Hallelujah!
Day 12 has finally arrived.
I wasn’t positive I was going to make it!
But I did!

Yay for me!
And yay for you, 12 gifts from the kitchen.
I hope you’ve made at least one! If not, this may be the one to make…

On the twelfth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:

A bottle of Homemade Irish Cream
A Jar of Vanilla Sea Salt
Tins of Bacon Toffee
Rum Glazed Eggnog Bread
Fennel Cured Salmon
Spicy Guinness Mustard
Two Jars of Mustard
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

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Yesterday, Sheila and I hosted a Christmas Crafts Party for our friends. Most of the participants from my Burlap Pumpkin Class were there and we had a great time, up in Sheila fabulous craft room, creating away!

The gorgeous paper cone wreath you see above was made by the very talented and patient Christa. Only four of us tackled the wreath and Christa’s won the blue ribbon!

Or maybe we’ll call it the Red Ribbon since it’s a Christmas wreath… with a red ribbon! Congratulations, Christa, your “best in show” is well deserved.

Here you see Sheila giving instruction on two of the other crafts; a rag ornament and snow balls.

There were 15 of us and along with crafting, we of course had lunch! The recipes will follow in the coming days.

Today, we’ll start with the cocktail. I used some of my Cranberry Vodka to make Cranberry Mojitos. That recipe and more craft photos follow.

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The second installment of Twelve Days of Christmas Gifts from the Kitchen.

On the second day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

This crimson cranberry vodka is easy to make, just a little time consuming because you must poke each cranberry to open it up so it will impart its goodness into the vodka. But it is time easily spent.  I used a wooden skewer and did the chore while I watched television. I was done in no time.

Make whatever quantity you want, but I can share with you that 3-pounds of fresh cranberries, 2 lemons, 2 limes, 3 tablespoons sugar, and a 1.75 liter bottle of vodka will make three 1-liter bottles of Cranberry Citrus Vodka.

You need to put this together at least 2 weeks before you plan to use it or give it away. When giving as a gift, it would be ever so thoughtful to include a Crantini recipe card with your gift. The recipe for the Crantini is at the end of the post.

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Vootbeer. Isn’t that a great name? It is a cocktail made with Vodka and Root Beer. And from what I can find, it was created at the Boulder Distillery Home of 303 Vodka. Now, I’m quite certain that people had thought of mixing vodka and root beer for a long time now, but the name Vootbeer – now that is clever.

You know me, I’m all about the freshest and best ingredients you can find and afford.  So using anything other than real whipping cream may seem a bit uncharacteristic, but I couldn’t resist using spray whipped cream topping for this fun cocktail.  A dollop or big all spoonful of freshly whipped cream just wouldn’t be as fun.  Believe you me, this is the epitome of fun cocktail.

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Every week for the last couple of months there has been a watermelon in my CSA bounty. I pray last week’s was the last one! I am watermeloned out! Isn’t it time for pumpkins instead? Anyhow, I did the only thing left to do with another huge watermelon… I made cocktails!

My new motto: When in doubt – Make a Cocktail!

I found the inspiration for a watermelon mai tai from Ted Allen on the Food Network website. After tasting his version, I changed the quantities of his original recipe so I could use more watermelon. We ended up liking the end product even more than the original.

If you’re not familiar with St. Germaine Liqueur, it is one of the “big deals” in the cocktail world at the moment. It is not new though, it has been made in Paris since 1884, it’s just the new hot thing. St. Germain is a sweet liqueur made in the artisanal French style from elderberry flowers. Personally, I would not drink it on its own, but it is delicious in this mai tai. If you want to give it a try without buying a big bottle, do as I did, and buy the “airplane” size bottle from a well stocked liquor store. I found mine at Total Wine.

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I was working on a chai dessert recipe (posting Monday) and was inspired to make this lovely dessert-like cocktail. Happy Weekend!

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If you made your blueberry vodka yesterday – then today you are ready to enjoy a tall refreshing and very pretty glass of blueberry-vodka lemonade.  Oh, and you’ll be so very happy you did – it’ll cool you down and chill you out, all at once.

This is what the blueberry and raspberry vodkas looked like when they were done macerating. Be sure and reserve the berries after you strain the vodka – you’re gonna want to use them as garnish.

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Isn’t this centerpiece, featuring a kiwifruit, so very pretty? I found the image on Pinterest, it comes from Style Me Pretty and Anna Costa Photographers. Consider it my gift to all you wonderful moms out there, especially my Mother-in-Law, Patricia Hopkins! We love you!  xoxoxo

Happy Mother’s Day.

This year marks my first Mother’s Day not having at least one of my kids home with me.

I was actually expecting to feel all sad and sorry for myself, but that would be ridiculous! I have managed to raise two of the most amazing people on Earth.

I adore them and I know that they love me. So what’s to fret about?

If you have your kids with you today, be sure to appreciate that fact and if you don’t – it’s OK – sit back, relax, enjoy a kiwi mojito and know that you are blessed. xoxo

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I saw this gorgeous pink cocktail on Pinterest and knew it was in my future to make! The original recipe actually comes from the Barefoot Contessa’s How Easy Is That cookbook.

Since I have a ruby red grapefruit tree, and the grapefruit are huge this year, I used half fresh juice and half purchased Ocean Spray Ruby Red juice. The Ocean Spray was needed to get the richer pink color. Plus I added fresh zest, which really showed off the fresh grapefruit.  You could always substitute vodka for the tequila, if you are one of the hundreds of thousands who swore off tequila after your college days.    I didn’t have Blanco tequila, instead I used the Añejo I had on hand – Blanco will keep the pink color pinker though.

I experimented a little bit more and muddled in 1/4 cup of fresh basil. And that is the recipe I’ll be making from now on – a real winner – just strain out the basil before blending with the ice to ensure the lovely pink color.

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I am so beyond ready for fall. I’ve been working on some chai tea recipes in anticipation. The high temp today is expected to be 97 degrees. But I don’t care what the thermometer says, I am turning down the A/C (sorry environment – blame mother nature!) and having  a hot toddy on this, the first Sunday morning of October! Then, once I perfect the chai tea French toast and chai syrup, I will share it with you, even if the weather does not cooperate.

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