Cherries in Amaretto

YEA,  it's Champagne Saturday!!  While it is still sweet cherry season, buy a big bag and try this.  You will need to let these macerate in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks before using them.  Here is how to make these cherries and two easy ways to use them.

Thoroughly wash and dry cherries.  Pit and put in a container large enough to hold the cherries and then cover with Amaretto, and seal tightly.  Refrigerate for at least 2 weeks.

Use over ice cream as a delicious ADULT dessert or make a Cheery Cherry Crush

Cheery Cherry Crush

1 cup of Half & Half

2 ounces of Kahlua

2 ounces of Amaretto from cherries

¼ cup of soaked Cherries

½ cup of crushed Ice

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Yummmy!

Enjoy!

Deloris

Michele Mensing's Refreshing Watermelon Strawberry Smoothie

Happy Independence Day!!!

A couple of weeks ago, Michele Mensing invited me over to try her new recipe.  I was so honored to be the first person, besides herself, to sample this wonderful smoothie. And what better day to post her recipe than July 4th. 

This is super simple and extremely delicious.  If you prefer a thinner drink, you can strain the mixture with a cheese cloth lined sieve.  I thought it was delicious, as is, but it is entirely up to you.  For those of you who are allergic to strawberries, this is wonderful without the strawberries.  If you still wanted to add an additional flavor, you could use blueberries or pitted cherries.  I have seen both of this at the grocery store, in abundance,

The sweetener is optional, depending on your tastes and the sweetness of the fruit.  The watermelon can be frozen before blending for a icy treat.

1 1/2 cups of Watermelon, removed from rind and  diced
1 1/2 cups of Strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced
Lime Juice
Sugar, Honey, Agave syrup, or other sweetener, if desired

Place watermelon and strawberries in an electric blender. Puree until smooth.  Add lime juice to taste.  Blend to combine.  Taste and add sweetener, if desired.

Enjoy your Delicious July 4th Holiday!

Michele and Deloris

Road Trip to Corpus Chrisit, TX

Corpus Christi Bridge at Night

It is time for Spring Break, nationwide, but Shirley and I were ahead of the game.  We went to visit our friend, Debbie, a couple of weeks back, in Corpus Christi.  Because we went prior to the opening of beach season, we were able to enjoy the area without overcrowding.

If you are  one of those people who loves the party scene, then our little trip would not have your cup of tea.  We got to stroll the beach on Saturday Morning barefoot with our coffee and half and half tea from the local Stripes convenient store and greet other people who were out; some were strolling, others were walking their dogs.

Debbie has a great little recipe for half and half tea.  She should call it Three Quarters and One Quarter Tea, because that is what it actually is.  It is 3/4 unsweetened ice tea and 1/4 lemonade from Stripes.  It is very yummy! (See, I got a recipe in this post)

This is a food blog, so you can be sure that I am going to share the restaurants that we visited and all of the delicious food that we ate.  The first restaurant that we went to was La Plaza(#1).  It was so crowded that we had to wait about 30 minutes, but it was worth it.  I had a Mexican style Red Snapper that was covered  in a cream sauce and it was too die for.  It was served with rice and refried beans.  I could have had Charo bean soup but the refried beans in South Texas are sooo good and different than what we are used to in Central Texas, I chose old school and went with refried beans.  In place of using Pinto beans, small white Navy beans are used.  I also had a Mango Margarita, since I had a designated driver.  I would like to tell you what Shirley and Debbie ate, but as I said, I had a Mango Margarita. (he~he)

The next place that we went was to Debbie's granddaughter's birthday party.  Debbie's daughter, Sonya,  and son-in-law, Erin, and his entire family were so gracious.  They fed us fajitas with all of the trimmings.  Sonya has a Meyer Lemon tree in the back yard, which still had lemons on it and was starting to bloom.  I parked myself right by it to enjoy the wonderful fragrance.  Having grown up in the Rio Grande Valley, I miss the air filled fragrance of citrus blossoms, this time of year.  It is like being in an orchard.

The next day we went to Moby Dick's, in Port A,. for seafood.  Shirley and I each had the largest platter of Fried Shrimp that I have ever seen.  I would say that we should have shared but I am glad that we did not.  Debbie had an equally large platter of Fried Oysters.  Additionally, I had a Roasted Colada.  It is a Pina Colada made with roasted coconut.  Yum!

We took the ferry back across the bay.  This ferry ride is only about 8 minutes.  Debbie and Shirley left me securely  in the back with the child~proof lock in place.  Hummm?  I did mention that I had a Roasted Colada, earlier?  I managed to get out in time to see the dolphins swimming along side the boat.  Very Funny, girls ;)

A tour of the old Downtown gave us a chance to enjoy the beautiful architecture from an era of opulence.  While this area has been populated since the 1500's, the downtown has buildings that reflect the late 1800's and early 1900's.  There is a wonderful art shop and coffee shop downtown.  The art shop is the Treehouse and it has fused and stained glass, photographs, jewelry, textiles, and paintings produced by local artists.  You know that I could not resist shopping.  I purchased pairs of earrings and a matted photo. Everything in that shop was reasonably priced.  I can not remember the name of the coffee shop but the barista made me a beautiful Macchiato, complete with a leaf design.  He did however, talk down to me when I ordered it.  He told me that it was not a "Starbucks" version and did I understand.  Really!!!!

