13 Sunday Nov 2016
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags
These delicious pomegranate cider mimosas have become my favorite brunch mimosa for autumn. This year, we’ve been blessed with temperatures nice enough for a Sunday brunch al fresco.
Ingredients:
hard cider, pomegranate liqueur, pomegranate juice, pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Pour cider, liqueur, and juice into a glass.Use amounts according to preference. Garnish with fresh pomegranate seeds.
Just add a tasty brunch menu and some great friends…
XOXO,
Young Wifey
30 Monday Nov 2015
19 Monday Dec 2011
Posted in Entertaining
Tags
birthday, drink, Entertaining, friends, friendship, postaday2011, recipe, Red Cat, slushie, wine wine trail
Today is my one best friend’s birthday. One year we did a wine tour in NY at the Finger Lakes. The first time I ever had Red Cat was at the Hazlitt 1852 Vineyard & Winery. It was towards the end of our tour on a cold and muddy November Day, but it was still a blast! After sampling wines inside, we ended out at the tent drinking Red Cat slushies. I still have my plastic, color-changing cup and think about that day every time I use it.
One Stop on the Wine Trail
You can get a slushie at the winery or make them at home…
Red Cat Slushie Recipe from Hazlitt’s Winery
In a standard counter top blender combine.
375 ml of Hazlitt Red Cat (about 1/2 bottle or adjust to your liking)
1/4 cup confectioners’ (powdered) sugar
2 oz. Frozen Fruit Punch concentrate
Ice (fill to blender top)
Happy Birthday Mrs. H!!! I hope you don’t mind me posting this pic! XOXO
30 Wednesday Nov 2011
Posted in Entertaining, Holiday
Tags
cranberry, drink, Entertaining, gift giving, gift ideas, Holiday, infused vodka, personalized gifts, postaday2011, recipe, vodka
I tried this a few years ago with a citrus infused vodka. I’ve been meaning to try more flavors, I just never got around to it. This is so easy, I can’t wait to make other holiday flavors!
Cranberry Infused Vodka
Ingredients:
750 mL of vodka, 1 lb. cranberries, splash of lemon juice, 1/4 c. sugar
Directions:
Wash and sort cranberries. Add cranberries, lemon juice and sugar in a sauce pan. Simmer over low heat until berries burst. Using back of the spoon, burst any reluctant berries. Place cranberries and vodka in glass jar (I use a larger carafe). Stir, cover and set aside for one week. I give mine a shake once a day. Stain and discard berries. Make sure all particles are removed from vodka. Pour infused vodka back into original bottle.
Add a few drink recipe cards and this makes a fantastic holiday gift.
What’s in your glass tonight?
18 Thursday Jun 2009
Posted in Cooking
Chicken Vesuvius has been one of my favorite dishes at Georgine’s (restaurant) for a long time. Many restaurants have their own variations with not only the dish, but also the name. I’ve been wanting to make my own variation based on my favorite flavor combinations. One of my friends was joining us for dinner and what better time to try a new dish then for company?
My Chicken Vesuvius is a chicken breast topped with jumbo lump crab meat, asparagus, artichoke hearts, and hollandaise sauce. I served this with an Italian risotto (the first time I ever made it) and steamed zucchini. *Next time I would like to add sautéed grape tomatoes and Kalamata olives.
I made my hollandaise sauce by whisking 4 eggs yolks over low heat and adding hot water one spoonful at a time. When the sauce thickened I added warm lemon juice and removed from the heat as I continued whisking. Then, I added about a 1/2 cup of melted butter. I kept the sauce warm until ready to plate the meal.
Starting the Risotto
Risotto on the Way…
I cooked the chicken by dipping the breasts into eggs, then flour, and frying it in olive oil. The finished dish is layered upon the plate, so I can omit any ingredients the diner does not wish.
I started the risotto by sautéing fresh chopped basil and minced onions in the olive oil. Once the flavors were married, I added the short grain rice into the olive oil and sautéed until the rice was opaque in color. Then, I stirred in Italian blend seasoning and added chicken broth (Next time, I will start with a cup of white wine before adding the broth). I brought the risotto to a boil and then simmered it low, adding chicken broth as needed. Once the dish was almost done, I stirred in Parmesan and Romano cheeses. *Something I remember seeing the chef (where I used to wait) do, is add a bit of heavy cream at the end of the cooking time; next time I’d like to try that. Once plated, I topped with chopped parsley and fresh grated Gruyère.
Steaming Veggies
*I used my crinkle cutter to slice the zucchini before steaming. I love using the tool for an unexpected touch of added texture.
I forgot to take a picture until after we had started to dig into the dish.
One saucepan, one frying pan, a pasta pot, two steamers and two pots later. Voilà! My Chicken Vesuvius (and sides) looked beautiful! Everything tasted really great! I definitely want to add the cream to the risotto next time. A multilevel bamboo steamer might also help cut down on the amount of pots & burners being used.
Half-Polished Off Dish
XOXO,
Young Wifey
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