Category: Libations

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Keepin it Festive … the historic and brilliant cranberry … in a cocktail!

Few fruits are as iconic of the winter holidays as the brightly colored, small, firm, ridiculously tart, cranberry. Strung along a thread and paired with popcorn, they've decorated trees for generations. They've served as eyes for snowmen, instant home décor inside otherwise empty vases and accents for wreaths and evergreen floral arrangements. We use them to make relish and sauce, a holiday meal staple in many homes. Its juice is the core of many a holiday punch recipe and mixed with ginger ale, children are amused to sip it like a grown-up cocktail. Even a few berries to garnish a cake or dropped into a cocktail or glass of champagne provides an instant holiday "pop". They are the little balls of color amongst the drab winter backdrop and when you see them, you instantly think of the holidays.

Not only do these little pops of bright-red carry a welcome visual appeal amongst the bare winter scenery, beneath that colorful skin, they carry a powerful punch of vitamins and antioxidants. Whilst almost unbearably tart when eaten alone, when cooked, mashed or even dried, and then sweetened, they are not only nutritionally beneficial but quite delicious!

You could almost say that the cranberry's presence is an American tradition. One of only three fruits native to North America, they are most commonly grown in the north-east of North America; (but they can also be found in the midwestern state of Wisconsin, the Pacific Northwest, as well as Chile – heeeeyyy!) Native Americans used these tiny fruits for their medicinal value as well as for dye. Colonists ate them for their high vitamin C content as it helped prevent Scurvy. Their high antioxidant content combats free radicals. And they've long been used for urinary tract health as they protect against certain bacteria, namely E.coli.

Although their nutritional benefits have long been known, it wasn't until the 1800s that cranberries were first farmed on a large-scale. Perhaps that's because the berries, which grow on long-running, low-lying vines, are cumbersome to harvest. That is, until the farming technique of "flooding" was discovered. Cranberries, which grow naturally in sandy bogs and marshes, are naturally buoyant. By flooding the plant area, the berries float to the top of the water and are much easier to harvest. Ocean Spray is one such company who saw the value in this and became the trade-mark cranberry company in North America. You can learn more about them here: http://www.oceanspray.com/Who-We-Are/Heritage/Cranberry-History.aspx

While I have some bangin' recipes for cranberry relish and sauce, this is a libation post. So below I have two cranberry cocktail recipes for your next holiday gathering. Both use unsweetened cranberry juice to cut down on sugar and preserve nutritional value. It can be hard to find but if you don't find it in your local grocery store, check an organic market. Or, just use the sweet stuff and know that you may need to compensate for it somewhere else. The first recipe is a martini, my favorite in the world of cocktails. The second is a mule, a very trendy option with a spicy kick.

 

Cranberry-Amaretto Martini

  • 2 cups unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 1 cup vodka
  • 1/3 cup amaretto
  • 3 TBS triple sec
  • 1 fresh clementine (wedges used as garnish)

Combine juice and alcohols in a shaker with ice. Strain into a glass and garnish with an orange slice. Makes 4 martinis.

 

Spicy Cranberry Mule

  • 2 oz unsweetened cranberry juice
  • 3 oz ginger beer
  • 1 1/2 oz spiced rum
  • 1 oz simple syrup (you could also follow my recipe for spiced simple syrup found here:

https://lifelibertyandlibations.com/2017/10/08/the-pear-martini/

Serve over ice and garnish with sugared cranberries. Makes one mule.

 

Happy Holiday season … like the cranberry … may your days be merry and bright and might your tartness be sweetened so that your infectious spirit can be drank by those around you.

 

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Thanksgiving Leftovers? Make a drink!

thanksgiving-table

We all know about making turkey sandwiches with the leftover turkey after our annual holiday feast and perhaps you’ve even stumbled upon recipes for a turkey-stuffing-mashed potato dinner casserole or how you can turn those extra pumpkin pies into a pumpkin-oatmeal breakfast casserole … but why not make it even more festive and turn them into cocktails!!!

Below are some hilariously delicious cocktails using some common thanksgiving dishes and ingredients! Give ’em a try!

