Thirsty Thursday: Raspberry Grapefruit Keto Cocktail

After my mishap with the vodka tonic, I had to try to redeem myself.  This was the result.  Pretty tasty, and it rolls in at 3.3 carbs for a double (tall) drink.

INGREDIENTS (per cocktail):
6 raspberries
4 mint leaves
1 packet Splenda
2 oz vodka
juice from 1/4 grapefruit
ice
sparkling water 

DIRECTIONS:
Muddle the mint and raspberries in the bottom of the glass, and add the Splenda.  Top with vodka & stir.  Add ice to about halfway up the glass, and then top with the sparkling water.  Garnish with grapefruit, mint & a raspberry.

Calories: 145 

Thirsty Thursday: Infused Strawberry Vodka & a Cocktail!

Hey there folks!  I decided to share this tasty concoction in honor of the Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival, going on this weekend in Ponchatoula, Louisiana.  If you're anywhere nearby, I highly recommend attending.  It's family friendly, lots of fun, and you get to eat a LOT of strawberry foods.  And pick up a few flats of fresh Louisiana strawberries, of course.

NOTE: I did not come up with this stroke of brilliance. I got it from a "moms who drink" group I follow on Facebook. Because that is TOTALLY OKAY. No judgement here.  

So one of the moms noted that her kids go through a ton of strawberries over the summer, so she started keeping a jar of vodka in her fridge, and would just throw the strawberry tops into the jar and let them infuse over time.  A light went off in my head--"we eat strawberries--like almost a pint a week! I can totally do that!"  

So I did.  I used 360 Vodka (made in Missouri), and just threw in my strawberry tops as I cut them off each day.  When the jar got too full, I would use tongs to fish the strawberry tops out, squeeze them out as much as possible, and then continue to put more strawberry tops in.  Probably did that for about a month before we tried it.

Y'all...this doesn't even need a mixer.  But because I'm a lightweight, I added some Fresca.  And it was DELIGHTFUL.

(Editor's note: These pics are not great.  I was in a rush, so I apologize.  But still.  DO IT.  You will thank me.)

Thirsty Thursday: Peach Brandy Fizz

I'll be honest with you--it's rare that I set out to make a *specific* cocktail.  Most of the time, it's literally just a "hrm...what do we have? Okay...those taste good together!"  And then I think I'm brilliant for having "invented" a new cocktail.

This is one of those cases.  However, have much research (read: 10 seconds of Googling), I realize that what I effectively made here is a brandy fizz.  A traditional brandy fizz has: brandy, lemon, sugar, and club soda.  But I simplified those last three ingredients by using citrus sparkling water.

And honestly, this is also a cocktail born of necessity... because I necessarily needed to get this Aquafina sparkling water out of my house.  It's...it's not great.  I mean...it's okay.  But pretty 'meh'. I'm fairly sure it was born to be a mixer.  And so it was.

INGREDIENTS:

large glass

crushed ice (can you tell I'm in love with our new fridge that magically dispenses crushed ice from the door???)

4 oz peach brandy

6 oz Aquafina sparkling water (we had the orange grapefruit version)

pineapple (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine & serve.  Note: the sparkling water has no sweetener in it, but peach brandy is generally plenty sweet. If you need more sweetness, however, add a little sugar or Truvia or whatever your heart desires.  You gotta drink it, not me. :)

Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Peach Muscadine Sangria

I picked up this bottle of wine during my last trip down to Louisiana, knowing that we had an upcoming BBQ for our 5th wedding anniversary.  It seemed like a perfect way to add a little "Cajun" flair to our party!  

In the past, I've not had a lot of good luck with Louisiana wines--primarily because the grape that grows the best in Louisiana is the muscadine.  It's a beautiful, GIANT grape with a thick skin, native to the southeastern states with a slightly odd sweet taste that in my past experiences has resulted in an overly sweet wine.  However, it seems that Landry Vineyards has managed to tame the wild muscadine, resulting in a light, semi-sweet, very drinkable peach blend.  I would have been perfectly content to sip this chilled from a glass all by itself on our back porch...but I promised our friends a peach sangria!

I was really pleased with how this turned out.  Very light, drinkable, not overly sweet, perfect for a summer BBQ!

INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle (750mL) peach muscadine wine (you could sub another white fruit blend if you can't find this exact one)
1 cup peach brandy
1/4 cup lime juice
2 cans ginger ale
Fresh Fruit: 2 peaches, 1 apple, 1 orange, washed

DIRECTIONS:
The morning of the day you plan on serving (or the night before if you'll be having with brunch), slice up your fruit and add to a pretty pitcher.  Pour in the lime juice, brandy, wine, and ginger ale, stir, and then cover to help preserve the effervescence.  Place in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours, then serve to your guests! Use the bits of fruit as garnish. Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Candied Praline

I'm so glad to see the weather outside finally warming up so we can enjoy our porch!  Well...when it's not raining and soaking our chair cushions.  Apparently some of those April showers got delayed.  We can probably blame DFW airport--I always seem to get stuck there too. :)

I've been having a lot of fun coming up with things to use this Praline Liqueur  from New Orleans in.  So far, we've used it to sweeten up an Irish Channel coffee and add a nutty hint to pineapple upside down pancakes.  Then I whipped up this cocktail the other night to enjoy out on the porch after work.  The ginger ale helps to balance out the sweetness of the liqueur.  And for fun, I threw a little chiffonade of basil in there for the aromatics.

INGREDIENTS:
1 oz Praline Liqueur
4 oz ginger ale
Ice
basil chiffonade (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Muddle basil with ice, and then add the liqueur and ginger ale.  Drink outside.  Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Pink Carnation Punch (A Mother's Day Cocktail)

So, this year I celebrated my first Mother's Day.  My husband asked me for a list of ideas, and so I sent him this:

I know you keep asking and I keep saying I don’t know, so here’s some ideas:

-        I would like to sleep in.

-        I would like a mimosa or other cocktail at some point in the day.  Maybe two.

-        I would like to go for a walk or to the park since the weather should be nice.

-        Maybe dinner or lunch somewhere? I would like to not cook that day.

-        A foot and/or back massage.

-        A decent looking picture of the baby & I together and/or all three of us.

-        A reminder to call my mom & talk to her for a little while.

And I would have been utterly happy with just a couple of them.  Particularly that first one. (I mean...there's a reason it's first.)  But my amazing husband made ALL of them happen...even though we were all under the weather that weekend and not feeling 100%.  

• The baby woke up at 7am, so he got up with him while I slept in 'til 8:30am.
• He made me biscuits & gravy (from scratch) for breakfast, and then grilled pork steaks & sweet potatoes for lunch (leftovers of the same for dinner).  
• The weather was iffy, so we did a 20 minute walk through our neighborhood instead of going to the park.
• I got a foot massage while I played on the floor with the baby.
• We [eventually] got out of our pajamas so that Baby J & I could take a pic together on the porch (this request was inspired by an article I read earlier in the week about how there are so few pictures of mother and child together because the mother is usually the one behind the camera).
• And I called and chatted with my mom for about 45 minutes after lunch.

Oh...and he made me this cocktail as an afternoon aperitif.  

Since carnations are the most traditional Mother's Day flowers, I thought that would make an appropriate name, given the color.  It was quite tasty and just thrown together from things we had in the fridge.  The basil, pineapple, & cherry garnish really made it special (plus, I mean...fruit!  Now it's healthy, right?)

Bouquet in the background is from Baby J's daycare.

  

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 oz vodka

3-4 oz strawberry lemonade (cold)

1 Tbsp grenadine (okay...maraschino cherry juice.  Whatever you have.)

1 tsp agave syrup 

3-4 oz ginger ale (or 7Up Ten if you're looking to save a few calories), chilled

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the vodka, lemonade, grenadine, and agave syrup in a tall fluted glass, then pour your fizzy soda of choice over the top.  Garnish with a couple fresh basil leaves, fresh pineapple, and a maraschino cherry.

NOTE: If your lemonade and soda aren't chilled before hand, you can shake the first four ingredients over ice, and then add the soda... or just serve over ice in a pint glass or mason jar.  

Enjoy on your back porch while gazing adoringly at your husband and infant son... while also perhaps smirking about the clash-tastic outfit said amazing husband managed to put together for said infant.

Chillaxin' while watching church online since we were all under the weather.

Thirsty Thursday: Jumping the Shark (Ginger, Lime & Spiced Rum Cocktail)

Have you heard of the show "Bar Rescue"?  It's on Spike, and it's one of those shows that tends to marathon at random times and makes a decent background noise--even though I'm relatively sure the host is part of the mob and has a voice that really grates the nerves after a while.

"I amuse you? I make you laugh? Funny how?"

You can probably figure out the premise--there's a bar, they're in debt and losing business, due to bad management/poor employees/bad service, whathaveyou.  Mob Boss swoops in, yells at them for a while, gives the owner/manager a pep talk, while his assistants revamp the menu, teach them some new signature drinks--and oh yeah, usually completely change the decor and the name of the bar.  Lingerie bar in Detroit?  Boom--now it's car themed.  Irish bar in the Midwest? BAM--now you're an ol' western saloon.  Tavern in Tampa?  Guess what?  Now you're a tiki bar.  

