The Shandy

I must admit that cooking in my kitchen has been, well, on vacation lately. From nights spent on softball fields, to vacationing at the Jersey Shore, to take out pizza at the local pool, to date night at the local sushi restaurant, I have not been as creative as I would like. As of late, I have been enjoying sitting on the deck of a summer beach home. The warm July sun in the late afternoon calls for a refreshingly light and fruity cocktail. Nothing is better than a ice cold beverage to quench your thirst after a day was spent basking in the sun on the sandy beach.

I was introduced to The Shandy by my sister-in-law who is a self-proclaimed mixologist. Skeptical at first of drink that combines beer and lemonade and is served over ice with a lemon wedge, this thirst quenching libation is perfect for a hot summer day. There are many variations of the Shandy, but I find this version a satisfying mix.

I will be back in the kitchen soon enough. But for now, my lounge chair is calling.


The Shandy
makes 2 drinks

1 12-ounce beer
about 1 1/2 cups of lemonade
lemon wedges
ice

Fill 2 tall glasses with ice. Divide the beer and lemonade between the glasses and top with a lemon wedge.

Bottoms up!

A Little Blue for Mother's Day

With Mother's Day fast approaching, here are a couple recipes for all you moms to print out for your families to help them in preparing your breakfast in bed this Sunday morning. A buttery, crumb-topped muffin studded with plump blueberries and a blueberry yogurt smoothie would be welcome additions to your leisurely morning spent lounging and reading the Sunday newspaper.


Just print out the recipes and place them in a spot your family will find them. Hopefully they will get the hint.

Happy Mother's Day!



Blueberry Crumb Muffins

makes about 12 muffins

for the muffins -
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon flour

for the crumb topping -
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a standard sized muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.

For the muffins, in a large bowl cream together 1/2 cup butter, and 3/4 cup sugar. Add egg and beat well. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with the milk. Toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and gently fold into batter. Fill each muffin liner about 2/3 full. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the topping ingredients until it is crumbly. Use your fingers or a fork to combine ingredients. Sprinkle some of the topping on top of each muffin.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes. Serve warm with butter.

The Blueberriest Smoothie

Using frozen fruit produces a thick smoothie without adding ice.


makes 1


1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen banana chunks
1/2 cup blueberry or vanilla yogurt - I like Greek yogurt
1/2 - 3/4 cup pineapple juice


Place ingredients in a blender in the order listed. Blend on medium high speed just until the fruit is no longer chunky. Serve in a tall glass with a straw.

Salsa Fresca

When in need of a quick snack that is a more on the nutritious side than not, I chop up a bowlful of Salsa Fresca. Juicy red tomatoes, crunchy kirby cucumbers, and diced, sharp onion are the main stars of this quick bite.

Served in one of my favorite inventions - the Tostito Scoop - which is a perfect petit bowl to hold a the ideal amount of this fresh goodness. I vary the recipe at times adding some chopped cilantro or julienned basil, but it stands well just on its own.



Add a Sunset Margarita for a happy, happy hour.

Salsa Fresca

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced, 3 cups
1 kirby cucumber, diced (or substitute 1/2 of an English cucumber), 1 cup
1/2 medium onion, diced, 1 cup
salt
pepper
olive oil
tortilla chips

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Season with slat and pepper and about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Toss to coat. Serve with tortilla chips.

Print recipe

Pomegranate Coke

When you are a food blogger, companies want to send you their products to promote on your blog. The marketers for these companies are smart people. Who doesn't want something for nothing? While most mailboxes these days collect dust, junk mail or the statement for your dwindling retirement account, a few freebies packaged in a cardboard box are a welcome site.

A couple weeks ago, I received 8 mini bottles of POM WONDERFUL juice. The first reaction of my household was how cute the 8 ounce bottles were. No Thank You Boy was amazed that I received the juice for free.

"You mean they just sent it to you for nothing?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yes they did," I replied.

The bottles sat on a shelf in the garage for a week or so. I really didn't give them much thought. I drank one mixed with seltzer water one day and the remaining 7 bottles still sat there.

