Citrus Cocktail

Hello Citrus trees! Lemons, Limes, and Oranges. I love the smell, taste, and color of Citrus. Look at how pretty they are: 

Time to do some juicing and serve up a yummy cocktail for the man!

Here is all you need: 

4 Oranges

3 lemons

3 limes

1/2 cup coconut nectar

equal parts vodka

Juice your fruits. Add 1/2 cup coconut nectar and stir until dissolved. Measure your liquid and add an equal part vodka. 

Gingerbread Martini

This is a simple recipe that will make your Man think you are a pro at mixing drinks. 

1 part gingerbread concentrate

1 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum

1 part Vodka

1 part whipped cream vodka

Ice

1  tsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the the rim of the martini glass in a bit of vodka, then place the glass rim into the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar mixture until the rim is coated. 

In a shaker add ice, gingerbread concentrate, spiced rum, vodka and whipped cream vodka. Shake well. Pour into prepared Martini glass.

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail
It is Citrus Season here in Southern California. We are blessed with free lemons, limes and oranges this time of year. There is nothing better than fresh squeezed Orange juice. Yum.
One of my favorite flavors is the combination of Orange and Vanilla. At Jamba juice I order the Orange Dream Machine. This drink tastes just like it... but with some alcohol added. I love handing a cocktail to my husband when he comes home from a long day of work. Just enough to relax him and make him feel at home. This cocktail tastes like orange sherbet with a touch of vanilla and cream. I hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as we do!

Orange Creamsicle Cocktail Directions:

1 oz vodka 

1 oz whipped cream vodka

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

4 oz orange juice (hand squeezed is the best)

Fill a mixing cup with 1/2 way with ice. Shake all ingredients well and strain into a cocktail glass.

Lemoncello Cocktail

Whenever I hear the term Lemoncello I picture Danny Devito a mess back in 2006. Hair sticking up and noticeably intoxicated on The View. He chocked up his inappropriate jokes, slurred speech and unsteady walking to too many shots of the traditional Italian lemon-flavored liqueur known as limoncello. "I knew it was the last seven limoncellos that was going to get me," he said. I can see how the drink got him. Tastes like a yummy sweet lemonade. Since lemons are going crazy this time of year, I decided to make a sugar free version of this classic drink. 

Sugar Free Limoncello

10 lemons

2 cups vodka

3 cups water

2 cups splenda

1 tsp vanilla

Juice your lemons.

Add 3 cups filtered water and stir. 

Add 2 cups splenda and 1 tsp vanilla and stir. 

Store in the fridge in a glass bottle until well chilled. 

It will last 3 weeks in the fridge. 

*note if you want a regular sugar version, add 2 cups sugar to water on stove and simmer until all the sugar is dissolved. Then proceed with the above recipe. 

Whipped Cream Vodka Chai Tea

This time of year I am always trying to come up with cute cocktails to serve for Family and Friends. We tend to have a lot more company and hanging out at our place with a fire and candles and a spirit just defines the Holiday Season. My husband enjoys a nice drink and treats it like having dessert. Just enough to relax and feel cozy. I prefer a glass of a deep red wine, but I do enjoy making a variety of cocktails for my husband. You can adapt this recipe to a Virgin Chai Tea simply by leaving out the vodka and adding 2oz of agave nectar instead.

Whipped Cream Vodka Chai Tea 

2 TBSP Chai tea concentrate

2 oz whipped cream vodka

6 oz water

1 oz half and half

(optional whipped cream)
Add Chai Tea Concentrate to 6 ounces of boiling water, Add half and half and vodka. 

Serve topped with whipped cream and sprinkled cinnamon for an extra special treat.

Thanksgiving cocktail

I wanted to come up with a nice toast drink for Thanksgiving. I always buy Martinelli's sparkling cider for the kids, but I wanted something for us adults. I decided on a cranberry cocktail. 

Start off with getting some cranberry sauce. I like the lumpy kind. Put it in the blender. Put about 1/4 cup of the puree in the bottom of a cocktail glass. I then poured chilled champagne (any will do) over the top and did a little stir. Garnish with a lime wedge which everyone can squeeze into their glass. 

Cheers!

The Perfect Mojito

It feels really really good to be home in Southern California. Las Vegas was hilarious and tiresome at the same time. I am eager to fall into my regular duties at work and at home. My girlfriend is coming over tonight to cook and catch up. Seems like forever since we have talked. Funny how a trip can do make it seem like much more time has passed. 

Any way... she has a bunch of mint that she grows in her backyard, and I came home to my lime tree on steroids. Time for a lime tree intervention...Mojitos!

To make ONE Mojito:

½ lime, cut in wedges

10 mint leaves 

2 tbsp agave nectar

45 ml white rum

125 ml soda water

1 cup ice cubes

extra mint and slice of lime for garnish

Put the mint leaves and the lime wedges in a Mojito glass. Crush the mint and lime together with a muddler to release their juices. I got these really cute Mojito glasses that came with a muddler that fits perfectly. If you don't have a muddler, you can use a mortar and pestle and then poor the juices into the glass. 

