Category Archives: Drinks

New York Sour

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New York Sour 2

What a day – let me tell you.  There were ups, and there were downs – I went from tired and cranky (on Thursday night), to completely stressed out, to elated, to livid.  I’m sorry, but I have to rant – this is my blog, and I have to get this off my chest.  I’m not even sure a drink will help at this point.

This morning, my older daughter played in the semi-finals for girls little league.  This is the furthest their team has ever gotten in the playoffs, and we (the parents) could not be more proud of them.  Unfortunately this morning my daughter was a magnet for the ball, and got hit all three times she was up at bat.  The good news is she got on base all three times, and one of those times she scored a run.  This was a tough team, with an even tougher coach, that was watching (and commenting) on every little thing – including telling the umpire that he should tell my daughter to move out-of-the-way of the pitches – like she enjoys getting hit in the side of the ribs by the ball???  The thud was painful to listen to.  They had a really tough battle, but they made it through – and came down from a 5 run deficit to win by 1 run.  It was amazing – they were so happy they were jumping up in down in a big huddle – it was one of the proudest moments I have experienced as a parent.

Later in the afternoon, we decided to head down to the neighborhood field to watch the boys championship game, as she had some friends who were playing.  As we were approaching the field, we couldn’t believe all the cars on the street.  My daughter said, “Boy, someone is having a big party!”  That someone was the boys championship game.  There were hundreds of people there – they were selling hot dogs and cotton candy, they had huge speakers to announce all the payers, and 4 umpires in the field.  It was amazing.  She looked at me and said, “Are we going to get all this stuff too?”  Well, the plan was for them to play the championship game at Husky Stadium (at University of Washington), but we learned today that due to some construction, they would not be able to play there.  The girls were so looking forward to that, but the excitement of winning took precedent.

We found out tonight that we will be playing at the field down the street from us – not a special field, just an old regular field – and the game starts at 2:30pm on Monday.  WHAT????  ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  Don’t they know that school is not out for the summer yet?  And that school doesn’t get out until 3:30pm?????  What about the parents that have to leave work in order to get to the game, and the meetings they have to reschedule???  Let alone the fact that none of their friends, neighbors, or other fans will be able to make that time work.  THIS IS CRAZY!!!  The sheer lack of disrespect for the girls is outrageous.  What are we in the dark ages?  My daughter was crushed to find out that she would need to be picked up 2 hours early from her field trip on Monday to make it to the game.  I am going to need to leave work at noon, just to drive 45 minutes to get her from the field trip, and then another 45 minutes to the field.  And if we run into traffic, forget it.

Needless to say – not even this delicious drink I found in Bon Appetit will help at this point.  But, please – go ahead and make one for yourself – and say a little toast to the Red Hot Chile Peppers.  They deserve so much better…I just hope that someday girls will be given the respect they deserve on the field – at least we can always dream.

Ingredients

  • 2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 1 ounce simple syrup
  • 1/2 ounce  fruity red wine (such as Shiraz or Malbec)

Preparation

Combine 2 ounces rye or bourbon whiskey, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice,  and  1 ounce simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Fill  with ice, cover, and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds.  Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Gently pour 1/2 ounce  fruity red wine over the back of a spoon  held just above the drink’s surface so wine floats on top.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  New York Sour

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Cucumber Pimm’s Cup

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Pimm's Cup

I cannot believe that it has been a year since I wrote about the “100 days of May” – and here we are, right back at it.  I am in the middle of a marathon of sorts – the marathon to get to the end of the year.  Only two more weeks to go…will I actually make it?  Only time will tell.

My husband and I are still obsessed over cocktails – it is a phase we have been going through for a while now.  For me, it is a lot like cooking.  I love finding different flavor combinations that go really well together.  Unfortunately it is not something we do often enough – but it certainly is fun.  My girls have also gotten into the spirit of things, and whenever I made up a new cocktail for us – I try to make a non-alcoholic mock tail version for them – they love it.

When my husband was growing up, his mother was what we call a “Super Mom” – she stayed home, was very involved with their activities, and loved to host all the neighborhood kids and moms.  Years ago we were at a restaurant and we saw Pimm’s Cup on the menu – and it reminded him of his mother.  She was quite the tennis player when he was young – and I guess Pimm’s Cup was a drink she served her friends after playing tennis.  I have been looking for an excuse to make the drink ever since.  When I saw it in Cooking Light the other month, I was so excited to put it in the recipe pile.  Of course a drink like this is screaming for a hot and sunny day – which we don’t get very often in sunny Seattle – but I just couldn’t wait.  I made it the other weekend for Book Club, during a sun break – and I thought it was delicious.  It is not a strong drink, but nice and thirst quenching.  The recipe below also lends itself very nicely to making a non-alcoholic version – just omit the Pimm’s Cup, and you will have a wonderful drink that everyone can enjoy.

