Cocktail Hour: Melonshine

We're on somewhat of a moonshine kick lately, now that we're on vacation. Maybe it's because the moonshine we're using is so amazingly smooth and mixable. So here's our latest concoction, created just this afternoon while we were making Watermelon Sorbetto (recipe coming soon). It's quite yummy, and frankly, the perfect backyard barbecue beverage! Happy Fourth of July, everyone!

Melonshine

Ingredients:

2 cups watermelon, chopped finely

1 tablespoon boxwood basil leaves (regular basil will work fine)

1 cup Onyx Moonshine

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and set aside for an hour, stirring a couple of times to blend. Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into six rocks glasses filled with ice. To serve additional drinks, simply add moonshine to pitcher, stir, sieve and pour. Drink responsibly.

Cocktail Hour: "Loopy" Lemonade

For all those so-called adults out there who are still eating Fruit Loops (they're not just for breakfast anymore), we bring you our new favorite summer cocktail: "Loopy" Lemonade. If you're not familiar with "Loopy," get to the liquor store, stat! This vodka from Three Olives smells and tastes exactly like Fruit Loops cereal. Oh yes, it does.

We make what we're calling "Loopy Lemonade" by pouring a shot of Loopy into a glass with ice, filling the rest of the glass with lemonade, and adding a splash of Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice.

Fruity, cold and refreshing. We may not get anything done this summer!

"Loopy Lemonade"

Ingredients:

1 part Three Olives "Loopy" Vodka

4 parts lemonade (or to taste)

splash of pomegranate juice

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add vodka. Add lemonade. Add splash of pomegranate juice. Bring drink to nearest patio and be outdoorsy.

Secret Recipe Club: Gingerbread Coffee

Today is “reveal day” for our group of the Secret Recipe Club, created by Amanda of Amanda's Cookin'. The club has grown so quickly that Amanda has had to create four different SRC groups, and we are in Group C. Each month, the participants are assigned a blog to try a recipe from, but the bloggers don't know who has their blog until reveal day (which is today!). It's really fun both to try other foodies' recipes and to see what they do with your own.

Our November assignment was The Avid Appetite, written by food lover Rachel, who has tons of great recipes on her blog, from savory to sweet. One that really caught our eye was the recipe for making gingerbread coffee syrup. Rather than paying ridiculous prices for specialty coffee drinks, Rachel offers ideas on how to make them at home. This particular one was calling our name as we enter the chilly holiday season. We know it will be great for Thanksgiving morning when we're out with the rest of the neighborhood watching the Manchester Road Race (in its 75th year!).

Take molasses

Add brown sugar, spices and water and let it become syrup

 

Not being fans of sugar substitutes, the only "substitute" we made to Rachel's recipe was to use real brown sugar rather than Splenda. Sweet, warm and full of gingerbread spiciness, this coffee reminded us of the coziness of the holidays, and is one we'll make again and again.

Gingerbread Coffee

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

coffee, prepared the way you like it                                                        

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine molasses, brown sugar, waer, cinnamon and ginger. Continue cooking, stirring often, until mixture thickens and has a syrupy consistency, about five minutes. Meanwhile, prepare hot (or iced!) coffee the way you like it. Add two tablespoons of gingerbread syrup to coffee, stir well and enjoy by a warm fire.

Harvest Coffee

The fabulous folks at Foodbuzz, along with the gorgeous guys and gals at Godiva, sent us two Tastemakers two more pounds of coffee. Yesterday we tried the Pumpkin Spice blend and added a shot of Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur given to us by our friend Joanne. Hot, spicy, and full of the flavors of fall, this could be our new favorite coffee drink. We loved it, and think it would be a wonderful beverage to enjoy with pumpkin pie, cinnamon buns, spice cake, or any of your favorite fall treats. We especially loved having it in the new Tervis Tumbler also sent to us via the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program. It kept the drink hot for over an hour, without being hot to the touch. Amazing! Thanks again, Foodbuzz!

Harvest Coffee

Ingredients:

4 ounces Godiva Pumpkin Spice Coffee, brewed

2 ounces Fulton's Harvest Pumpkin Pie Cream Liqueur

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Pour all three ingredients into a large mug or insulated tumbler, stir and enjoy!