April’s Food ‘N Flix movie is Practical Magic (affiliate link), hosted by Glennis at Can't Believe We Ate. (Read her announcement here.) It’s a late-90s romantic comedy starring Sandra Bullock and a red-haired Nicole Kidman as the Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, raised by two aunts played by Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest. They’re all witches living under a curse. You see, the men they fall in love with are doomed to an early death. The serious and somewhat nerdy Sally and wild woman Gillian must their witchy powers to fight the family curse and a swarm of supernatural forces after the accidental death of Gillian’s bad-boy boyfriend, played by Goran Visnjic of ER fame. Aidan Quinn plays an Arizonan policeman who investigates the sisters and ultimately falls in love with Sally.

This month’s Food ‘N Flix film is a cute as far as romcoms go, and I was super envious of Nicole Kidman’s amazing red hair. (Sandra Bullock is gorgeous, as usual, and both male leads were not hard on the eyes.) I especially liked the ending when the Owens witches go from pariahs to the most popular and beloved family in town.

All the actors and actresses are wonderful – and wonderfully directed by y Griffin Dunne – but the story's a bit silly at times. Still, it’s a fun movie to watch with your family (it’s PG-13 for some violence, intense thematic elements, mild profanity, and sensuality) and if you have Amazon Prime, it’s a free rental.

Bewitched? You can read the full plot on Wikipedia.

Making Midnight Margaritas

In the movie, one night the entire house of witches (except for the little girls, of course) get lit up on magical Midnight Margaritas and dance around to the song, “Coconut” by Harry Nilsson. Inspired by Practical Magic, a friend telling me about beer margaritas, and this video, I decided to brew up my own healthed up and gluten free version of a beer margarita.

First, I replaced the frozen limeade concentrate with Welch’s 100% Juice White Grape Peach concentrate. (Have you ever read the label on a can of limeade? It’s pure high fructose corn syrup and some lime flavorings – blarg!) Instead of a cherry soda, I used Hansen’s Diet Black Cherry. And I used a gluten free sorghum beer homebrewed by my husband. (You can use your favorite gluten free beer or a light beer if you’re not gluten free.)

Call on your inner witch to brew up variations of my Practical Magic Midnight Margarita recipe using different 100% juice concentrates and Diet Hansen's sodas. This would make a wonderful party drink or serve it at a Sunday or Mother’s Day brunch!

Practical Magic Midnight Peach and Cherry Beer Margaritas

Makes 4 to 6 margaritas

Ingredients:

• 1 12-ounce can Welch’s 100% Juice White Grape Peach concentrate
• 1 12-ounce can Diet Hansen’s Diet Black Cherry soda
• 12 ounces gluten free beer
• 12 ounces tequila
• 3 concentrate cans of ice

Directions:

1. Pre-chill your margarita glasses.(Chilling makes a big difference, believe me!)
2. Combine all ingredients in a large blender.
3. Place blender lid on firmly and hold it down with your hand. (There’s a lot of liquid in this recipe, and your margarita may threaten to overflow a bit!)
4. Blend the margaritas using the blender’s pulse setting to prevent a spillover.
5. Immediately pour into chilled glasses and serve.

Practical Magic Midnight Peach and Cherry Beer Margaritas #glutenfree is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

The folks at The Wine Bar recently hired me to create a recipe inspired by their wines. I told my contact there that I love Malbecs, Zinfandels and was open to a suggestion on a white wine, since I hadn’t made up my mind to create a beef or seafood dish. Soon a package arrived in the mail with three wonderful wines:

• Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio (2011) –  Imported from Italy, this wine has tropical fruit overtones with a lemony finish. Slightly chilled, this would go well with light dishes from salad to seafood.
• Dynamite Vineyard Zinfandel (2010) – Cellared and bottled in Sonoma, California this wine features smooth, fruity flavors that go well with boldly flavored foods.
• Stark Raving Malbec – Imported from Agentina, this wine has soft notes of berries combined with the smokiness of bacon.

While I enjoyed all three of the wines, the Stark Raving Malbec was my favorite. Immensely drinkable, this wine goes well with food or for sipping while preparing dinner. I’ll be on the lookout at my favorite liquor store for more wines from Stark Raving for sure!