Leftover Pecan Pie – Bourbon milkshake :

  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 2 oz bourbon
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 chopped pecan pie
  • blend and serve garnished with pie crumbles

Cranberry Margaritas :

  •  1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
  • 1/2 tequila
  • 1/4 cup triple sec
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • a handful of fresh cranberries
  • shake and serve over ice

Candied Yam Libation :

  • 2 ounces sweet potato (or yam) puree
  • 1 1/2 ounces Cognac
  • 1/2 ounce hazelnut liqueur
  • 3 ounces hot water

Corn Milk Cocktail:

  • 1/2 cup skim milk
  • 1 cup sweet corn or cream of corn
  • 1 oz bourbon
  • 1 tsp vanilla simple syrup
  • blend in immersion blender and serve cold or slightly warmed with pinch of cinnamon
  • (this recipe was modified from its original-credits to original given below)

Pumpkin Pie Milkshake for grown-ups:

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin pie
  • 3 cups vanilla ice cream
  • 1 oz vodka
  • 1 oz dark rum
  • 1 oz hazelnut liquor
  • Blend and garnish with pumpkin pie crumbles

Hot Pumpkin Pie:

  • 2 oz pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 oz Pumpkin Baileys
  • 2 oz dark rum
  • warm in a saucepan (do not boil), pour into shaker and shake vigorously, strain into coffee mug

 

 

Credits go to:

http://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a44645/leftover-pecan-pie-bourbon-shake-recipe/

Cranberry Margaritas

http://www.foodandwine.com/blogs/how-transform-thanksgiving-leftovers-boozy-cocktails

http://www.swoonedmagazine.com/blog/post/signature_cocktail__40__corn_milk_cocktail

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Vino Navegado…. A warm Chilean sangria

wine glasses

I’ve mentioned a Chilean sangria drink, “Borgonia,” in a previous post. It’s a combination of sugar and diced/mashed fruit with wine that is best enjoyed in the sweet, summer months. Today, I wanted to discuss a different one, a sort of winter version called Vino Navegado. If you are familiar with the German drink “Glühwein“, Vino Navigado is very similar.

As many of you know, my husband is Chilean and one of my most favorite goods from Chile is their wine. While this post is essentially a recipe for an affordable and delicious holiday drink, I thought it would be helpful for the fact-loving readers, to provide some background on Chilean wine.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the geographical size and shape of Chile, it is one of the most unusual in the world. It is a long and skinny country which spans more than half of the entire west coast of South America. Due to the geographical make-up of Chile, the country naturally has the perfect conditions for making wine. It has an arid climate with soil that is rich in minerals. The dryness of the climate allows for a higher concentration in the juice of the grapes. Grapes with a high water content don’t make good wine. And the minerals in the soil directly influence the  flavor of that juice. In fact, Chile has such a high mineral content in their land that one of their leading exports are minerals.

Because of the shape of the country and it’s placement in the South American continent, Chile has a lot of ‘natural protection’. Every side of the country has a natural border which protects its land and crops from pests and plights that could intrude from other countries. The northern part of the country is occupied by the Atacama Desert. This is the driest place on earth and obviously very hot, not a habitable environment for pests. Along the eastern border of the country run the Andes Mountains. Not a whole lot is going to come blowing into the country over those bad boys. The southern portion of the country sits adjacent to the Antarctic and is covered in glaciers. Unless fruit-eating pests start behaving like penguins, not a whole lot of threat is coming from this side either. And the entire western side of the country is bordered by the Pacific Ocean, a cold and deep body of water which separates Chile from other land masses for thousands of miles. This yields a very protected central region with incredibly fertile soil that is flat and easily irrigated.

And what’s even better … because Chile has such favorable grape-growing conditions and the labor there is cheap (a characteristic of the country: goods, especially imports are expensive, but labor is cheap) … they can produce massive amounts of wine and sell them at affordable prices. When my husband and I visited there, we found bottled water was often times more expensive than wine!

If you haven’t discovered Chilean wines, I suggest you do so. Our favorites tend to be the Cabernets, Carmeneres and the Sauvignon Blancs; although I’m really an equal opportunity wine-o and love them all! Frontera is a very affordable brand produced by Concha y Toro. My husband and I visited this vineyard during our last trip to Chile. Concha y Toro has been in production since 1883 and is now, the second largest wine producer in the world. Their wine is fabulous! One of their most infamous brands is the “Casillero del Diablo” line. Casillero is a mid-priced bottle best enjoyed as-is. And while Concha y Toro certainly sells aged-varieties for $50/bottle, they also make very drinkable ones for $10/1.5L. Frontera is one of those brands. Only amateurs think you have to pay top dollar for good wine;)

Ok Amanda, “What’s the point…?” “How does this relate to Vino Navigado?”

