Smoked Ice with an Orange Twist

 Smoked Ice....excellent for a Bourbon on the rocks, or other cocktails!  

8 cups water

1 orange, sliced

Put the water and orange in a pan ( I used a 9 x 13 foil roasting pan).

Preheat smoker to 175(or lower as long as you can maintain the smoke, less evap at lower temp), with a mild wood like cherry or apple (oak would be fantastic too!)

Smoke the water for 45 minutes. Turn off the smoker and close vents, allow to cool without opening for 1 more hour.

Strain out the orange slices (I ran it through a coffee filter to get out all stray orange particles) 

 Place pan in freezer and chill until frozen solid (alternately you could strain into ice trays)

Smash with a meat hammer and remove from pan and place in a large ziplock bag. 

Serve with your favorite bourbon or whiskey or cocktail 

Ginger Lemon Sekanjabin

My 12 year old had to do a food project on the Renaissance era and we decided to make Sekanjabin. Our version turned out delicious so I decided to post. We were reluctant at first but it is really a fantastic drink!!!!

Makes approx 1.5 gallons













3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar might be a great flavor too!)
10 Lemon Ginger tea bags


16.5 cups cold water(more or less to taste)
Ice


In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a full boil and boil for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vinegar and tea bags.

Allow to cool to room temperature and strain out tea bags.


Mix with water (or club soda would be delicious too!)

Serve over ice

Apple Pie Smoothie

Yummy breakfast smoothie packed with protein and fiber!


















1/2 cup cottage cheese*
1 medium granny smith apple** (about 100-150 grams after core removed)
1 medium carrot (about 50 grams)
1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 15 grams) I use BodyLogix Natural Vanilla Bean

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
pinch of cloves
pinch of cardamom
(all spices can be adjusted to taste)

Water,ice, milk(dairy or otherwise), juice or heavy cream to thin to your preference

* you can sub plain Greek or regular yogurt if you like
** granny smith is a great choice for a good tart flavor, you can change up the variety of apple of course, just choose one with a nice flavor, Pink Lady would be awesome, Braeburns, Fujis....

Combine all ingredients in a high powdered blender and blend until smooth

Thin to your liking , I like mine a tad on the thick side so I used 1 TB of heavy cream to add a little fat, you can use whatever you like!

Douglas Fir Soda or Mojitos

Have you ever thought of using evergreen needles for drinks?? Not many people do but I urge you to give it a shot! Pine, Hemlock, Spruce, Fir.....all usable!  Douglas Fir has a wonderful almost citrus-y flavor so I thought it would be perfect for Mojitos!!


















Douglas Fir Simple Syrup:
2 cups Doug Fir Tips (the bright green tender shoots in the spring are the best, rinse well before using of course!)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup sugar







Bring water and sugar to a boil, simmer until the sugar is fully dissolved.

Place the tips in a quart jar, when the sugar water is done pour it immediately over the top. Stir and allow to cool. When it is cool, put on the lid and allow to steep for several hours, (1-3 for a pretty mild flavor, 3-6 for a medium , 6-12 for full flavor) giving it a shake every now and then.

Strain out the needles and you have your syrup.











If you just want a refreshing glass of soda , combine with club soda or seltzer and ice and enjoy!!! (play around with ratios of syrup to soda to find YOUR favorite!)

















For a Pitcher of Mojitos:

Juice of 12 Limes(about 2 cups juice)
1 batch Doug Fir Syrup
1-2 cups light rum -depending on your potency toleration ;)

Leaves of Fresh Mint
Ice
Club Soda or Seltzer



In a large pitcher combine the lime juice, batch of Doug fir syrup and rum. Shake well.
(you could muddle about 25 leaves and place them in the mix as well if you dont want to bother with adding mint to each, I kept it separate to allow everyone to adjust the mint to taste)



Muddle some mint in the bottom of a glass to release oils. Put in some ice and some of the mojito mix  and top with club soda (your ratios will vary for preference)

Enjoy!

Mango Peach Sweet Tea Vodka

I made this for a little get together. A tasty drink on a hot day!



















Vodka Tea:

750ml bottle (80 plus proof)vodka
8 bags of "Trader Joe's Specialty Teas" Mango Black Tea

Peach-Mango Simple Syrup:

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 ripe peaches, diced and  well mashed(I mashed almost to puree consistency)
1/2 smallish mango, diced and mashed(again almost to puree)

Slit open the tea bags and pour contents into a bowl.
SLOWLY funnel the tea directly into the vodka bottle.....SLOW or it will jam up.