Oso bay has a protected bird sanctuary that is so peaceful.  There were several birders out the day we visited.  Debbie could name all of the birds.  Then we walked a trail that was just as wonderful.  Be sure to go, if you visit Corpus.  

The last place that we went to eat was a restaurant that serves the most delicious breakfast.  I had a corn tortilla burrito and a Mexico Coca~Cola.  If you have never tired one, do so, if you have the opportunity.   (Unless, you have high or low blood sugar.  I was wound up for about 2 hours.  And while we were at the Mercado, a Mexican style flee market, my blood sugar crashed.  Wow! Not good.  So keep that in mind.)  Mexico Cokes are made with real cane sugar and taste like a Coke Zero, only better.  Instead of the little 6 ounce size, these were 12 ounces.  What a combination, caffeine and sugar, whew!

The next morning, we had to go.  It was a wonderful visit.  I miss having Debbie around the corner.  She is always so much fun.

We hope you enjoyed taking the food  trip to Corpus with us!

Shirley, Debbie, and Deloris

Champage Saturday~In a Hurry

Yea, It is Champagne Saturday!!! But if you are like me, you are short on time, right now.  This  is an easy way to host a little front porch get together, if you plan ahead. 

Frozen Sangria From a Mix???

Y'all probably have guessed how much I love Sangria.  I make it during the summer because it is so refreshing.  While shopping, at Sironia, during Cupcakes and Cocktails, Shirley spotted this Sangria Mix and suggested that we try it.  It is quite delicious! There are other mixes on the display, as well, including Frozen Lemoncello.  That may be the next one we try.
I must tell you that the directions where a little misleading.  It may have been because I used 2 plastic bags, layered, to prevent leakage, or my freezer may not be as cold as the maker's but it took about 6 hours to freeze to slushy consistency. Also, I recommend making a slurry out of the mix and part of the water.  We followed the directions for the plastic bag and squeezed the mixture to dissolve the dry ingredients.  That did not work well, so we put the entire contents into the blender.  That incorporated most of the ingredients but there was a small amount of residue left in the blender.
I used a very dry, fruity Rose' but you can use any type of red wine that you like.  Remember that the mix contains a large amount of sugar so be careful in selecting the wine.  You can always add sugar if it is not sweet enough.
I have to say that this mix was worth every cent and I will be trying the other mixes, too.  If you would like to purchase this, or other mixes, contact Sironia at www.shopsSironia.com.

1 package of Sangria Vino Freeze Mix
1 750 ml bottle of Red Wine
Water

Follow the directions on the package, making adjustments for the issues listed above and

Enjoy!

Deloris

Frozen Pineapple Paradise, Yum!

This is something that I have been considering for a while.  The direction to take it was the problem.  But today, it was time to just go for it; then adjust the recipe, if needed.  The recipe is just fine :).
Chris thought the amount of Ever Clear was correct, I thought it was a little much.  You may want to start with less and add more.  It is totally up to your tastes.You will need to freeze the pineapple chunks so that adding ice is not necessary.

White Russian

When Chris told me he was making a White Russian, I immediately thought of the movie "Puss in Boots",  where the character, "Puss", orders a White Russian without alcohol.  Well, if Antonio Banderas wants to drink milk, I think that he should.
Enough about that.  This is a delicious adult beverage.  The kids can have Puss' version.  The nutmeg on top gave the flavor the boost that put it over the top. Yum!

Vodka Sling

Chris made me this Vodka Sling because I am not a fan of Gin.  There is nothing about Gin that I like, in fact.  But I do like lemon.  This is an adult version of my Lemon-Cherry Soda and is well worth trying.

Big Texas Peach

While it is fresh Peach season ,I decided to share A Big Texas Peach. This developed from the recipe for Peach Margaritas that my cousin, June, shared with me.  We decided that the base needed to be Bourbon instead of Tequilla because peaches and bourbon just go together.  Then we changed the rim and came up with this.  If you are wondering why the rim looks like that.  We tried several rims before settling on this one.  Hmmmm? This will make everybody silly, very quick.  It is so good and goes down like fruit punch.  Oh my!

Between the Sheets

I did not know if I was going to like this drink, but it turns out that I did.  But then, what's not to like?  Rum, brandy, Cointreau, and lemon juice.  Need I say more?