Vino Navigado is a warm wine drink that involves heating wine for a short time with sugar, spices and citrus fruit. When you start adding these ingredients to a wine, you change the wine. Therefore, while I love this drink, I wouldn’t want to waste an expensive bottle of wine on it. So, go to the store, look for a 1.5L bottle of Frontera, a red variety, and make yourself and your guests some Vino Navigado. I’m quite sure you won’t regret it!

In Chile, Vino Navigado is prepared and enjoyed in the winter months. In the United States, it’s a perfect drink for the holidays. (Chile has opposite seasons from the U.S) It is similar to a sangria, however because heat is used, it doesn’t require the long sitting time that traditional sangria does. The flavors of the orange and spice transform the wine into a Christmassy, wintery goodness and the warmth of the alcohol warms your bones on cold days.

 

Vino Navegado

  • 1.5L bottle of red wine ( I recommend Frontera cab or merlot but any inexpensive but tasty red will work!)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 navel orange sliced
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 10 whole cloves
  • 2 whole all-spice (optional)

Pour the entire bottle of wine into a large saucepan and stir in sugar to dissolve. Add the orange slices and spices. Turn heat onto low-medium and simmer approx 15 min, stirring occasionally. Do not allow the wine to boil! Boiling it will impair the wine and burn off the alcohol. You only want it to simmer long enough to heat the liquid and to release the flavors of the citrus and spices and for the sugar to finish dissolving.

Serve in coffee mugs or wine glasses with a slice of orange in each cup for presentation. (If you choose to serve in wine glasses be sure to run the wine glasses under hot water prior to filling so as not to crack the glass with the hot liquid.) Enjoy!

wine barrels

 

 

 

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Pumpkin Spice…plus a little liquor … makes a drink so nice!

So I've recently been informed by my diverse circle of friends that the Pumpkin Spice obsession is a "white-girl" thing… LOL! Well, I'm a white girl … so here goes!

In most cases, I prefer to stand alone in my uniqueness. Either consciously or unconsciously, I routinely defend the under-dog and resist falling in line with the masses. I am the person who avoids trends and resists supporting the most popular craze of anything. Be it popular movies, name brands, chain-restaurants, the latest heart-throb, fashion trends, ridiculous new gadgets or hip terminology, I will at times avoid things just because everyone else is obsessed with it. I avoid buying expensive drinks, standing in stupid-long lines and filling my closets with items that will be out of style in a month.

But….when it comes to  Pumpkin Spice …. I'm just one in the masses. As a child, my father always loved the spices associated with Autumn. He'd buy spiced potpourri for the house and make homemade cider with mulling spices, the old-fashioned way on the stove. Ginger-snaps, pumpkin bread and pie were staples in our house at Halloween and Thanksgiving, long before Trader Joes (whose seasonal varieties I now stalk) and flavored Oreos (gross) came onto the scene. So maybe that's why I'm more prone to join this craze … and maybe, like my friends suggest, it's just a white girl thing.

Nonetheless, I love the signature-seasonal-spice combo (which by the way tastes nothing like actual pumpkin). So it would only make sense that I would compulsively buy the autumnal libation varieties when they showed up in my local liquor stores. For years, I've enjoyed the seasonal, spicy ciders and beers that are only available this time of year; and I love me some homemade autumn sangria or warm wine prepared with mulling spices. But this year, I expanded my horizons when I discovered seasonal liquors as well. Specifically, Captain Morgan's Jack-O-Blast and Bailey's Pumpkin Spice limited edition. I mean, if I like pumpkin-spice everything else, why wouldn't I like these too!?

Armed with these two new bottles of festivities, I went on an internet search and played nightly mixology. Both of these liquors are, as they are intended to be, full of flavor and lean towards the sweet side of the spectrum. Therefore, they can be easily enjoyed alone-sipped on the rocks or as a shot. But I've also found that they can be quite lovely when paired with another ingredient or two; but no more than two. Because of their flavor, price and limited availability, I think they would be wasted in a complex cocktail. But I challenge you to prove me wrong!

