Two Cocktails, One Day!

June 28, 2012 By 13 Comments

Today is a special day. Why is it so special, you ask? Because I have two fabulous cocktail posts for you today. Exciting, right?

I’ve been a cocktail making and blog posting machine, lately. Both Jen from Juanita’s Cocina and Heidi from Young Grasshopper asked me to guest post while they’re out doing their thang and, of course, I excitedly said yes to them both. I hope your having fun, ladies.

I’m not sure if you’re familiar with Heidi or her site, but she’s amazing. If you need a cocktail recipe, Heidi’s your gal. She’s the cocktail queen. She’s also the brains behind Barfly, a site dedicated solely to alcoholic beverages. Can I get a heck yes? In honor of Heidi and our love for cocktails, I made a grilled peach bourbon old-fashioned. It’s delicious. Strong, but delicious.

This drink isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s a good, strong cocktail made for sippin’.

Want the recipe? Heidi’s featuring this delicious cocktail on her site today, and it just so happens that it’s Thirsty Thursday. Go visit Heidi, get the recipe, and relax the old-fashioned way.

Can you guess what I made for Jen? A cocktail, but not just any cocktail, a lime-in-the-coconut margarita. It’s mind-blowing! It’s a combination of a margarita and pina colada. It’s sweet, tart, and coconuty (yes, I know that’s not a word, but I’m sticking with it).

Did I just hear the word lush? Well, I have to admit, I do enjoy a good cocktail. However, I have a two cocktail limit because, face it, I’m old now and can’t handle hangovers. Did I just hear the word wimp? Man, ya’ll are harsh. Just kidding. I’m a total wimp- no shame here.

I met Jen back in December when I launched my blog. She is absolutely awesome and funny as heck. 1. She lives in Texas, and I happen to love the good ol’ state of Texas. 2. She makes a lot of Mexican cuisine, and I love me some tacos. 3. She squealed when I told her I was making a margarita for her guest post. I truly believe that Jen is my foodie soulmate.

Go on over and visit Jen for the lime-in-the-coconut margarita recipe. I’m sure she’s over there drinking a margarita on the deck singing, “Put the lime in the coconut, you drank them both up.”

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Blueberry Soda

June 21, 2012 By 38 Comments

It’s officially summertime here in Baltimore. Today, it’s a smeltering 100 degrees and the humidity is out of control. It feels like hot dog breath outside- blek! Let me just tell you, this weather is not helping my hair situation. I have a mini fro going on, and it’s a frightful sight.

I made a refreshing summer soda to help beat this dreaded summer heat. It’s blueberry, it’s super fresh, and screams summa summa time!

I made a simple blueberry syrup that I found on Joy the Baker. It’s delicious and fruity with a touch of mint. I sweetened it with agave syrup to keep it all natural.

All you have to do is add a little syrup to a glass of ice and top it with club soda. Voila, homemade soda! You control how sweet you want your soda by adding as little or as much club soda as you like.

Blueberry Syrup

adapted from Joy the Baker

3 cups water
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen blueberries
1 lemon, juiced
6 mint leaves
3/4 agave nectar

In a medium-sized saucepan, add water, blueberries, lemon juice, mint leaves, and agave. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the mixture from the heat and strain through a mesh strainer into a large bowl (preferably one with a spout for easy transfer). Using a spatula, press down on the blueberries to release all of their juices.

Transfer the strained mixture back to the saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the mixture reduces to about 2 cups of liquid.

Chill the syrup in the refrigerator until completely cool, about 2 hours. Add ice to a glass, pour in desired amount of syrup, and top with club soda. Enjoy!

 

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Coconut Mojitos aka Cocojito

April 1, 2012 By 38 Comments

It’s Sunday, and that means it’s time to share our favorite recipes for #SundaySupper. Isabel from Family Foodie is the creator of #SundaySupper, and she continues to inspire and encourage us to gather up the family, sit around the table, and eat and share the love we have for one another. It’s a tradition that has become lost and forgotten about over the years, but Isabel is working hard to educate all of us on the importance of Sunday supper with our loved ones.

This week, I decided to share a cocktail recipe that I created and perfected over the years. My favorite cocktail is the mojito. It’s refreshing, crisp, and tasty. I combined my love for the mojito with my love for coconut. The result is delicious! I call it the cocojito. It doesn’t taste like an alcoholic beverage, but it is, so be careful. This baby will sneak up on you. I know- trust me.

Lime, mint, and coconut rum get mixed together to create a deliciously refreshing cocktail. I mix up a batch and keep it in a pitcher. This method will ensure that you get to spend time with your guests instead of mixing drinks at the bar all evening.

I love pairing a cocktail with food at a dinner party. It’s a nice conversation starter. It loosens up your guests a bit, especially if not everyone knows each other. Serve this cocktail, and everyone will become friends in no time.

Enjoy your Sunday supper with your loved ones.

Love and sweet treats,

Jennie

Recipe:

2 cups sugar

2 cups water

4 mint sprigs

3 cups coconut rum (my favorite is Malibu black)

1 3/4 cups lime juice, freshly squeezed

1 1/2-2 liters club soda, chilled

Start off by making the mint simple syrup. Add 2 cups sugar, 2cups water, and mint sprigs to a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Set aside and let the syrup cool slightly, about 30 minutes.

While the syrup is cooling, juice the limes. I used about 11 limes to get enough juice. Once the limes are juiced, sieve the juice to get out any pulp (if you like pulp, you can skip this step). Pour lime juice and rum into a pitcher. Once the syrup is cool, sieve the syrup, disposing of the mint sprigs. Add 2 1/2 cups of the mint simple syrup to the pitcher with the rum and lime juice. Stir. Place the mixture in the fridge and let cool completely. The mixture in the pitcher is a concentrated version of the cocktail.

Once the rum mixture is completely cool, add the chilled club soda. You’ll want to do this right before serving the cocktail so the club soda doesn’t go flat. One pitcher of cocojito mix takes about a liter and a half of club soda. Add a little at a time, tasting after each addition. Everyone’s taste is different, so add the club soda until it suites your taste. Enjoy!

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