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Recipes

Bourbon Honey Lemonade

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Fall must be on its way.  I’m sure most of you would guess I know that because of a cooling off in the weather and a shortening of the days.  NOT.  The weather here is so not cool.  Hahaha.  I know it because of the change in my drink preferences. Right around this time of year I start craving something heavier than my normal summertime choices of white wine, hard seltzer, or, God forbid, Smirnoff Ice.  But when the air starts smelling of the pungent sweetness that means fall is on its way, my taste buds start to change too.  At that point, nothing quite satisfies me like really good Bourbon.

But hey, summer isn’t even close to over, and I don’t want to live my life wishing away my favorite parts (summer is my second favorite season–fall is first).  So I want to make sure I still enjoy every last drop of the beautiful flavors and feelings of summer.  So how do I balance this thirst for a change with a longing to hold on?  Enter the Bourbon Honey Lemonade….

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Tahoe Blue Watermelon Cooler

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Happy Monday!  Admittedly, Mondays are not my favorite days–especially in summer when there are so many fun things to do on the weekends.  But if there’s one thing I’ve learned studying “attractive” living, you don’t want to wish away your life.  So nowadays, rather than wishing away “The Mondays,” I’d way rather do whatever I can to make them bearable and even wonderful.  One of my favorite ways of doing that this summer has been with the Tahoe Blue Watermelon Cooler.

Blossom’s BiFF and his kids have come over on Mondays and Tuesdays lots this summer to swim, BBQ, play, watch movies on my new outdoor projecting screen, and of course, to eat and drink.  This new drink came about when we had a bowl of cut-up watermelon that was clearly going to be on its way out soon.  None of us wanted to continue eating even MORE watermelon than we’d already consumed, and because BB is really good about preventing waste for all of us, the remaining watermelon ended up in the Ninja.  After realizing the flavor was light but still off the charts, we mixed it with some homemade soda water out of the Soda Stream, and some Tahoe Blue Vodka.  After adding a sprig of homegrown mint and a squeeze of lime, I think both of us realized we’d landed on something pretty special.

So soak up as much summer as possible.  Avoid the tendency to live weekend to weekend and make every day of these long, warm weeks count by creating special routines and ceremonies that make life worth soaking up with the sun.

Happy Summer and Happy Sipping!

Tahoe Blue Watermelon Cooler
 
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Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ⅓ Cup Fresh Watermelon Juice
  • 1½ Shots Tahoe Blue Vodka
  • 1 Shot Organic Lemonade
  • Soda
  • Lime Wedge
  • Mint Sprig
Instructions
  1. Put ice in the glass.
  2. Rim the glass with Lime and squeeze the rest of the juice over the ice.
  3. Pour in the Watermelon Juice and Tahoe Blue Vodka.
  4. Fill the remainder of the glass with soda, to taste.
  5. Float the cocktail with Lemonade.
  6. Twist the mint and garnish.

 

Lemon Strawberry Shortcake with DoTerra Lemon Essential Oil

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I don’t think I could ever feel it was truly spring or summer without at least one meal which included strawberry shortcake.  I love all kinds of shortcakes too–pound cake, traditional biscuits, even angel food.  But this lemon strawberry shortcake gives a traditional shortcake just enough tang to feel like a gourmet indulgence.  Which is funny, because as far as cakes go (especially pound cake), it’s really pretty healthy….

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Perfect Grilled Peaches – A New Way to Enjoy Stone Fruit

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I haven’t been an adventurous eater my whole life.  As a kid, I was picky.  As an adolescent, while I expanded my pallet, I still liked things prepared fairly generically.  This meant that things were only prepared as I was used to them being prepared: i.e., fruit was made in pies, smoothies, fruit salad, crumbles, and breakfast foods.  I never considered cooking fruit to bring out flavors or change textures.  These grilled peaches changed my mind.

Blossom’s Biff and I are getting a CSA this summer.  Every week, Mountain Bounty Farms delivers us a large box of vegetables and a box of the most beautiful stone fruit you’ve ever seen.  It’s all flavorful, beautifully colored, smells wonderful, and clearly perfectly ready to consume within minutes of our delivery.  As such, especially this week (the Biff and the kids are out of town so I have the whole share to myself), I need to find creative ways to consume as much of this fruit as quickly as possible.

I also like to have in my back pocket, a few ways of making fruit and veggies that work for produce when it’s not at it’s best.  When you’ve left it in the fridge or the fruit bowl for just a minute too long….  The flavors are still there, but it’s less than ideal.  Best for the environment to consume (less waste), best for our bodies to eat (you’re still eating local, organic, earthly faire), but not quite perfect taste or texture-wise.  Grilling is one such way to succeed with that.  …

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Bing Cherry Pie and the Best Gluten Free Pie Crust

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Cherry pie has to be one of my more favorite summer indulgences.

Because I really focus on eating in a way that’s good for me and good for the environment, I love getting produce from friends or family who might have fruit trees or vegetable gardens (or I’m trying to grow my own too–more on that later).  When I was little, my grandparents had a neighbor who had a cherry tree.  I loved getting those cherries, but unfortunately they were difficult to come by as the birds loved getting them too.  These days, I know people with peach trees, pear trees, and apple trees; but no cherries.  So the next best thing for me is to try and stick to buying organics and locals.  The Biff (my dog’s best friend) and I have recently started getting a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box every week.  (He’s trying to get me to eat more veggies–seems to be working!)