So here are some nice and simple drink recipes for Captain Morgan's Jack-O-Blast and Bailey's Pumpkin Spice! Tried and true, if you like the seasonal spices of autumn or are hosting a harvest or Halloween party with adult beverages, give them a try!  I found them quite delicious!

Captain Morgan's Jack-O-Blast 

 

img_4059I've liked Captain Morgan's spiced rum since I was a young hoodlum, so this was an easy buy for me. I found this seasonal variety to be sweeter and to contain enough flavor and complexity to set it apart from the other varieties but not so much that it became overpowering. Too much of anything, even pumpkin spice, can be nauseating and off-putting. This was neither of those things and is now a welcome addition to my bar. I think it will make some nice winter libations as well as autumn ones.

 

 

  1. Pair with RumChata and drink at room temperature or on the rocks for a lovely, creamy taste of cinnamon and spice that is perfect for crisp evenings by the fire or paired with a warm bread pudding or a bitter chocolate dessert.
  2. Spike your hot apple cider (or cold) for an easy version of a hot toddy. You can use the good cider that you buy at the orchard, but I almost felt like the liquor got lost in the weight of the fresh cider. I actually prefered mine as a complex addition to the cheap instant apple cider packets that you can find near the hot chocolate in the grocery store and yielded a sweet and clear cider drink which was neither too strong nor too heavy.  It was the perfect accompanied for late night writing and paper grading ;
  3. Mixed with a sharp ginger beer and lime juice, this liquor moves off of the seasonal drink menu and yields a nice, snappy mule that can be enjoyed year-round. I used Fever Tree's ginger beer and fresh lime and paired it with a homemade asian dinner. It was cold and spicy and paired excellently with the asian cuisine, but like any mule, sipped alone works just fine too!

 

Bailey's Pumpkin Spice

 

img_4061Unlike  Captain Morgan's, I am not typically a big Bailey's fan. This was purely an impulse buy for me. Typically, thick and sweet isn't my first go-to when it comes to adult beverages. Nonetheless, it's a good addition for special occasions and entertaining. I've also discovered a few less-obvious uses for it and I'm looking forward to combining it with food as well-such as over ice cream or mixed into a cheesecake. And for those who do like Bailey's, this one is sure to be a hit!

 

 

  1. Combine with coffee and milk, add a dollop of whipped cream and a swirl of caramel and you have a decadent Bailey's Pumpkin Latte. You're sure to impress any guest with this one!
  2. For the bourbon drinkers out there – Combine with your favorite bourbon for a dessert in a whiskey glass. Drink at room temperature or on the rocks and this combo is sure to warm you up on cold nights.
  3. In a blender, mix with vanilla ice cream, vanilla vodka and a 1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice. This recipe is based on a suggestion by Martha Stewart and makes a milkshake that is both easy to drink and easy to get accidentally drunk off of. It has enough spice that you notice it without giving you pumpkin-spice overload.

 

For all my Pumpkin Spice Lovers out there – Drink responsibly and enjoy! Life is too short not to buy the pumpkin-spice cookies…and drink the pumpkin-spice rum 😉

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The Pear …. Martini

pear picAnother autumnal fruit, the Pear too carries a sweetness into the cooler months and while mildly similar, is distinctly unlike the apple. The apple, firm and round and colorful has a consistent texture and can tolerate most any condition. It is the most reliable and versatile of the fruits. Pears are different. Pears, while firm at the start, if given the right environment, become soft as they ripen, and their skin, once tough becomes delicate and easily hurt. I suppose I am a lot like the pear in that respect … hardened in my youth and exterior … given my current life partner and circumstances, I’ve softened as I’ve aged and my core holds a tenderness that was once unrecognizable. I am more vulnerable now than I once was. Their flesh, whilst soft and sweet, contains a grit that is notable on the palate. No amount of altering the pear can remove that grit. With a signature shape, it hang from the tree with a narrow head that then yields to a rotund bottom. They are not uniform. They lack versatility and are best received as they are, as a whole fruit.

