Tag: drink

Hot Mulled Apple Cider

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What a beautiful weekend this was here in the northeast!  It was cold, but clear and sunny!  Perfect for fall fun… One of our favorite fall activities is apple picking!  But, I just can’t go apple picking without coming home with some fresh squeezed Apple Cider!

Everyone in my house has a runny nose right now including my husband and my kids are a bit too young for tea with honey… So, my natural solution to this is to make some Hot Mulled Apple Cider with a touch of honey! And it was a hit.  I love hot apple cider just plain, but mulling it with some spices just takes it right out of this world! If you have never tried it, I urge you to try this simple recipe!

Start with some farm fresh apple cider. As you can see, this has no added sugar or preservatives, just delicious apples!

Pour about 1 quart into a medium sauce pan.

Add two full cinnamon sticks.

This is a nutmeg pit… As you can see, it is one that has been well used in recipe after recipe, now it is suitable for the cider! (as always, if you don’t have real nutmeg, please don’t use the powdered stuff, just omit it)

You can slice some orange slices in, but I just like the essence of the orange, so I am just putting in one length of peel.

Some fresh ginger really brings in some good spice to this mulling… I just picked one small nub, broke it off and sliced it up.

I add just one teaspoon of raw local honey… The mulling process actually sweetens the cider a bit by concentrating it, so you don’t need much honey and you could leave this out if you don’t like things too sweet, but the flavor is really yummy, not to mention great for colds and sore throats.

Put in 7 or 8 whole cloves.

Don’t bring this to a boil… As you can see, this is all steamed up, but the second I saw a boil bubble, it came off the stove… watch it, don’t let it boil. You don’t want to waste any! At this point you are ready to strain and serve… AND at this point if you choose to, you could make this an adult beverage by adding in a touch of bourbon or dark spiced rum!

To serve, I fish out one of the cinnamon sticks and place it in the mug and strain the liquid into the cup.

To serve, I fish out one of the cinnamon sticks, shred some orange peel, place it in the mug and strain the liquid in.

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Hot Mulled Apple Cider

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 quart apple cider

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. honey

1 orange peel

1 tsp. sliced fresh ginger

1 tsp. whole cloves

1 used nutmeg pit

1 oz. bourbon or dark spiced rum (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a pot.  Heat on high until just before boiling.  Remove from heat when steaming.  Strain into mugs. Serve with cinnamon stick and some shredded orange peel. Enjoy!

Stacy’s Blueberry Mojitos

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There is no more refreshing summer cocktail than a Mojito… Not too sweet, just a little tang and just the right amount of alcohol to, well, to not taste like alcohol.  This blueberry Mojito was inspired by a local restaurant that was right on the water and charged me $10.50 for one drink… I had to try to recreate it… What I did was take the inspiration and ran with it adding in little touches that appealed to me.  I love blueberries and this time of year is a great time to pick some up at farm stands everywhere.  And an entire pitcher doesn’t come near $10.50!

Soon, I was serving it at parties and gatherings with friends and it became a frequently requested treat!  My friend Jennifer recently hosted a girlfriend of ours, Virginie, from Paris and we had a little get together, so I made a fresh pitcher right at her house!  Take a look…

I started off by making a simple syrup. Just one cup of white sugar and one cup of water.

Bring it to a boil and let it cool.

I brought over some freshly cut mint from my garden. Tear up about half of these leaves and save some for garnishing individual glasses.

Three fresh limes.

Three fresh limes.

I cut up two of them into 8 chunks each… I saved one lime to slice into individual glasses as garnish.

This is my favorite Mojito pitcher! Isn't it pretty with all the blue and green running through it? I gave it a quick wash and it's ready... I mix everything right in the pitcher, no need to dirty a bowl... If you are making this for a party, i would suggest a large bowl so that you can refill... but, we are just having a small get together.

This is my favorite Mojito pitcher! Isn’t it pretty with all the blue and green running through it? I gave it a quick wash and it’s ready… I mix everything right in the pitcher, no need to dirty a bowl… If you are making this for a party, i would suggest a large bowl so that you can refill… but, we are just having a small get together.

Plop the limes into the pitcher, squeezing them as they go in.

Jen didn’t have a wooden spoon handy, so I used a regular utility spoon to start the muddling process. To muddle, you are basically just squishing everything down.

Add in mint and continue to muddle everything together

Add in one quart of freshly washed blueberries and continue to muddle. You want to work it so that about half the blueberries are popped open.

Add in mint and continue to muddle everything together.

Add in about half of the simple syrup and continue to muddle.

Add the rum in with what you have muddled so far and stir. At this point, refrigerate for about an hour or so.  Make sure you are using white rum, no spiced rum in these babies.

To finish off your mixture, add in sparkling water and stir.

To this mixture, add in a few cups of ice.

To this mixture, add in a few cups of ice.

Add some ice to the glass and pour.

Add some ice to the glass and pour.

Recipe for Stacy’s Blueberry Mojitos:

(serves 6-10)

1/2 cup simple syrup

1 quart blueberries, washed

3 limes

1 bunch fresh mint, about 8-10 sprigs

1 liter lime sparkling water

1 cup white rum

Directions:

Prepare the simple syrup by bringing one cup of sugar and one cup of water to a boil and cooling.  Also, keep sparkling water refrigerated until it is time to add in.