So – as we approach Junuary in Seattle – I hope that the rest of the country is gearing up for summer.  And, if you are stuck in the “100 days of May,” don’t fret – school will be out soon, and then comes a whole bunch of new races.  During a marathon it is important to replenish – it’s the only way to finish strong…

Ingredients

  • 2 cups prepared lemonade
  • 1  large cucumber, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
  • 1 cup Pimm’s No. 1, chilled
  • 1 cup ginger ale, chilled
  • 6  cucumber spears (optional)
  • Mint leaves (optional)

Preparation

Combine prepared lemonade and cucumber slices in a large pitcher. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Add Pimm’s and ginger ale to pitcher. Pour 1 cup mixture into each of 6 ice-filled glasses. Garnish with cucumber spears and mint leaves, if desired.

Serves 6

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cucumber Pimm’s Cup

Summer Sunset

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Summer Sunset

Happy Mother’s Day!!  It is our day – the day where all that hard work is finally recognized.  I hope all you mothers out there had a terrific day, filled with lots of hugs, cards and relaxation.  I had a really nice day, but I must admit, the highlight was this poem that my younger daughter wrote for me:

My Mom is like…

A lightning bolt at the computer,

A technology queen,

A super cook,

A fluffy pillow,

A flower garden,

Some bug spray,

And a no dogs allowed sign!

The other highlight was yesterday – making this amazing cocktail.  Last summer we were at one of our favorite restaurants – where the tables are pretty close to each other.  There was a couple next to us and we were eyeing their food.  They were on their main course, and their food looked incredible. They noticed us staring, so we started talking.  The food conversation quickly turned to cocktails – and he ended up sharing his favorite cocktail with us.  We were still in the process of building out our bar (in an old fashion wardrobe cabinet in our dining area) and didn’t have a lot of good liqueur just yet.  We were in research mode (as we often are), and asking a lot of questions on what we should buy.  He definitely talked up Aperol, which is similar to Campari, but a little less bitter.  It took me a log time to make this drink, as fresh grapefruit is not something usually I have in the refrigerator.  I just happened to have a bunch of grapefruits though that were too sour to eat – so I squeezed all the juice out of them – and remembered this cocktail.  It was a huge hit with my husband and our friends.  Oh, and did you see the color??  Gorgeous.  As always…don’t drink and drive.

So – here’s to all the mothers out there – cheers to you!!

Ingredients

  • 3 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 1 ounce fresh lime juice
  • 2 ounces Aperol
  • 2 ounces Gin

Preparation

Place all ingredients into a shaker with ice.  Shake and serve in a martini glass with a twist of orange.  Makes 2 cocktails.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Summer Sunset

Summer Sunset 2

Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

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Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie 2

My kids are obsessed with the color pink – they have been all of their lives.  When they were younger and I would do the laundry, it was just a pile of pink clothes – the only positive is that everything matched all the time.  The pink spills over into other parts of their lives as well – food.  They are drawn to anything pink (strawberry flavored).  Unfortunately most of what they are drawn to is fake though…and I spend a lot of time trying to explain that to then.  Sometimes they will listen to me, but most of the time they have to try it for themselves before listening to me the next time.

The other weekend we were on vacation in Whistler.  After dinner we went out for ice-cream – yes, I know, but they love ice-cream no matter what the temperature is like.  They stared at all the flavors for quite a while, but my little one had to go with strawberry.  This was soft serve ice-cream – there was no way this strawberry was going to taste good.  Fortunately my older one choose well – vanilla.  My younger one took a couple of bites, and just set it down on table.  She was a little afraid to tell us that she didn’t like it.  The place was empty, and there were a few guys behind the counter just sitting around.  I got my husband to tell them that she had never had this before, and really didn’t like it – and would it be ok if she got a vanilla instead.  He was more than happy to get her a new one.  Thank goodness – and maybe next time she will remember.

Today we didn’t have a lot going on, and the girls needed a little pick-me-up this afternoon.  I looked at what I had in the house, and decided a fun smoothie was in order.  I asked the girls if they were interested, and boy did I get some enthusiasm.  When I told them what I was going to make, they both crinkled their noses.  They both wanted a strawberry smoothie instead – but I didn’t have anything pink to use.  My younger one was most concerned about the color of the smoothie I wanted to make – she was sure it would be ugly – again, like that has anything to do with the taste.  But I agree, something that is visually appealing, is certainly more delightful to eat.