Sure, it's schticky, but if nothing else, we at least learn a few new cocktail recipes.  This is from the one that ended up as a tiki bar, but we've put a Cajun spin on it, using some Bayou Rum from Lacassine, LA.

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz Bayou Spiced Rum
1/2 oz Agave syrup
1 oz lime juice
4-6 oz ginger ale

DIRECTIONS:
Fill a pint glass with ice and add the rum, syrup, and lime juice, then cover and shake.  Pour into a glass with ice and top with the ginger ale.  Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: The "Honey I'm Home" (Ginger Honey Pineapple Cocktail)

Our friends recently decided to host a throwback 50s style cocktail party, and it was SERIOUSLY fun.  I talked about the jalapeno bacon deviled eggs that we brought in an earlier post, but now it's time to talk about the COCKTAILS!

Everyone was tasked with bringing a bottle of booze, while the host provided an assortment of mixers and garnishes.  There was a wall of classic cocktail recipes for those who wanted to play mixologist.  Me, I was happy with a good ol' amaretto sour (coincidentally, one of the only "hard liquor" cocktails I would drink in college. I know, I'm such a girl.)

My friend Chelsea created this signature cocktail to accompany the theme of the party.  Many thought it was a little heavy on the ginger but I LOVED it.

INGREDIENTS:
2 oz honey-pineapple vodka
2 oz tonic water (could alternately use sparkling/seltzer water for a fizzy version...or even just ginger ale)
1 oz honey ginger simple syrup
fresh pineapple, honey & turbinado sugar (to garnish)

DIRECTIONS:  
In a shaker, mix the vodka and simple syrup with ice and shake to combine.  
Dip the rim of the glass in a small plate of honey, and then subsequently into a small plate of sugar to create the sugared rim.  
Fill the glass with ice, pour in the vodka mixture, and top with tonic water, and then garnish with a slice of pineapple.

Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Irish Channel Coffee

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we'll be totally cliche and have an Irish Coffee.  BUT...because this is a Cajun Food blog [in theory], we'll put a NOLA spin on it.

Photo courtesy of cresentcityliving.com

Those not from NOLA may not be aware, but the Irish have strong historic ties to Louisiana; in fact, by 1850 one in five New Orleans residents was an Irish immigrant, forming the largest Irish population in the South.  The neighborhood just south of the Garden District is known as The Irish Channel for those who settled there in the 19th century, while another large community of Irish immigrants populated the Irish Bayou area in current East New Orleans.

Sadly, these 1800's immigrants likely never had an "Irish Coffee", as the drink was invented in the 1940s.  It was brought back to the U.S. in 1952, and much like the traditions of shamrocks, leprechauns and pots o'gold, wedged itself into our perception of our ginger-haired neighbors across the pond.

HOWEVER, if Irish Channel dwellers HAD ever made themselves an Irish Coffee, I'd like to imagine it was made with good New Orleans Style chicory coffee... and perhaps this tasty pecan praline liqueur I found recently.

Proudly made in New Orleans!

NOTE: I am fully aware that this is a very foofy version of an Irish Coffee, and that the traditional version is made with whiskey and brown sugar, with heavy cream floated on top.  However, I'm not much for whiskey, I had Cool Whip in the house, and this is MY blog.  So suck it. :)

INGREDIENTS:

4-6 oz strong chicory coffee

2 oz Irish Cream

2 oz Pecan Praline liqueur

whipped cream to top 

INGREDIENTS:
In a tall coffee mug, combine the Irish cream and praline liqueur.  Pour hot coffee over, and then top with whipped cream (I used a ziploc bag to pipe the Cool Whip on top).  Add a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg for garnish.

Thirsty Thursday: Rosemary Ginger Spritzer

A while back I decided to host a wine tasting and fancy cheese party at my house.  

Since I'm nursing I still can't go too crazy with the booze; we had a few other non-drinkers there so I decided to make a non-alcoholic cocktail for us to enjoy.  I'm including both versions of this recipe so you can decide whether to get schnockered or not.

INGREDIENTS:
Rosemary Ginger Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp rosemary leaves, roughly chopped
1 ginger herbal tea bag (original recipe called for fresh ginger, but I didn't have any on hand, so I steeped the tea bag in the simple syrup instead) - I used Stash's Ginger Lemon, which is my fave.
1 cup water

Combine these ingredients in a small saucepan; cook over low heat until sugar dissolves, then set aside & let steep for at least an hour while it cools.