A common household fruit today, pears have withstood the test of time as one of the most ancient foods with records showing them being harvested as early as 1000 BC. The pear teaches us that in order to survive the test of time, we must be resilient. Resiliency at times is equated with one being hardened. While not intentional, it is a by-product of challenging conditions. When we are hardened, we are less vulnerable to our predators. But with time and the right conditions … we can allow our core to soften; and as we soften, we also sweeten. The world receives us best in this state. But let us not forget the resiliency that got us here. With one bite, the world appreciates the journey that we’ve taken … allowing our core to ripen and our skin to soften … and yet…. because of that sweetness, they don’t reject the pear for its grit. A little grit never hurt anyone.

May all who started out hardened find the conditions in life to soften and let their bitterness sweeten. The vulnerability of a soft and sweetened spirit is a sign of the euphoria that we all aspire to attain. Whilst they soften and sweeten … let their grit remain. True grit is the key to success and survival in all places, in all of time. Pair that sweetness now with a little spice … and by damn it, you’ve got one fine cocktail.

 

On a journey to give the pear its due diligence, to cradle its sweetness and at the same time give a respectful nod to the spice that is signature of this season, I searched the web for the perfect autumn pear cocktail and came up empty-handed. Every recipe that I tried was too sweet, too strong, not complex enough or too heavy. Some sounded promising but the ingredients were too obscure. So I spent a solid 2 weeks playing mixology. I searched the liquor stores high and low and I experimented with various flavors. I even made a spiced simple syrup to help elicit the flavors we so often equate with the season.

In the end, I created a cocktail that contains ingredients that are easy to find in a liquor store with a decent inventory. It yields tones of both sweetness and spice and is not so strong that it belongs on your grandfathers bar list and yet is strong enough that it earns its place on the adult cocktail menu.

I present to you the winner of my mixology experiment :

The Autumn Pear Martini

  • 1 oz pear vodka
  • 1/2 oz pear liqueur
  • 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup (recipe below)
  • 1/8 oz Crown Apple
  • a few drops of lemon juice

Shake over ice and strain into a martini glass

(For this recipe I used a measuring shot glass. This recipe makes one small martini but you could certainly multiply these amounts for a larger batch or convert the ounces to “parts”.)

pear martini

Spiced simple syrup:

  • half cup of cane sugar
  • half cup water
  • 1 star anise
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 5 whole all spice

Heat sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Add the spices. Continue to heat on low until syrup reduces and thickens just a tad (not too long though or you’ll turn it into caramel) and the flavor of the spices infuses the syrup. Once cooled, pour into a glass container with the spices still intact and keep in the fridge for future fall drink recipes 🙂

 

spiced simple syrup

 

And the two runner-ups were:

Spiced Pear Nectar

  • 1 oz vodka
  • 1 oz pear nectar
  • 1/4 oz pear liqueur
  • 1/8 oz Crown Apple
  • 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup
  • a few drops of lemon juice

This cocktail certainly tastes like fall! But the thickness and sweetness that the nectar, simple syrup and liqueur brought to the cocktail knocked it down in the rankings for me. But if you’re into sweet drinks and like a whiskey glass over a martini glasses, this one may just do it for you! Plus, nectar (found in the hispanic aisle for about $1/can is cheaper than vodka ;))

Orange-Pear Martini

  • 1 oz pear liqueur
  • 1 oz triple sec
  • 1/2 oz pear nectar
  • 1/4 oz spiced simple syrup

Again, too sweet for my tastes in a martini but the orange and pear complement one another nicely. And with less nectar, this one is less thick than the Spiced Pear Nectar and slightly more complex in flavor despite using less ingredients.

Happy Autumn Everyone!

 

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Apples

“The heat of autumn is different than the heat of summer. One ripens apples, the other turns them to cider.”- Jane Hirshfield

 

apples

When the rest of the fruits have reached their end … When the warm days that once ripened and yielded the citrus and the melons and the berries and the vine-fruit have come to an end and the cold air begins to blow in … When the fresh greens of the trees and the bright colors of the flowers have turned to browns … it’s the apple that remains. While present in the summer, it’s not the star, yet it doesn’t retreat. It holds steady in the trees … waiting to ease us into the dead of winter with its firm but sweet flesh. Decorating the autumn landscape with its colorful skin, it hangs like mini globes high in the trees.

Few fruits have as many varieties, carry as much versatility and hold as signature a- stance in any given season, as the apple does in the fall. Bake them, can them, eat them off the tree; turn them into sauce, slaw, pies, cakes and cider… there’s nothing you can’t do with an apple.

