australian desserts: Beverages

Showing posts with label Beverages. Show all posts

White Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog

Non-peppermint lovers look away ... this White Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog is not for you! Love the minty stuff? Then this holiday drink is your peppermint heaven.

Candy canes are one of those age-old symbols that the Christmas season is upon us. And who can resist those festive little red-and-white-striped beauties? Well ... actually ... me. I can totally resist a plain ol' candy cane. In fact, I have absolutely zero desire to chow down on one. But crush one up and put it in something? ... Now you're talking! Candy canes in stuff are candy canes I can get excited about.

Though I do have a candy cane question ...

Non-peppermint lovers look away ... this White Chocolate Peppermint Eggnog is not for you! Love the minty stuff? Then this holiday drink is your peppermint heaven.

Though I do have a candy cane question ...

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Mocha Eggnog

On this day after Thanksgiving, it's time to turn our thoughts to Christmas. And what better way to get the season started than with a mouthwatering mug of Mocha Eggnog? Make it in punch-sized batches or single mugs ... spiked or not ... served warm or chilled. It's the perfect holiday drink for one or a crowd!

It's 'Black Friday!' Can you guess where I'm not?? That's right! ... I'm absolutely not out in the throngs of holiday shopper crowds. My dad ventured out into the mall crowds this morning ... but mom and I decidedly did not. We chose instead, on this day after Thanksgiving, to turn our thoughts to Christmas in other ways ...

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Pumpkin Spice White Russian {& Coffee-mate Seasonal Flavors}

Add a scrumptious seasonal twist to your cocktail line-up with this delicious Pumpkin Spice White Russian! It's perfect for fall sippin'.

I fully embrace fall! I remember as a kid growing up in Vermont, I couldn't wait for the leaves to change color and start falling. My Dad would rake the leaves into huge piles ... and then my brother and I would run as fast as we could and jump in the pile, scattering them all over again like a big burst of fall leaf fireworks.

And Dad would rake them all up and ... let us do it again. And again. And again. He's a great Dad like that.

Now as a grown-up living in North Carolina, I always look forward to the beautiful fall weather. Truly, fall in Carolina just can't be beat. And, of course, I can't wait each fall to get cooking with fall seasonal flavors ... pumpkin, apple, gingerbread, spice ... all those wonderfully warm and comforting flavors we think of that help us celebrate and enjoy the fall season.

Well guess what?

Add a scrumptious seasonal twist to your cocktail line-up with this delicious Pumpkin Spice White Russian! It's perfect for fall sippin'.

And Dad would rake them all up and ... let us do it again. And again. And again. He's a great Dad like that.

Well guess what?

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Southern Sweet Tea

Iced tea. That's what it's called in 'the North.' But if you're in 'the South?' ... Oh, here in the South, it's sweet tea. There's nothing quite like it. Yep, in the South sweet tea is an institution.

And, having transplanted to North Carolina from 'the North,' I learned how to make it ... right ... from my very Southern sister-in-law.

And, having transplanted to North Carolina from 'the North,' I learned how to make it ... right ... from my very Southern sister-in-law.

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Watermelon-Moscato Slush {Summer Fun with #BlackBoxWines}

Thank you to Black Box Wines for sponsoring this post.

I love so many things about summer. Outdoor cooking ... Concerts in the park ... 4th of July fireworks ... Trips to the beach ... or, to the lake ... Back-yard gatherings ... There are always so many fun adventures to be had!

Know what else I love about summer? Watermelon. Yep, it's one of my favorite summer treats. Oh, and I love sipping refreshing, crisp, light-bodied wines ... they're just perfect for helping beat the summer heat, too. And then I had a crazy idea ... one of those totally brilliantly crazy ideas. How about putting watermelon and wine together? Wouldn't that make the perfect refreshingly delicious, fun summer treat?

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Thank you to Black Box Wines for sponsoring this post.

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Fresh Strawberry Sangria

Thanks to the nice folks at Staples, the other day was like Christmas in May for me ... and the wine to make this fabulous Fresh Strawberry Sangria was at just the perfect temperature! What?? You're probably thinking, "What does Staples the office supply store have to do with the temperature of your wine?" ... right?

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Leprechaun Shakes {& Trapping a Leprechaun!}

It's that time of year! Yes, the time of year when rascally little leprechauns make their appearances in all the craziest of places. And last year ... we had one turn up in my 1st grade classroom! Can you believe it?

