Pathetic isn't it? When our liquor collection isn't sitting on our dining room table, it is neatly stowed under the stairway in our basem*nt. This isn't how healthy adults are supposed to be living . . .
How does that happen???
. . . and why is it that the time between paydays doesn't go as quickly???
Believe me -- I've enjoyed the longer days of summer, but I'm looking forward to the cooler temperatures and turning my oven on!
I don't know what I would have done without iced tea this summer.
Water alone is so boring.
Diet co*ke! I enjoy Diet co*ke. I'm a big fan.
I've been limiting my intake of soda so I just don't buy it. If it isn't in the house, then I won't drink it, right?
I indulge from time to time, though.
Where we live in Italy, fast food isn't available on nearly every corner like it is in so many cities in America.
And the "Coca Light" served in restaurants tastes different from the Diet co*ke I'm used to.
My indulgence in a gigantic cup of Diet co*ke with a ton of ice, usually occurs when Jeff and I venture over to the U.S. military base for a movie or lunch.
This summer my daily drink has been unsweetened iced tea.
I fill a big wine glass up with ice (because everything tastes better in stemware), top it off with the tea and sip/gulp it throughout the day.
So thirst-quenching! Thank you, Lipton!
But a girl cannot live on iced tea and the occasional Diet co*ke alone!
And that is why I'm sharing some co*cktail recipes I think you should try before summer is a distant memory!
Because we care about you, Jeff and I personally tested each and every one of these co*cktails. Some, more than once!
The things we do . . .
Jeff and I thoroughly enjoyed this!
We used an entire jalapeno but made sure to remove the seeds and rib first.
We liquified the jalapeno along with the watermelon, and this worked really well for us.
We didn't plan ahead in time to do this, but next time we will take some of that liquified watermelon, strain it and then make ice cubes. As a matter of fact, I've actually got some leftover watermelon juice in the freezer at this very moment!
This drink deserves a repeat!
Lovely! The color. The tartness from the lemonade. The sweetness of the pomegranate liqueur.
This is a co*cktail I'm anxious to share with my friends.
The lemon-lime soda adds a sweet fizziness.
For our second round (!) I wanted to highlight the tartness of the lemonade . . .
I just switched club soda for the lemon-lime.
The second version is more my style, but Jeff prefers the original recipe.
Opposites attract!
This one's a keeper and so is Jeff (awwww!)
Because we didn't have any hazelnut liqueur on hand, this one took a couple of tries.
On our first attempt, I foolishly substituted Creme de Cacao for the hazelnut liqueur.
Don't do that.
Trust me on this. Taste was still great. Eye appeal, not so much.
On our second attempt, we used 2 peaches and 4 ounces of caramel vodka to stand in for the peach vodka/hazelnut liqueur.
Success!
Lots of refreshing peachy flavor, and the brown sugar/graham cracker rim definitely says "cobbler"!
I can't imagine this drink being any more delicious, but I am so curious to try it again once I get my hands on hazelnut liqueur!
Wow! Sip carefully!
The Crash and Burn is a very delicious punch . . . with punch!
Jeff was thirsty and had to keep reminding himself that this drink contained alcohol.
As I was mixing this, I taste-tested a thimble's worth of 151. Cough!
Jeff reminded me 151 supports combustion. I believe him!
I highly recommend this co*cktail (but one's enough for most of us)!
Making a note to myself: try a punch bowl version of Crash and Burn at luau-themed party . . .
As Meg Ryan exclaimed in When Harry Met Sally: Oh yes, yes, yes, yes!
Sip one of these poolside!
The coconut rum is key.
Am I lounging on a gorgeous Island? Do I hear drums?
This is a tasty drink and the recipe easily fills four glasses. Bonus!
Root beer!
It just doesn't get much better than this.
This co*cktail has the classic American flair.
And it's so easy.
With only 3 ingredients, you don't really even need a recipe.
We're planning on enjoying this one all year long!
If you don't fall in love with this co*cktail, we may need to "unfriend" each other . . .
I'm a fairly new fan of mojitos.
I don't think I tried my first mojito until just a few years ago.
I was hooked on the sweet, fresh mint and lime combo! I enjoy being able to add as much (or as little) club soda as I feel like.
And as for mangos, my family had a very productive mango tree in the backyard of our house in Hawaii where we lived when I was a teenager.
While the tree was producing, my mom served mango in various shapes, forms and flavors at every meal.
Every meal.
Needless to say, being the stubborn independent child that I was, I refused to accept mango into my diet (with the exception of mango bread!).
A sincere thanks to my little one, Jackie, for re-introducing me to mango a couple years ago.
I can gobble it up like no one's business and with this recipe I have another noble use for mangos!
For this co*cktail, I used a nice, ripe mango. It muddled easily and the mango flavor was wonderful.
I'll be seeing you again, Mr. Mango Mojito!
Closing out this collection is a delicious rum punch.
No other spiritsays summer to me like rum.
And I love the versatility of this recipe -- change the juice, change the rum. It's all good.
Very forgiving!
Everyone is welcome -- white rum, gold rum, spiced rum, all the juices. Everyone!
The fact that there's only one step to making this is not lost on me either!
The perfect co*cktail assignment for the guest who likes to believe he's a talented mixologist.
No fail. Everyone is a winner!
I'm keeping this recipe handy!
