CookWomanFood.com » Beverages

Sparkling Sangria

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 00:09:04 +0000

This past weekend we had a wonderful get together with our neighbors and friends. When planning, we decided to create a sangria to accompany our meal. Great choice! It was a combination of various alcohols and fruit. Very good, very tasty, very satisfying! Give it a shot! (no pun intended)

Sparkling Sangria

1 bottle white zinfandel sparkling wine
2 shots vodka
1/3 cup triple sec
1 blood orange
1 lemon
1 apple (pink lady)
ice

Put the sliced fruit in a pitcher.
Add in the vodka and triple sec.
Pour in half the bottle of sparkling wine.
Add ice. Stir.
Pour into a glass along with some of the fruit. Leave room for a little more sparkling wine.

Spring Ahead with Sangria

admin — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 15:28:02 +0000

My Favorite Sangria Pitcher

“What is the definition of a good wine? It should start and end with a smile.”
William Sokolin

Last night was one of my favorite times of year-turn the clocks forward one hour. As far as I am concerned it is the light at the end of the tunnel, the day that marks the beginning of spring. More light at the end of the day, less laziness. With spring comes the hope of summer and with that comes outdoor eating and drinking and a pitcher of sangria. What is sangria? It is a delicious blend of wine, brandy, and fresh fruit. There are many restaurants that serve a delicious sangria. I was just perusing the internet for a new restaurant to celebrate my first day of spring and at one site there was a link to a very nice website, wineintro.com, which had so many sangria recipes that I had to include it in my post. Why invent the wheel? So if anyone is looking for a great recipe for sangria, search no more! Of course, once the perfect recipe is found and followed, the ending sangria will need to be served from the perfect pitcher. What ever it is served from, as long as the wine and brandy are delicious and the fruit is fresh, the sangria will be relished!

Pina Colada Muffins and …

admin — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:49:54 +0000

I recently started thinking of tropical drinks and food items as summer is just around the bend, I am way into spring fever to the point of no return, and I am going to Cabos in a few weeks. I can almost taste the Mexican foods and drinks. I thought of one of my favorite drinks, Pina Coladas, and thought about muffins, which are also high on my list of things I like and really shouldn’t. I then received a Health Alert from a very good friend, Jane, who by the way is quite the expert in the field of self help, and decided to alter it a bit as her alert featured Margaritas. Now, I am not overly fond of margaritas, but they’ll do in a pinch. My daughter in law, Amy, informed me of the impact a couple margaritas can have at the resort in Cabos and I thought, “Hmm, what fun THAT could be!” So I gave this some thought, and although I love the idea of sipping a margarita in Mexico and watching the fun begin, I decided to go with my first idea of a post on Pina Colada muffins, include a recipe for great Pina Coladas, and also include an updated version of the Health Alert! How cool is that? Let me know what you think.

Pina Colada Muffins

2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup sour cream
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup choopped pecans
1/3 cup coconut oil

Stir the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients and add to dry ones. Stir until just moistened. Fill muffin pans and bake at 400* for about 20 minutes. Makes 18.

The Perfect Pina Colada

3 oz. light rum
3 tbsp. coconut cream
3 tbsp. crushed pineapple
Place ingredients in a blender with 2 cups ice and blend on High for 1 minute.

Important Women’s Health Issue:

Do you have feelings of inadequacy?
Do you suffer from shyness?
Do you sometimes wish you were more assertive?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, ask your doctor or pharmacist about Pina Coladas. Pina Coladas are the safe, natural way to feel better and more confident about yourself and your actions. Pina Coladas can help ease you out of your shyness and let you tell the world that you’re ready and willing to do just about anything. You will notice the benefits of Pina Coladas almost immediately and with a regimen of regular doses you can overcome any obstacles that prevent you from living the life you want to live. Shyness and awkwardness will be a thing of the past and you will discover many talents you never knew you had. Stop hiding and start living, with Pina Coladas. Pina Coladas may not be right for everyone. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use Pina Coladas. However, women who wouldn’t mind nursing or becoming pregnant are encouraged to try it.
Side effects may include:
Dizziness, nausea, vomiting, incarceration, new tattoos or piercing, loss of motor control, loss of clothing, loss of money, table dancing, headache, dehydration, dry mouth, and a desire to sing Karaoke.

WARNING:
The consumption of Pina Coladas may make you think you are whispering when you are not.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may cause you to tell your friends over and over again that you love them.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may cause you to think you can sing.
The consumption of Pina Coladas may make you think you can logically converse.

