Saturday, July 28, 2012

Iced Hibiscus Sweet Tea


Ingredients

  • 8 regular-size hibiscus tea bags
  • 3/4 cup sugar 
  • 1 navel orange, sliced 
  • 1 lime, sliced 
  • 3 cups ginger ale, chilled 

Preparation

  1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan. Remove from heat, and add tea bags. Cover and steep 10 minutes. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar until dissolved; add orange and lime slices. Cover and chill 2 to 6 hours. Stir in ginger ale, and serve over ice.
  2. Note: We tested with Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger Herbal Tea.



Tipsy Red-and-Yellow Watermelon Salad


Ingredients

  • 1/2 (6-lb.) red watermelon
  • 1/2 (6-lb.) yellow watermelon
  • 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 10 to 12 lemons)
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup vodka
  • 1/3 cup black raspberry liqueur
  • Pinch of fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
  • Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

  1. 1. Scoop watermelons into balls using various size melon ballers, and place watermelon in a large bowl.
  2. 2. Whisk together lemon juice and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Pour lemon juice mixture over watermelon balls; gently stir to coat. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours.
  3. 3. Gently toss watermelon balls. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. Serve immediately with a slotted spoon.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Chai Pumpkin Spice Thumbprints. Recipe and Photos from Pass the Sushi.

I want to make these for Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Source: Pass the Sushi. Wonderful blog. I started following it this evening. 
adapted from The Curvy Carrot

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup chai concentrate
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teas vanilla extract
  • 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teas baking soda
  • 1/8 teas salt
  • 1/2 teas chai spice mix
  • 22-24 Pumpkin spice Hershey’s Kisses (found at Target in the early fall)
Preparation:
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of yourstand mixer and cream at medium speed until fluffy, or with a hand mixer, for about 2-3 minutes. Add the egg, chai concentrate,  and the vanilla, mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as necessary. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Using your hands, roll the dough into 22 to 24 1 inch round balls. Place the dough balls on parchment paper lined baking sheets and sprinkle chai spice mix lightly over cookies.
Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes. Meanwhile, unwrap kisses.
Remove the cookies from the oven and immediately place pumpkin kisses in the center of each cookie. Don’t touch or the kisses will turn into puddles! Cool completely.

Blackberry Gin




Ingredients
1 cup of blackberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups gin
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Club soda
Mint or basil for garnish


Directions
In a blender, blend blackberries and sugar until puréed. Allow the sugar to dissolve.  In a pitcher, strain purée through a mesh to separate seeds. Add gin and lemon juice into pitcher, top with soda and lightly stir. Serve with ice.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Kate Bush in "Night of the Demon" (Hounds of Love).

Double Tomato Bruschetta




Ingredients

  • 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
  • 3 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 French baguette
  • 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
  3. Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
  4. Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
  5. Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Stars and Stripes Martini

Ingredients
Muddled Blueberries
1.5 oz.  Citrus Vodka
¼ oz. Blue Curacao
¼ oz. Raspberry Liqueur
½ oz. Simple Syrup
1 oz. Lemonade
Splash Lemon-lime Soda
2 Juiced Lemons 


Directions
Muddle blueberries with the Blue Curacao in a martini glass. Place a lemon wheel slice over mixture. Pour vodka, simple syrup, a splash of lemon-lime soda, and lemon juice in a martini shaker. Shake and strain over the lemon in a martini glass. The mixture will layer. Drizzle raspberry liquor down the side of the glass. It will layer in between the vodka and blueberry mixture creating a striped appearance; garnish will float to top.
http://bitchinlifestyle.tv/drinks/item/1228-stars-and-stripes-martini

Happy 4th of July to everyone in the U.S.

Photobucket
Photobucket

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

July Full Moon/Full Moon in Capricorn

July Full Moon names are the Full Buck Moon, Full Thunder Moon, Full Hay Moon and Full Blessing Moon.
http://cosmicpsychic.com/2011/07/04/thunder-moon-full-moon-in-capicorn-july-1415-2011/

http://tarasutphen.com/26.html

http://sheenalashay.com/2011/08/full-thunde-moon/

http://www.mysticmamma.com/astral-insights/

http://www.keen.com/CommunityServer/UserBlogPosts/Maharani_Rutan/Buck-Moon--Full-Moon-in-Capicorn-July-15--2011/573615.aspx

http://holisticrocs-bangingthedrum.blogspot.com/2011/07/hay-moon-buck-moon.html

Couldn't resist posting this song. I hope everyone dances in the moonlight. :-)


I recently watched the movie "Meatballs". I love the song Moondust by Terry Black. Makes you feel all nostalgic for simpler times.


Some "Meatballs" quotes...Tripper: Important announcement - Some hunters have been seen in the woods near Piney Ridge trail and the fish and game commission has raised the legal kill limit on campers to three. So, if you're hiking today, please wear something bright and keep low. Good luck."


Rudy: I'm going away. 
Tripper: You goin' to Vegas? If you're going to Vegas, I would be up for it because I love that town. I'm a party guy. I love that town. 
Rudy: I don't think they want me around. 
Tripper: You talkin' about the soccer heads back there? 
Tripper: Well, that's life in the fast-paced slam-bang, live-on-the-razor's-edge, laugh-in-the-face-of-death world of junior league soccer. 

Tripper: [over P.A] Attention campers, afternoon swim schedule is as follows. Advanced dolphins, report to the dock for survival swimming and I.Q. testing. All senior silverfish, meet on the beach for nude sunbathing. All junior salmon, trout, and herring, report to the nearest delicatessen. And 6-year-old tadpoles, report to the swamp. And all lobsters, GET OUT OF HERE! YOU'RE A MENACE! 


OK, I'll stop now. :-) I hope everyone enjoys the full moon and the summertime( and the wintertime in the Southern Hemisphere). I hear thunder. Thunder under the Full Thunder Moon. :-) 


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Happy New Year's Eve!     Picture found on vk,com.