What to cook? Must play well with wine!

When figuring out what I was going to make, I thought that I should use one of the wines directly in the dish. I also wanted the food to go with at least two if not all of three of the wines. In addition, the recipe had to be healthy, gluten free, and easy to make on a weeknight.

After having a wonderful meal out with my family at a local Italian restaurant, I thought that recreating that night’s dinner – shrimp puttanesca - would fit all the above requirements, especially since it takes about 30 minutes to make. Shrimp puttanesca is also the embodiment of the healthy Mediterranean diet – olives, seafood, tomatoes, garlic, wine and onions. In addition, I love puttanesca for its combination of spicy and salty.

While it’s usually served on spaghetti, I decided to do something different by serving the puttanesca on quinoa since I know many kids are fussy about shrimp. Most of the time they won’t eat them, which means two things: more shrimp for the adults (score!) and no protein for the kids. By serving the puttanesca on quinoa, the kids will still get a good serving of protein even if they won’t touch the shrimp. However, if you don’t have any quinoa in the house, feel free to serve the shrimp puttanesca on your favorite whole wheat or gluten free pasta.

Now, about the anchovies. I adore them, but feel free to leave the anchovies out if they’re not your thing. With the shrimp, you can use precooked, shelled, deveined, tail off shrimp from the freezer aisle at your favorite grocery or warehouse store – much more convenient! As for the grated cheese, even though I specify Pecorino Romano, you can use any type of Romano style cheese you like. But please, none of that “sprinkle cheese” from the green can! As Liz Lemon would say, “Blaarg!”

Shrimp Puttanesca with Quinoa

Based on recipes from Allrecipes.com and FineCooking.com

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients for the puttanesca:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 large cloves)
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper paste or 1/4 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio)
• 2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with juice reserved
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 25 Kalmata olives
• 3 tablespoons capers
• salt and pepper
• 1 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined with tails removed (if using frozen shrimp, defrost before cooking)
• 4 anchovies, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
2. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes or until golden. (If your garlic starts to turn brown, lower the heat!)
3. Add the onion, oregano, pepper paste (or flakes), and wine and simmer until the wine has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomatoes along with their juice, olives and capers. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then lower to maintain a simmer. Cook until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
5. Meanwhile cook the quinoa. (See below.)
6. After the sauce has thickened, add the shrimp and (optional) anchovies. Stirring occasionally, cook shrimp until they start to turn pink, about 3 to 4 minutes. (If using precooked shrimp, cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes.) Do not overcook the shrimp or they’ll get rubbery!
7. To serve, place quinoa on plates and spoon sauce and shrimp on top. Sprinkle with cheese.
8. For a more casual serving style, add quinoa and 1/4 cup of grated cheese to the skillet. Stir well to blend with the sauce. Serve in bowls with the rest of the grated cheese on the side.

Ingredients for the quinoa:

• 2 cups vegetable, chicken or ham broth
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Directions for the quinoa:

1. Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan.
2. Bring to a boil over high heat.
3. Reduce temperature to low and cover with lid.
4. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes until quinoa is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
5. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Shrimp Puttanesca with Quinoa is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

When we were house shopping here in Georgia, I was envious of the homes that had built-in wine coolers in their kitchens. Of course, we ended up buying a 20-year-old home with a very outdated kitchen, so no built-in cooler for me without an extensive remodel.

Until then, we have plenty of space in our home to turn my husband, Paul’s Man Cave into “la cave du vin” – the wine cave. It’s already the room where we keep the “beer fridge,” a refrigerator he’s converted to chill two kegs of home brew and dispense the beer from two taps on the outside.

