Make Your Own Coffee Syrup. Do you have any coffee lovers on your holiday gift list this year? (If not, feel free to go ahead and put me on your list!) This is a cute little idea for making your own flavored coffee syrups that you can use at home to take your morning cup of joe to the next level. If you are making these as a gift I highly recommend making 2-3 flavors. We made vanilla, raspberry, and caramel flavored syrups.
For the vanilla syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (the clear kind is much preferred here). In a small pot heat your water and sugar over low/medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. Now stir in your vanilla extract and pour into your dispenser. For the raspberry syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup fresh raspberries. For the caramel syrup you need: 2 cups water, 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup caramel (store bought or make your own). You can add decorative labels or ribbons to these when gifting them. Enjoy! Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes. Uhhh yes… why yes, I am posting a “recipe” for a milkshake.
Feel free to kick me in the teeth. It’s not that I think you’re too inept to know how to put ice cream scoops and milk in a blender and push “start”… it’s just that I’m not sure you know how to add a few hefty slugs of bourbon. See? I knew we were in this relationship for a reason. Ooooh and I also really enjoyed this (some would say too much) and didn’t want you to go a day without it. That’s the real reason. Okay… and the third (real) reason is that my last-minute planned cookies were a big fat fail on Tuesday and my teeth are sweet today. And I’ve already done all the other boring-yet-delicious, typical, ! This is my kind of thing.
Print Save Bourbon Pumpkin Pie Milkshakes Yield: 2 shakes Total Time: 10 minutes Ingredients: Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender and mix until combined. Oh and these fun autumn sprinkles? Sweet Tea Hot Toddy. One of our favorite local spots start serving hot cocktails during the colder months of the year. I love a good hot toddy. It's the perfect drink to sip and enjoy good company and chilly weather. Most hot toddy recipes are pretty simple and can be made with ingredients you already have. This is one of my favorites, a sweet tea hot toddy. Sweet Tea Hot Toddy, makes two. Needed: tea of choice (I used a vanilla chamomile. Heat water and when ready steep the tea. Super easy and super comforting. Peanut Butter + Hazelnut Smoothie. This week I am going to share a few of my favorite smoothie recipes. First up, this peanut butter and hazelnut smoothie. I would choose this rich, creamy smoothie over a milkshake any day! If you are a fan of peanut butter, you should definitely try this one.
Needed: 1.5 cups coconut milk (frozen in ice cubes is helpful), 1 tablespoon hazelnut spread, 2 tablespoons PB2, 1 cup greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon Askinosie chocolate nibs, 1/2 frozen banana, chocolate granola for garnish. Optional: 1 teaspoon Truvia. Directions: In a blender, combine PB2 powder, 1/2 cup greek yogurt, 1/2 frozen banana, 1 cup coconut milk. Tips: When preparing to make smoothies it's helpful to freeze everything you can. Top with a handful of chocolate granola.
Arnold Palmer Mix Up. Arnold Palmers are my favorite summer drink! These sweet treats are half ice tea and half lemonade. They are named after a famous golfer. Some people also call these half and halfs. I've been playing around with different fruit tea varieties at my studio and I thought they would be fun to share. I love that they are sweet, but much less sweet than lemonade. I always make mine with unsweetened teas. First I make sun tea.
I add fresh fruit to my Arnold Palmers. Here are a few of my favorite combinations. Peach tea + Lemonade + Fresh grapefruit is my favorite combination. I love raspberry anything, so this combination is another favorite. I hope some of you get to try this recipe for the first time this summer! PS. Very Berry Cosmopolitan. After making a few of these the other day I wondered why we don't make cosmopolitans more? Most cosmos are made from vodka, triple sec, juice and a little lime. What's not to love? This particular recipe highlights pomegranate blueberry juice and a pretty garnish. Verry Berry Cosmopolitan, makes one 1 ounce vodka1/2 ounce Chambord liqueur1/2 ounce Triple Sec1 1/2 ounces Pomegranate Blueberry juice (or any berry juice you prefer)1 generous sqeeze of fresh lime juice Combine all ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker (or mason jar) and shake it up.
Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with a few berries and/or an edible flower. Happy cocktail making! 2 Super Simple Sangria Recipes. If you've never had Sangria before you are in for a treat. I adore wine but it can be so fun to add seasonal fruits (plus a sweetener). I love how Sangria can be super informal, like fruit punch. This beverage conjures up images of laid back beach days or casual back yard cook outs. Here are are two super simple variations of Sangria that anybody can make and enjoy! Plum and Grape Red Sangria, makes one large pitcher. Needed: 2 bottles of red wine (any kind you prefer), 4 cups juice (I used pomegranate, but you could also use grape or blueberry), 4 sliced plums, 3-4 handfuls sliced grapes and a few cubes of watermelon. Combine all ingredients in a pitcher. White Raspberry and Citrus Sangria, makes one large pitcher.
Needed: 2 bottles of white wine (any kind you prefer), 3 cups orange juice, 2 sliced oranges, 2-3 handfuls of white raspberries. You can add any kinds of fresh fruits you have one hand, so feel free to experiment. Elsie's Mojito Recipe. Hi friends! It's no secret around here that a classic mojito is my favorite cocktail. I tried for years to mix the perfect mojito, following recipes online, and had resolved that it was just too hard to get perfect at home. On a whim, I gave it one more try with simple syrup instead of granulated sugar and adding extra lemon and lime juice... behold! I finally had the perfect at-home mojito recipe. I hope you enjoy it too... You'll Need... Rum, Club Soda, Simple Syrup (you can also make your own, see below), Fresh mint, Lemons and Limes.
