There was a time in my life when I didn’t really care for cilantro. WHAT?! Fortunately I made it through the dark ages and found an affinity for the leafy goodness. Yes, it totally is possible to overcome food aversions. Just don’t get me to try mayo. That might take me at least 3 decades to figure out.
If you want to make a fancy beverage, add this one to your repertoire. It would be great at parties, lovely at a Mexican themed baby shower (we had one!) and just plain refreshing if you’re sitting outside on a hot day. The cilantro isn’t too pungent, so I’m pretty sure you could fool a few cilantro haters into drinking some. And who knows…you might convert a few people to Team Cilantro.
Try it and report back!
Read More »
It’s almost that time of year when I overdose on bruschetta and drink fancy cold beverages outdoors until the mosquitos come out and then I book it inside. Thanks to my friend Cheryl and her amazing/stunning new cookbook, Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables, I have a drink that will turn heads at future dinner parties. I have yet to find out if it will repel mosquitos…
In this fancy beverage, tarragon mixes with green tea, honey & lime to create the most pleasant herbal/citrus iced tea. It’s reminiscent of gin, but contains none. Since I’m always looking out for YOU and YOUR best interests, I mixed a little Hendrick’s gin in one of the glasses and was extremely pleased with the results. Cheers to that!
Read More »
Cooper has been in preschool since August which means we’ve had ten million thousand gazillion germs enter our household. In this past six months I feel like we’ve been sick more than we haven’t been sick.
Needless to say I’m ready for it to be over!
I spied this recipe in the latest Bon Appetit and had to jump right on it. I suppose the word ELIXIR sealed the deal. I’m really hoping this helps keeps that pesky scratch in my throat at bay. Ginger, lime & carrots, do your MAGIC.
And if it doesn’t, I still have a tasty beverage to add to my repertoire. This carrot ginger elixir is spicy/sweet and will be soooo good in an afternoon cocktail this summer. I’d better be well by then!
Read More »
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:
Read More »
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!
Read More »
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:
Read More »
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…
Read More »
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.
Read More »
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.
Read More »
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.
Read More »
2007 - 2012 shutterbean, All Rights Reserved.