Next to it, Paul set up our NewAir AW-281E - 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler, which we’re enjoying quite a bit. Here’s why:

• Very easy to set up. A large box was delivered by UPS to our garage door. It was easy for Paul to move it inside and unpack it in the Man Cave. He only had to attach the handle, plug it in and adjust the temperature. However, Paul warns that you need to be careful unpacking the cooler as he thought he may have scratched up the digital display panel doing so. (There’s no protective plastic covering it.) I didn’t think the small scratches were a big deal.
• Regular refrigerators keep wine much too cold. Wine should be kept at 50 to 55 degrees F, while food should be kept at 35 degrees. You do the math.
• Large amount of storage. You can keep up to 28 bottles in the NewAir AW-281E assuming they’d all fit. Some of my wine bottles were fatter than others, so I had to adjust the shelves accordingly. I ended up losing four bottles worth of space, but then I really don’t need to have the cooler filled to the max.
• Easy to use. You adjust the digital display panel to your optimum temperature and then never touch it again.
• Quiet. The NewAir’s compressor-free cooling system means that the cooler is fairly quiet. This isn’t an issue for us since our rather noisy heating system and dehumidifier are also in the Man Cave.
• Easy access. The six pull-out chrome racks provide easy access to the wine.
• Provides protection. If you store your wine cooler near a window, the double-paned door protects wine from UV rays. Not an issue for us since it’s kept in a room with no windows.
• Attractive. I love the chrome and black design. It’s attractive enough to keep in the kitchen, wet bar or dining room.
• Interior Lighting. The NewAir AW-281E has an internal LED lighting system that lets you review your collection without the extra heat created by an incandescent light.

The only minus I could see was that the cooler doesn’t have a lock. Many other wine coolers have this feature, so that may be of concern to some. However, it’s not an issue for us because the Man Cave can be locked up from partying teenagers who should know better. Ahem.

You can purchase the NewAir AW281E 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Cooler in chrome and black for $255 on Amazon or the NewAir AW-280E Classic 28 Bottle Thermoelectric Wine Collector in Black for $219.

_________________________________
Disclosure: NewAir provided me with a wine cooler to facilitate this review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Amazon links are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Turning the man cave into "la cave du vin" with our NewAir Wine Cooler is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Are you looking for a healthier way to imbibe on New Year’s Eve? Try this Fresh Blueberry and Pear Champagne Aperitif healthy cocktail recipe from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association. Not only does this cocktail add a dose of festiveness to your holiday table, it packs a powerful nutritional punch, too, since fresh blueberries from Chile are a superfood. They’re full of healthy antioxidants and other important nutrients that help prevent disease and provide a healthful start to the new year.

You can make this with French Champagne or a sparkling wine. Or try it with a sparkling fruit juice as a mocktail or a New Year’s Day brunch drink. If you’re watching your calories, omit the whipped cream garnish and use stevia or Splenda instead of sugar.

Find more recipes for fresh blueberries and pears from Chile fruitsfromchile.com.

Chilean Fresh Blueberry and Pear Champagne Aperitif

Recipe from the Chilean Fresh Fruit Association

Serves 6-8 cordial glasses

Ingredients:

• 1 cup fresh Chilean blueberries, washed
• 2 medium Chilean Bartlett pears, washed, peeled and chopped
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup of Champagne, sparkling wine or sparkling fruit juice
• Whip cream (optional)

Directions:

1. Place first six ingredients in a pot and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Puree and strain. Chill.
2. When ready to serve, stir in 1/2 cup of Champagne into cold fruit mixture and serve in cordial glasses.
3. Optional: Garnish each glass with a dollop of whip cream and fresh Chilean blueberry.

Nutritional information:

• 107 calories
• 1/2 g protein
• 2 g fiber

Picture and recipe used with permission.

Ring in the New Year with a healthy Blueberry and Pear Champagne Aperitif is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

If you have friends or relatives who love wine, you MUST give them a California Wine Club Premier Club membership. The Premier Club is California Wine Club’s most popular wine gift, probably because it’s so flexible. For example, you can give someone a one, two, three or up to a 12 month membership. You can also pick what type of wines (a mix of reds and whites or just red or just white) your gift recipient likes. You can even choose how often they get the wine shipped to them – every month, every other month, or quarterly.

And they don’t only get two bottles of award-winning wine from California’s best “mom and pop” wineries. Your gift recipient will receive The California Wine Club’s 12-page, full-color newsletter, Uncorked®, which contains a lot of wonderful information about that month’s selection and winery.

Premier Club gifts start at just $49.95 including shipping and handling, plus any applicable sales tax. Members can even reorder their favorites and save up to 50% off normal retail!

December’s wine pick

As part of my two-month membership, I received two bottles of wine this month – one red, one white – from the Daniel Gehrs Wines in Santa Barbara County. We drank both with our Thanksgiving dinner.