For one tall glass: Add one shot of rum. This recipe is not very strong (that's how I prefer it). To make your own simple syrup: Simmer equal parts water and sugar over low/medium heat for 15 to 18 minutes. Happy cocktail making! 3 Classic Cocktails. Cocktail story: One of my favorite bars in town has a special for classic cocktails on Monday nights. (Yes, I've been out for drinks on a Monday night—judge if you must!) And that was how I tried a Sidecar for the first time (I picked it for it's name—classy!). And loved it! Now it's kind of my go-to drink. Manhattan: This cocktail is very Don Draper. One serving: 2 1/2 ounces bourbon whiskey, 3/4 ounce sweet vermouth, 1-2 dashes Angostura bitters, 3-4 maraschino cherries with a dash or two of their juices too (if you want, no pressure—I like it sweet!).
Sidecar: This one is my favorite, and I love this at-home version. One serving: 3/4 ounce triple sec, 3/4 ounce bourbon whiskey, 1/2 ounce sweetened lime juice (make your own or buy one—I used Rose's brand), a small squeaze of lime juice and garnish with a lime wedge. Mint Julep: This one reminds me of my sister, as Elsie is a huge mint fan.
All recipes were adapted from Drinks Mixer and The Bar. Caramel Apple Martini. I'm trying to remember the first time I tried a caramel apple martini. I think it was at my 25th birthday party. I had a sip of Rachel's and then promptly got my own. And that's partly why, to me, caramel apple martinis are a party drink. Now I wouldn't judge you if I showed up at your house on a Tuesday night and you were reading a fantasy novel and drinking a caramel apple martini. That's cool man. No judgment from me. I tried a couple recipes I found online and most seem to suggest a 2:2:1 ratio of sour apple schnapps, butterscotch schnapps and gin or vodka. Caramel Apple Martini, makes two. Needed: 6 ounces sour apple schnapps, 4.5 ounces butterscotch schnapps, 3 ounces gin (or vodka), 1-2 tablespoons caramel, sour apple slices + cinnamon and sugar for garnish.
In a martini shaker or mason jar combine half the ingredients with ice, shake and strain into a prepared glass. For garnish I thinly sliced an apple and dipped it in cinnamon/sugar. Sweet Tea Hot Toddy. Fancy Ice Cubes: 3 Ways. As the summer heats up around here we are looking for ways to dress up our iced beverages. Here are three fun ideas for making your own fancy ices cubes; along with serving suggestions. Enjoy! Raspberry Mint ice cubes: to make simply add a fresh min leaf and a raspberry or two to each ice cube before freezing. These are super pretty! Layered ice cubes: to make pour a layer of juice or other colored liquid into your tray, about 1/3 full.
Coffee (or tea) ice cubes: to make simply fill your tray with left over coffee or tea. Have fun coming up with your own frozen favorites. xo. Flavored Lemonade Inspiration. Elsie and I are starting to plan some spring/summer back-yard parties for this coming season. It's going to be my first summer in my house (just became a first time home-owner this past autumn). We plan to host a few little get togethers, I may build a small fire pit for s'mores. Who knows! We decided to try creating a few different lemonades, gearing up for the season.
Once you have made your own lemonade (make your own from sugar, water and lemons or you can use a concentrate or store-bought kind as your base) you can add in all sorts of flavors to dress them up to you or your guests tastes. Here's what we made: Grapefruit Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add in 2 cups of grapefruit juice and fresh slices of grapefruit. Strawberry and Basil Lemonade- to a large pitcher of lemonade add 2-3 cups of chopped strawberries and a handful of chopped basil. Blackberry Lemonade- to a small pitcher of lemonade add 1 cup of slighlty mashed blackbarries. Happy Monday! 10 Cocktails Inspired by Pop Culture. Have you ever wanted to drink just like your favorite book, TV, movie or video game character, or at least drink a cocktail inspired by them? Well, good news. Thanks to the creativity and goofiness of many amateur mixologists, now you can, and here are some of the best cocktails based exclusively on pop culture icons.
Special thanks to The Drunken Moogle, which specializes in pop culture cocktails. 1. Harry Potter While the Harry Potter series might be written for kids and young adults, there are enough references to Butterbeer and Firewhiskey that plenty of adult fans were inspired to create their own versions of the drinks. In fact, there just might be more butterbeer recipes out there than there are for any other drink inspired by a fictional series. 2. After the movie came out last summer, dozens of drink recipes appeared online based on the characters. Comic site MegaCynics also created a number of Avengers creations, with The Hulk being the most impressive. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Peppermint White Russian Recipe. In our group of friends everyone loves White Russians. We even served them at our wedding!
Here's a fun Holiday spin on an old favorite. We're big fans of peppermint over here! Peppermint White Russian, serves one Fill a glass with ice and then combine- 2 parts peppermint schnapps, 2 part Bailey's (the coffee flavored kind), 1 part half and half. The recipe above is mildly minty. Do you have a favorite Holiday cocktail (or mocktail) recipe? In our group of friends everyone loves White Russians. The recipe above is mildly minty.