Add the agave and muddle again. Do not strain the mix.

Fill the glass with the ice cubes.

Add the rum.

And fill the glass with soda water.

Decorate with a slice of lime and more mint leaves.

CHEERS! 

Spiced Pumpkin Martini

Alright. Time for an adult drink. Let's get in the holiday spirit! Nothing says Halloween and Thanksgiving more than Pumpkin. So if you are getting sick of me cooking with Pumpkin... you are going to have to humor me a bit longer. This is not low calorie. This is not going to cure cancer. But it is sure going to make you feel cozy and in the holiday spirit.

1 part Pumpkin Spice Concentrate

1 part Captain Morgan

1 part Vodka

1 part whipped cream vodka

Ice

2  tsp. sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

nutmeg

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the the rim of the martini glass in a bit of vodka, then place the glass rim into the cinnamon and sugar mixture until the rim is coated.

In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the liquor and pumpkin spice concentrate 

Shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds. Strain into the rimmed glass,

sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Pumpkin Hot Toddy

Pumpkin Hot Toddy

My husband has always liked hot toddies. I thought there was a specific recipe for the name hot toddy, but it turns out A hot toddy is a mixed drink, usually including alcohol, that is served hot. Hot toddies are traditionally drunk before going to bed, or in wet or cold weather. Since it is an extremely rare occasion that we ever have cold wet weather. I am going for the "serve before bed" theory. 

This is really easy to make if you have the pumpkin spice concentrate made up and ready. I just whipped this puppy together in no time at all. 

Here is what you need:

2 TBSP pumpkin spice concentrate

2 oz Captain Morgan (you can double if you like a stiff drink)

3/4 cup hot milk.(I used flax milk to add a little nutrition but any milk is fine)

Whipped Cream (homemade recipe below)

Cinnamon

Whipped Cream recipe:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup sugar

Add all together and whisk until thick (usually about 3 minutes full speed on the kitchenaid)

Gather ingredients

Put 2 TBSP pumpkin spice puree into coffee cup

Add 3/4 cup hot milk and a shot of Captain morgan. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon.

I added these really really good gluten free biscotti by ENERG. I picked Cranberry biscottibecause the flavor combination reminds me of Thanksgiving.

Candy Cane Martini

Tis' the season to be Jolly! 

I believe in Celebrating Christmas in every way. Right after Thanksgiving I make sure that if I am not baking some holiday goody, then there are candles that smell like I am. I start serving my husband festive drinks and we have an entire month to Celebrate the season. I threw together this cocktail last night for my husband when he got home from work. 

What a great way to get in the mood!

Romantic Tip: Let Loose, Act Silly, Be a little Crazy. How can being silly make for a romantic interlude?" The answer  is that by being silly, you make yourself vulnerable, but it also shows off how comfortable you are with being you. Dance, Sing, Make people stare. The point here is that you are having fun and your man will want to share in the fun with you.

2 oz. Vodka

2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

2 oz. Whipped Cream Vodka

Ice

One Peppermint stick or Candy Cane.

Crush half of your peppermint stick. Dip the Top Rim of your Martini glass into peppermint schnapps, then roll in crushed candy cane to decorate. 

Add all ingredients except Candy Cane to a shaker. Shake well and strain into decorated Martini glass.  Add remaining candy cane as a stirrer. 

Egg Nog Martini

Egg Nog Martini

Operation forgive my neighbor isn't going so well. Not yet. The lady is having a party in her backyard right now and the urge to throw water balloons over the fence is pretty strong. Since Revenge is best served cold. I am making a COLD Toddy. An Egg Nog Martini. This is simple to make. If you don't have egg nog already at home, simply make some. You can find the recipe here. Cheers to the weekend. 

1 part Egg Nog
1 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 part Vodka

1 part whipped cream vodka
Ice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix together the nutmeg and cinnamon. Dip the the rim of the martini glass in a bit of vodka, then place the glass rim into the cinnamon and nutmeg mixture until the rim is coated.
In a shaker mix together egg nog, Spiced Rum, Vodka, Whipped Cream Vodka and Ice. Shake it up and pour in prepared glass. 

Gingerbread Martini

Gingerbread Martini

Alright. Time for an adult drink. Let's get in the holiday spirit! Nothing says Christmas more than Gingerbread!  Cheers to feelling cozy and getting in the holiday spirit! If I have to listen to Christmas music all day for my daughter, then I want something to eat and drink that goes along with the music! Candles are lit, the fire is on. Bring on the Holiday season!

1 part gingerbread concentrate
1 part Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 part Vodka
1 part whipped cream vodka
Ice
2  tsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg

Mix together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the the rim of the martini glass in a bit of vodka, then place the glass rim into the cinnamon, nutmeg, and sugar mixture until the rim is coated. I actually made a bunch of little Martini Shooters with this recipe.