2 Minute Beer Margaritas

I am not a summer person.  I know I'm in the minority but give me a good snowstorm over 90 degree heat any day.  When the temperature begins to spike (that's anything over 70 degrees in my book), a little margarita is sometimes called for.  My friend Mel made these beer margs, or beergaritas as they are sometimes called in restaurants, for us and I've been hooked since then.  If you are rarely in the mood to freshly squeeze eleventy hundred limes and the neon green mixes at the stores are out of the question, these margs might just be up your alley.  

There's really no recipe here, you just take one bottle of beer (Corona's kind of implied for a margarita, si?) one can of limeade concentrate, one can of Sprite/7up and some tequila.  Pour the Sprite, limeade concentrate (don't add water and make it into limeade) and beer into a pitcher.  Use the limeade can to measure out some tequila.  I like about 2/3 of the can worth of Jose's goodness, but that's a preference thing.  I think Mel used a full can.  I like to add a tsp of salt directly to the marg pitcher as well because I do love the salt but don't always love the licking the rim of cup thing.   Mix, pour over ice, garnish with a lime and marvel that you just made a pretty fantastic marg in 2 minutes and without using the neon green stuff.   This one has a great fresh (as fresh as concentrate can be) lime flavor, the beer cuts the sweetness quite a bit and the carbonation is subtle but my favorite part.  Love these suckas, especially when it's.....um...77 degrees out. (????)  I swear it feels hotter than that.  

In puppy news, we have a guest over for the weekend, and I have to admit, I've never realized what a little stinker Brooklyn really is.  It takes a lot of chutzpah to obstinately stake a claim on a crate belonging to a guy that outweighs you by 100 lbs.  It takes even more chutzpah to dart in and steal his treats from right under his nose.  I didn't get that shot because I was immobilized by the sheer shock that such things could happen.  I may have to admit she's a little bratty.

Who'd have thunk they could be such buds?  

Tangerine Margaritas

Cinco de Mayo may have come and gone, but luckily, margaritas can still be had any of the other 364 days of the year.  I love citrus and I love that bite of tequila you get with a great margarita.   The pink grapefruit margaritas from Barefoot Contessa is still one of my favorites, but these tangerine margaritas adapted from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill cookbook are a pretty close second.  As with most alcoholic beverages, you can adapt the amount of liquor to your taste.

Tangerine Margaritas
adapted from Mesa Grill by Bobby Flay

1 c tequila
1/2 c Cointreau or Triple Sec
1/2 c fresh lime juice
2 c freshly squeezed tangerine juice
2 tbsp honey
Grated zest of 1 tangerine
Ice cubes
salt for dipping glasses (optional)

Directions

1. Dip rims of glasses in water and then salt if desired
2. Combine the tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, tangerine concentrate, honey, and zest in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour over ice in rocks glasses and garnish each with a tangerine slice and a mint sprig.

Orange Slush

Amanda over at KevinandAmanda.com posted a pretty fantastic post today on choosing lenses and she covers a lot of the topics people ask when beginning to look at lenses for their DSLRs.  If you are ever wondering what all of those numbers on the lens actually means, she explains that too...she even tells you how to say the lens name.  Awesome. 

The one thing she didn't mention about aperture was that the other reason for purchasing a lens with a lower number (like an f/ 2.8, 1.8, 1.4  or 1.2) is that it lets in more light. Bokeh is good stuff, but getting more light is pretty sensational too. Going from an f/4 to an f/2.8 (one whole f/stop) doesn't sound all that impressive until you also hear that this one additional full f/stop lets in twice as much light.  Same from going from f/2.8 to f/2, and f/2 to f/1.4.  

Melissa Jill also did a pretty great lens review series too if you are wondering what kind of images particular L series lenses produce.   Her site is also great for just reading about how cool some peeps are.  She has one of those sites that makes you wish you were friends with her--if I were a photographer I'd stalk attend each and every workshop she gives even if they contain the same material because, yep, she's that cool.

That's all really just a side note but wanted to share Amanda's post today for anyone that hadn't seen it--she does a great job of explaining the differences if lenses and aperture are new to you. Plus she has Bostons so that makes her pretty cool peeps too. 