Hard Frozen Strawberry Lemonade

Hard Frozen Strawberry Lemonade came to me one hot afternoon. A nice frozen lemonade, in the heat of the day, sounded refreshing. This tastes like a giant, frozen Skittles.
The idea did not start with alcohol but eventually developed into an adult beverage.  This can also be made without alcohol for the non-drinkers and it is just as delicious. 

Peach Margaritas

We are interrupting our classic cocktails for a frozen summer concoction! These Peach Margaritas are inspired by my cousin, June Cooper. She told me about these at our last family reunion.  She said that when she conducts bus tours to Tequila, Mexico, she serves Peach Margaritas to her guests.  So I came up with this recipe and it is so delicious.

Black Russian

If you like coffee, this is the drink for you! If you follow me on facebook, then you probably know who drank this one~hehe.  It is a classic drink that I will be enjoying more often, I think.  It is a little on the sweet side because of the Kahlua but the vodka cut most of it.  Chris changed this up some because he felt the ratio of vodka to Kahlua was way off.  I liked it, alot.

Texas Horny Toads

So Chris and I decided to try Long Island Lizards and concluded that this recipe needed a little adjustment.  Now, we have Texas Horny Toads.  First, I am not a gin drinker and second, there was too much liqueur and not enough liquor.  Basically, this is a jazzed up lemonade so that makes it something to sip, over ice, on the back porch. Yea, for Summer time! Yea, for Champagne Saturday!

Great Harrier Reef

This is the final recipe of the four cocktail pictured above and is Chris' version of a Great Barrier Reef.  He said it is a Great Harrier Reef.   It is an adult milkshake.  His version has the wonderful Kentucky Honey Liqueur and does not contain gin.  I had two and I do not really like sweet alcoholic drinks. These are so good!

Blue Lagoon

Yea, it is Champagne Saturday! We are having a Blue Lagoon.  That always reminds me of Brooke Shields.  Well, moving on.

This is definitely a drink to sip on the back porch on a hot Texas day. It is a fun, party drink and easy to make in a pitcher.  It leans to the sweet side so be warned, if you are not a fan of sweet drinks.

Salty Dog

We are still having our delicious  Champagne Saturday with the drinks that Chris concocted.  Today's drink is a Salty Dog.  I am not usually a fan of sweet alcoholic drinks, so this one is an all-time favorite for me.  Plus, it is pretty hard to mess it up. 

Japanese Slipper

Chris is officially the mixologist.  He made these wonderful concoctions for us to try.  Some are classic drinks and some have a twist to them.  This is the first four.  From left to right~Salty Dog, Blue Lagoon, Great Barrier Reef, and Japanese Slipper.  I would like to say that I had a favorite, but all were delicious and each was distinctive.  Salty Dogs have been a go-to for me for years, but the other three were a new treat. 

Ice Cream Freezer Margaritas

Yea, It is Champagne Saturday and what better drink to have for Cinco de Mayo than Ice Cream Freezer Margaritas!
I love Ice Cream Freezer drinks.  These serve a crowd with very little attention after the freezing process is complete.  This recipe does not work well in the freezer of the refrigerator, until after it is slushy from the ice cream freezer.  A friend had given me a recipe for Ice Cream Freezer Margaritas years ago, but I lost it.  So this is a new one and it turned out very drinkable.
I learned something today, while making these.  Debbie Robinson told me that you have to check the Tequilla labels to verify that the ingredients in the Tequilla is 100% Agave.  She said that some Tequilla is bottle with other liquors, such a Vodka. Interesting, maybe that is why I feel so bad in the morning, Hmmm?
Necessity is the mother of invention.  I was out of Margarita salt so I used Canning and Pickling Salt to rim the glasses.  It is finer and does not have impurities that most salts have.  We like the Canning and Pickling Salt much better.

1 1/2 cups of 100 % Agave Tequilla
1/2 cup of Triple Sec
2 12 ounce cans of Limeade
1 cup of frozen Lemon juice concentrate, not lemonade
7 cups of Lemon-Lime soft drink, 7-UP or Sprite

Combine all ingredients in the canister of the ice cream freezer. Cover the canister with the lid, place in the bucket and connect motor.  Cover with ice and ice cream freezer salt or rock salt.  Turn the motor on. As the contents churn, additional ice and salt will be needed.  It takes 2 to 3 hours to get the margaritas slushy.  The freezer motor will not change sounds as it does when making ice cream.  Once the margaritas are slushy, stir and serve in glasses, rimmed in salt.

Enjoy!

Deloris

Kamikaze

Yea, It is Champagne Saturday! Time for a Kamikaze, which translates into English as "divine wind".  Well, it has been windy here in Texas so it must be time for a Kamikaze.  If it is not windy where you are living, then this will take your breath away.  Yes, it IS that good.

2 Tablespoons of Triple Sec
2 Tablespoons of Vodka
2 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
Ice Cubes

Chill a martini glass.  In a shaker, combine Triple Sec, Vodka, Lime Juice and Ice Cubes.  Shake and then strain into chilled glass.

Enjoy!

Deloris