He turned over the chairs in our classroom. Threw little shamrocks all over everything. Left us silly notes on the whiteboard. Dropped his hat one day ... and his sock the next. He even tried to steal our pot of gold, leaving our carpet littered with little gold pieces ... how dare he!

So, of course, my students decided we needed to try to trap him - I mean, he did try to take our gold and all. And here's how we decided to do it.

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Classic Homemade Lemonade & Summer Memories

Well, the last days of summer are here. My classroom is ready, tomorrow I meet my new little first graders at our school open house, and then Monday school starts. But I'm still hanging on to summertime, living in denial that it's actually over.

So, to prolong my time-of-denial, I'm sharing with you this Classic Homemade Lemonade. Doesn't a tall, cold glass of lemonade just scream summer to you? And making it homemade is really so easy ... and tastes to much better than the not-homemade kinds.

But before I share how to make really easy homemade lemonade ... to help with prolonging my 'summer's-not-over' denial ... I figured I'd share some of my favorite "food" memories from this summer. During my summer travels, I had the opportunity to try quite a few interesting new-to-me foods. Here are a few highlights ...

Wine Tasting in 3 different states - Yup, tasting in 3 states ... North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. I love wine. My favorite from these adventures? Super hard to say ... but I really enjoyed the three varietals of sparkling wine at Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery in Dahlonega, GA, and the oaked chardonnay from Laurel Gray Vineyards in Hamptonville, NC.

Spicy Dark Chocolate Truffles with Cayenne Pepper - Definitely not as good as I had imagined in my head.

Cooking with Lavender - I was so excited to stumble across a section in the back corner of a little shop dedicated to lavender products from Mountain Farm, a lavender (and blueberry and dairy goat) farm in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina. I snatched up a little cookbook dedicated to cooking with lavender, and immediately whipped up lavender lemonade and lavender & honey balsamic vinaigrette. I've decided that I love lavender!

Lavender Ice Cream - Did I mention I have a new-found love of lavender? While having dinner in the little town of East Berlin, PA, I got to try homemade lavender ice cream. Absolutely out-of-this-world good!

Roasted Sweet Potato Quiche - During our wine tasting trip in Dahlonega, GA, we stayed in the wonderfully-relaxing, beautiful Mountain Laurel Creek Inn ... and they served the best breakfasts. Seriously. The best. One of which was a roasted sweet potato quiche. So, so, so good. Of course I asked for the recipe and, fortunately, they shared it with me and gave me permission to share it on The Kitchen is My Playground. I haven't made it yet ... but believe me, I will! And then I'll be sure to share it with you.

Sweet Bologna - While traveling in Pennsylvania with two of my college roommates, I had the opportunity to try authentic sweet bologna made at a small family-owned delicatessen. I had never heard of sweet bologna, knowing pretty much only of the Oscar Mayer-type. (Oh, and I just sang the Oscar Mayer bologna song in my head to spell the words correctly ... come on, you know the song! "My bologna has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R. My bologna has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R ...)

Anyway, sweet bologna truly looks much more like a type of salami than bologna, and tastes ... well ... a bit sweet. It was really good! I'm told that it, along with scrapple, is a specialty of the area we were in. (I'm happy to say that, despite great pressure from one of my college roommates, I successfully avoided trying scrapple.)

Chocolate covered bacon - Surprisingly, amazingly delicious!

Chocolate covered barbecue potato chips - I love chocolate covered potato chips, so I just had to give chocolate covered barbecue potato chips a try when I came across them. Not one of my better choices. Amazingly NOT delicious!

And now back to homemade lemonade. To make this classic refreshing summer sipper, all you have to do is squeeze some juicy fresh lemons, mix the juice with sugar and water, add some ice and fresh lemon slices, and pour a big ol' glass to enjoy. It's that simple.

I think I'm going to go grab a glass and continue to pretend that summer's not over. Shhhhh! ... let me live in my denial for just a few more days, okay?

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Classic Homemade Lemonade
Source: My Mom

Ingredients
1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
3/4 c. sugar
4 c. cold water
1 lemon, unpeeled and thinly sliced
Ice cubes

Directions
1. Combine lemon juice and sugar in a pitcher. Stir to dissolve sugar.

2. Add cold water and lemon slices, stir to combine. Add some ice cubes and serve over ice.

Note - I usually make a double batch. You can substitute Splenda or other sugar substitute just fine.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Sundae Scoop, Think Pink Sunday, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sunday Showcase Party, On the Menu Monday, Mangia Mondays, Marvelous Monday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Tuesday Talent Show, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch, Inspiration Friday, Weekend Potluck, Strut Your Stuff Saturday.

