A Life in Food
Rosé is my summer drink. It’s light, crisp and enjoyed chilled to combat the heat of summer. This rosé sangria with summer fruits is a great way to enjoy a less expensive bottle of wine. Filled with berries, stone fruit and lemons, it is the ultimate summer sangria.
…
The Bloody Mary. It is THE quintessential brunch beverage, yet I only have them at a restaurant. Brunch and Bloody Mary’s go hand in hand. We are going to make a restaurant-style bloody mary at home. I made a killer batch of bloody mary’s last weekend and they were hands-down one of the best I’ve ever had.
First things first, we are making it from scratch. The difference is remarkable when you don’t use a store-bought mix. The drink tastes MUCH fresher and brighter, which if I’m being perfectly honest, can be dangerous. I’m usually a two drink max kind of girl and I had two drinks in no time flat. Consider yourself warned, because they go down Very Easily.
…
I love tea. Warm temperatures call for pitchers of iced tea or sun tea sitting on the porch letting Mother Nature do the work for you. Cooler weather brings spicy teas infused with cinnamon and cardamom or my favorite English Breakfast. Recently, I wrote a post for a new grocery store in town and I discovered they have a bulk tea section. I zeroed in on this particular tea, full of dried citrus and hibiscus. I brought it home and opened the bag. The smell of that tea was absolutely intoxicating. I knew it would be lovely as is, but that’s not really my style. So I started poking around in the fridge and freezer to see what I had stashed away.
…
It’s summer, people and I am all about the stone fruit right now… particularly cherries. We’ve gone through 5 pounds in a week and a half. I’ve put them in baked goods, drinks, yogurt, etc. I must admit, this super simple libation might be my VERY favorite way to enjoy this ruby red fruit.
Summer drinks, particularly slushies, shouldn’t be overcomplicated. No one wants to spend an hour prepping ingredients for a drink that is meant to be sipped poolside in the summer sun. This little libation has 3 ingredients: blackberry soda, cherries and coconut rum. I feel compelled to warn you about one teensy thing… it goes down very easily and for a lightweight like me that means I’m on the train to “Tipsy Town” with only two drinks.
This cherry rum slushie has quickly become my favorite summer sip for a few reasons. First and foremost, it is delicious! The fact that it is only 3 ingredients and it comes together in roughly five minutes flat is a close second. The best reason – you can make a big batch and serve everyone at once.
Grab a bottle of coconut rum, some fresh cherries, call your friends and celebrate summer!
Cheers!
Has this ever happened to you? You buy a watermelon, a huge watermelon (because it’s finally in season and you’ve been craving it since October), and then you realize you are going out of town in a few days? I’m not naming any names, but you (I) know who you (me, again) are…
Not one to let food go to waste, this was no exception. Watermelon, meet blender.
It’s summer, people! What do we need?! Drinks!!! When do we need them?! RIGHT NOW!!!
A libation that screams summer. A drink that makes us think of lazy days, floating in the pool or feeling the sand between our toes. One that we have at backyard bbqs with friends and neighbors, watching the sun drop as the firepit glows with bright orange flames dancing around skewered, melty marshmallows. This is that drink.
…
It’s Opening Day and what better way to celebrate than with a little bourbon? Four Roses Bourbon wants to help you celebrate Opening Day with a Bourbon Cocktail and the idea was to incorporate ball park food. I love a good hot dog as much as the next girl… but for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how to combine a hot dog and bourbon.
So, I started thinking about what I love about bourbon and it’s the caramelly smokiness that gets me. An old-fashioned is my drink of choice, so I am *quite* familiar with bourbon. Ahem. Which leads me to the question “what do I eat at ball games that I can combine with bourbon?”. Answer: Caramel Corn. The flavors are already there and I wanted to come up with a drink that would enhance the flavor profile of the bourbon without masking it.
The Girl and I love baseball and lucky for us, the Grapefruit League is here. We take road trips all over Florida to watch Spring Training games and now Opening Day is finally here! Growing up in Ohio, the Cleveland Indians have always been my team. I know you are only supposed to have ONE favorite team, but I must divulge this bit of info: I lived in NYC for 17 years, how could I not root for the Mets? I’ve been to more Mets games in the old stadium than all the other games combined! (Don’t even talk to me about the Yankees…) We take it pretty seriously, as you can see.