Re-cap and gently invert to get the tea mixed in well. Allow to steep 15-18 hours....tasting to get to your tea strength preference.

Slowly pour the vodka through a coffee filter to strain out the tea leaves and particles.

Simple Syrup:
Heat the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar is totally dissolved and begins to thicken slightly.
Add mashed peaches and mango. Simmer 3 minutes then remove from heat and allow to steep for 4-6 hours. When it is completely cool pour through a mesh sieve to remove the solids....I like to press the solids a little to get out as much of the flavor as possible.

Combine syrup with the vodka and mix well.

I rinsed out the vodka bottle to make sure there was no stray tea in there, then funneled it back into the bottle. It wont all fit because of the addition of simple syrup so I just stuck the remainder in a mason jar.

Chill thoroughly and serve on the rocks or my personal preference, mixed with some club soda to give it a refreshing fizz.

Homemade Rootbeer Concentrate

Summer is here!  I have always wanted to make my own root beer but I could never gather the supplies without a lot of hassle(and extra expense of shipping) Well recently I found a haven of herbs.... Sequim Spice and Tea!! If you live in the Sequim area, check it out!! I experimented with yeast carbonation but that was a flop so I am just including the concentrate recipe to mix with club soda for now, I will continue with attempting the carbonation.









1 quart filtered water
1/2 oz Sarsaparilla Root(approx 15 grams )
1/2 oz Sassafras Root Bark(approx 15 grams)
1/2 oz Dandelion Root(approx 15 grams)
1/4 oz  Licorice Root(approx 8 grams)
3/4 inch peeled fresh Ginger Root
2 heaping TB dried Spearmint Leaves
1 Cinnamon Stick
1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out and reserved


1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar*
* if you would prefer it a little less sweet feel free to start with less sugar and add to taste



1 - STERILIZED 1 liter soda bottle




In a large pot pour the filtered water, add all the herb ingredients and bring to a boil.












Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 6 hours, stirring a few times every now and the.









When it has been well steeped, strain out all solids











Bring to a low boil, add sugar and stir until well dissolved.

Remove from heat, chill and funnel into prepared bottle. Allow to sit for 48 hours, chill for another 24. Shake well before serving.

Mix with club soda or seltzer water ( I use a ratio of about 2 oz concentrate to 6 oz soda but feel free to play) and serve over ice.

Copycat Red Robin Blue Moon Beer Milkshake

It has been over a year since I was last at Red Robin....and when we went this last weekend they had a new beer milkshake! Of course not getting there too often I had to make my own copy!!!
My husbands comment....."John Steinbeck would be proud!" (Cannery Row if you have never read it)






Makes 2 shakes



1 1/2 cups quality vanilla ice cream
2 TB orange juice concentrate
6 oz Blue Moon White Belgian Ale
1 1/2 ounces Orange Liqueur
1 tsp xanthan gum*

Blend ice cream, OJ and Blue Moon to a smooth consistency, add the shot of liqueur and xanthan gum.
Pour into glasses, top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of orange zest








*xanthan gum is not 100% necessary, it just thickens it well....if you dont want to add it, just stick it in the freezer to thicken.

Strawberry Peach Vodka Slush

A nice refreshing drink for a sunny evening....

Enjoy responsibly ;)




5-6 frozen strawberries
1-2 slices frozen peaches
club soda
ice as needed
Peach flavored Vodka (Cîroc is AWESOME!!)

place strawberries and peaches in a blender, turn it on and slowly add the club soda(and more ice if desired) until a smooth slushy consistency is reached. Add in vodka. Pour in a glass and serve.

Copycat Red Robin Irish Beer Milkshake

We tasted this at Red Robin the other day and YUUUUMY!!!! I had to make a copy of it of course. Next week I am doing a copy of their Tropical Sunburn Style Burger so stay tuned for that too!









Makes 2 nice milkshakes:


2 1/2 cups good quality Chocolate Ice Cream
3 oz Guinness Draught
1 1/2 oz Jameson Whiskey
1/4 tsp xanthan gum(not 100% necessary but it helps thicken it up well!)

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend well, pour into a frosty glass and serve with a shot of whipped cream! (If it is still a little runny and you dont have xanthan gum, you can freeze it until it thickens back up)


Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie Punch

I went out for dinner with my husband for our anniversary and I had one of these. It was so delicious I had to make a copy of my own!!!






You can play around with your ratios of alcohol vs syrup and soda until you find your perfect drink! My measurements make a good strong drink.