Classic Homemade Lemonade
Source: My Mom

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Lavender Lemonade

I am absolutely enamoured with this lavender lemonade.

Isn't it beautiful?

Such a calming and comforting shade of pink. Like the inside of a polished seashell. You know, those big ones you hold up to your ear and you're supposed to hear the ocean?

On a recent mountain cabin get-away girls' weekend with one of my friends, we went poking around some shops in a little mountain town. I stumbled across a section in the back corner of one of these little shops dedicated to lavender products from Mountain Farm, a lavender (and blueberry and dairy goat) farm in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina.

Since many of the products had to do with cooking, I ... of course ... 'got stuck' in this corner for quite some time ... reading all the product labels, my mind swirling with ideas.

I'd never cooked with lavender. And I was intrigued. I swear I could have bought every product in there.

I settled on just three. Pretty good restraint on my part.

One of them was this A Taste of Lavender cookbook from Mountain Farm, with a little packet of dried lavender in the back.

As soon as I got home I gave Mountain Farm's lavender lemonade recipe a try.

And I love it. Lemonade infused with the florally fragrant taste of lavender. But not too much, so it's overpowering. It was just right to me.

Over ice, a glass is perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day. Yup, I'll be making this again ... for sure.

Lavender Lemonade

Source: Adapted from A Taste of Lavender: Culinary Delights from Mountain Farm compiled by Linda Thompson & Marilyn Cade

Ingredients

For 2 quarts:

4 sprigs fresh lavender (flowers & stems) or about 1 T. dried lavender flowers

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 quarts water

Directions

1. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat.

2. Add lavender, lemon juice, and lime juice. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill.

3. Serve over ice garnished with lemon slices and lavender sprigs.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Inspiration Friday, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Think Pink Sunday, Sundae Scoop, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sunday Showcase Party, On the Menu Monday, Tuesday Talent Show, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Cast Party Wednesday, Whatcha Whipped Up, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff Thursday, Share Your Creations, Sweet Treats & Swanky Stuff Pink Party, Saturday Dishes.

Over ice, a glass is perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day. Yup, I'll be making this again ... for sure.

Lavender Lemonade

Source: Adapted from A Taste of Lavender: Culinary Delights from Mountain Farm compiled by Linda Thompson & Marilyn Cade

Ingredients

For 2 quarts:

4 sprigs fresh lavender (flowers & stems) or about 1 T. dried lavender flowers

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. fresh lemon juice (about 6 lemons)

1/4 c. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 quarts water

Directions

1. Bring water and sugar to a boil in a large saucepan. When sugar is dissolved, remove from heat.

2. Add lavender, lemon juice, and lime juice. Cool to room temperature, strain, and chill.

3. Serve over ice garnished with lemon slices and lavender sprigs.

Enjoy!

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Kiwi Sangria Popsicles {Eating the Alphabet Letters K or L}

The title of the Southern Living magazine article from which I adapted these popsicles was "Serve a Cocktail on a Stick" ... ummmmmm, okay! You really don't need to twist my arm on that one.

And since these have kiwi in them, I decided they were just perfect to give a whirl for this month's installment of the Eating the Alphabet challenge - letters K or L. The original recipe was for white peach sangria pops, with a little splash of kiwi and raspberry ... I decided to change it up to be just kiwi with a touch of raspberry. I think you could put in just about any fruit you'd like!

Remember these cute little Dixie paper cups? That's what you'll need to whip up these popsicles.

First mix up some white wine, white grape juice, sugar, and fresh lemon juice ... and pour it into the cute little cups.

Then drop in a raspberry and some kiwi.

(Optional)
Next, get inquisitive about the wine-and-fruit combination ... give it a little taste ... decide it tastes really good ... and serve up an un-frozen popsicle for the chef. You know, 'cause this cookin' stuff's rough and the chef deserves it.

Then cover each cup with a small piece of aluminum foil and make a small slit in the center of the foil with a knife ...

... and insert a popsicle stick through the slit.

You're ready for the freezer!

Now one big tip I can give is to make sure you've cleared a spot in your freezer to put these before you're standing there with the freezer door wide open, one hand precariously holding a plate of liquid popsicles, and one-handedly trying to rearrange the entire freezer contents.

I might have learned that the hard way.

When you're ready to enjoy your popsicles, just peel off the paper cup and enjoy away!

Mmmmm. Popsicles are all grown up.