On to the recipe! There are only 2 elements to this libation, making it pretty easy to whip up if you are having a few people over. You can easily double or triple the simple syrup recipe, put it into a nice little pitcher, set out your bottle of Four Roses and your guests can help themselves! The Bourbon and the Buttered Caramel Simple Syrup. That’s it! (BOOM… Mic Drop)
One of my favorite memories from childhood is having my grandfather’s siblings and their spouses at our house. There were 10 of them (including my grandparents) and they would get together regularly. We would rearrange the living room to accommodate everyone, kitchen chairs lined up beside the sofa and I would find myself seated on the floor at their feet.
This “mini-reunions” are where I learned about my grandparents and great aunts and uncles, I heard stories about their childhoods and often I heard the same story re-told by someone else with a slightly different perspective than the original storyteller. It was incredibly entertaining to see this group of elders challenging each other and trying to convince the other that their recollection of the same event was rather skewed.
My all time favorite story was one my grandfather told about the farmer and the watermelons. He worked for a farmer when he was a kid and made 10 cents a day. He gave half of that to his mother and the other half he kept for himself. This was during the depression, so although it wasn’t much money, he was lucky to have anything at all. Somehow, my grandfather and one of his brothers got the bright idea that they would go to the farmer’s field at night and take a watermelon. This was stealing, and they knew it, but they were hungry and didn’t really figure the farmer would miss one melon… They were wrong.
…
The Kitchen Prescription. This tea has been my “go-to” for years when I’m under the weather. Lemon, mint, ginger and honey tea soothes your throat and warms you up to get you get through even the worst colds. Winter in most of the northern states is serious. Temperatures hovering in the single digits for weeks on end, plummeting to -20 at night, leaving you so cold that you simply can not shake the chill no matter how many layers you pile on. I hate winter, let me rephrase: I loathe winter. I loathe the snow and ice, the freezing temperatures, the slipping and sliding down sidewalks that haven’t been cleaned, chipping an inch of ice from the windshield, car doors that are frozen shut… You get the picture.
And then you get sick. Watery eyes, stuffy nose, scratchy throat and a cough that rattles your insides like gunfire. You have been taken down by the common cold. Once it gets you, it takes weeks until you start to feel human again.
…
Greetings, Friends! As we usher out 2015 and prepare to welcome 2016, I’ve put together a few recipes to make the party planning a little easier! Can you believe the year is almost over? I can not believe there is only a week left!
I’ve put together a “cocktail party” of sorts… Nibbles and libations. No main dishes or desserts, nothing fancy or overly complicated, just finger food and drinks to share with friends and family.
Enjoy the festivities of ringing in the New Year! Be safe! Happy 2016, Everyone! May the New Year bring you blessings, health & happiness!
Drinks (both leaded & unleaded):
Bourbon Apple Cider: https://www.pookspantry.com/re-union/
Chocolate Martini: http://www.dessertsrequired.com/chocolate-martini
Snowflake Drink: https://www.pookspantry.com/catching-snowflakes-on-my-tongue/
Hibiscus Rose Sharbat: http://pastrychefonline.com/2014/12/30/hibiscus-rose-sharbat/
Limoncello Ginger Spritzer: https://www.pookspantry.com/thai-one-on-again-and-once-more-after-that/
Hibiscus Champagne Cocktail: https://www.pookspantry.com/l-is-for-libation/
Nibbles:
Bread with Tomato & Garlic: https://www.pookspantry.com/pa-amb-tomaquet-bread-with-tomato/
Yummy Poppy Seed Sammiches: http://pastrychefonline.com/2015/01/08/best-poppy-seed-party-ham-biscuits/
Corn Fritters: https://www.pookspantry.com/445/
Egg rolls: http://pastrychefonline.com/2015/03/31/sweet-and-spicy-pork-egg-rolls/
Mini Corn Dogs: https://www.pookspantry.com/guilty-pleasures/
Mini Twice Baked Potatoes: https://www.pookspantry.com/and-the-award-goes-to/
Falafel: https://www.pookspantry.com/falafel/
Happy New Year!!!
The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually a blur for most of us, which is why I’ve complied a dozen recipes that could come in handy for this time of the year. There are cookies, cupcakes, homemade sanding sugar, hot chocolate and an adult beverage or two to enjoy.
Happy Holidays to you & yours! Thank you so much for stopping by!