1 oz coconut rum
2 oz whipped vodka
2 oz pumpkin spice syrup* (or to taste)
top with club soda(or to taste)

Combine all, strain over ice, top with a shot of whipped cream and a sprinkle of allspice.















*Pumpkin Spice Syrup
you can buy this commercially in the coffee syrup aisle or you can make it. I found this recipe and it is perfect! I almost tripled the pumpkin, because I freeze my pumpkin puree in 1/2 cup increments and I think it turned out fantastic!


1 1/2 cups water
1 1/2  cups sugar
4 cinnamon sticks
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
3 TB pumpkin puree(I used 1/2 cup, and I do suggest the heavier dose, but 3 TB should be sufficient)


Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.

Combine the powdered spices well.

Place in the cinnamon sticks and whisk in the remaining spices and the pumpkin puree. 

Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, at a light simmer, not a boil!

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cinnamon sticks and if you like you can strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth.

store in sealed container in the fridge...

Snickerdoodle Coffee Mix

I found this on a gift jar website and include a modified version of it with some Christmas gifts this year. It was so delicious I had to make my own batch!








1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered milk
1/2 cup french vanilla cappuccino mix*
1/2 cup special dark baking cocoa
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg



Mix all in a tightly covered container, shake well.

Mix 3-4 TB  with 6-8 oz hot water

Or 2 TB with 6-8 oz of hot brewed coffee











* store bought is fine or if you use the linked recipe, use french vanilla flavored creamer!

Lavender Lemonade Vodka Shooters

So the Orange Creamsicle shooters were a huge hit. I decided to celebrate Lavender Festival with Lavender Lemonade Shooters in Lemon Peels! Make them kid friendly by using all Lavender Lemonade.








8-10  lemons
1 1/2 Cups Lavender Lemonade(see* for recipe)
1 1/2 Cups vodka, chilled very well
3 packets gelatin

 You can adjust your vodka/lemonade ratio as you like as long as there is 3 cups total liquid...

Slice lemons in half and carefully scoop out the flesh leaving the peels in tact.

Sprinkle gelatin into chilled vodka and allow to sit for 2 minutes

Bring lemonade to a boil, remove from heat 

Pour cold vodka into hot lemonade and stir until all the gelatin is fully dissolved(5 minutes or so) you can add some more fresh lavender buds for a pretty flair if you like.

Pour the liquid into the waiting peels.












Place in the fridge and chill until fully solidified, about 2 hours (faster in the freezer if you have room!)







Slice each half in half and enjoy the wedges!














*Lavender Lemonade

Juice from the 8-10 lemons(about 2 cups)

1/4 cup fresh lavender buds( you can go plus or minus on these, 1/4 cup is a good ratio IMO)
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar

Cold water to taste 4-6 cups
more sugar to taste

In a sauce pan bring lavender, 3 cups water and sugar to a boil.











Boil until it is reduced to 2 1/4 cups liquid. Add sugar , reduce heat and boil gently until the sugar is dissolved and has reduced down close to 2 cups.












Strain out lavender and allow to cool.













Combine syrup with lemon juice and add water and more sugar or lemon juice as you see fit.

Orange Creamsicle Shooters in Orange Peels

FUN TIME!!!! Super yummy fun for adult time! It was FINALLY nice enough to fire up the grill pit and have an outdoor evening with some adult treats with our friends!




6 medium sized oranges
2 cups orange juice
2 cups chilled whipped cream or vanilla flavored vodka*
sugar to taste**
4 packets gelatin



Slice oranges in half and carefully scoop out the flesh leaving the peels in tact. Set aside on a baking sheet or dish. A dish might work well to keep them standing upright better than a pan because they can be butted closer.








I juiced the flesh but if you dont want to do that , premade juice is just fine.
Bring orange juice to a boil. Remove from heat and Add in sugar to taste.

Sprinkle gelatin into chilled vodka allow to sit for a minute or two.

Pour vodka into the hot orange juice and whisk well, until gelatin is dissolved. (about 5 minutes or so)

Pour the mixture into prepared orange peels.

Place in the fridge and allow to set(around 2 hours or so, if you need them faster and have a good flat surface available they can be put in the freezer, mine were done within the hour)

When fully set, slice into wedges and enjoy!!











*If you dont have flavored vodkas available you can use regular and add in vanilla extract(1 tsp at a time to taste) You can also play with the ratio of oj to vodka, if you want less potent ones, go with 3 cups oj and 1 cup vodka or any variation you like!
These would also be fantastic with another flavored vodka, mango was one I thought would go really well!


** I did not add any sugar this first time , next time I will add in a few tablespoons to start, it is all up to your sweet tooth