Kiwi Sangria Popsicles

Source: Adapted from Southern Living magazine's White Peach Sangria Pops, July 2012

Ingredients

2 1/4 c. dry or semi-sweet white wine*

3/4 c. white grape juice

1/3 c. sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

12 raspberries

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

12 (3 oz.) paper cups

12 wooden popsicle sticks or ice cream spoons

Directions

1. Combine wine, grape juice, sugar, and lemon juice in large measuring cup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture into paper cups.

2. Quarter each kiwi slice. Drop a raspberry and four kiwi quarters into each cup.

3. Cover each cup with aluminum foil. Make a small slit in the center of each cup's foil and insert a popsicle stick. Freeze 8 hours or until firm.

*NOTE: For this batch I used a semi-sweet sparkling Moscato.

Enjoy!

Join the Eating the Alphabet challenge!

First mix up some white wine, white grape juice, sugar, and fresh lemon juice ... and pour it into the cute little cups.

Then drop in a raspberry and some kiwi.

Then cover each cup with a small piece of aluminum foil and make a small slit in the center of the foil with a knife ...

... and insert a popsicle stick through the slit.

You're ready for the freezer!

Mmmmm. Popsicles are all grown up.

Kiwi Sangria Popsicles

Source: Adapted from Southern Living magazine's White Peach Sangria Pops, July 2012

Ingredients

2 1/4 c. dry or semi-sweet white wine*

3/4 c. white grape juice

1/3 c. sugar

1 T. fresh lemon juice

12 raspberries

2 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced

12 (3 oz.) paper cups

12 wooden popsicle sticks or ice cream spoons

Directions

1. Combine wine, grape juice, sugar, and lemon juice in large measuring cup. Stir until sugar dissolves. Pour mixture into paper cups.

2. Quarter each kiwi slice. Drop a raspberry and four kiwi quarters into each cup.

3. Cover each cup with aluminum foil. Make a small slit in the center of each cup's foil and insert a popsicle stick. Freeze 8 hours or until firm.

*NOTE: For this batch I used a semi-sweet sparkling Moscato.

Enjoy!

Join the Eating the Alphabet challenge!

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Sangria!

Nothing says summer like a big pitcher of sangria!! Okay ... well maybe strawberries ... fresh corn on the cob ... cookouts ... ripe, juicy peaches ... days at the pool ...

Well, hey ... Sangria is right up there in my book.

It's pretty much a go-to beverage for me when having summertime get-togethers. It's so simple to whip up, and let's face it ... it's just plain fun to drink.

Another thing I love about sangria is its versatility. You can change it up pretty much any-which-way to suit your own personal taste. Red? Yup, that's a classic. Rose? Sure. White? Oh, yes indeed! - like my White Sangria with Nectarines, Plums, & Lemons.

Personally, I haven't yet met a sangria I didn't like.

In addition to giving the recipe for this post's specific sangria (see the bottom of the post), I thought I'd share the 'sangria basics' so you all can experiment. So, here goes...

'Sangria Basics'
- Choose a 750 ml ('regular size') bottle of wine; typically a dry wine, though I have made a sparkling sangria with a Moscato (semi-sweet) before and it was good
- Pour the wine in a pitcher and add about 2 tablespoons of sugar and about a 1/4 cup of liquor, typically brandy for red or rose wines and rum for white wines
- Stir to dissolve the sugar
- Add sliced fruit
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day, before serving - note, though, that some fruits don't hold up as long as others and need to be consumed more in the 'hours' timeframe than the 'day' timeframe
- Add seltzer just before serving

That's it! Pretty easy, huh?

Now the hardest part ... taste it, and decide if the taste balance is okay. If you're not sure, taste it again. Oh, perhaps you'll need a third ~~gulp~~ sip ...

Sometimes I need to add a tiny bit more sugar. Sometimes, if I've used lemons, I need to remove the lemon slices because the lemon flavor is starting to take over. Still not sure?? Go ahead - taste again. Whew, being a sangria chef is tough work!

Now that your tough work is done, poor a big ol' glass to reward yourself. You deserve it.