Pumpkin Cranberry Almond Bread Made with Bakewell Cream

admin — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 20:30:57 +0000

I recently received a container of Bakewell Cream from New England Cupboard which is a company from Maine. This company has an owner that is an absolute joy to deal with. They have an assortment of high quality products for baking and cooking. I will be baking and posting reviews of some more of their products in the weeks to come, but if they are of the same caliber as the Bakewell Cream then they will also be great reviews. The Bakewell Cream is a leavening agent for better baking (state this right on the can) and it should as I was very pleased with the outcome of my bread. I decided to try a recipe that I usually use for pumpkin bread as this would be the best way to compare the product to the usual leavening agent that I use. I was quite pleased with the end product. The pumpkin bread was delicious and had a perfect texture! My mom, who is known in the family as the experienced baker, thought that this was the best pumpkin bread I had ever made, and I have made quite a few of the tasty gems in my life. Hats off to Bakewell Cream! Look for my next post about New England Cupboard’s Cranberry Scones. Here is the recipe that I followed for the pumpkin cranberry almond bread.

Pumpkin Cranberry Almond Bread

3 cups flour                                1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar                      2 1/3 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves                   1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg                             1 tsp. salt
2/3 tsp. Bakewell Cream             2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups pumpkin                          3 eggs

Blend together until smooth.

Stir in:
1 cup dried cranberries
1 ½ cups sliced almonds

Pour into 2 bread pans, bake about 1 hour at 350.

Kristen’s Liquid Hot Apple Pie

admin — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 23:54:04 +0000

Here is a delicious beverage that would be a hit at any time of the day (though I would find it hard to swallow this at breakfast). I learned of this from a friend, Kristen, who just happened to invent this. It sounds like a nice fall drink, but I think it’s a go any time of the year. Kristen used to be a bartender and seems to be in the know. Enjoy!

Kristen’s Liquid Hot Apple Pie

1 cup apple cider heated-now of course the fresher or better tasting the better tasting this drink
1 shot butterscotch Schnapps
1 shot Myer’s dark rum
cinnamon to rim the glass
whipped cream (the real thing here please) to be placed on top
a sprinkle of nutmeg to decorate the whipped cream

What’s For Dinner? Frontier Soups’ Beef Barley Bean Stew

admin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 23:17:23 +0000

I recently made Frontier Soups’ Beef Barley Bean Stew on a cold winter’s day, the kind that makes everyone want to hibernate for the rest of the winter. I followed the package directions completely and the stew was a great way to warm up! It was very tasty and filling and I could feel the cold leaving my bones with each bite. The mix has baby lima beans, lentils, barley, carrots, shitake mushrooms, leeks, herbs and paprika in it. I added the beef, onions, and broth. This stew was very satisfying and delicious. Frontier Soups has a wide variety of soup mixes and all contain natural ingredients, no added salt, no preservatives or MSG which contributes to the great taste. Visit their site to see all their available products.

Hot Chocolate with a Twist-Kahlua

admin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:36:51 +0000

Hot Chocolate with Kahlua

I love hot chocolate, after all, who in their right mind wouldn’t? I used to love it made with milk and a huge dollop (love that word) of marshmallow floating on the top. I can still taste it. However, the days of having hot chocolate and not worrying about where it will end up (my hips and thighs most likely) are gone. But, I still have times where I want the chocolate, but, I also want a little something extra added to make it all worth while. So, what is that extra addition? Kahlua. Yum. I love it. I am typically not a drinker but when I want something special that is usually my choice of a sweet drink. I love it added to milk, even nonfat milk, and whipped up in the blender. Froth City! Also, one of my favorite cakes is chocolate cake with mocha frosting. So hmm, not hard to figure this one out, hot chocolate on a cold day, turn it to mocha with the Kahlua and the way I see it I am probably saving a few calories by having a skim milk made hot chocolate with Kahlua with some real whipped cream on top, which by the way has fewer chemicals and calories than low fat Cool Whip. So that even makes it healthy!!! No chemicals. I have yet to find a coffee liqueur that is better than Kahlua so if anyone out there finds one please let me know. Thanks.

Hot Chocolate With Kahlua

1 cup skim or low fat milk
1 ½ tbsp. sugar
1 ½ tbsp. cocoa (the baking type)
1 ½ tbsp. Kahlua
¼ vanilla extract
cinnamon stick
whipped cream

Mix all ingredients together in a pan and heat until hot! Pour in a cup or mug, put whipped cream on the top, and add a cinnamon stick to stir with. Put your feet up and enjoy!