Then, strain the syrup into a pitcher and add the following:
2 (12 oz) cans ginger ale
2 cups orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
BOOZY VERSION: 2 bottles dry champagne
NON-BOOZY: One 2L bottle sparkling water

Serve with rosemary sprigs for garnish.

BTDubs: Leftovers from a wine & cheese party make for a truly indulgent lunch the next day at work.

Thirsty Thursday: Watermelon Margaritas (Virgin or Non)

When my mom was pregnant with me, all she ever wanted were cherry shakes from our local Dari-Kup.  Lo and behold, I too have an addiction to cherry shakes.  So I feel relatively certain that our future baby is going to LOVE watermelon, because I have been eating it non-stop all summer.  No lie--I finished off a 5 cup container of it today over the course of about 4 hours.  I can't necessarily call this an irrational "craving", as watermelon has been my favorite fruit my entire life...but I'm definitely eating more of it this summer than usual.

Question:  Do you sprinkle salt or sugar on your watermelon?  My grandma always did salt, but the Hubs tells me he's only seen people sprinkle sugar.  That just seems silly--watermelon is usually plenty sweet, and the salt makes that sweetness really pop.

I guess I should be glad--there are FAR WORSE things I could be craving (and have...I made a batch of no-bake cookies two nights ago just to fend off a craving...and we won't even talk about how many Sonic Slushes or Kum & Go Coolee's I've had in the last few months).  After all, watermelon is 92% water and contains a goodly amount of Vitamins A, B6 & C, along with lycopene...and there's only about 200 calories in that 5-cup container I just downed.

Sadly, no matter how fast I seem to eat watermelon, since my Hubs is not a huge watermelon fan, that means if I buy a full size melon, I have to eat it all myself...before it goes bad.  That MAY not be an issue this year, but any other year we almost always end up having some that goes bad or we have to freeze it for smoothies.  
  
If you've got a watermelon addiction like me, or need to use up a bunch of melon before it starts to go south--here's an awesome option to help beat the summertime heat!  These watermelon margaritas are perfect for sipping on the porch while your husband grills...or while a tiny alien kicks the crap out of you from the inside. :)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 2-4 margaritas, depending on your glass size)

• 4 cups fresh (or frozen) watermelon
• Juice of 4 limes (or about 4 Tbsp)
• 2 Tbsp sugar (or Splenda/Stevia to taste--DON'T use the full 2 Tbsp if you replace the sugar, both are WAY sweeter than sugar & don't require as much)
• 4 cups ice (if you start with frozen watermelon, you can skip this)
• 1/2-1 tsp salt (to taste--I like a little more because it makes the flavors pop)
• salt & lime wedge for garnish (optional)
• BOOZY VERSION: Add 1-2 oz of good tequila to each boozy-rita

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a blender & pulse until smooth, then pour into glasses (or hey, mason jars) & garnish (if you do the salt on the rim thing, you'll have to do that in advance--just wet the rim with lime juice & then dip the glass in a shallow tray of salt---or hey, sugar if you'd rather. I won't judge.)  For the boozy ones, stir in the tequila post-blending (or if you're making a full batch of boozy-ritas, add it during the blending process).

Add a straw and ENJOY!

Thirsty Thursday: Wishful Drinking

Man...this no "real" Thirsty Thursday thing can really get a woman down!  So, let's do some "virtual drinking" together, shall we?  I'll put up the Abita umbrella on the back patio, make sure the comfy chair cushions are nice & clean, put the dog out in the yard, and then whip up a few of these perfect summertime cocktails... (and if those cocktails just happen to feature some of my favorite Missouri and Louisiana spirits, all the better!)

"Boat Shoes" - recipe created by Missouri Spirits

"Moonshine Mule" - recipe featuring Copper Run Distillery , made in Walnut Shade, Missouri

(several other good recipes from Copper Run behind that link)

"Bayou Berry Lemonade" - recipe featuring Bayou Rum, made in Lacassine, Louisiana

Blackberry-Lemon Gin Fizz (aka the "Berry Manilow") - recipe featuring Oryza Gin made in Thibodaux, Louisiana

Slainte, folks! (And please...somebody out there have a few for me? Please???)

Thirsty Thursday: Pina Colada Smoothie or Daiquiri

With the weather warming up, I feel like I should be at the beach.  But alas, I am 12-14 hours from anything even slightly beachy (assuming rocky shores along lakes don't count, and they DON'T).  When temps creep above 70, all I really want is to be by the water with my toes in the sand, a cold drink in my hand, and to hear the lapping of waves in the distance.

Thankfully, this recipe takes care of one of those things.  We developed this smoothie in our second year of The Scoop, and it was a huge hit.  It has a very tropical feel to it, and can very easily convert into a tasty adult beverage with the addition of just a bit of coconut rum.