So, Orange Slush. 

Yum. 

When we were growing up, this was an adult drink at family holidays but it was so good that we'd beg for sips.  Then we'd sneak drinks.  We thought we were quite stealth actually. Now that we're old enough to drink this at will, we still just save it for the holidays.  I've adjusted it quite a bit by removing 2 cups of sugar because I think the lemonade, OJ and Sprite add more than enough sweetness but if you like your drinks super sugary sweet, after making the tea, boil the remaining 6 cups of water, add 2 cups of sugar and stir until dissolved and then cool along before proceeding. I removed that step from the recipe below. 

Along with Orange Slush at the holidays comes lights of course.  This place has looked like Christmas for quite a few weeks now.  I fear I'll be wrapping gifts in red and white paper forever because of the sheer abundance of it sitting in my closet. I added a bit of aqua to the mix this year. 

Have you seen these cute little wine scarves and hats?  Kitschy?  Yes.  Awesome?  Oh yeah.  I'd thought to knit a set myself at one point but Cost Plus World Market sells them for $3.99.  You can't beat that and pretty cute way to gift wine I'd say. 

Have you tried Saltines Toffee?  Versions of the recipe are all over the web--I  used a super duper easy recipe found at Make Life Delicious.  So seriously easy that I thought it couldn't possibly work.  It took me less than 15 mins to prepare and the entire tin was empty at the end of one work day. 

What Christmas is complete without cutouts?

Or  Christmas lights?  In true Las Vegas style, the lights here are pretty spectacular.  I'd liken it to  Denver Zoolights back home, if they took all the lights in the zoo exhibit and then smushed them all together into just a small one block area.  Is it any surprise that Vegas is over the top with lights?  Me likey.

And Her Rotteness's Christmas photos.  I take so many pictures of this dog that when she sees the camera she just comes over and sits in front of me.  She'll do anything for treats, even wear this Christmas collar. 

Orange Slush

1 1/2 c. whiskey
1 lg. can frozen orange juice concentrate
1 lg. can frozen lemonade concentrate
8 c. water
3 tea bags 

2 liters of Sprite

1. Heat 2 cups of the water and brew 3 tea bags for 4 minutes.  Cool completely. 
2. Combine tea, water, whiskey, OJ and lemonade concentrates and stir. Pour into large plastic bowl with lid or gallon ziplocs and freeze.
3. Stir occasionally to break up ice crystals. Freeze for at least 24 hours
4. When ready to serve add frozen contents to punch bowl or large pitcher, add Sprite and stir

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

It's hard to stay away from pumpkin too long.  This pumpkin comes in the form of a super crunchy biscotti perfect for dipping in a piping hot cappuccino. 

Pumpkin spice lattes are everywhere, it's usually the first scent I smell when I walk into my office in the fall.  I have to admit that I succumb the sweet, spicy temptation at least once a year...it's like of rite of passage leading to each fall.  Sadly though, as tasty as it is, I prefer my coffee to be pure unsweetened coffee flavor, so that one pumpkin spice latte order each year is it for me.  I have more than a little bit of envy whenever I smell a pumpkin spice latte, wishing I wanted to drink it as much as I love the idea of drinking it.  

That pumpkin spice coffee scent is indeed one life's great scents. 

The solution to this came to me a couple of years ago when I saw a posting for pumpkin biscotti on Southern Living. In this scenario, I get that wonderful pumpkin spice flavor, but my coffee is pure java flavor with a bit (or a lot) of milk thrown in.  

Love biscotti. 

I dipped some in white chocolate and drizzled others with the white chocolate.  I think these are actually better without the white chocolate as it's a little too sweet with the drizzle.  But the white chocolate ones look cuter and eating cute food is important.

With our first breath of cool air here in Las Vegas, it's time to transition back to hot lattes.  I take lattes pretty seriously...given a choice between an espresso after dinner or a glass of wine, I am grabbing the espresso.   I'm convinced that coffee is the elixir of heaven.

