Watermelons: Nature's Keg | Ministry of Alcohol Still pumping your watermelons full of rum? What is this, summer camp? It’s time to grow up and start converting your watermelons into kegs. The instructions for the Watermelon Keg come from none other than the National Watermelon Promotion Board—which surprisingly is an actual thing. Essentially you slice off a thin layer from the bottom end, slice open the top, scoop out the meat (or liquefy with booze), and jam a spigot in the front. Presto! Materials Instructions Wash the watermelon under cool running water and pat dry.On a cutting board, place the watermelon on its side and cut off 1/4”-1/2” from both ends, being careful not to cut too deep into the white part of the rind.
Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur Here is another really yummy treat, Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur! I love it added to a cup of coffee! Irish Cream Liqueur from Bon Appetit 1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup Irish whiskey 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals 1 cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut ) My can was solid at the top, so I placed about 2 inches of water in a skillet and heated until the cream of coconut was liquid) Combine first 5 ingredients in blender; blend until coffee crystals dissolve, about 1 minute. You can pour chilled mixture over ice cubes, pour over chocolate or coffee ice cream too. I used 8oz tall skinny bottles from Germany (sorry). You could dress the bottles up even more with a hand painted bottle stopper! Don’t forget to check out other handmade gift ideas. Enjoy!
DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte One of my all time favourite flavours is pumpkin. It's nostalgic aroma brings back all those memories of Thanksgivings and Halloweens. Chicks, tell me now, is there anything better than curling up with a good book, magazine or DVD with a pumpkin spice latte? Also- a pumpkin spice latte is the perfect excuse to cuddle with someone. What you'll need:2 1/4 cups milk2 1/2 tablespoons canned pumpkin2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or more if you like the spice! Directions: In a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice.To froth up the mixture, you can transfer to a blender for 15 seconds or simply whisk the mixture at a fast pace until it becomes foamy. Pour into mug then pour espresso on top. There you have it- sweet and simple pumpkin spice lattes for two! What's your favourite fall drink chicks? (Recipe and directions adapted from thekitchn.com)
How to DIY Your Own Frozen Fruit Pops | TheBump Blog Photo: SkinnyTaste.com / The Bump We recently came across this DIY frozen fruit pop recipe on Pinterest from the blog SkinnyTaste.com. These pops are a healthy and simple summer treat for your little ones (and you!). “My one-year-old probably had as much fun playing with them as she did eating them,” says SkinnyTaste.com blogger Gina. To make the pops, “Combine diced fruit in a bowl and fill each 5 ounce cup with fruit. Get the full recipe at SkinnyTaste.com here. Tell us, what are your favorite summer snacks? Chocolate Chip Gender Reveal Cookies No-Guilt Raspberry Turnovers Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Energy Bars Like this: Like Loading...
11 Things You Didn't Know Were Great to Grate (Credit: Zach DeSart) Our latest cool kitchen trick: grating tomatoes. it yields a pure pulp perfectly suited to so many uses. Simply slice in half, then grate the cut side over the coarse holes of a box grater (discard core and any tomato skin left in your hand). Whisk the results into vinaigrettes, quick salsas, and gazpacho, or make tomato jam. That’s right, graters aren’t just for cheese. GarlicInstead of painstakingly mincing or using a garlic press, grate garlic on a Microplane to get a fine texture that will cook evenly. CharcoalIf you like your meat to have a super-smoky flavor, think about using charcoal–in the kitchen, not the backyard. Potatoes & Root VegetablesGrate these starchy root veggies on the coarse holes of a box grater to make hash browns, rosti, and potato pancakes. Ginger and HorseradishRoots like ginger and horseradish that are stringy and fibrous can be difficult to chop into small pieces.
30 Drinks Every Bartender Should Know So I have a new hire who is about to bartend her first bartending shift and I was about to e-mail her 30 drinks every bartender should know and looking for a list (so I wouldn’t have to make it) and almost every list I found was absolutely ridiculous. For example, one site listed the Bocci Ball (don’t know what it is, probably never will as in 12 years no one has ever ONCE asked me for one). Or the Freddy Fudpacker (aka The Cactus Banger) – once again NEVER HEARD anyone order either of these ever ONCE. I’m not naming any drinks on this list where the ingredients are the name i.e. vodka tonic, amaretto sour, or gin and juice. 1. How To Make the Top Cocktails Every Bartender Should Know Apple Martini I hate to even put this on the list, but it is a cocktail that I get an order for at least once a weekend. 3 oz Apple Pucker, 2 oz Vodka, (can add 1 oz fresh lime sour if you happen to have something like that in your bar) shake and serve up with a bright red maraschino cherry Rusty Nail
Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day And I’m not even kidding! Easiest. Recipe. Ever! Thanks to my sweet brother, Ramon, who recently came for a visit, I’ve finally learned to make this delicious recipe for homemade Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François. If you’ve been intimidated to make homemade bread, your store bought days are over. Recipe for Homemade Artisan Bread makes 3 loaves 3 cups lukewarm water1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast1 1/2 tablespoons kosher or other course salt6 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flourcornmeal for pizza peel (optional) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Now slice and add lots of butter or strawberry jam. Thanks to my brother, Ramon, for taking the time to teach me.
blog : Thirst Quench: Hydrating Drinks For Summertime By Wendy Tremayne We recognize the summer by the longest days and shortest nights and by thunderstorms and hail. It is the season of the monsoon rains that flood gardens and bring autumn’s harvest. It is also the season of the butterfly, bee and rattlesnake. For us humans, summer is the season that we need to work hardest to stay hydrated. In-Season Fruit Punch Ingredients 2 finger lengths of lemongrass 1 thumbnail-sized piece of skinned ginger Juice from 2 limes or lemons 1 cup of in-season fruit (Cherries, melon, strawberries, blueberries, tart cherries, goji, prickly pear fruit, and watermelon are all excellent) 3 cups of water, a pinch of salt 4 mint leaves (optional) 4 – 8 tablespoons sweetener (optional/to taste) Directions Step 1: Combine all ingredients except the sweetener in a blender. Nature’s Own Herbal Iced Tea Blend Try these dried herbs mixed together in any combination instead of a black tea. Mint Holy basil Chamomile Hibiscus Lemon rind Rose petals Mullein Red Chile Lemonade
A Cozy Kitchen Apple Pies & Jo In the Kitchen I know, I’ve made a few pies lately. But see how these are different? Look at how adorable these are! I mean, come on. Could you resist? I sure couldn’t. We ate them before I had a chance to think about pictures. Oops. This is why I had leftover dough for that impromptu dinner. Although this recipe is a little time consuming, it’s no harder than making any sort of real pie. It still involves slicing fruit. Rolling out crust and making it look pretty. Mixing fruit and sugar and cornstarch. And taking bites with your eyes closed so you can focus solely on each flavor. Please give these a try. Apple Pies Inspired by Pinterest 1 prepared pie dough, rolled out and sliced into strips 6-8 large apples (really any kind of apple will do) 1/3 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling onto the crust 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1/4 or 1/2 tsp cardamom, if desired 1 tsp cornstarch Juice of a lemon or lime, mixed with 1 cup of water 1 tbsp melted butter Preheat the oven to 375F. Like this: Like Loading...