Thread: Thanksgiving and Christmas Season - Holiday Treats and Assorted Stuff

National Vodka Day and a Cantaloupe Vodka Cocktail: Love

October 4, 2012 by Alicia | 7 Comments

Well National Vodka Day has nearly passed. Did you do anything fun to celebrate?
We tested out a new cocktail, our first try at using the Cantaloupe Vodka we made this summer. And this drink is fabulous; the perfect way to pay tribute to this special day.



Love Cocktail (makes 2)
5 oz Cantaloupe Vodka
Juice of 1 small lime
1 TB Honey
1 TB Water
Lime zest to garnish
Combine honey and water and heat until honey is dissolved. Allow to cool. Add honey-water combination, lime juice, and Cantaloupe Vodka to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously, and strain into cocktail glasses. Add lime twist.
This drink is really delicious. It is sweet, tangy, and somehow the lime and honey allow the cantaloupe flavor to really shine.

Cheers!

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Bourbonberry Cocktail

October 14, 2012 by Alicia | 7 Comments

Happy Autumn! The cold and rain have finally arrived in Portland. In between rain showers, I have been clearing out the garden and cutting down the last of the summer flowers. And just as I mourn the end of summer, I am reminded of all the lovely fruit infusions we made a few months ago. Sipping a lovely home-infused berry cocktail will bring you right back to the joys of summer!



Bourbonberry Cocktail (makes 2 drinks)
6 oz. Marionberry Bourbon
2 oz. White Creme de Cacao
2 oz. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
Orange Twist to garnish
Combine all liquids into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and serve over ice. Garnish with orange twist.
This drink is wonderful. It really does taste like the lovely Oregon Marionberries that we picked several months ago. The orange juice and chocolatey sweetness from the creme de cacao balance nicely.
If you have a blackberry bourbon or marionberry bourbon, you will want to try this delicious cocktail. If you don’t have a blackberry bourbon, you could try substituting 4 oz bourbon and 2 oz blackberry liqueur or muddled blackberries.
Cheers!






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Mixology Monday: Bein’ Green

October 15, 2012 by Alicia | 16 Comments

This is my first time participating in Mixology Monday! I started seeing all the green cocktails popping up today and realized that the theme is “(it’s not easy) Bein’ Green”. I decided it’s about time I got up off the couch and did something with that Peapod Vodka.
Thanks to everyone who sent ideas and suggestions for Peapod Vodka cocktails, we were already off to a good start. Many of you suggested citrus flavors, and I thought that sounded perfect. Now that the rains of fall have settled into the Pacific Northwest, our greenery is flourishing. So with the “green” theme, we went all out!



Friends of Pea (makes one petite drink)
1.5 oz. Peapod Vodka
1/2 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice
1/2 tsp. simple syrup (or more to taste)
5-6 large lemon balm leaves, plus more to garnish
Muddle the lemon balm in a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the remaining ingredients and shake well. Strain into a small cocktail glass, and enjoy!
I really wanted to be able to taste the pea flavor in the cocktail. (I never thought I would say those words!) This cocktail is actually quite nice. I think the lime and lemon balm go well. I toyed with the idea of using Thai basil, and I think that would be delicious also. In fact, I may try that later…
Here was the theme for today’s MxMo, from October’s host Wordsmithing Pantagruel:
With the warm days of summer now fading off into the distance in our rear view mirrors, let’s pay one last tribute to the greens of summer before the frosts come and our outdoor herb gardens give up the ghost for the winter. For our theme for this month, I have chosen: (it’s not easy) “Bein’ Green.” (Perchance due in no small part to my predilection for Green Chartreuse.) I’m giving you a wide berth on this one, anything using a green ingredient is fair play. There’s not only the aforementioned Chartreuse; how about Absinthe Verte, aka the green fairy. Or Midori, that stuff is pretty damn green. Crème de menthe? Why not? Douglas Fir eau de vie? Bring it! Apple schnapps? Uh…well…it is green. I suppose if you want to try to convince me it makes something good you can have at it. But it doesn’t have to be the liquor. Limes are green. So is green tea. Don’t forget the herb garden: mint, basil, cilantro, you name it – all fair game. There’s also the veritable cornucopia from the farmers market: green apples, grapes, peppers, olives, celery, cucumbers…you get the idea. Like I said, wide berth. Base, mixer, and or garnish; if it’s green it’s good. Surprise me. Use at least one, but the more the merrier.