Sharpe Hill Vineyard

admin — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 21:38:18 +0000

“One not only drinks wine, one smells it, tastes it, sips it and – one talks about it.” King Edward VII English Monarch

Another rainy November Saturday, what a perfect day for another visit to a winery for sampling. I ventured out with my friends Phyllis and Jane to Sharpe Hill Vineyard in Pomfret, Ct. We tasted a wide variety of their award winning wines. My favorite was the Ballet of Angels which is a bright, crisp, semi-dry white wine with a hint of citrus flavors. I enjoyed it but not so much as the story that I read about this label. I wish I could have heard more about it on our visit to the winery but unfortunately we were lectured about the awards the wines received, and not educated about the creation of the wines or the stories behind them which would have made this trip much more enjoyable. (Obviously, someone wasn’t listening to King Edward.) The label is of an ethereal young child with piercing eyes and an aged face. Supposedly the owner was trying to decide on an image to use on this new wine by looking through art books. Giving up without deciding on a picture, she fell asleep. During the night she was awakened by a noise. When she investigated as to the cause of the noise she found that a book had fallen to the floor and was opened to the picture that is presently on the label. It turns out that the artist of the picture was John Brewster Jr. and was born and lived in the town on the other side of Sharpe Hill. Spooky.

Eggnog-The Traditional Holiday Beverage

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 21:49:02 +0000

It’s the time of year for rich treats, foods and beverages that most would try to avoid any other time of the year. (Once again, for the record, it’s okay to indulge if you don’t do it constantly. On days that I know I’ll be having a decadent dessert I try to limit starches and sweets. I make sure to still have my meals, though they are small, so that I don’t get a drop in my sugar level, which can trigger hunger and then lead to bingeing.) One of my favorite holiday treats is eggnog. I remember past Christmases when I enjoyed a glass and can actually taste the creaminess of that first sip. Today there are so many varieties of eggnog: plain, fat free, pumpkin, etc. Store bought eggnogs can be delicious. I for one like to add Bailey’s Irish crème, Kailua, or Godiva liqueur to mine. My mom likes to add a bit of brandy. My husband likes to just add a bit of milk so it won’t be so rich. Each to his own I guess. One Christmas, a couple years ago, my children were planning to visit. My son, the CookManFood Dan, inquired if it would be possible for me to make homemade eggnog. Sure, why not? When he first gave me the recipe, I was a little hesitant as it seemed like quite a large amount of alcohol, but then again, we were in the house and no one would be traveling on Christmas, so what the heck. I made the eggnog and it was incredibly smooth and delicious. Didn’t need to add Bailey’s. So once again, another gift to you. Homemade eggnog, worth the effort and the calories!

Eggnog

24 egg yolks

24 egg whites

3 cups sugar

1/2 tsp salt

8 cups milk

8 cups heavy cream

8 cups brandy

1 cup rum

Beat egg yolks with 2 cups sugar. Beat egg whites stiff with 1 cup sugar. Combine the 2 egg mixtures. Beat til blended. Beat in cream and then milk. Stir in brandy and beat well. Stir in rum. Pour into 2 gallon jug. Store in a cool place for 2 weeks.

New England Wineries in the Fall

admin — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 02:13:07 +0000

Massetts. Cranberry

Today was a great day in New England. The sun was shining, the air was brisk, the foliage was still somewhat colorful, and gas prices were down. I decided to start my visits to local wineries. My first wine tasting excursion was to Hardwick Vineyard and Winery located in Hardwick, MA where they were having winetasting in the upstairs of the barn which is adjoined to a mansion. I tasted 4 of the 8 available wines. I really enjoy a white zinfandel and was informed that the Yankee Girl Blush was very similar. It was very delicious. I then sampled Massetts. Cranberry which I also thoroughly enjoyed and also purchased for Thanksgiving. My friend Ann liked the Hardwick Red and the Yankee Boy White. I found the YBW not to my liking, which leans toward a sweeter wine. Between tastes, we rinsed the glasses and nibbled on the cheese and crackers provided for the tasting. The winery also has a small adjoining gift shop. We then went for a walk on the properties and located a huge foot. I have no clue what the foot is for but all I could think of was Lucy and Ethel stomping on grapes in a huge wooden vat. Can’t wait for my next winery visit. Hmm, wonder where that’ll be.

Grape Stomper?