Central Coast Merlot (2009) – My mom and husband both drank this. My mom, who’s French and knows a thing or two about wine, really enjoyed it. This wine goes well with prime rib and steak.

Santa Barbara County White Hills Vineyard Chenin Blanc  (2011) – I rarely drink chenin blancs and enjoyed this wine immensely. It pairs well with seasoned chicken dishes, turkey, spicy Asian foods, seafood and mild white fish. In 2010, this wine earned a Top 10 White Wine award from the World Wine Championship competition.

As a nice touch, my December wine bottles were wrapped in shiny Mylar bags, making them a perfect last minute hostess gift, if needed in emergency!

Get 10% off and a chance to win!

Use code Blog10 to get 10% off any memberships or wine orders you place with The California Wine Club.

Also, California Wine Club is giving away a selection of fabulous prizes on their Blogger Palooza page!

104 winners to receive one of these prizes:

• One of four, Three Month Wine Club membership (A $150 value you can give as a gift, or keep for yourself)
• One of 50 handy Two Bottle Wine Totes ($25 value)
• One of 50 Red Tulip Music wine country CD’s ($15 value)

No purchase necessary to enter or to win. Just complete the online form here to be entered to win. They drew 52 winners at the end of November and will be drawing another 52 at the end of December.

To learn more about the California Wine Club, visit CAWineClub.com. You can also connect with them on Twitter @CAWineClub and on The California Wine Club’s Facebook page.

_________________
Disclosure: I received a two-month Premier Club membership to The California Wine Club. All opinions are my own.

Holiday gift giving: California Wine Club Premier Club membership {10% off discount code} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

It’s that time of year when we start thinking about serving wine at Thanksgiving dinner and giving gifts during the holidays. That’s why I’m working once again with the California Wine Club to share with you the benefits of their Premier Club membership.

The Premier Club is their most popular wine gift. You can pick one to 12 months, what type of wines (one red and one white, two reds, or two whites) and how often you want the wine shipped (every month, every other month, or quarterly.) Besides two bottles of award-winning wine from California’s best “mom and pop” wineries, your gift recipient will receive The California Wine Club’s 12-page, full-color newsletter, Uncorked®, which contains a lot of wonderful information about that month’s selection and winery.

Premier Club gifts start at just $49.95 including shipping and handling, plus any applicable sales tax. Members can even reorder their favorites and save up to 50% off normal retail!

I love that the Premier Club membership takes the guesswork out of buying wine for yourself, too. (Who says memberships are only for gifts? You can treat yourself to one, too!) Every bottle I’ve ever received from the California Wine Club has been good and many have been terrific.

Experiencing the Premier Club

As part of my two-month membership, I received two bottles of wine this month – one red, one white – from the Robledo Family Winery:

• Robledo Family Winery 2008 Lake County “Seven Brothers” Sauvignon Blanc – It features aromas of honeysuckle and mango, green tea, citrus and lemongrass and won a Bronze Medal in the 2011 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. I found it crisp, slightly sweet and refreshing. I really, really enoyed this wine and was sad when we finished off the bottle. I’d order it again, too!
• Robledo Family Winery 2009 Napa Valley “Seven Brothers” Tempranillo – If you like malbecs, you’ll enjoy this wine, which has a bright ruby color with heavy aromas of cranberry, blackberry, cinnamon, spice and toasted oak. Tempranillo goes well with grilled meats and vegetables or even pizza.  My husband enjoyed this more than I did. It’s a heavy wine, and I don’t think I was in the mood for it.

I can’t wait to see what we get in the next shipment!

Get 10% off and a chance to win!

Use code Blog10 to get 10% off any memberships or wine orders you place with The California Wine Club.

Also, California Wine Club is giving away a selection of fabulous prizes on their Blogger Palooza page!

104 winners to receive one of these prizes:

• One of four, Three Month Wine Club membership (A $150 value you can give as a gift, or keep for yourself)
• One of 50 handy Two Bottle Wine Totes ($25 value)
• One of 50 Red Tulip Music wine country CD’s ($15 value)

No purchase necessary to enter or to win. Just complete the online form here to be entered to win. They will be drawing 52 winners at the end of November and another 52 at the end of December.

