. Now say it 5 times fast! Ridiculous, right?
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Dark & Stormy
There was a scene in the recent episode of Parenthood that left me deep in thought. When John Corbett pretends to be the: I'm an ex-rocker off the wagon, back in Berkeley with my vintage leather jacket showing who's boss character, where does he go to get to that place? Does he pull from the time he was spending Northern Exposure money, getting absolutely toasted with girls from the Meyer's Rum demo at that roach infested hotel in the Caribbean? I imagine the words DARK & STORMY pop into his head and he's there.
Dark Rum. Ginger Beer. Lime. Like a Moscow Mule got introduced to Weekend at Bernies & The Perfect Storm.
Trust me on this one.
Moscow Mules
I like to think that given the opportunity, Oprah and I would be the best of friends. We'd drive across the country together, stopping at every rest stop to get beef jerky and blue corn tortilla chips. I'd teach her how to buy toilet paper and people would constantly stop us to get their picture taken. We'd follow the same diet trends, have our own book club, wear matching diamond pinkie rings and make coffee dates with Nate to look at wallpaper samples. While Oprah was off playing with her dogs, I'd hang out with Gayle and do a few sandwich tastings. The three of us would sit out on the veranda of one of Oprah's fabulous mansions with stacks of magazines and a fancy bar cart full of Moscow Mules. I'd tell her how I wished I had my own traditional copper mugs for Moscow Mules and a man would appear out of nowhere with a box of 12. We'd get a little tipsy and I'd convince Oprah to get Donald Trump to personally deliver us a Trump turkey burger. It would be his second time eating that burger.
We would have such a good life together Oprah.
I realize that none of this will make sense to you if you aren't an Oprah lover. The Moscow Mule is Oprah's favorite drink. I can totally see why. The combo of lime, mint and ginger beer is so sweet, refreshing and thirst quenching that you might not even notice there's vodka in the mix. In other words, this cocktail will go down EASY. One drink and you'll be imagining living the good life with the my pal, Oprah Winfrey. Trust.
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Pineapple Apple Mint Juice
While I was on my juice cleanse I was somewhat hooked on Blue Print's Pineapple Mint Juice. It's what I drank instead of grabbing a mid morning snack and it proved to be a nice little pick-me- up since it was sweet, minty (not in a toothpaste kind of way) and super refreshing. Think: mojito without the booze. During the first day post-cleanse, I found myself getting all twitchy because I needed my Pineapple Mint Juice fix. That's when I turned to my juicer, trusted my taste buds and came up with this little concoction.
This Pineapple Apple Mint juice is now in my juicing rotation because it makes me feel good. It makes my breath smell fantastic, it makes my insides feel clean and gives me a little pep. Sometimes I dilute it with water for a flavored water effect and when the clock hits 5, I add a little vodka in my juice. That's when the real fun begins. Continue reading→
#14. Do a cleanse=DONE!
I've been putting off doing a cleanse FOREVER and once I had Cooper I thought there was NO WAY I could be a mom and cleanse because it just didn't seem possible! How the heck would I manage?? Where would I get the energy to chase around an active toddler? I seriously NEED to eat and drink coffee in order to function. Or so I thought...
What turned me off on cleansing was the annoyance of having to buy ultra specific/pricey/exotic foods and the idea of spending lots of time prepping meals. How do you make 3 different juices, poached fish, steamed vegetables and white miso soup for your work day? Who can do that in the morning? When I saw Joy's review of her cleansing experience, I decided to give the BluePrintCleanse a try. It's a 3 day juice-only cleanse where you simply drink 5 different juices throughout the day and then you end the day with a tasty cashew milk. Everything was labeled, convenient and easy to follow. Instructions were emailed, juices were sent and I was in it to win it! I'm proud to say that I made it through and it was MUCH easier than I imagined.
Come take a look!
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Spicy Blue Bottle Espresso Martini
Earlier this year Casey and I spent an entire week coming up with this Spiced Espresso Martini drink for a San Francisco themed episode of Food(ography) with Mo Rocca on the The Cooking Channel. Within a few days our kitchen literally smelled like a coffee shop and I ingested more sweetened condensed milk than I care to talk about. We were so high on caffeine that week; fortunately this drink was worth the effort!
We made this cocktail with our favorite local coffee roasters- Blue Bottle Coffee. Their Hayes Valley Espresso has just the right amount of sweet & spice with a hint of chocolate that works beautifully with this martini. You should really taste a sip of the condensed milk/espresso mixture before you get to mixing your cocktail. It's heaven! Now let's discuss the spice! There's curry AND chili powder in this martini. It may sound weird but let me tell you it's absolutely scrumptious. If you're daring and you enjoy a spicy kick, add a very small dash of cayenne. Everyone at the dinner party LOVED this cocktail and I'm pretty sure you will too.
So here's the scoop. I made this drink for TV! You're invited to watch me mix it up!
WHERE: The Cooking Channel
TV SHOW: Food(ography) with Mo Rocca
WHEN: It aired last night! Check your local listings or The Cooking Channel Website!
DINNER PARTY GUESTS: Kasey & Matt from Turntable Kitchen & Megan of Marge Bakery & A Sweet Spoonful.
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