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Home Made Irish Cream

March 4, 2012 By 44 Comments

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk

8 oz heavy cream

4 eggs

16 oz Irish whiskey (I used Jamesons)

2 oz espresso

1 oz chocolate syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Beat the condensed milk, cream and eggs in a glass bowl.  Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and continue to gently whisk until the mixture reaches 160°F on your thermometer.  The mixture should also lightly coat the back of a metal spoon.  Remove this from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.  Add the whiskey, coffee, chocolate syrup, vanilla and almond extracts.  Stir well.  This recipe makes about 1 1/4 quarts, but since it is fresh, it must be stored in the refrigerator.  It will keep for up to 1 month.

As always when I post a cocktail, I’m going to share a favorite piece of music with you!  I love Patty Griffin!  And this song always brings me such a feeling of clarity, simplicity and joy.  I’m not Irish, but my blessing to you is that it will make you feel the same!  Enjoy this Irish cream and have yourselves a Heavenly Day!

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Pomegranate Rickeys

November 30, 2011 By 16 Comments

Create a festive twist on the more classic lime rickeys by making your own pomegranate syrup!

Makes 8 fizzy and fun cocktails.

1 cup 100% pure pomegranate juice

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup gin

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

6 cups chilled seltzer water

Ice cubes

Pomegranate seeds for garnish

To make the pomegranate syrup, combine the juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. (This can be made in advance and stored in your fridge the way you would a simple syrup.)  Stir constantly for 2 minutes or until sugar has dissolved.  Raise the heat slightly and bring to a boil for about another 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and refrigerate until cool. 

To prepare the cocktails, for each drink, combine 2 Tablespoons of pomegranate syrup, 2 Tablespoons of gin, and 1 Tablespoon of lime juice in each of 8 tall glasses. Stir gently.  Fill the glasses to the top with ice cubes.  Sprinkle the pomegranate seeds over the cubes.  You can also add them at the end, but I found that they ‘hung’ around better because they got caught in between the cubes.  Slowly pour in 6 oz of chilled seltzer.  Serve immediately!

This is a fun twist on a classic…so it makes sense to enjoy this while viewing this fun clip on one of my favorite singers, Nina Simone….singing one of her all time classics!  Enjoy!

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Tequila Mockingbird

October 22, 2011 By 21 Comments

3 oz apple cider

1 oz white tequila ( I used Cazadores Reposado)

1 oz creme de cassis

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Fill a shaker 2/3 full with ice.  Add the apple cider, tequila, creme de cassis, and lemon juice.  Shake well.  Place 4-6 ice cubes in an old fashioned size glass and strain the drink over the top.  Garnish with fresh apple slices if desired.

As you come to know me, you will find out that I am a HUGE classic literature buff!  Actually, buff may be too kind and nerd like may be more appropriate!  I have read To Kill a Mockingbird 4 times.  Once as a teenager, and once as an adult; and then once each when my boys read this novel in high school.  It has always been one of my all time favorites!  So when I saw the name of this drink…..it naturally caught my eye!  I wanted a sweet fall drink, but was not quite in the mood for the warm ciders and mulled wines just yet.  I stumbled upon this cocktail recipe and at first glance of the ingredients I thought…..how in the world do these work together in the same drink?  And the answer is BRILLIANTLY!!!  This is my absolute new favorite fall drink!  The tequila does something to mellow out the sweetness of the cider.  The cassis deepens the color of the drink. (Look at the color of the pitcher of cider in the background compared to what’s in the glass!)  And the lemon juice adds a bright freshness to it all!  This is extremely refreshing and not overly sweet.  I’ll definitely be drinking this until cider season is over!

So as I was on my deck taking pictures…..look who crashed the photo shoot…..LITERALLY!

This poor little guy tried to enter my family room via a closed window!  He fell to the deck, stunned, and I feared that he was injured.  One of his legs looked a little puffier than the other.  And he just sat there for the longest time…breathing kind of fast….and unable or unwilling to fly.  I was on my belly right in front of him taking this picture.  He didn’t look hurt…but he wouldn’t move!  So I went inside and got online and got the numbers for the animal rescue in my area.  I debated for a minute.  I thought, what if he could never fly again.  Maybe I could keep him and take care of him.  So I named him Bandit (look at the area around his eyes).  But then I realized, that I had no way of assessing whether he was truly injured or not.  So just as I began to dial the phone….he turned, got his puffy leg back into position…and flew away!  I hope I see Bandit again one day.  But I don’t think I will.  He’s so much better off in his own world than mine.

So enjoy this drink while listening to a clip from THE DIXIE CHICKS.  And one of my favorite songs on so many levels LET HIM FLY.  Have a beautiful weekend everyone!

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Warm Irish Cream Shots

September 9, 2011 By 32 Comments

1/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream

2 TBSP Kahlua

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup milk

Warm all ingredients over low heat in a small saucepan.  Pour into shot glasses.  Serve with palmiers (recipe to follow a little later).

Well…..we are going on 4 days straight of down pouring rain here in D.C.   I know there are some areas of the country that are in desperate need of rain and I wish we could have shared ours with you!  But this happy hour, I thought it appropriate to drink something sweet and warm and comforting.  And this creamy little shot (or 2 or 3!) were just that!

So kick your feet up, dry off your socks, and enjoy this little drink with a sweet palmier; and a clip that can’t help but make me smile…..even on the dreariest of days.  GENE KELLY with the classic SINGING IN THE RAIN!

Have a sweet happy hour and a GREAT weekend everyone!

 

 

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Key Lime Pie Martini

July 22, 2011 By 12 Comments

2 oz vanilla vodka

1 oz coconut rum

1 oz key lime juice

1 oz heavy cream

Fill your cocktail shaker 2/3 way with ice cubes.  Add all ingredients and shake well.  Pour into a martini glass.  Garnish with a lime twist or wedge and finely crushed graham crackers ( or rim the glass with crushed grahams mixed with sugar).  

Today I was rescued!  So I’d like to make a toast to my son, Jeff, who came to my aid.  But also to the really kind gentleman from AAA who replaced my car battery in the middle of an unshaded parking lot at high noon in 103° heat!!!

Cheers everyone and TGIF!!!  Enjoy this lovely cocktail while listening to a favorite song of mine by TRAIN.  It just seemed appropriate for my day!

 

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Wild Blue Lager

July 8, 2011 By 6 Comments

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

 

I originally intended on posting a festive cocktail for Happy Hour today.  But the late afternoon here in D.C. has been quite stormy!  So I decided to post an interesting beer that I tried over the 4th of July weekend.  It is called WILD BLUE.  And yup!  It’s a blueberry beer!  If you like a sweet tasting beer like I do (Red Stripe is one of my favorites)….then you should give this a try!

 

As you can tell by the color…..there is quite a predominance of blueberry flavor.  Not your typical beer.  But I liked it.  And I am pondering a way to put it into a dessert recipe!  Until then…..kick your feet up and have a Wild Blue….and enjoy listening to a great clip of James Taylor and Elvis Costello singing Crying In the Rain.  And have a great weekend! 

 

 



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