Then The Husband found the bottles. He grabbed a Coke and a bottle of POM WONDERFUL juice and poured them over ice.

"Wonderful!!" he exclaimed. "This is better than a Cherry Coke."

And voila. And new drink sensation was born. I reserve the rights to this new drink combination. I can see it now. I'm going to be a millionaire.

And here I am writing on my blog about those little, free bottles of POM WONDERFUL juice I received in the mail. I even provided 3 links directly to the company's site.

I told you those marketing people were smart.

The Ruby

The Ruby

If you are in the market for a new drink this winter season, The Ruby just might be one for you. It is made with pomegranate and orange juices which are loaded with antioxidants and vitamins. There is also some vodka and triple sec in the drink just to make it interesting.

Shake up a few for your next happy hour. The sweet and tart cocktail not only offers vitamins A and C and antioxidants, you'll also be doing a few arm exercises while you shake up your drink. As long as you are having a drink, it might as well include some healthy benefits for you.

The Ruby

makes 1 cocktail

1 shot vodka
1 shot triple sec
2 shots pomegranate juice
1 shot orange juice
squeeze of lime juice
fancy sugar to rim glass

Fill a shaker with 4 - 5 ice cubes and add vodka, triple sec, pomegranate juice, and orange juice. Shake vigorously to combine. Rub the rim of a martini glass with a lime wedge and dip in sugar. Pour drink in glass and add a squeeze of lime juice.

Enjoy!!

The Mexichelada Mary

I am not a very good planner. If I can arrange my day a couple hours in advance, I'm ahead of the game. I procrastinate on making dentist and doctor appointments, I usually reply to invitations on the last day before the RSVP, I fill out all those kid forms the morning they are due, and thank God for online bill paying. It has saved my A$$ a number of times. I do though, typically figure out what to make for dinner a week in advance. We all have our priorities.

Well today, I did not plan to make dinner. We headed to a new Mexican restaurant in town. Many New Jersey restaurants do not have liquor licenses (some crazy New Jersey law), so I concocted my own south of the border libation to enjoy. The Mexichelada Mary is a beer based drink with tomato juice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, and a shake of pepper. The drink is served in a salt rimmed glass (most of my favorite drinks are served in salt rimmed glasses) with a wedge of lime. The base of my drink was made with my Beer-of-the-Summer, Bud Light Lime. I am protesting slightly since the sale of Anheuser Busch to a foreign company, though.

Delightfully delicious.

The Mexichelada Mary

makes 1 big drink

1 (6-ounce) can of tomato juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 (12-ounce) bottle Bud Light Lime
salt to rim glass
lime slice
shake of pepper

In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine tomato juice, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Slowly pour in beer. Rub lime wedge along rim of a tall glass and dip in salt. Pour drink into glass, add a shake of pepper, and serve with lime wedge.

The Summer Sipper

A week at the Jersey Shore basking in the sun, eating home cooked meals as well as fried Oreos and thin crust pizza, and imbibing in cool libations is part of an ideal summer to me. I am lucky to be part of a family that loves good food. Vacationing with sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and grandparents means that the cooking duties are handled by different people each night. Sometimes a husband and wife team pair up, or a grandparent and grandkid, or two sister-in-laws join forces to create a memorable meal for all. Each brings their on tastes and cooking style to the dinner preparation. A bond is formed because family members who see each other only a couple times a year work together chopping, grilling, and serving their culinary creation. With extended family sharing dinner together, we reminisce about the past, tell stories about the days events, and plan for our future visits.

We have dined on a tomatoey fish stew loaded with scallops, mussels, clams, and mahi mahi called cioppino, lobsters, caprese salad and homemade peach and blueberry cobbler, and grilled tequila and lime chicken, steak and shrimp fajitas. A new drink creation is mixed up for happy hour every night and one of my favorites was made by my sister-in-law the mixologist.

The Summer Sipper is a refreshing concoction of limeade, mint, Pelligrino, and Malibu rum which is served on the rocks. I'll be enjoying this sparkling drink long after I return home from my days at the beach.

