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:
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 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.
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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Cardamom Pear Butter
Sometimes when I'm daydreaming I like to imagine what the Tracy Shutterbean of 5 years ago would think if she saw the Tracy Shutterbean of today. If you told me 5 years ago that people would refer to me as Tracy Shutterbean I'd be like, "Whaaat?" If you told me I'd learn how to can, have a canning party and make Cardamom Pear Butter I would have responded, "Schyeah right!"
What I've learned about canning (and there's so much more I have to learn!) is that not super hard; it just takes practice. Canning is about accepting the good & the bad. Sometimes a jar (or two) will break, lids might not seal, or a lid (or four) will drop on the floor while you're sealing the jars (always sterilize lids more than you need!). You're learning EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. The key is to stay organized!
What I learned while executing this recipe is that to call something a butter, you have to cook the mixture until it's SUPER thick. Even though I cooked this butter for the extra 20 minutes suggested by the recipe, it still hovered in the between pear sauce & pear butter realm. Perhaps I had more than 6 lbs. of pears? Maybe that's it. What I do know is that my "butter" tasted amazing and all of my jars sealed just fine. So far, so good.
The reward for hard work is opening up a jar and spooning spiced pear butter on your morning yogurt with a little bit of granola. I can see why some people have a hard time giving away their canned goods. Don't be surprised to find me on an episode of Hoarders!
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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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Butternut Squash Ricotta & Sage Crostini
I went to Michael's yesterday to get a few things for my Halloween decorating project and almost EVERYTHING Halloween related was reduced in price. The aisles were quickly being cleared of Halloween decor to make room for the bright colored greens and reds of Christmas. I wanted to scream WAAAAAAIT. Wait just a minute! Am I seriously behind on this Halloween decoration thing??! (don't answer that). I just don't think I'm ready to get in the head space of Christmas yet. I haven't even thought about what I am going to make for Thanksgiving this year!
When you wake up to a cold crisp morning don't you just want to put on a scarf and roast something? Here's your chance! Butternut squash gets roasted with a bit of brown sugar in this recipe. Your house will smell terrific & autumn like. Garlic rubbed toasted bread gets accessorized with a nice dab of lemon scented ricotta. Cubes of roasted butternut squash are topped on the ricotta and finished off with fresh lemon juice & fried sage leaves. I think I just figured out what we're making as a Thanksgiving appetizer. It's definitely fall, not winter. Someone tell Michael's.