To learn more about the California Wine Club, visit CAWineClub.com. You can also connect with them on Twitter @CAWineClub and on The California Wine Club’s Facebook page.

_________________
Disclosure: I received a two-month Premier Club membership to The California Wine Club. All opinions are my own.

Enjoy a California Wine Club Premier Club membership {10% off discount code} is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Wine has been made for centuries around the globe through different processes and utilizing different ingredients. It has been used for leisure drinking, grand celebrations and a variety of other purposes. Some wineries in the popular Sonoma region of California are rather new to the wine making process, and they have employed techniques and ingredients from observing other wineries in action. Others, however, have established a time-tested process that has been handed down from generation to generation within a family. Those with a proven technique and a lengthy family tradition of making fine wines are considered among the most reputable and respected wine makers.

If you are looking for the best winery in Sonoma, Benziger is clearly one of the top options. This family-owned winery has been producing fabulous wines for decades. Its process has been refined and perfected over the years, and its flavorful vintages often are acclaimed and even win awards. You can learn more about Benziger online at benziger.com, and you can also place an order for your selection of Benziger wines through the website.

If you are planning a trip to visit the Sonoma area, you should consider paying the winery a visit in person. Benziger is open for tours on a regular basis, and you can also sample different varieties and vintages while on your tour. This is a great way to learn more about the wine making process as well as to learn more about why Benziger is a top winery in the state.

__________________________
Disclosure: This post brought to you by our friends a Benziger.

Benziger, best winery in Sonoma is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Do you regularly get together with friends and have a Girls Night Out (GNO) at someone’s home. Back when I was in a local mom’s club, we had monthly bunco parties where everyone would bring a dish and a bottle of their favorite adult beverage. There was nothing better than getting together with other moms. It gave us a chance to decompress and to catch up on the latest goings, and there was nothing more restorative than a few hours on a Friday night with the girls!

Planning a perfect GNO (Girls Night Out)

Planning a great girls only get together shouldn’t be a major production put on by the hostess. Instead, the emphasis should be on fun, ease, comfort and indulging. Here are some tips to make a great GNO!

• It has to be at someone’s home where dad can take the kids out for the evening or maybe over to grandma’s to spend the night.
• Dress should be casual and comfortable. Think yoga clothes and….slippers! My friend Maria takes her shoes off at the door, slips on her funky colored slippers, and she’s ready to par-tay!
• The hostess shouldn’t be worried about straightening up the house unless that makes her more comfortable. (I love a tidy house. It relaxes me.) And no judgments should be made by the guests if there is a pile of laundry in the living room or dirty dishes in the sink.
• Makeup and doing your hair are optional. Heck, jump in the shower before you come over, put on some clean sweats, put your hair in a ponytail, and come on over!
• Don’t forget your cameras or smart phones. Documenting the happenings on Facebook during and after the party is mandatory!
• Plan to watch a movie, play a game, do crafts, or just sit and chat. Have it outdoors by the pool or indoors by the fireplace. Put on some music or warm up the Wii.
• Best of all, at GNO all diets are off. Feel free to indulge, but make sure you have a designated driver (or a spouse that will pick you up) in case you have a little too much fun.

A GNO menu

Speaking of indulging, I like to have a culinary theme for a GNO get together. Taco nights are usually everyone’s favorite since it’s easy for the hostess to provide taco basics and everyone can bring a complimentary side dish. Also, it’s great for those with food sensitivities or allergies to customize their tacos. Or they can bring a special dish just for themselves.

Here’s the basic plan for the taco bar:

• Corn and flour tortillas
• Carne asada, either homemade (try this carne asada marinade with Coca-Cola) or from the store OR ground beef cooked up with taco seasoning OR shredded roasted chicken
• Sliced avocados, chopped cilantro, and diced tomatoes
• Shredded Mexican-style cheese and queso fresco
• Sour cream and hot sauce

Side dishes could include:

• Refried beans
• Roasted corn salsa
• Sautéed pepper strips and onions
• Guacamole
• Chips and salsa
• Salad 
• Shrimp and cocktail sauce

For dessert:

• Flan
• Anything dulce de leche flavored (cake, ice cream, cupcakes, brownies, etc.)