Other fruits hold bolder flavors and carry a more sought-after status, with shorter seasons and higher price tags; but the apple is humble. It is an ordinary fruit but it is consistent and reliable. Indulging in the exotic flavors that other fruits have to offer is a vacation for the palate. The pairing of grapes and berries with cheese and wine are a decadent treat, and pineapples and mangos are a tropical escape; but the apple is the home that you come back to. 

If I could be a fruit … I would want to be the apple – the sweetness that eases sadness and prepares for darker days. Consistent and reliable and versatile … I’d want to be the one they fall back on … the oldie but goodie, not the newest rage or the taste of month. I want a core that is firm, bruises that are cut out easily and a colorful exterior that doesn’t fade easily into the background. The trees that would hold me are humble in size but steady- not towering like the nut trees, not wimpy like the vines, but solid and always present no matter the season. And when my days in the sun are over, I’d be the juice that runs down the face of babes … and my seeds of knowledge would fall to the earth and be reborn.  

Below are some simple apple-inspired cocktails that are perfect for the season and require very few ingredients and very little prep.

  • Fire-cider – apple cider and Fireball whiskey – mixed to taste and slightly warmed
  • Spiced Cider – apple cider and Captain Morgan spiced rum – mixed to taste and slightly warmed
  • Crown Royal Apple – crown royal and apple vodka – mixed to taste, served on the rocks (Crown also makes “Crown Apple”- serve on the rocks minus the apple vodka)
  • Apple infused Bourbon – one apple chopped, 2 cinnamon sticks and 3 cloves – in a mason jar, fill with bourbon and let sit 2-3 days or more. Serve on the rocks.
  • Apple spritzer – Moscato, green apple vodka and Sprite – mixed to taste, serve cold
  • Caramel apple martini – 2 parts apple pucker, 1 part vodka, 1 part butterscotch schnapps, rim glass with caramel and cinnamon-sugar

 

 

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Summer to Fall

sangriaThe days are getting cooler and the leaves are just starting to turn.

Your hot boyfriend is fixing to leave town and your cool girlfriend, with the crisp laugh, is just coming in. Soon he’ll have moved all of his stuff out and she’ll be here to stay … for a few months anyway.

Man, he’s a good time! He’s addictive, really. So full of adventure, your greatest memories and favorite spots are usually found with him. In the colder months while he’s away, you ache for his warm embrace. He’s fun and he’s sexy. He’s lazy mornings in cool sheets, afternoon mai tai’s and hot sweaty nights that never seem to end. You want him to stay forever and as you watch his toned and oiled body make its cyclical retreat, you can’t help but shed a tear and beg him to turn around. He is wonderful … but he’s a distraction from what you know you can accomplish and at times he can be stiflingly bothersome.

As you wipe your tears, you realize, that now is the time that you appreciate his absence the most. The structure, routine and sense of purpose are a hard but welcome change. Your girlfriend knows your boundaries best. She starts your day with a crisp start, knowing that you work best when you’re forced to move quick … and then slowly warms as your day goes on, reminding you that it’s not all business … there’s still room for play. She’s a freshly pressed pencil skirt, sangria and cool evenings. She hands you a stack of work and then slides you a pumpkin latté to get you through. She’s your advisor for a new job and your date at the Halloween gala. And man … she’s a good cook!

 It’s that in-between stage when you’re living with half of your winter wardrobe and half of your summer threads. You find yourself wearing socks and sweatshirts more often but shorts still work best during the peak of the afternoon. Bags of new uniforms and supplies are tossed haphazardly on the back seat floor that you’ve yet to vacuum the sand off of. The falling temperatures are a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat yet a daunting reminder of the frigid days to come. And pumpkin flavored everything is the greatest consolation to the end of summer-time ease.

 

To help you with this transition…. Here are some Fall Sangria Recipes. I’ve included one red and one white. Both are tried and true. And just like the days of fall … they can be served either cold or warm. But they are yummy whichever way you choose to take them. Whether you’re hosting a weekend harvest party or you just need something to ease the exhaustion that always comes with a change in season. Find something to celebrate and enjoy! Every season has its beginning and its end … find its beauty while it’s still in town.