The Summer Sipper


makes enough for about 8 drinks

1 can frozen limeade concentrate
about 1 cup fresh mint leaves plus extra for garnish
4 cups water
1 cup Malibu rum
1 25-ounce Pelligrino

In a 2 quart pitcher, place 1/3 of the limeade concentrate and mint leaves. Smash the mint leaves with a wooden spoon to break up in small pieces. Add the remaining limeade concentrate, 4 cups water, the rum and Pelligrino and stir. Serve over ice with additional mint as a garnish.

The 5 o'clock martini

I have a collection of clocks. One is always set to 5 o'clock. I made up a new martini to celebrate the 5 o'clock hour. Give it a try.


The 5 o'clock Martini

makes 1

2 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce raspberry flavored vodka
1 ounce triple sec
dash of lime juice
dash of cranberry juice

combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake really hard. Pour into a martini glass. Enjoy!

A Hotdog, A Soda, and A Couple Snickerdoodles

A lot of blog readers ask me how I have time to make dinner and also post about it. Not all dinners are that difficult to make as evidenced by last night feast. Always one of my favorites and No Thank You Boy is a big fan of this menu. When I lived in Chicago, the hotdog of choice was a Vienna hotdog. Here in NJ, it is a Nathan's hotdog. I did commit a sin and put ketchup on my hotdog but, I'm not in the Windy City anymore.


So is it a soda or pop? Back in the Midwest it is a soda. Used the ginger ale to wash done the snickerdoodles all dressed up for my favorite holiday -- the 4th of July. The key to a great cookie is to under cook it slightly. At least I made one item on the menu.

4th of July Snickerdoodles

adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1 cup butter
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 3 tsp of cinnamon
festive 4th of July sprinkles

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Beat butter with mixer for 30 seconds. Add 1/2 of the flour, 2 cups of sugar, the eggs, vanilla, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Beat to thoroughly combine. Beat in remaining flour. chill for about 1.2 hour.

Shape into 1 inch balls. dip bottom half of ball in cinnamon sugar and top half in sprinkles. Bake on parchment paper lined sheet for about 10 minutes. Remove from sheet pan and cool.

Herb Shrimp w/ Mango Salsa and a Sunset Margarita

Thanks to the Barefoot Contessa Parties! cookbook for supplying the recipe for Friday's happy hour. Herb Shrimp with Mango Salsa is quite delightful. The recipe calls for grilling the skewers. I didn't feel like firing up the grill so I just roasted them instead. I have had this recipe when the shrimp are grilled and it is much better. Love that char-taste. I also made a roasted onion and garlic hummus dip with tortilla chips. The dip is pretty good but, there is something missing from it. It isn't great so the recipe already has been thrown in the trash. There are too many other recipes out there to hang on to a so-so one. I paired the appetizers with a Sunset Margarita so I got my supply of vitamin C for the day. I'll give all three recipes so you can have a happy hour of your own.

Herb Shrimp Skewers

adapted from this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa Parties!cookbook

serves 4
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup red onion, small dice
small hand full chopped parsley and basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
few grinds of pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
about 30 shrimp, (21 - 25 per pound), peeled

serve with Mango Salsa, recipe follows

Mix all the ingredients except the shrimp in a bowl. Add the shrimp and marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature. Skewer about 3 shrimps on each 6 inch wooden skewers. Roast in a 425 degree oven for about 6 - 8 minutes. Better yet, grill for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side.

Mango Salsa

1 TB olive oil
3/4 cup red onion, diced
2 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
about 3 cups diced mango (I used frozen from Trader Joe')
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
a few shakes of hot sauce

Saute onions in olive oil. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add mangoes and cook about 5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook about 6 - 8 minutes until thick. Chill.



Sunset Margarita

serves 3
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup triple sec
4 cups orange juice
cranberry juice

Mix tequila, triple sec, and oj in a pitcher. Have a beer while you wait for it to chill in the frig. rim your galss with salt, pour a little cranberry juice and fill the rest with the oj mixture. Add some crushed ice and drink up.