GNO Mexican inspired drinks

Of course, your guest can bring Mexican beer or make margaritas. But how about something different, like micheladas? They’ve been very popular in northern Mexico for years and are sort of like a Bloody Mary made with beer instead of vodka. Here are a few recipes:

• Michelada recipe from Serious Eats
• Michelada recipe from Liete’s Culinaria
• The perfect michelada recipe from Marcus Samuelsson
• Michelada recipe from About.com

My friend Stacy just returned from Cancun and had a similar drink called a sangrita, which serves as a chaser to shots of high end tequila. You can find the recipe here about half way down the post.

What would you serve at a GNO party?

Orbit® gum is a global brand, enjoyed by millions of people around the world.  Chew Orbit after any meal to leave your mouth with “A Good Clean Feeling®”. Eat. Drink. Chew™ Orbit! Like us on Facebook here.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Orbit® gum via Glam Media but such compensation did not influence any opinions expressed herein. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Orbit® gum.

Taco night: entertaining made easy for a Girls Night Out is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

Cocktail culture has come back into vogue, but this time with a twist. Instead of relying strictly on booze out of a bottle and commercially made mixes, some drink mixologists are going “garden to bar” by combining fresh ingredients like herbs and fruits into classic cocktails such as martinis and mojitos. That’s the subject of a new drink cookbook, Shake, Stir, Pour–Fresh Homegrown Cocktails by Katie Loeb.

Katie takes you through the whole process from stocking your bar to creating syrups, and is extremely comprehensive. For example, her book contains sections dedicated to the different types of liquors, bar tools and glassware. Then she goes into garnishes and kitchen tools and staples. Next is a section just on making syrups – simple syrups, which everything is based on, and then flavored syrups of all varieties such as Thai basil (great for lemonade), mint syrup for mojitos and juleps, rosemary syrup and more.

Next, Shake, Stir, Pour–Fresh Homegrown Cocktails covers syrups made from spices like ginger and cardamom and then covers fruit and vegetable based ones like rhubarb and celery syrups. The possibilities are endless ounce you try out the basic technique. Finally, about half of the spiral-bound 160 page cookbook, covers cocktail mixes – 50 recipes in all – and features unusual ones like a Blackberry Shrub to the more common Bloody Mary.

What I like about Katie’s book is that you can control what goes into your cocktail. (Many recipes can be made into mocktails as well.) This is great for anyone with food sensitivities or allergies, or just those wanting their indulgences free of high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial flavorings or colorings.

Shake, Stir, Pour–Fresh Homegrown Cocktails is a delightful book, filled with gorgeous finished cocktail shots as well as how to pictures, and should provide plenty of mixology inspiration for your next party or gathering. It’s available on Amazon for $16.49 or $13.74 on Kindle.

Got mint?

How about trying these three recipes to make Mint Juleps at your next outdoor grilling party? It seems like a lot of work, but you’ll find that using fresh ingredients and taking the time to do it yourself is worth it. I personally recommend making this with either Maker’s Mark or Buffalo Trace bourbon. But if you sneak some Gentleman Jack or Jack Daniels in your mint julep – they’re sipping whiskeys after all – I won’t tell a soul.

Simple Syrup

Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sugar
• 4 cups water
• Optional: 1 once 100 proof vodka for preservation

Directions:

1. Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir or whisk gently until the sugar dissolves.
2. Simmer for one more minute once combined.
3. Remove pan from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
4. Add optional vodka, if using.
5. Transfer to a clean bottle or container. Simple Syrup keeps refrigerated for up to a month, longer in the colder back area of your fridge.

Mint Syrup

Yield: Approximately 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 cup loosely packed mint leaves, removed from stems
• 2 cups simmering simple syrup

Directions:

1. Rinse mint leaves in cool running water. Shake off excess water and add to simple syrup.
2. Blanch leaves in syrup for a minute or two and then turn off the heat and cool slightly.
3. Puree syrup and leaves through the blender and allow to cool overnight in the fridge.
4. Strain carefully through a fine-mesh strainer the next day, stirring and pressing down on the solids with a spoon to get all the syrup strained away from the leaf puree. Mint syrup keeps refrigerated for about 1 week.