INGREDIENTS:
8 oz frozen pineapple chunks
2 tbsp shredded coconut
1/2 cup Vanilla Greek yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp coconut syrup
1 tsp toasted coconut to top

To Make Daquiri:
Add your preferred coconut rum (Malibu, Cruzan, Parrot Bay, etc) to desired strength--you can replace part of the orange juice or yogurt if you want to maintain a nice semi-thick texture. A friend gifted me with some pineapple honey vodka that is also great in this.

DIRECTIONS:
Blend the first 5 ingredients (plus booze, if you're making the daiquiri version) on High until well combined and no large chunks remain.  Then top with the toasted coconut*.

* to make toasted coconut, spread sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes on a cookie pan, then place in a 350F oven for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.

Thirsty Thursday: Strawberry Mint Julep

Since I'm rocking a bump for the next 23 weeks or so, my NOLA cousin Primeaux has offered to step in & help out with coming up with some tasty Thirsty Thursday cocktails for you all!  He's so kind, putting all those years of bartending experience to good use!  (He's made many improvements since our days of youth when all drinks incorporated pickle juice and a dare of some sort.)

Me & Primeaux, circa 1981.  Pre- pickle-juice dare days.

In honor of the 141st Kentucky Derby this weekend, Primeaux has come up with a delicious spin on the traditional Mint Julep.  Cheers!

American Pharoah winning the Arkansas Derby.  He's favored to win this year's Kentucky Derby & I can see why after that performance! (PS--post of Derby hats & more race photos to come soon!)

~ ~ ~ ~

It's practically May down here in the deep South. That means 90*+ days are just around the corner. I wanted to take a minute to post one of my favorite hot weather cocktails, the strawberry mint julep. it's a fruity spin on a Southern classic. It's very quick to throw together and is perfect for relaxing on the porch, or for toting around at your favorite outdoor gathering. 

INGREDIENTS:
4 Roses Bourbon
Lemonade
Simple syrup (that's not moonshine in the Mason jar)
Strawberries
Mint leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Slice up two strawberries and muddle together with six mint leaves and 2 oz of simple syrup in a mixing glass. Add 2oz of 4 Roses Bourbon and 2oz of lemonade. Fill mixing glass with ice and cap with a shaker or large plastic tumbler. Shake vigorously until chilled. Strain your cocktail into a rocks glass. Enjoy outdoors with plenty of sunshine (or while cheering your favorite pony this weekend!)

Thirsty Thursday: Strawberry Lemonade, Smoothie or Daiquiri

So, you may have noticed that I haven't posted many alcoholic drinks lately...

And that's because I'm in the process of waiting for a very special delivery:

(Yes, this was our official announcement. Just a little PhotoShop fun.  Please feel free to steal/share the idea--I found a screen shot online, a font that was similar, and then revised the text to suit and added the "Facility Scan" section by cloning parts of the "Shipped By" section.  I will likely revamp in a few weeks when we have an updated ultrasound and find out gender.) 

So, while I've been OK'd by my doc to have "a sip" of anything my husband is drinking, hard liquor and cocktails are generally out of bounds for me for the next 6 months or so.  

Fortunately, cocktails are the easiest beverages to make "mocktails" out of, so I'm planning to share recipes that could easily be made in either adult or kid-friendly versions.

Today's recipe is actually a smoothie we served at The Inside Scoop last summer, but with the weather warming up, this would be SO completely perfect for adding a little booze into for a backyard cocktail.

INGREDIENTS:
4 oz frozen sliced strawberries, unsweetened
4 oz lemon sorbet
6 oz lemonade (I've tried it with both regular and pink lemonade, and I liked the regular better--it has a more sweet-tart result) 
Boozification Option:  I think straight or flavored rum would work best in this, like Bacardi Limon, but a flavored vodka or white tequila would also work well with the acidity of the lemon.  If you go this route, replace a portion of the lemonade with the booze, to your preferred strength.
LIGHTER OPTION:  Use Crystal Light Lemonade instead--it'll be 140 calories instead of 267.

DIRECTIONS:
Blend all ingredients on high until well combined.  Some sorbets can be a bit sticky & not want to blend--just add a touch more booze or lemonade and you should be golden.

NUTRIFACTS: (without booze)

Calories		267.4
Total Fat		0.2 g
	Saturated Fat	0.0 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.1 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	0.0 g
Cholesterol		0.0 mg
Sodium		33.9 mg
Potassium		159.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate		68.9 g
	Dietary Fiber	1.8 g
	Sugars	65.0 g
Protein		0.6 g