Beverages

‘Irish Coffee’ Cake and a Great Cause for Children – St. Baldrick’s Foundation

March 8, 2011

St Patrick’s Day will be here soon and I’ve got enough Irish in me to start thinking about a celebration. Not a big party but an opportunity to pay homage to a part of my ancestry (My Dad’s parents were German and Swiss; my Mom’s English and Irish). I’ll usually make corned beef for dinner, [...]

Happy New Year and our Most Popular Posts of 2010!

December 31, 2010

The last day of the year, 2010. It’s been one heck of a year. For me, too much of it spent rehabilitating from the most serious injury I’ve ever had but thankful that it’s getting better, that my family is healthy and that I’ve been able to stay in touch with the ‘outside’ world through [...]

The Best Sugar Cookies

December 16, 2010

For many years I would spend days each holiday season making decorated sugar cookies. I started the tradition in my twenties with a girlfriend and we made hundreds of cookies that we rolled, cut out, decorated and gave to friends. I continued on with that tradition for many years when my kids where small and [...]

Lavender Lemonade Martini

July 26, 2010

My daughter was out with friends one night and came home with instructions, “You have to make this drink I had!” It was like a lemon drop martini but with lavender infused vodka. That was sometime this past winter and I wasn’t inclined to make that effort until summer when I thought it just seemed [...]

Leopold Brothers Tart Cherry Liqueur

July 7, 2010

I love this liqueur! I recently sampled it at a Spirits tasting held by a local cheese shop and now it’s a sure thing to become a staple in my bar. It’s great on the rocks but my favorite way to serve it is adding it to my ‘house’ sparking wine, Cristalino Brut Cava which [...]

St. Supéry Endive, Pear & Goat Cheese Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

March 26, 2010

I love the wines from St. Supéry. I’ve been the lucky recipient of some of their wines and love the experience of tasting the wine with one of their own recipes.

Cranberry Liqueur

December 16, 2009

I always make my Christmas gifts; well, except for my kids who would just die if I gave them a basket of homemade goodies! Each year is a greater challenge to make something more unique than the last and this year I wanted to make my own liqueur. The photo is not the greatest either [...]

Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

July 7, 2009

I love this drink from Starbucks Signature Line of Hot Chocolates; for those who love the combination of sweet and salty; this is one drink to try. The hot chocolate is smooth, creamy, thicker than a lot of hot chocolates and very rich; it’s really best served with Fleur De Sel salt; using regular table salt [...]

The Strawberry Muddle

Strawberry Muddle - sweetened sparkling wine with strawberries and lemon

June 10, 2009

This drink was featured in the July ’09 issue of Bon Appetit; my personal food bible! I had just received the magazine and was having friends over for a cocktail and luckily had the fruit on hand along with some sparkling wine I always use in place of Champagne when mixing for cocktails. The drink [...]

The BEST Fresh Margarita

May 3, 2009

The first touch of warm weather and I start to think of Margaritas. I love wine, but this cocktail is a summer mainstay; and expected by friends when they do a patio visit! You really can shortcut the recipe by using limeade and lemonade as indicated, but do the longer version if possible; it’s really [...]