It’s your lucky day. No really, it is. St. Patrick’s Day carries with it the stigma of good luck and good fortune. There is no better way to celebrate than to skip the long story and go straight to the recipe. The clock is ticking and you need to get those celebratory Koloa Coconut Rum and Lime Jell-O shots chilling. Continue reading ‘Put the Lime in the Koloa Coconut Rum Jell-O Shots’
Tag Archive for 'cocktail'
I’ve changed
The thing about having been ill is that you do things differently, maybe not right away, but then you look back and realize that you’ve changed. I’ve changed.
You laugh harder, live larger, love more deeply, and take more chances. The focus is on living and doing so memorably. Continue reading ‘Cherry Berry Campari Spritzer’
Love. Love. Love.
How can you not remember your first love, your first crush, your first adult obsession, or your first slow kiss? There is something so indescribably powerful about that emotion packed chemical reaction. The closest thing I can equate it to is a craving for chocolate. I’ll be the first to confess that I am obsessed with chocolate. Not just any chocolate, I like a standout. Continue reading ‘Chocolate Reckless Love Cocktail’
The holidays have arrived. Seasonal music floods retail stores and becomes all too common on radio stations; while on TV there is a seemingly unending stream of commercials touting the Christmas theme. As we check Thanksgiving off of our culinary and social list my mind instantly turns towards gift giving. Making a homemade gift is always nice and while cookies are a delicious way to go, I wanted to find that perfect gift to give that is a bit unusual. This concept takes hardly any time to make and will certainly be memorable.
Continue reading ‘Fire Sugar Cubes – Not Your Granny’s Sugar Cubes’
There is some sort of strange energy that prevails once the end of the year hits. It’s as if we think we have to somehow squeeze everything into those remaining months. It feels like a continuous time crunch with no apparent end in sight. Yet, somehow I am happy to have this experience this year. I’ll take every last bit of it. I don’t want to miss a beat. Last year I could only wish to be going to parties and seeing family and friends, so I am reminded to manage the swells of activity that exist and to find the fun in the little moments. Continue reading ‘Warm Chai Coconut Koloa Coffee Rum Mylk’
I have breast cancer.
Those four words you never hope to say. I was going to blog about taking a forest bath, but that will be another day, today it seems less important. I realize a food blog hardly seems like the place to make this sort of announcement to some, to others they will fully understand that this is exactly what a blog is about. It is about relevance and transparency. It is a window into my world. So here it is. Continue reading ‘Watermelon Refresher & A Dose of Reality’
Right now I can’t cook to save my life. It is just not possible. There are those moments in life when the wheels just come off and you free fall Don Draper style off the high rise. That’s where I am. That’s what my life feels like right now. I’ve tried to ‘pretty it up’ and put lip stick on a pig, but at the end of the day, it is still lip stick on a pig. Nothing more. Continue reading ‘Watermelon Basil Sweet Tea’
Blackberries make summer memories
Summer simmers along, with hot days and warm still nights. This is the sign of a good blackberry summer. The berries hang heavy and ripe on their briers, waiting for eager hands to gather them. Heaving buckets heaped with berries comprise the Mt. Shasta Blackberry Festival’s iconic food – blackberry pie. As the summer days melt away, this end-of-summer staple, sweet tangy blackberries, ease us into the next season.
For our family, the Mt. Shasta Blackberry Festival has been a staple. There is nothing quite like a good ole’ fashioned summer party to push away the back to school blues. The potato sack races, watermelon eating contest and balloon toss contests are often picturesque images seen only in a Martha Stewart magazine but here, Continue reading ‘Blackberry & Proscuitto Goat Cheese Herbed Pizza’
Summer is nearly here and it seems I am turning nearly everything I cook, bake or blend into the color green. So many lovely green veggies and herbs are in bloom to play around with – the hours seem to melt away as I pine over fresh ingredients to meld into new creations. The recipes need not be overly complicated; the goal is just to taste the freshness in every bite, or in this case, gulp. This drink recipe is 100% kid friendly, but with the flick of a wrist (and your favorite white alcohol) it can quickly turn into an adult beverage. No one needs to know that you are not all drinking the same exact drink!
I tend to gravitate towards a tart palate so when making this recipe for myself I will often cut the simple syrup recipe in half. My family tends to like things on the sweeter side, so I have provided that recipe as the base recipe. Tweak it as you like. I think it is a wonderful summer drink that will refresh even the hottest of guest.
Green Lemonade
Simple Syrup
6 TBS sugar
6 TBS water
Green Lemonade Ingredients
1 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed (approximately 4-5 lemons)
2 cups fresh mint leaves, stems removed
5 cups water, cold or room temperature
2 cups large ice cubes
simple syrup (recipe below)
Garnish
6 mint sprigs, small or
peeled lemon rind
Directions
In a small pot, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Once sugar is dissolved remove pot from heat and set aside.
In a blender combine lemon juice, mint leaves, water, and ice. Blend until well combined. If desired, the small bits of mint can be strained out of the juice. Lastly, add simple syrup and stir.
To garnish, serve with a sprig of mint or a little lemon rind.