Honey-Jack Sangria

  • 1 bottle Malbec
  • 1 cup Honey Jack
  • 1 cup Apple Juice
  • 1 orange cut into slices
  • 1 pear cut into slices
  • 1 plum cut into slices
  • 4 cinnamon sticks

Mix everything and soak overnight. Serve cold, topped with seltzer or slightly warm.

 

Apple Sangria

  • 1 bottle unoaked Chardonnay
  • 1/4 cup Everclear
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup peach Schnapps
  • 2 oranges sliced
  • 2 apples sliced
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 2 slices of fresh ginger root, peeled
  • 5 cloves

Mix and soak overnight. Top with seltzer if served cold. Or leave it alone and serve warm.

For an extra treat … eat the fruit that remains at the bottom.

 

 

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The Yellow School Bus

It’s that time of year again! The lazy days of summer are coming to a close and a new school year is about to begin. It’s another year of learning, another year of adventures and another year older. The pencils have been sharpened, the notebooks labeled and the new lunch boxes are ready to go! My days will once again be mine … but my evenings just got much busier.

As a mother of two ADD kids, I do my best to be positive about school and I try hard to keep learning exciting for them. I still love to learn. In my professional life, I take every opportunity I can to understand something better and every family vacation is sure to include some aspect of science and history. I want my children to have the same love of learning that I do.

But my confession is that I dread the start of school as much as my children do. I like to sleep-in. I hate rushing back from my afternoon activities at 3pm for pick-up (no bus service for us). The after-school sports and activities are cumbersome. And the 3-4 hours of assisted homework and assignments are the price we pay for our children’s learning challenges, as take-home work is a necessary part of knowledge retention, I’m sure. But it’s not fun … it’s painful actually. I much prefer learning in the form of snorkeling a reef, hiking a military fort and shouting out state capitals in the car. Don’t get me wrong, the peaceful and open day-times are wonderful …. but they don’t make-up for the non-stop run-around in the afternoons and the tear-filled evenings.

Many days I dream to say “We survived academia!” I long for the moment when their education has paid off and when my evenings are no longer filled with “I don’t want to”, “I don’t understand”, “That’s not how my teacher does it” and “I hate school”… I look forward to the days when their learning is an independent experience … and I’m not the evil cohort who is forcing them into this torturous practice.

But I know that along with that peace and independence will come an empty house, less hugs and a “letting go” that I’m not ready for.

Just like my children, I too, am on a journey and with each passing year I have something more to learn. I need more patience. They need more independence. Together, we need to continue fighting through and building our bond – because one day, they will call me with a challenge far greater than “Mom, my science project is due tomorrow.” And they will rely on my knowledge and experience to get them through … and I will wish that life was once again simpler for them. But I will thank the lucky stars that it was me that they called first.

So for every parent who is going to cry when they put their babes on the school bus … for every parent who at some point this school year will get a phone call from administration reporting that their child has done something that they as a parent never dreamed their kid would do …. for all the parents of children who don’t enjoy school …. for the homework no one understands and the science projects that you learn about the day before they are due … I give you the slightly sweet yet potent:

Yellow School Bus

  • 1/2 cup gin
  • 1/2 cup white rum
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1/2 cup triple sec
  • 1/4 cup amaretto
  • 1/4 cup 151 proof rum
  • 1/4 cup sweetened lime juice
  • 4 cups pineapple juice
  • 2 cups grapefruit juice

Mix all the liquors, then add the juices. Serve cold or over ice.

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May your tears be fewer, your stress be lowered and may school be just a little more palatable for ALL parties involved!

This recipe makes a carafe that will last you all week, saving you time later. And just like a school bus, it’s full of lots of different characters! There’s enough alcohol that its sure to be effective. And because there’s pineapple and grapefruit juice in it … you can start at 9 am and nobody’s gonna judge 😉 LOL

Happy First Day of School! Good luck!

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Watermelon Crush … get Greedy with Summer!

August is upon us!!! My beloved summer is more than half over…. No!!!! (Kicking and screaming) !!!! Why must the summers always go so fast! Well you know what they say about ‘all good things’…. I really need to see about moving somewhere more tropical!