Cut 2 limes into 8 chunks each.  Slice the remaining lime into circles for garnishing. Strip 3-4 sprigs of mint and tear the leaves.  Reserve the remaining mint sprigs for garnishing.

In a pitcher muddle all the fruit and mint together with a wooden spoon.  Add in simple syrup and rum, stir.  refrigerate mixture for at least one hour or up to a day.

When ready to serve, add in sparkling water.  Add 3-4 cups of ice and serve.  Garnish with lime circles and mint and add in ice to each glass.

*This is a gluten-free recipe if using Cruzan rum.

 

A Taste of St. Michael Sparkling Sangria

done3The beauty of St. Michael, Azores is made up of its lush and vibrant vegetation.  Not only are the rolling hills filled with hydrangea and honey suckle, but the St. Michael fruit is like

no where I have been in the world.  Passion fruit, pineapple, figs and exotic fruits not even found in the U.S. are found there in great abundance.  Many enjoy these deliciously sweet treasures plain and right off the trees, many make wonderful desserts like passion fruit pudding (one of my favorites), but today I have decided to apply it to a refreshing cocktail.

This week I am featuring left overs, so this is meant to use up some extra wine you have from the dinner or a party.  Add in a bit of juice, sparkling water and some fruit and you may start opening that bottle of wine just to make this light and airy drink.  It’s a simple drink you’ll come back to again and again.

Start by preparing your fruit... First up is the pineapple. I'll take you through how to easily slice up a pineapple, but if you don't have one available, you could used canned or frozen pineapple chunks.

Start by preparing your fruit… First up is the pineapple. I’ll take you through how to easily slice up a pineapple, but if you don’t have one available, you could used canned or frozen pineapple chunks.  I start by slicing off the bottom.

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Then I cut off the top.

Now it is stable. So, I now start trimming off the sides.

Now it is stable. So, I now start trimming off the sides.

Once I go all the way around the fruit, I cut down the middle.

Once I go all the way around the fruit, I cut down the middle.

Then I quarter and cut out the inner core on a diagonal.

Then I quarter and cut out the inner core on a diagonal.

Next, I slice it up into chunks.

Now slice up an orange. I like to leave the skin in tact.

Now slice up an orange. I like to leave the skin in tact.

Now start measuring out your ingredients. Two cups of sweet wine. This is actually a sweet Sangria wine, but a white zin or a blush or just a plain sweet red wine would be nice here.

Now start measuring out your ingredients. Two cups of sweet wine. This is actually a sweet Sangria wine, but a white zin or a blush or just a plain sweet red wine would be nice here.

This drink that is a cross between a sparkling juice and a soda is a favorite amongst many Portuguese people and indeed can be found throughout the Azores and anywhere Portuguese people have migrated to. If you don't have passion fruit drink available, look for a passion fruit juice.

This drink that is a cross between a sparkling juice and a soda is a favorite amongst many Portuguese people and indeed can be found throughout the Azores and anywhere Portuguese people have migrated to. If you don’t have passion fruit drink available, look for a passion fruit juice.

Add in pineapple.

Add in oranges.

For best results, you will want to soak the fruit in the wine for 2-3 hours or up to over night.

For best results, you will want to soak the fruit in the wine for 2-3 hours or up to over night.

Once the fruit has been propperly steeped in the wine mixture, take a few pieces and place in individual glasses. (then I use fresh fruit to garnish the rims of the glasses as shown here)

Once the fruit has been properly steeped in the wine mixture, take a few pieces and place in individual glasses. (then I use fresh fruit to garnish the rims of the glasses as shown here)

Now fill about half way with wine mixture. You need to allow room for ice and sparkling water.

Add in ice.

Here is where you can really customize the drink on the spot. I like my drinks a little less sweet, so I allow more room for sparkling water (on the left). My husband enjoys his with a bit more sweetness, so his (on the right) is filled a bit more to allow for less sparkling water.

Now top with some sparkling water. Again, this is personal preference, but I use unflavored, unsweetened sparkling water. If you like a bit more sweet and still like all the fizz, you can grab a sparkling water with panache! A coconut or pineapple sparkling seltzer would be nice here as well, even a grape.

Now swizzle together. I am using a butter knife. if you have an official drink stirrer, use that of course 🙂

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Enjoy!

Recipe for A Taste of St. Michael sparkling Sangria:

(serves 4)

2 cups sweet red wine (or any type of sweet wine you have left over)

3 cups Sumol Passion Fruit drink or passion fruit juice

1/2 pineapple, chunks

1 orange, sliced

1 cup sparkling water

8-12 ice cubes

Directions:

Prepare fruit.  Add wine to a pitcher or 10 qt. bowl.  Add in passion fruit drink or juice.  Add fruit to the liquid.  Soak fruit in the liquid for 2-3 hours before serving if possible and up to 1 day before serving.

Pour into glass over ice.  Top with sparkling water to match level of sweetness desired (the more water, the less sweet the drink) Mix with stirrer.  Serve with fruit rimming the glass.