Cheers!

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Halloween Infusion: Caramel Apple Liqueur

What are your Halloween plans this year? Perhaps a better question would be, what are your Halloween cocktail plans this year?



There are lots of great ideas and inspirations out there for Halloween drinks, and Evelyn from Momsicle suggested we get together for a pre-holiday Halloween-inspired infusion party. Poppy from Funny or Snot and Krista from Mostly Mommyhood were also on board for an early afternoon Happy Hour, and our group grew to five as our new friend Jodi from The Mama Gut joined the festivities.
We made most of the drinks “fun size” so that we could taste-test all of them. While I was never able to understand how a miniature candy bar could be “fun”, I was definitely on board with “fun size” cocktails!
Caramel apples were always a big treat around Halloween when I was growing up. So I set out to create a Caramel-Apple Liqueur, and based on the reactions at our fun-sized party (and how quickly these little shots disappeared) this is a keeper!

Apples in Vodka

Caramel-Apple Liqueur
2 Granny Smith Apples- cored & sliced
2 c. Vodka
1/2 c. Caramel Syrup (or to taste)
Core and slice the apples, and place in a glass jar. Pour vodka over the apples, making sure you have enough to cover. If needed you can add more vodka. Close the jar and place in a dark, cool location. Allow to infuse for 3-4 weeks.
Strain and filter through cheesecloth and coffee filters.
Prepare Caramel Syrup. I followed this recipe from Homebrew Underground (I made only 1/3 of the recipe).
Allow the syrup to cool completely before adding to your apple infusion.



Apple Infused Vodka and Jar of Caramel Syrup

Add caramel syrup One Tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired taste. I thought that both the apple flavor and caramel flavors were enhanced after chilling the liqueur in the freezer, so err on the side of adding less caramel than you may initially think.
We served these chilled in shot glasses with a slice of a caramel apple, and they were delicious! If you like caramel apples, you will not be disappointed.
Other seasonal drinks included cider with peanut bourbon, Payday Candy Bar shots, Chocolate-Orange martinis, and Ginger-lemon-pear vodka.
Our mini-party also included some fun Halloween snacks thanks to Krista. Find her directions for Frankenweenie pizzas here.
I can’t wait to hear about your Halloween cocktail plans…

Cheers!



Frankenweenie Mummy Pizzas



Monster Cheese Heads



Caramel Apple Shots

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Banana Bourbon

June 5, 2012 by Alicia | 34 Comments

When I first started doing infusions, a banana liqueur wasn’t really at the top of my list. It simply didn’t appeal to me. But the longer I do this, I hear more and more people talking about banana liqueurs they have had and how tasty they are. At some point, I would like to do a banana rum. But since I have more experience infusing bourbon, and I really think of bourbon as a fool-proof spirit base for infusions (ok, I’m sure someone will tell me otherwise). So, with a small leap of faith, we embarked on banana bourbon.



This is really easy and delicious. We let the bananas get really ripe and tasty…



They may not look pretty, but they were perfect.
We took these two perfectly ripe bananas, added two cups of bourbon, and infused for just over two weeks. I guess two was the magic number because this is another keeper. It tastes like sweet bananas and a mellow bourbon. I think this will make for some great cocktails, but it is also great on its own.
Be sure to filter, then strain through cheesecloth and coffee filters.



Cheers!

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BOOZED + INFUSED

Infusing liqueurs at home with inspiring and seasonal ingredients




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How To Make A Simple Jolly Santa Bread


http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/golden-santa-bread

DIY Home Decorating

Shark Sock Pattern!

---> http://diycozyhome.com/shark-sock-pattern/

This is just so creative I had to share it with you! Check the link for where you can get the pattern for this one. Enjoy!

DIY Home Decorating

Wine Cork Snowmen Ornaments. LOVE!

instructions ---> http://diycozyhome.com/wine-cork-snowmen-ornaments/

Stop saving all those corks for "some day" and use them to make these adorable snowmen. So cute!

DIY Home Decorating

Crochet Phone Case!

how to ---> http://diycozyhome.com/how-to-croche...id-phone-case/

This is such a cute idea! I just got a new phone and would love to have one of these to protect it.