Salute to the Red, White and Blue

I truly can’t believe that my last half attempt at a post was in October of 2012. So depressing how fast time has flown on by…



 I do have to say though … so many wonderful things have been happening (my wedding, other people's weddings, home renovations, new job, vacations, honeymoon) that I can’t be too sad for too long.


Well, I figured the best way to jump back on this bandwagon is to start off with one of my favorite things on one of my favorite weekends…. 4th of July themed cocktails. I love me a good themed drink and this weekend offers a host of opportunities to consume one or ten. The only tricky part is that they need to be easy. When the BBQ is going, the sun is shining and the pool noodles are calling your name, the last thing you want to do is waste time in the kitchen mixing up a complicated cocktail. Here are my suggestions for deliciously simple and refreshing drinks to help you celebrate the land of country music, Step-Up movies, water parks and 64 oz beverages!

(My hubby and I made quite the sacrifice last night and painstakingly consumed all three concoctions to determine the best scenario for each… oh wait, it was awesome and patriotic and in the end a little messy but like I said, awesome.)

Red, White and Blueberry

Fun, fruity and fabulous, this combines the classic mojito with some berry and melon flare. The muddling adds a little extra work but we timed it out and it took only 2 minutes from counter to sip. We had the limes and watermelon precut and the simple syrup chilled and ready.

For boats, beaches, pools and all things water related.

For hanging out, picnicking, lounging or doing any other sort of leisurely activity that requires minimal effort.

You will need:

• About 8 mint leaves
• 2 ounces white rum 
• 3 lime wedges 
• Club soda 
• 1 oz blueberry simple syrup*
• Watermelon garnish**

In a tall glass, muddle the mint leaves and limes. Fill the glass with ice and add rum, top with club soda. Stir. Top with blueberry simple syrup and garnish.

*For the simple syrup, I loosely followed the All Recipes’ instructions for blueberry sauce.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup white sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix 1 cup blueberries in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the berries begin to pop and the syrup thickens, about 10 minutes. Pull of heat and mash the berries with a potato masher. Strain liquid and refrigerate.

** Summer = fresh watermelon and this sweet treat adds the perfect garnish. Cut watermelon into small slices and make a cut ½ way through the tip so that they can adorn the edge of the glass. Sprinkle lightly with Kosher salt (if you haven’t tried this yet, I would highly recommend it. Your relationship with watermelon will never be the same again).

The Betsy Ross

These festive drinks can be premixed with ease and when ready to consume, all guests will need to do it pour over ice and adorn with the delightfully edible decoration. When timed, it took only 1 minute from “I would like a refill” to “here you go”. We had the garnish preassembled and the simple syrup chilled and ready.

For watching fireworks light up the night sky, sitting under the stars or around a campfire and listening to the sweet sounds of John Philip Sousa.

As a reward because you just drove over the state line into Wisconsin or Indiana, didn't get caught, and snagged yourself some pretty awesome things that you will get to blow up later.


You will need:

• 2 ounces vodka (Mine are generally made by me going “a little more, a little more, I guess that’s enough… so add however much you like in your drink.. I’m clearly not here to judge) 
• Club soda
  Ice 
• 1 oz strawberry simple syrup* 
• Star spangled garnish**

In a rocks glass (or my favorite, a stemless wine glass) combine ice, vodka and club soda, stir. Top off with strawberry simple syrup and garnish.

*For the simple syrup, I once again followed the All Recipes’ instructions.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup white sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix , 2 cups strawberries into saucepan and bring to a boil; boil for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until strawberries are mushy and sauce is thick, about 10 minutes. Strain liquid into a container and refrigerate.

** Show off your flare for the festive with these themed fruit skewers. An easy peasy creation, all you have to do is line the spear with blueberries and top with a perfectly cut piece of pineapple. Want to make it functional? After assembled, line a cutting board or baking sheet with wax paper and toss your star spangled garnish in the freezer.

'Merica Mule

Really, the only thing similar about this drink and its Moscow Mule counterpart is the vodka... and that is clearly questionable.  Although, after several of these and you might be feeling like an @$$ so you'll have that going for you, which is nice.  This simple concoction can be whipped up in under a minute so get ready to get your 'Merica on!  We had the garnish preassembled and the simple syrup chilled and ready.

For eating various meats that are cooked outside... whether they are smoked, grilled or on a stick over an open flame. Time to BBQ like a boss!

For a pick-up softball game, Frisbee, jarts or bags game (I should say anything that is mildly athletic and by that I mean activities that require you to not be in the seated position).


You will need:

• UV Blue 
• Ice
• 1 oz pear simple syrup* 
• Raspberry garnish**

Fill a rocks glass to the top with ice.  Pour in the UV Blue (its really all about how big you want this celebration to be) and top with the simple syrup.  Stir.  Add the raspberry garnish.  You'll be whistling "Oh Say Can You See.." in no time!

* For the simple syrup, I simply follow the ratios from earlier.

Combine 1 cup water, 1 cup white sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until sugar is dissolved. Mix , 1 pear (peeled and cut into bite sized pieces) into saucepan and bring to a boil; boil on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the pear is mushy and sauce is thick, about 10 minutes. Strain liquid into a container (I really had to use my spatula to get the juices out) and refrigerate.