Since I spend a considerable amount of time making coffee in this house, thought I'd share this easy, espresso machine free way to make a latte or cappuccino at home.  Granted, I understand that one of those $400 grinders grinds the perfect bean without altering the flavor and those thousand dollar machines are able to pull an espresso that cannot be replicated at home (YUM!) but this poor man's latte making makes a pretty tasty latte.

Remember the moka pot from the pumpkin spice protein shake post?(which by the way is a coffee addition to a shake and not a flavored coffee--it's obviously different...maybe)  Yep, start by putting on a pot of espresso in the moka pot. While that is brewing, pour about 1/2 cup of milk into your cup. Skim and 1% foam really well.  I've never tried 2%, whole or nut milks.  

Grab one of those milk frothers (just $15 at a kitchen store or less if you can find one at TJ Maxx).  Froth the cold milk--this takes under 30 seconds.  Froth more for cappuccino, less for latte.  I got carried away while taking photos, so we are making a cappuccino here. The best part is there is no machine to clean, all you have to clean is this little electric whisky thing by running it under water...yay!

Heat the milk in the microwave.  Watch it the entire time...it inflates like crazy.  I usually have to turn it off at 30 seconds and let it deflate a bit before finishing the warming. 

This makes a crazy solid foam...no wimpy foam here. 

Pour in your desired amount of espresso and stir.  Not a Starbucks, but when you drink about 3-5 of these a day like I do, it's a pretty economical version to make it at home and goes perfectly with pumpkin spice biscotti. 

Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1  cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional)
• 1/2 bag white chocolate chips, melted with 1/2 tsp shortening  (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325.
2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and whisk together.   
3.  In another bowl whisk together pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, extracts and pumpkin pie spice.  
4. Slowly add flour to pumpkin mixture and stir until dry ingredients are moistened. Gently mix in almonds
5. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and divide into 2 portions. Lightly flour hands and shape each portion into long log the length of a full baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes; remove from oven and reduce oven temp to 300.
6. Cool log for 15 mins then transfer to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut into 1/2″ thick pieces, slicing at a slight angle.  The interior of each biscotto will still be just a little moist 
7. Place the biscotti with a cut side facing up on a half sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the pan and flip all the biscotti over so the other cut side is now facing up. Bake for another 10 minutes. Set all the pieces on a wire rack to cool. 
8. Once the biscotti have cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate. (To melt the chocolate, pop it in the microwave and heat for 30 seconds, then stir.  Place back in microwave and heat in 15-second intervals and stirring in between until chocolate is melted. Alternately, dip 1/4/-1/2 of each biscotti in chocolate.  Store in airtight container.

Pumpkin Spice Frappuccino...with Protein

I am on a pumpkin mission...such a happy time of the year.  Just a warning that every food post within the next couple of weeks will probably be pumpkin related.  

It may not be entirely accurate to call this a frappuccino because truthfully, I've never actually purchased a frappuccino.  And I'm pretty sure a frappuccino doesn't come in right around 200 calories with 100% of your daily recommended intake of about a zillion vitamins, along with calcium and other goodies. So this is really more protein shake with a little fall goodness mixed in. 

The first ingredient is of course cold espresso.  There are quite a few posts on the web about making cold brewed coffee for iced coffee.  I tried it once but it wasn't strong enough and was missing that certain espresso flavor kick that I love.  I think it's the bite from the acidity from brewed coffee, and when I have an ulcer I'll regret it, but I for now I prefer to start with brewed espresso.   I also like espresso based drinks more than regular coffee...with an espresso base, you can add milk or almond milk and have a latte rather than an iced coffee with a bit of added cream.   A moka pot is pretty cheap option to make espresso, doesn't take up counter space and makes a nice strong espresso. 

I usually brew a pot at night and refrigerate.  Then the next morning, you can have an iced latte or throw together this quick protein shake. 

