Pumpkin Spice-infused Vodka

Stolen from Sunset with help from Alanna

Pumpkin Spice-infused Vodka

Preparation

Cut 1 vanilla bean (6 in.) in half lengthwise. With a vegetable peeler, shave 12 thin ribbons (4 to 6 in. long and about 1 in. wide) off a rinsed piece of pumpkin or banana squash. In a 1- to 1 1/2-quart jar, combine vanilla, pumpkin, 1/2 of a whole nutmeg, and 1 bottle (750 ml. or 1 qt.) vodka. Seal jar and let stand at least 4 days or up to 3 months. The flavor intensifies the longer it stands; remove flavorings once vodka tastes as strong as you like.

Linda Lau Anusasananan , Sunset, OCTOBER 2005

Lorena's Strawberry-Banana Margarita

Stolen from Lorena aka Jacinthe

Strawberry-Banana Margarita

1 cup strawberries, hulled and halved
1 ripe banana, peeled and sliced
4 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon) tequila
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) triple sec
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice
1 cup crushed ice

Place strawberries and banana slices on a plate and freeze at least 1 hour. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth but still very thick. Pour into chilled glass.

Sangria

1 Bottle Pinot Noir
1 mini can club soda
1/4 c sugar
1 1/2 c rum (Captain Morgan, the spicy-ness of the Cap'n was PERFECT for a football party!!)
1 large orange thinly sliced into rounds
1 lemon thinly sliced into rounds
1 lime thinly sliced into rounds
About 2 cups orange juice (pulp free per Nate's request)

In a large pitcher (I used 2 small pitchers but did this in just one of them)add orange, lemon, lime, sugar and rum and refrigerate at least 2 hours stirring, muddling lightly, occasionally. After the 2 hours (this is when I transferred half that mixture into a second pitcher) add wine, club soda, orange juice and about 5 ice cubes. Stir well with a wooden spoon. Refrigerate 1 to 24 hours before serving. Serve chilled or over citrus infused ice cubes.

Classic Mojito

Classic Mojito
10 fresh mint leaves
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice (juice of one lime)
2-oz light rum
club soda (approx 6-oz)
ice

In a tall thin glass, muddle together mint leaves and sugar until fragrant. Add lime juice and rum and stir well. Add plenty of ice and top off the glass with club soda (or seltzer water). Add a lime slice and a fresh sprig of mint and serve.

Makes 1

Stolen from nestie FayeD

Beer and Cheddar Risotto

½ a small onion, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 Tbls un-salted butter
2+ Tbls olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice
1 12-oz bottle Bass beer
1 49.5-oz can chicken broth
5 oz medium or sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
¼ tsp cayenne (optional, but it brings out the sharpness of the cheddar)
Ground pepper to taste

Heat pressure cooker over med-low heat. Add butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil; heat until butter just starts to brown. Add onion and sauté for 3-5 minutes, allowing them to get soft and translucent. Turn down the heat if they start to brown. Add the minced garlic, turn up heat to med-high, and sauté for 1 minute. Add rice and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, adding more olive oil as necessary to coat the rice. Pour in beer, turn heat up to high, and wait for it to start to simmer. Add the chicken broth and stir in some ground pepper, then lock the pressure cooker lid into place.

When the pressure cooker has reached full pressure, set the timer for 5-7 minutes, and then turn down the heat to where the pressure regulator is gently rocking back and forth. (5 minutes for al dente, 7 minutes for extra creamy) At end of cooking time, use cold release method to release pressure.

Return pot to stove and turn heat to med-low. Allow to simmer for a minute or two to evaporate some additional liquid, if needed. Stir in the cheeses, cayenne, and extra ground pepper to taste.

Margaritas done right

I love margaritas! This is the way to make em right and make em good.

1 part lime juice
1 part triple sec or cointreau
11/2 parts white or silver tequila
A bit of simple syrup if you like your margarita sweet.

Jello Shots!!!

Who doesn't love Jello shots? I know I adore them. I need to get the pic of the penis jello shots from my bach party from Carol so this will have a cool pic to go with it hehe

1 cup hot water
1 cup liquor of your choice
mix water and jello mix then add the liquor
Pour into any mold, cup or tray (dixie cups or penis molds are my personal favorites)
Put them in the fridge and eat them when they have become Jello.

I usually use vodka for my alcohol of choice and usually the Jello is blue, green or red, but there are some other fun flavor combos that I think I need to try.

Blue Jello - Raspberry Vodka
Lime Jello - Tequila
Pineapple Jello (I didn't even know this existed) - Malibu
Watermelon Jello - Madroi

Margarita Cupcakes

Stolen from Confections of a Foodie Bride

I've actually made these and I love them!! I did go a tiny bit overboard with the amount of lime I put in the frosting and the frosting ended up being a little more than I could handle, but it was all my fault for not following the recipe, which for some reason I can never seem to do. In my defense I love lime and I always use more than the amount listed and usually it works of wonderfully, this just happens to be one of those recipes where no matter how much you love limes you shouldn't add extra.

Margarita Cupcakes

9 oz Margarita mix (such as Mrs. T’s or Bacardi)
3 oz tequila (Sauza Conmemorativo is a house-fave)
3/4 oz Grand Marnier
White cake mix (yes, the boxed stuff)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp lime zest
1 recipe Lime Buttercream Icing (recipe follows)

Mix together the margarita mix, tequila, and Grand Marnier in a large glass or spouted bowl. You will use 1 1/4 cup of this in the cupcake mix. Pour the remainder over ice and enjoy the mini-rita while you’re baking.

In a stand mixer, add the cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, lime zest, and 1 1/4 cup of the margarita mixture. Mix on low for about 30 seconds and then increase to medium speed for two minutes (the batter will still be a bit lumpy).

Spoon the batter into a prepared muffin pan (fill the cups somewhere between 2/3 and 3/4 full) and bake at 350 for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick registers “done” in the center cupcake. Remove the pan from the oven and cool 5 minutes. Remove the cupcakes and cool completely on a baking rack.

Once the cupcakes have cooled, make the icing and ice the cupcakes.

Lime Buttercream Icing
3 cups + 3 Tbsp confectioner’s sugar
1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
green food color (a small amount of the gel will not throw off the consistency of the icing)

Add the butter, confectioner’s sugar, salt, and lime juice to the stand mixer and mix on low using the paddle attachment until combined. Turn the speed to med-high until the icing is fluffy. Add the icing to a pastry bag fitted with a 2D tip and ice the cupcakes.

Add the sugar and a couple drops of the food coloring to a food processor. Process until the sugar turns green. Spread the sugar onto a plate and let dry for 15 minutes. Sprinkle onto freshly-iced cupcakes and enjoy!