I whipped up the smoothie, and took a spoon, I was in heaven.  I knew if they didn’t devour theirs – I would have no problem finishing them.  I handed them over, and in about 1 minute they were gone.  They both LOVED the smoothie – they told me how smart I was to come up with this combination – even though it was cream-colored.  Mom 1, Pink 0.

Ingredients

  • 6 oz. low-fat vanilla yogurt
  • 1 frozen banana
  • 1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

Preparation

Put all ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth.  Serve immediately.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie

Cool as a Cucumber

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Cool as a Cucumber 1

Is it the weekend yet?  I’m not sure why, but this seemed like a really long week.  It may have started when my younger daughter – upset at her sister for trying to make her take a shower first – ripped the towel hook off the wall (and made a nice big hole in the wall) when her older sister asked her to hand her the towel.  Or when my older daughter called from school because her ear hurt, when I was just about to leave work to take my younger daughter to the doctor.  Or when I got an email about my younger daughter’s school that was in lock-down because of a man who robbed a bank 15 blocks from the school – and actually escaped.  Or maybe when I dumped rice all over the my office, and I had to pick up the pieces one by one before I stepped on them and smashed them into the dark brown solid colored carpet – who thought that color was a good idea?

I know these are all little things (ok, maybe not the bank robber), but they take their toll.  I am ready for a break.  I am ready for a drink.  When it comes to drinks, I am definitely partial to cucumber drinks.  I have posted my share on this site, and each one has been delicious in their own way – but this one was exceptionally good.  This one was actually healthy – there was no peeling of the cucumber – you just cut off the ends, and put the entire thing in a blender.  After you strain the solids, you end up with this beautiful green cucumber juice – crisp and clean.  Wow.

So, for those of you who don’t drink alcohol – you can still enjoy this refreshing drink, the cucumber juice with lime juice and simple syrup is definitely a treat.  Better yet, you can get your kids to eat their vegetables, and they would never in a million years believe you that this was good for them.  My mind is starting to churn…there is a lot I can do in this space.

Here’s to the weekend – that is not here yet, but soon enough.  For those of you on the east coast – blend your cucumber tonight, before the storm hits.  You will thank me later.  Stay safe and warm everyone – and Cool as a Cucumber!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons strained cucumber, made from blending an English cucumber
  • 3 tablespoons Effen Cucumber Vodka
  • 1 tablespoon elderflower liquor
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon simple syrup or agave nectar

Preparation

Mix all ingredients together in a shaker with ice.  Serve in a martini glass with a garnish of cucumber (peel a long strip of cucumber and fold it onto a toothpick).

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Cool as a Cucumber

Fall Classic Cocktail

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Fall Classic Cocktail

It is so easy to make summer cocktails – it seems as though anything fruity on ice is just perfect to drink in the summer.  I think it is harder to make a really great fall/winter cocktail – without making a warm drink.  You want to create something that gives the aura of warmth, something with an intense flavor.

When my husband and I go to New York City, one of our favorite places for a delicious cocktail and dinner is the Gramercy Tavern.  The restaurant is very fancy – but we stick to the bar – in fact we have never even been to the dining room.  They have a wonderful prix fix meal that is extremely reasonable, and some of the best cocktails around.  They are classic cocktails – not the kind that are completely outrageous, but just good solid drinks.

I saw this recipe printed in Bon Appetit last month – and because it was from the Gramercy Tavern, I had to give it a try.  I changed things up a little – since I have been trying to make cocktails without using simple syrup – so I substituted for Snap Liquor – a wonderful sweet liquor with all the flavors of fall – like a Gingerbread treat.  I thought this was amazing, and our friends liked it as well.  It will definitely be my favorite this season.

Bon Appetit – Gramercy Tavern

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons apple brandy (such as Calvados or Laird’s)
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon Snap Liquor
  • 2 tablespoons fresh  apple cider
  • 1 tablespoon fresh  lemon juice
  • 1 dash of Angostura bitters
  • Dried or fresh apple slice  (optional)

Preparation

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add apple brandy, and next 5 ingredients. Shake cocktail vigorously 10-15  times and strain into a chilled Martini glass. Garnish with apple slice, if  desired.

For a printer-friendly version of this cocktail, please click here:  Fall Classic Cocktail

Strawberry Smash

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It’s the first weekend of fall, and I should be posting the Apple Cake I made today, or the jam that is sitting in my pantry setting up so it is the perfect consistency – don’t worry, those posts will come – but I had to get one more summer cocktail in before we said goodbye to warmer temperatures and long days.