I love Spirutein protein powder.  When I first moved to Vegas I had trouble finding my favorite Spirutein flavor (Exotic Red--fruity and so yummy with frozen fruit and ice blended in) and contacted the company asking where I might find some.  Their customer service told me I could find it by calling around to all the stores in my area and asking them if they carried it. Really.  And despite this,  I still love the product--that's saying something. Vanilla is much easier to find...I've found Vanilla Spirutein at Whole Foods, Vitamin Cottage, Sunflower and just about any natural grocer I've ever been in.  It has a higher sugar content than some other protein powders out there (8-9 grams) but I'd rather have a few extra grams of sugar than drink one of those shakes that make you hate each sip.  

For a pumpkin spice shake you just grab a blender jar (or pitcher--I use a stick blender for everything) and add 1 cup milk (or nut milk), 1-2 "shots" of espresso, 1-2 cups of ice, 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder, 3 tbsp canned pumpkin puree, and 1/8 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.  You can add an additional sweetener if you like--I find the sweetener in the protein powder does the job. 

Blend  and enjoy.  It is so good you'll probably forget that it's good for you, and saving 1000 calories is just a bonus.   Just an FYI that the  pumpkin, protein powder and pie spice are just as delicious mixed into oat bran for a warmer breakfast. 

Pumpkins aren't just for eating though, they are for playing with as well.  I found these pics of my little punkin from just last year.  I can't believe this tiny little 2 lb dog in the pictures grew up to be my strapping and enormous 15 lb pup of today.  Tee-hee.  Sometimes you want them to be this small again until you remember how often you had to pull out the rug cleaner right? 

Red Wine Sangria

Everyone is exhausted it seems.  Fathers are exhausted.  Working mothers are exhausted.  Stay at home moms are exhausted.  Heck, I recently heard a stay at home wife comment on how exhausted she was.  So I won't bore you and pretend this working girl has any monopoly on exhaustion. 

I bet you thought I was going to offer some profound solution to the exhaustion right?  Sorry.  But I will offer up a wicked good sangria recipe.  Alcohol is not the solution.  Sangria sure is tasty though--and this is one of my favorites.  The Norwegian Sun has a tapas bar...I made a trip there almost every night for tapas and sangria. This "recipe" for the alcohol and fruit juice base is similar to a recipe they shared.  The fruit combinations are all yours--I can't think of one fruit that wouldn't be phenomenal in here.

Yep, everyone is exhausted.

Red Wine Sangria

One bottle red wine chilled--I use cheapo...3 buck chuck is perfect for this.

1/4 cup brandy

3/4 cup triple sec

1 can sprite (or ginger ale)

1 1/2 cups OJ

any combination of sliced/diced fruit

ice

1. mix

2. drink

It's Hot

I don't know if it's just that I've been cooped up inside a lot this summer, or if it really hasn't been all that summery hot this year but I'm having a hard time believing that end of summer is coming. I'm not going to pretend though--I am not shedding any tears. Though I love some aspects of summer, like the markets, fairs, and all the fabulous produce, when it comes down to it, I'm just not a summer girl. I am so incredibly heat intolerant--nothing is more miserable to me than being hot. Grouchy and mean words come out of my mouth uncontrollably--it's like I have some sort of heat induced Tourette's. Do you think that's a real thing maybe?

I'd take a snowstorm over 95 degrees ANY day. I think England, even with cold rain coming down, is preferable to Mexico or the Caribbean. In fact, there's only a brief one month period around February, where tropical vactions even appeal to me.

All this to say that I really wanted to throw something in the dutch oven and let it simmer all day long, but the weather did not cooperate. Nothing was going to be simmering for very long in this kitchen. Luckily, simple syrup takes about 5 minutes tops.

I love cucumber slices in my water--it's just so fresh tasting. I also love this new trend of cucumber cocktails. While I could take or leave alcohol, I wondered if the same ingredients, minus the gin, would be as refreshing. It was...it was better actually.

I made a basic simple syrup (1 cup sugar, 1 cup water, boiled until sugar dissolves), cooled it to room temp and threw it in the blender with one chopped up english cuke. I refrigerated it until cold, and strained out the cucumber pieces.

Add some of the cucumber syrup to a glass with the juice of half a lime and a bit of seltzer and who needs soda? Add some schmance, frivolous diamond ice cubes, and the heat is almost tolerable. Almost.