When you eat seasonally, there is often an over-abundance of certain crops in certain months of the year.  In the middle of the summer, the organic cherries at Costco and Whole Foods are often sold by the multiple pounds, and the best way to use them up before they go bad is by putting them in a pie.

…

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BBQ Ribs with Homemade Rub and BBQ Sauce — Hello Summer!

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Every year when summer starts, BBQ ribs seems to be my summer kickoff recipe.  This year, with all the COVID social distancing, I’m so pleased to say summer seems to have come early, so I’m BBQ-ing before Memorial Day.  I love ribs, and these are so flavorful that I’ve had several friends request them for birthdays or dinners.

Most of my recipes come from other places, and these are no different, though they have been around for several years in our family.  In Reno, we have a wonderful cooking school called “Nothing To It.”  Every class you take, Laura gives you a packet of recipes to take home with you.  Years ago, my mom and dad took a class in grilling.  These recipes were in the packet they brought home, and honestly, I’m not sure we’ve ever used anything else for our BBQ sauce and/or ribs since….

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Homemade Christmas Vodka Soda – 12 Days of Christmas Day 11!

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Holiday food and drink doesn’t always have to be rich, heavy, and overly-sweet to still taste festive and holiday-esque.  Today’s cocktail is light while still maintaining the Christmasy flavors we all know and love so much.

I’ve said it several times recently, but my new favorite kitchen gadget is my Soda Stream.  One of the things I love is that I can make my own flavored vodka sodas; and with my favorite Tahoe Blue Vodka, I know I’m getting a tasty and natural concoction that’s way better than anything that comes out of a can or bottle.

I do love holiday flavors, though, so this year I decided to doctor up my homemade vodka soda to make it just a little more festive.  The addition of wonderful cranberry syrup, Orange DoTerra oil, and a Cinnamon rim, and you’ve got a wonderfully flavorful but perfectly-light Christmas Cocktail.

So here’s to our Day 11!  Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and our final day of our first annual 12 Days of Christmas Cocktails.  Merry Christmas to all!  And make sure to follow both Russ and I during the rest of the year for great recommendations, recipes, dating stories and suggestions, and natural living tips.

Homemade Christmas Vodka Soda - 12 Days of Christmas Day 11!
 
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Ingredients
  • 12 Oz. Filtered Water (or if you don't have a Soda Stream, just Club Soda will work)
  • 2 Oz. Tahoe Blue Vodka
  • 1 Drop Wild Orange DoTerra Oil
  • 1 Tablespoon Cranberry Sauce Syrup (Use your favorite Cranberry Sauce and put it in a saucepan with equal parts filtered water, simmer until syrupy and blend if needed.)
  • Ground Cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Rub the Rim of your glass with a slice of Orange and dip into Ground Cinnamon until coated.
  2. Make Soda according to Soda Stream instructions.
  3. Add Vodka, Soda, Syrup, and Oil to glass.
  4. Enjoy!!!

 

Wassail – 12 Days of Cocktails Day 10!

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***The following is a guest post by Russ Reyes of Kilt and Cork.  www.KiltandCork.com

Wassail is truly a beverage to be shared with friends and family. A medieval Christmastide tradition from the cider producing counties of South West England, there are many ways to make it and many ingredients to start with, but the way it is consumed it the same. Traditionally served in a “wassailing bowl”, the warm mulled punch is passed around and everyone sips from the same bowl. Of course, modern day punch bowls all have individual service, but if you want to enjoy wassail in the traditional method, find a medium sized bowl that would allow the person to hold the bowl and sip from it!

The tradition of Wassail ritual at Christmastide, was to ensure a good cider apple harvest the following year, or later, under the Christian influence, to thank God for his blessings and ask for a bountiful apple harvest the following year. Whatever the reason for sharing the communal bowl, it was a time of celebration and great joy, and shared with all of those who were loved!

Because it is a communal drink, it was inspired by the song “Welcome Christmas”, which the Who’s all sing around the tree at the end of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. That spirit of community and celebration is what the Wassail is all about!

This wassail is the ale based version because the earthiness of the ale compliments the spices and fruit, but it is highly customizable, and a nice dry hard cider can be used in place of the ale.

Wassail - 12 Days of Cocktails Day 10!
 
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Ingredients
  • 6 Small Fuji Apples, cored
  • 1 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 Cup Water
  • 8 12 Oz Bottles of English Ale or Dry Cider
  • 10 Whole Cloves
  • 1 teaspoon Allspice
  • 1 Cinnamon Stick
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Put the apples into an  glass baking dish. Drizzle the brown sugar onto each apple, dividing the sugar evenly among them. Pour the water into the bottom of the dish and bake until tender – about 45 minutes.
  3. Pour the ale into a large slow cooker or large pot. Mix in the cloves, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set the slow cooker to medium heat or, if using a pot, set the stove to medium to low heat.
  4. Bring the mixture to at least 130 degrees F, but do not boil. Once brought to temperature, you may strain the wassail through a sieve to remove the excess spices and make it easier to drink.

 

Spiced Sangria – 12 Days of Cocktails Day 4!

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THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. WHEN YOU CLICK ON THE LINKS PROVIDED, I MAY RECEIVE A COMMISSION, AT NO COST TO YOU. SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE POLICY FOR MORE INFORMATION.

The fam and I went to San Francisco this summer to show the kids around and do some shopping.  Saturday afternoon, they let me choose our happy hour spot, and  I chose one of my old haunts called “Cha Cha Cha” in the upper Haight.  They’re known for their amazeballs Sangria and wonderful tapas.  …

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