** For the raspberries, simply wash and skewer.  For an added bonus (the leftovers were simply devoured later as a sweet treat), mix up a small bath of plain simple syrup (clearly I'm forming an addiction) using 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water.  Stir in a saucepan on high till the sugar dissolves and the water is clear.  Place the skewers into a deep dish and pour the syrup over.  Freeze for at least an hour, at best overnight.  The syrup becomes thick and coats the raspberries so they have a crispy shine.  It is much simpler than trying to candy coat them.  I simply don't have the patients.  

CHEERS! To a Happy 4th of July and an explosion of festiveness!

Haunted S'More Treats

We were having some friends over for a little festive fall gathering this past weekend and since I now have a backyard, I wanted to fulfill my lifelong dream of sitting with friends on hay bales, around a bonfire, drinking wine.. like they do in the movies (granted, I feel like this is how all Horror movies start but it still looks like they are having a good time, you know, before they are hunted down by a crazed lunatic). 

And apparently, I'm not the only one with this dream :) 

(Note: I just had to say that not only does he love his PetSmart Fall Sweater but he was super excited for the Hay Bale Photo Shoot, so I don't want any emails about how I tortured my dog by dressing him up and making him pose for pictures.  He LOVES it... well maybe not loves it.. but he sure loves the treats I give him afterwards!!) Since it is absolutely outrageous to sit by a fire and NOT eat S'mores, I made some goodie bags so everyone could enjoy a little fireside treat.

  They were extremely cheap (and easy) to make even though I told people I slaved over them for days :)  Shame, I know. 

To make 35 treat bags, you will need :

• 1 bag Hersey's candy bars - $2.29 (Target)
• 2 bags Reece's Peanut Butter Cups - $4.58 (Target)
• 1 package of 50 cellophane gift bags - $3.99 (party store)
• 2 boxes Graham Crackers - $4.98 (Aldi)
• 2 bag Marshmallows - $1.98 (Aldi)

For a grand total of :

 $17.82 (before taxes, of course). 

**I made the tags in Microsoft Word and saved the templates here if you want to use them**

Hopefully, we will get a couple more nice days before the "Winter of the Century" hits us...  fingers crossed, I definitely need to use these hay bales a couple more times!! 



Beer Pairing of Champions

The thing is, I love going to wine tastings.  Learning how to hold your glass and swirl the wine around without spilling it, the way to stick your nose into the glass and sniff your wine in a way that doesn't seem creepy, the way certain wines bring out the flavors in certain foods…it simply fascinates me.  But while I love this knowledge, I never retain it, I hardly use it and when asked to show off my sommelier skills, I usually turn to the waitress and ask her to bring me the cheapest bottle of Cabernet they have.  Not all the time, but sometimes… ok, most of the time.  It’s just too expensive to be a wine connoisseur.  Maybe that's why I don’t put any of my wine education to use.  I refuse to pay more than $20 for a bottle and can’t justify getting only one good bottle when I can purchase 4 so-so bottles or one giant jug instead.  It is definitely quantity over quality. 

When I was invited to a beer pairing event, I was more than intrigued by the idea of beer “going with” certain foods.  Honestly, I never really thought beer to be a diverse beverage, more like one that goes extremely well with hot wings and football.  However, that night, my point of view changed forever.  The presenter stopped me in my previously-only-Miller-Lite-consuming-tracks when he said, “For $20, you can get the best bottle of beer out there and still get change back, while a good bottle of wine could cost you several hundred dollars.”  Preach!

After some extensive research and the opportunity to test out my findings for a friend’s engagement party, I came up with a pretty fun list of beer/food pairings that ranges from classy appetizers to some more down home dishes.  Because it was a party and people would be walking around, I decided to use small plastic cups, with informative labels (which you can find when you click on one of the foods listed below) that listed the name of the beer, the brewery and the type, so you always knew which beer you were drinking.  Plus, you didn’t have to commit to a whole bottle so less wasting...

Some of the pairings we tried were: 

Camembert Cheese: Shakespeare Stout, Great Lakes Burning River Ale

Cheddar Cheese: La Fin Du Monde, Sam Adams Hallertau Imperial Pilsner

Sushi: Gumballhead, Hacker Pschorr Weisse

Brie: Jinx, Chimay

Mini Bratwurst: Hofbrauhaus Original Munchen, Pabst Blue Ribbon

Mac and Cheese: Munsterfest, Rustic Ale

Pizza: Budweiser American Ale, Fat Tire Amber Ale

CLICK HERE for the complete list of beers and foods.

The best part, which we didn’t even realize till the end of the evening, was that everyone was able to take home a mix n’ match 6 pack with the leftover brew.  Door prize fan favorite if you ask me!! 

What you’ll need: Small plastic cups, labels (any of these should work), beer and accompanying foods.  

Cost: Varies on the amount of beer you purchase and how many pairings you want to have, obviously.  However, all beers (said to be available at Binnys.com but might not be in- stock at your local Binny’s…just fyi) on the list ranged between $2.49 and $16.99.  Other materials: small plastic cups, labels and printer ink, all total around $15.00.