Clove-Scented Sidecar
FACT 1: I've never ridden in a sidecar. I've always wanted to.
FACT 2: I've never had a sidecar drink. Until now!
What would happen if you drank a sidecar while riding IN a sidecar? I bet it would be a very messy endeavor. It would be classy as all heck though. With some cool goggles, a nice scarf and some leather gloves. Wait!
This is the image I have in my head:
Raw Chocolate Milk
Brace yourselves. Your minds are about to be blown. You ready? You braced? Good.
What if I was to tell you that you can easily make chocolate milk that tastes like a frothy chocolate malt without using malt or dairy?
(Omg. This is starting to sound like an infomercial! Crap! I need a big screen projector behind me!)
Well, YOU CAN. You can make delicious chocolate milk with your blender!
(this is not an infomercial for a Vitamix cuz I don't have one. I want one though! Like really really bad.)
So this is raw chocolate milk. What makes it raw? So glad you asked! It's made with cashews that have been soaked in water! There's also cocoa nibs up in this mix which makes things extra fancy in my book. Looking to make plain vanilla cashew milk? Just omit the cocoa nibs and reduce the agave syrup. This recipe is a game changer & approved by my picky 3 year old. Winning!
French 75
Champagne! Never been a fan (blasphemy, right?!). I'm not sure why. I guess I always end up inhaling bubbles and then they spew out my nose. Truth!
Did you know that I married into a champagne loving family? A good portion of my in-laws take their champagne drinking to a whole new level. It's as if they're athletes and champagne is their Gatorade. You think I'm kidding?
Today is the last Monday of 2011 and chances are you're looking for a signature cocktail for New Years Eve. Champagne lovers, listen up! The French 75 is slightly herbal with the gin, it's tart with the lemon juice and slightly sweet with that cute little sugar cube floating on the bottom. A word of caution-These cocktails are a bit STRONG. Two of these French 75s may or may not have caused my husband to fall asleep on the couch at 8pm the other night...
There are many variations of this classic cocktail. Some recipes call for cognac instead of gin. Others may add Cointreau or brown sugar and it's often served in a collins glass. I think the champagne flute makes it a little more festive. Enjoy!
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Homemade Amaretto
Remember when we had to do those Science Fair projects that required foam-core board, photos and colored construction paper? I'll never forget those! It stresses me out to think of all of the times our printer stopped working the night before my project was due. My brothers totally sabotaged one of my experiments when I was in 7th grade and I still haven't forgotten about it. I'll spare you the drama.
If I was to do a Science Fair project as a grownup, I'd enter with this Homemade Amaretto.
Imagine this: my foam-core board is a very dark gray (of course it is!) and all the fancy lettering is white with yellow construction paper. It's totally eye-catching (I always put more work into what my project looked like than the actual project. Figures, right?). There could be a few silver stars pasted on for extra appeal. Who knows!
On the left hand side you'll find this:
And then I show the judges a step by step pictorial of my project:
Homemade Limoncello
JACKPOT!
(what someone blurts out when they get a bottle of homemade limoncello as a present for Christmas)
Have you had limoncello before? Oh man, it's good! If you've never had it, it's a sweet Italian lemon liqueur that comes from the Amalfi coast and it's abso-fricking delightful. It's pretty much the nectar of the gods, if you ask me. I love adding it to sparkling water, drizzling it on top of vanilla ice cream, mixing it with cranberry juice or sipping it from a fancy cordial glass. Limoncello is heavenly when served directly from the freezer where it remains cold, syrupy and viscous. Think maple syrup but lemony & boozy!
If you're trying to figure out what to make for the holidays, might I suggest this? You need about 8 days from start to finish and it lasts up to 3 months in the freezer. The hardest part is giving it away! Now, tell me what are you waiting for! There are people to impress...
Maple Bourbon Cider
12 tips for surviving the holiday season:
1. Mistletoe. Stay away from it & you'll avoid close to 80% of all holiday awkwardness.
2. Bring booze to a party. The party can start once you arrive.
3. Drink a glass of water for every boozy drink you drink. You just have to.
4. When your mother asks you AGAIN when you're having another baby, distract her with booze.
5. Drink booze when you find out you did not get a Christmas bonus.
6. If you DO get a Christmas bonus, buy a nice bottle of booze. Buy one for your boss too. You both deserve it.
7. Gift cards are awesome. Whoever said they weren't thoughtful, clearly doesn't get it.
8. If you ate too many cookies don't feel bad. Just eat salad for the next few meals. Also, inhale kale.
9. Keep tabs on who's around you when you open presents. This is important information for future re-gifting.
10. If you plan on wearing an ironic/bedazzled Christmas sweater, avoid open flames.
11. Whenever there's awkwardness in a conversation, blurt out the word YULE LOG.
12. Host a Christmas party and make Maple Bourbon Cider. Make some cheese straws while you're at it.
Grape Cucumber Pear Juice
I get the feeling that everyone who owns a juicer is juicing this week. Am I right or am I right? I was toying with the idea of doing another 3-day juice cleanse this week, but my head's not there yet. I've got have a whole box of crackers in the pantry and a few coconut lime bars (recipe soon!) to eat through first. I did however, juice til dinner on Saturday and that felt pretty great.
In the 3 Day Cleanse book, they describe this juice as being "very clean tasting." After my eat week, that was all I needed. The grapes are sweet & juicy. The pear & cucumber are both pleasantly mellow and the ginger is a nice kick in the pants. This what I like to call a spa juice. Put some cucumber slices on your eyes, wrap a towel around your head and drink away. Clothing is totally optional.
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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