When we lived in Denver, we had these very good friends that we did everything with.  This was before we had kids – and we had more time on our hands.  This was also before I knew anything about making drinks.  Our friends were from Canada, and his favorite after-work drink was a Rum and Coke.  My husband (boyfriend at the time) were more beer drinkers – but we would also have some cans of coke in the refrigerator in case he happened to be at our house on a Friday or Saturday night.

Years later, after we had our children, I took my older daughter back to Denver for a visit.  We flew in on a Friday, and as a special treat, they made me a Strawberry Margaretta.  I asked what happened to the Rum and Coke – not to worry, that was still his go-to drink, but that this was a special occasion.  I am not crazy about ultra-sweet drinks, but I had one anyway – it was like dessert in a glass.  When I saw this recipe from Cooking Light (which I adapted below), I immediately thought of that night – and decided I needed to see if this would be more my style.

I know that strawberry season is long gone, but if you are lucky, you can still find some shipped from California.  Or, if all else fails – you can always thaw some frozen strawberries.  This is still a sweet drink (omit the simple syrup if you want it less sweet), but not too sweet – it was actually perfect for me.  What a perfectly nice and refreshing drink, made with real strawberries.  So – here’s to the end of summer.  I am actually really excited for fall – it just happens to be my favorite season – for many reasons…and yes, most of them have to do with food, so stay tuned!

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup strawberries
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons simple syrup
  • 1 cup of ice

Preparation

Place the strawberries in a shaker, and using the back of a wooden spoon or a muddler, smash the strawberries.  Put in the rest of the ingredients, shake well and serve, slightly strained.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Strawberry Smash

Watermelon Soda Float

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My older daughter has started reading my cooking magazines – it is adorable.  So last night, as we were heading out for date night – she asked if she could take my Bon Appetit upstairs to read before bed.  This morning I got the run down of all the great recipes – but the one that stood out the most was the Watermelon Soda Float.  What is summer without a little watermelon?  Summer is basically over here, but that doesn’t mean we have given up all hope – we are still trying to eke out every last bit.  A few weeks ago we were in the super market, and they had these adorable baby watermelons.  My kids are both suckers for cute things (I wonder where they got that from?), but I held strong, and did not put one of those babies in my cart.  I told them that at some point during the summer we would get one though.  Well, with Labor Day coming next weekend, we were running out of time – so today I walked past the display, and chose the most perfect one I could find.

When I brought it home, the girls were so excited, but not half as excited as they were to learn what I was going to do with it.  They couldn’t wait for dessert.  When dinner was finally over, I broke it to them that I wanted to clean up first. Am I a mean Mom?  I was making the Watermelon Soda Float after all, but waiting is so hard.  So – I finally got them into the glasses, with the perfect pink straws that my sister gave me – and the girls were just about to dig in, when I stopped them.  I had to take a picture!  At this point they were bouncing off the walls – it was almost impossible to get a shot without their little hands trying to sneak in – but I managed to get a couple.  We all loved the dessert – the watermelon soda was so sweet and summery - and the frozen yogurt on top gave it just enough cream flavor to mix in with the soda.  It was summer in a glass – hey, we will take what we can get.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 medium watermelon, chilled, plus ½ cantaloupe
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Pinch of kosher salt
  • 1 cup seltzer
  • 1 pint store-bought vanilla frozen  yogurt, preferably Greek style

Preparation

Using a melon baller, scoop out 1 1/2 cups watermelon balls and cantaloupe balls, into a small bowl. Cover and chill. Cut enough watermelon into 1″ pieces to measure 8 cups. Stir sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl until sugar dissolves. Set simple syrup aside.

Purée melon pieces (not balls) in a blender until smooth; strain juice through a fine-mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or pitcher (you should have about 4 cups juice). Discard solids. Whisk in simple syrup, lime juice, and salt.

DO AHEAD: Purée can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Add seltzer to watermelon purée. Divide melon balls among tall glasses. Pour watermelon soda over. Top with scoops of frozen yogurt. Serve watermelon float with a straw.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Watermelon Soda Float

Peach Cooler

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Summer is over already, I just can’t believe it.  I was really getting used to those nice warm temperatures – when you can sit outside well into the evening, and it is just wonderfully comfortable.  Last night I actually had to close some of the windows in our room because it was so cold.

Last weekends post got me thinking about when we moved here – 16 years ago this week.  Denver was a beautiful place to live – the mountains were so accessible – and there were definitely four seasons.  It would get so hot in the summer that we had to head to the mountains every weekend and camp, just to escape the heat.  We didn’t have air conditioning, and most of the windows in the house we rented didn’t open.  When we decided to move to Seattle, we had really only spent a few weekends there.  We really had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.