While I can’t change my current state of residency (just yet) and I certainly can’t change the global calendar, I can make the best use of every last day of summer. I can soak in every last drop of warmth and sunshine that I can get myself outside for. I can appreciate the ease that comes with each passing day that I’m not assisting someone with their homework. I can count my blessings for the days that hold no piles of school uniforms to wash. And I can revel in each moment that my wardrobe is smaller and lighter than in any other season.

Soon flip-flops and tank tops will be exchanged for bulky coats and thick boots. And the fresh fruits and veggies we find a-plenty will begin to be replaced by frozen or canned varieties. Schools will resume and the busyness of fall and winter schedules will rob us of our leisurely afternoons on the porch when we can afford to just chit-chat and sip a refreshing beverage with our neighbors.

In the spirit of making the most of the time we have, I suggest you look-up your local county fair schedule, fire up the grill, hop in the pool and indulge yourself in all the yummy summer varietals you can. Before it’s all gone, I hope you get greedy with summer 🙂

And what says summer more than watermelon?!

I tried this cocktail first at an Out-of-the-Darkness charity event and I loved it! This super-easy and yummy cocktail has only 3 ingredients and is the perfect choice for a backyard BBQ or just a day at home with the fam. The kids and non-drinkers can easily make this a mocktail by leaving out the vodka and the whole crowd can enjoy eating the watermelon that’s left over, you’ll have plenty!

Watermelon Crushes

  • Sprite or lemon lime soda
  • Watermelon vodka
  • Watermelon

Fill glass about half way with chunks of watermelon. Muddle the pieces in the glass. Watermelon should now fill about 1/3 the glass.

Add 1/3 cup watermelon vodka.

Top with ice and Sprite.

Done! Easy peasy watermelon squeezy! Enjoy! And happy summer to you all!

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Mango Mojitos…add an element of fun to your every day!

Mary Poppins, my favorite character of all time says, “With every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. Find the fun … and snap … the job’s a game.” This saying is painted on a sign that sits on my desk.

When the kids started fighting and I looked around to see myself surrounded by a messy house and laundry mountains that reached my waist … I was faced with two choices … I could lose my shit, scream at everybody and make everyone’s day hell with a list of chores that they’d hate and I’d hate following-up on –or– I could find a way to salvage the day. I decided to go for the later. I sent one child outside to run a couple of laps around the yard and told him to pick me a couple of sprigs of mint while he was out there. I told my other child that she had 30 more minutes of free time and then we were going to start family laundry time. Advanced warning on chores always works better than “right now!”

Despite a couple of eye rolls, miraculously, it worked! While the littlest one ran around, I ran to the fruit bowl and the bar and began chopping mangos. By the time he returned with my mint, I was ready to complete my cocktail. They finished their free-time while I sat outside and had a mini-vacay, soaking in the fresh air and the sun while I sipped rum infused mango and mint. I felt like I was on a tropical island instead of in the suburbs. It was delicious!

Because motherhood can’t be all play …. I poured a second one to accompany my laundry-folding extravaganza. By then, the kids knew the expectation. We took over the living room with a laundry sorting game and they used team work to carry each load downstairs. Teaching them how to sort not just colors but also fabric weights and showing them how enormously annoying it is to inside-out everyone’s dirty socks are also life lessons, LOL. I let them go back outside while the first two loads washed and dried and then we put on a movie while we folded and rotated the remaining loads. They sipped smoothies while I sipped mojitos. We finished all of the laundry and no one managed to die 🙂 They carried all their laundry to their rooms on their way to bed.

Some days parenting is just surviving …. but other days, if we’re lucky and we play our cards right …. it’s a task well done, it’s a game well-played and it’s a cocktail mixed just right!

Mango Mojitos

Ingredients:

  • 1 whole fresh mango
  • 2 limes
  • 3 sprigs mint
  • 1 TBS agave
  • 3 oz white rum
  • seltzer water

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  • Peal and chop mango into a tall container or blender

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  • Squeeze two limes into the chopped mango
  • Add the leaves of two mint sprigs 
  • Add 1 TBS agave
  • Blend with an immersion blender or traditional blender

Blend well for a smooth drink with minced mint or blend lightly to be left with chunks of mango and a few mint leaves to chew on. Your choice, your life, Live it!

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  • Mix 3 oz white rum into the mango, mint, lime purée
  • Divide the purée into two tall glasses and top with seltzer

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  • Add ice and garnish with a sprig of mint
  • Enjoy!