Sangria with Oranges, Lemons, & Apples

Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, May 2011

Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1/4 c. brandy
2 T. sugar
2 oranges, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 1/2 c. seltzer

Directions

1. Combine the wine, brandy, and sugar in a pitcher; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced fruit.

2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

3. Add the seltzer just before serving.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, Scrumptious Sunday hosted by Addicted to Recipes, Nifty Thrifty Sunday hosted by Nifty Thrifty Things, Sunday Showcase Party hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, On the Menu Monday hosted by Stone Gable, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef In Training, Whacha Whipped Up Wednesday hosted by DJ's Sugar Shack, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Pin'Inspirational Thursdays hosted by Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday with Diane Balch hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Weekend Potluck hosted by The Country Cook, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Weekend Wrap Up hosted by Tater Tots & Jello, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up.

It's pretty much a go-to beverage for me when having summertime get-togethers. It's so simple to whip up, and let's face it ... it's just plain fun to drink.

Sangria with Oranges, Lemons, & Apples

Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, May 2011

Ingredients
1 (750 ml) bottle dry red wine
1/4 c. brandy
2 T. sugar
2 oranges, sliced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1 green apple, sliced
1 1/2 c. seltzer

Directions

1. Combine the wine, brandy, and sugar in a pitcher; stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the sliced fruit.

2. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 1 day.

3. Add the seltzer just before serving.

Enjoy!

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Strawberry-Balsamic Milkshake {Crazy Cooking Challenge}

It's Crazy Cooking Challenge time! What's this month's challenge, you ask? FRUIT SMOOTHIES and MILKSHAKES! Just in time for summer, it's a whole party full of delicious fruity-and-frothy treats. You're welcome.

My entry is pretty easy to pull together, with only four little ingredients ... but they're four little ingredients that pack a huge flavor punch - it's a Strawberry-Balsamic Milkshake. Yes, you read that right. Balsamic Milkshake.

Balsamic vinegar is absolutely, fabulously delicious with strawberries. So, when I found this Strawberry-Balsamic Milkshake out in blogland, I knew I just had to give it a try for the Challenge. And I wasn't at all disappointed. Just like Balsamic vinegar drizzled over fresh sliced strawberries wonderfully compliments and enhances the berries' flavor, it does the same thing in this milkshake. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

You just need a touch of Balsamic, though. I tried the milkshake with varying amounts of Balsamic, and I found that one could go 'to far' with it. I liked it when the Balsamic complimented the strawberries, not overpowered them. Experiment with the amount to find just the right balance for your taste buds.

{Now, the original Sunny Vegan's version is ... as you would expect ... vegan. I un-veganized it by using regular ice cream (instead of vegan 'ice cream') and honey (instead of agave nectar). If you'd like to make the vegan version, pop on over to Sunny Vegan's blog for her original recipe.}

To whip up this milkshake, simply place fresh sliced strawberries, honey, vanilla ice cream, and a drizzle of Balsamic vinegar in a food processor or blender ...

... and let 'er rip! When everything is well combined ...

... pour the strawberry-Balsamic deliciousness into a glass and enjoy. But please do be careful not to slurp it up too quickly and get a brain freeze!

Strawberry-Balsamic Milkshake
Source: Adapted from Sunny Vegan

Ingredients
For 2 milkshakes:
1 c. vanilla ice cream
1 c. chopped fresh strawberries
1 T. honey
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar (or more, to taste)

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until well combined.

2. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

This post is linked with Share Your Creations hosted by Kristen's Creations, Foodie Friday hosted by Rattlebridge Farm, Inspiration Friday hosted by At the Picket Fence, Weekend Bloggy Reading hosted by Serenity Now, Foodie Friday hosted by Simple Living with Diane Balch, Sweets for a Saturday hosted by Sweet as Sugar Cookies, Strut Your Stuff Saturday hosted by Six Sisters' Stuff, Think Pink Sundays hosted by Flamingo Toes, Sundae Scoop hosted by I {heart} Nap Time, On the Menu Monday hosted by StoneGable, Sunday Showcase hosted by Under the Table and Dreaming, Mangia Mondays hosted by Shine Your Light, Tuesday Talent Show hosted by Chef in Training, Totally Tasty Tuesdays hosted by Mandy's Recipe Box, Crazy Sweet Tuesday hosted by Crazy for Crust, Cast Party Wednesday hosted by Lady Behind the Curtain, Saturday Dishes, Gooseberry Patch Recipe Round-Up.

Have fun visiting other Crazy Cooking Challenge participants through the linky party below. Looks like there are some fantastic fruit smoothies and shakes!

... and let 'er rip! When everything is well combined ...

... pour the strawberry-Balsamic deliciousness into a glass and enjoy. But please do be careful not to slurp it up too quickly and get a brain freeze!

Strawberry-Balsamic Milkshake
Source: Adapted from Sunny Vegan

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