I remember when we left Denver to make the drive to Seattle, it was a typical summer day - sunny and hot.  By the time we arrived in Seattle, we had gone from summer to fall.  It was cold and cloudy, and we were depressed.  We looked at each other and said, “What have we done?”  Well, it couldn’t have been much of a mistake, since we still live here happily 16 years later, but it is funny to think about it.  So – what do you do if you want to think summer but it really isn’t anymore?  Make a summertime cocktail – that’s exactly what you do.  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit, and it is just yelled summer to me.  I couldn’t really wait for the peaches to macerate before pouring myself a glass, and even then, it was absolutely delicious.  I seriously could have drunk the whole pitcher myself, if it wasn’t for my husband and our friend who was helping out.  We actually had to save a glass for his wife, otherwise, we would have completely finished it ourselves.

So – whether you are still in the throes of summer, of you have moved begrudgingly into fall – this is a perfect drink for either occasion.   It will either cool you off, or make you forget that it is no longer summer…

Ingredients

  • 2 very ripe peaches, peeled, cut into 1/2″ wedges
  • 6 tablespoons peach  liqueur
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon  juice
  • 1/4 cup vodka
  • 1 English hothouse cucumber
  • 2 cups chilled Prosecco
  • 1 1/2 cups chilled soda water
  • 12 fresh mint leaves

Preparation

Using a muddler or wooden spoon, mash peaches with liqueur and  lemon juice in a large pitcher. Stir in vodka. DO AHEAD Can be made 4  hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Cut 1/3 of cucumber lengthwise into 4 spears for garnish.  Thinly slice remaining cucumber. Stir Prosecco, soda water, mint, and sliced  cucumber into pitcher. Fill glasses with ice. Pour cooler into glasses; garnish  with cucumber spear.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please  click here:  Peach Cooler

Blueberry Bliss

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It’s time for a drink – a summer cocktail that is, and not just any summer cocktail.  For those of you who drink alcohol, you will understand it when I say that choosing alcohol for your drink, is almost like choosing what you are going to eat for dinner (unless you happen to be in college…then it seems that any alcohol will do, but now that I have children, I am choosing to ignore that for the moment).  Everyone seems to have a personal preference, or at least certain types of alcohol that is off-limits - either the flavor is not appealing, the smell, or you just happened to overindulge a little too much one night, and it reminds you of that time that you really just want to forget.

I am not a big drinker, but making cocktails has become more and more interesting to me over the years, now that it has become similar to cooking.  Mixing different flavors to create something extraordinary – and just like cooking – I love it when I can make something that people gush over.  Gin is one of those types of alcohols that I always hated – that was until I found Hendrick’s.  The combination of cucumber and rose petals really creates an aromatic wonder.  I have blogged about this before, because I am still in awe how different Hendrick’s is to other types of gin.  Recently we came across a local stuff called Counter Gin, which is also excellent – and they even sell it at Cost-Co now!

The other weekend when I was visiting my parents, I made this cocktail for my family.  My step-sister can’t stand gin, but she LOVED this – so did my grandmother, and everyone else who had a sip.  There is nothing not to love about this recipe.  The blueberry infused gin is incredible, and paired with the cardamom simple syrup – I am telling you, this is one to write home about.  The inspiration came from a recipe I found in Cooking Light, but I adapted it below, based on my own taste.  So – if you are looking to wow someone this weekend, look no further.  Now, cheers to that!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups blueberries
  • 1 1/2 cups dry gin
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 3  cardamom pods
  • Ice
  • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Additional blueberries (optional)

Preparation

Place 2 cups blueberries in a large, heavy stainless-steel saucepan; mash with a fork or potato masher. Place over medium-high heat, and cook 3 minutes or until berries begin to release juice. Remove from heat; add gin. Cover and let stand at least for 1 hour or up to overnight. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl, pressing berries with the back of a spoon to remove as much juice as possible; discard solids.

Combine 1/2 cup water, sugar, and cardamom pods in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cool completely; discard cardamom pods.

To serve, add the ice to a cocktail shaker to come halfway up sides of container. Add 1/4 cup blueberry-gin, 1 tablespoon cardamom syrup, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice; shake until chilled. Strain cocktail into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with additional blueberries, if desired. Serve immediately. Repeat procedure with remaining ingredients.

If you prefer a fizzy cocktail, pour gin, cardamom syrup, and lemon juice over crushed ice in a glass; top with chilled club soda.

For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here:  Blueberry Bliss