Mint Julep

Yield: One drink

Ingredients:

• 1 ounce Mint Syrup
• 2 1/2 ounces bourbon
• Crushed ice
• Mint sprig for garnish

Directions:

1. Stir Mint Syrup and bourbon together in shaker.
2. Pack crushed ice in a silver julep cup or rocks glass until mounded slightly over the top.
3. Pour mint and bourbon mixture over the crushed ice.
4. Garnish with a large sprig of mint that has been “spanked” or clapped between your palms to release the fragrant oils.

Recipes by Katie Loeb and photography by Steve Legato. Used with permission.

_______________
Disclosure: Amazon links are affiliate links. A commission may be earned from a referred sale to their website.

Mint Julep: from garden to bar with Shake, Stir, Pour – Fresh Homegrown Cocktails is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!

At your next party, why not forgo the age old question, “Beer or wine?” and ask, “Coconut, almond or soy?” That’s the idea behind the Silkology Facebook page from the folks at Silk soymilk. They’ve worked with award-winning mixologist, Bryan Dayton, to create some fabulous mocktails and cocktails using Silk’s almond, soy and coconut milks.

It could be a lot of fun or setting up a DIY bar at your party, setting out various ingredients, and printing out Bryan’s Silkology recipes(both the mock and the cocktails) for your guests to try. Or recruit a few friends to serve as bar tenders, no previous experience required since the Silkology recipes are very easy to follow!  These drinks would make great luau mocktails or cocktails, and should be a hit considering that people are on the lookout for healthy indulgences when they go out or entertain at home.

The Silkology Banana Mint Slush

I liked Bryan’s recipe for Banana Mint Slush since it’s made from things I usually have in my kitchen like bananas and lime, plus mint from the garden. I had it as a morning smoothie – refreshing, delicious and super healthy since Silk soymilk has as much calcium and Vitamin D as regular milk. However, having it as a cocktail (at dinner time, of course!) with a jiggerful of good tequila would be sublime, don’t you think? I’d like to try this with orange zest instead of lime, too. Wonder what it would taste like with basil instead of mint? Hmmm…

I used Silk Organic soymilk, which is unsweetened. The banana made the drink sweet enough for me, but you may want to add a dash of stevia, honey or agave nectar if you’re using any of Silk’s unsweetened soy or coconut milks. Also, because of the added ice, it makes a huge drink. So if you’re serving Banana Mint Slush at a party, invest in some big pint glasses!

Banana Mint Slush 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Silk® soymilk, almond milk or coconut milk, any flavor except chocolate
• 1 banana
• 6 mint leaves
• Zest of 1 lime
• 6 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth.
2. Garnish with mint and lime.

Why I like Silk’s soymilk and coconut milk

I’m a big fan of Silk’s unsweetened soy and coconut milks. (I don’t drink almond milk, because I have a child with a nut allergy. We try not to have nuts in the house.) Silk’s entire beverage portfolio is certified by the
Non-GMO Project’s Product Verification Program, a system designed to test whether a product has met defined standards for the presence of GMOs through third party verification and rigorous traceability, segregation and testing standards.

Also, Silk Soymilk is made from 100 percent North American-grown soybeans and lets consumers trace the origin of the soybeans used in all Silk products at silksoymilk.com/traceit. In addition, Silk’s educational website, soynutrition.com, also serves as a resource for health care professionals and consumers, providing facts on soy science and soy nutrition. The site works in tandem with and contains content provided by
members of Silk’s Scientific Advisory Board, a panel of industry-leading physicians and nutrition scientists that provide insight and analysis on the latest in soy science research and news, as well as the Silk Nutrition team, an in-house expert panel.

Win a Silkology Prize Package

Silk inspired me to think outside of the glass with their new Silkology-inspired drink recipes. Tell me something new you want to try this summer when entertaining to win a Silkology Prize Package, includes “Silk for a Year” (24 certificates for a free half gallon – a $4.99 value each) and an entertaining drink set (pitcher, stirrer, shaker, tray and glassware)!

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.

Make entertaining as smooth as Silk (and get Silk soymilk for a Year!) #Silkology is a post from: This Mama Cooks! Stop by for more healthy recipes!