PEACH MARTINIS for National Peach Month

AUGUST IS NATIONAL PEACH MONTH which makes it a perfect time for

PEACH COCKTAILS!

Some of the health benefits of peaches:

• Peaches are low in calories, contain no saturated fats, and are loaded with numerous health promoting compounds, minerals and vitamins.
  
• The total measured anti-oxidant strength (ORAC value) of 100 g peach fruit is 1814 TE (Trolex equivalents).
  
• Fresh peaches are an excellent source of vitamin C which has anti-oxidant effects. Foods rich in vitamin C aid in resistance to fighting infection and removing harmful free radicals.
  
• Fresh peaches also contain vitamin A and ß-carotene. ß-carotene converts into vitamin A in the body. Vitamin A is necessary for vision and helps maintain healthy mucus membranes and skin as well as being known to offer protection from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• Peaches are rich in potassium, fluoride and iron. Iron is required for red blood cell formation. Fluoride is a component of bones and teeth and helps in the prevention of cavities. Potassium is a component of cell and body fluids that help regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
  
• Peaches contain antioxidants such as lutein, zeaxanthin and ß-cryptoxanthin which play a role in aging and various disease process.
  

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THE OLYMPIC TORCH MARTINI - Going For The Gold!

Photo By Nik Frey (niksan) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons 

INGREDIENTS for the
OLYMPIC TORCH MARTINI

1 Oz. Bacardi® Torched Cherry
1 Oz. Bacardi® Spiced Rum
Edible Gold Flakes
1/4 oz Bacardi® 151 rum

DIRECTIONS
Shake a few of the edible gold flakes into your martini glass. Pour the Bacardi® Torched Cherry and the Bacardi® Spiced Rum over the gold flakes.  Carefully layer the Bacardi® 151 rum on top by pouring it very carefully over the back of a spoon into the martini glass. Carefully* ignite the 151 rum (a barbecue lighter is a good tool here).

It is best to assemble the Olympic Torch Martini at the table or serving location instead of moving it once it's lit!

FLAMING DRINK PRECAUTIONS!*

• Do NOT drink this while the cocktail is still on fire! Extinguish all flames before consumption!
• Cap off all liquor bottles and move away from the area before lighting any cocktail on fire. Remove any other flammable items and watch out for your clothing and hair.
• Do not use a delicate or crystal glass because they are more prone to shattering from the heat and flame. Use a cheaper and heavier glass instead.
• Keep a fire extinguisher, glass of water or some other fire suppression method at hand.  Should the glass explode the flaming alcohol could run all over and start a very bad fire, remember, alcohol IS a fire accelerant!
• Do NOT stick any part of your body in or near the drink until you are positive the flames are extinguished. If it's too light outside you may not see the flames clearly as alcohol flames burn blue.
• Do not serve this to someone who has clearly had too much to drink. 
• Do not do this in the presence of children.  Don't give them any more dangerous ideas!

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CHOCOLATE CAKE MARTINI & HOMEMADE CHOCOLATE CAKE LIQUEUR RECIPE

Since I have made several versions of Chocolate Vodka and Chocolate Liqueurs, I decided it might be fun to try a Chocolate Cake Vodka.

This was perfect because my birthday was coming up in a few weeks and I just had enough time for the chocolate to infuse in the booze and make myself a Chocolate (Birthday) Cake Martini.

I started with Pinnacle Cake Vodka because it tastes and smells just like yellow cake batter so if I could get chocolate into that I was in good shape. I decided to use one of my chocolate candy liqueur recipe techniques because they are easy and all I needed to do was add that chocolate. The Chocolate Cake Liqueur recipe and steps are below the cocktail recipe.

As for the cocktail, you'll see that I had a birthday candle attached to my martini glass. That was a simple enough procedure, I took chocolate chips, melted them in the microwave for about a minute and a half, poured a little into a plate to rim the glass and the rest into a star shaped candy mold. I stuck the candle into the chocolate star and let that cool in the fridge along with the rimmed glass. Then I melted a bit more chocolate and used that as the "glue" to stick the star to the glass rim!

The
CHOCOLATE (BIRTHDAY) CAKE MARTINI

INGREDIENTS:

1 Oz. Homemade Chocolate Cake Vodka

1 Oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

1 Oz. Cream

Garnish: 1 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips, melted to rim glass

Optional - if it's your birthday: Molded Chocolate Star with a Birthday Candle

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the chocolate chips in a saucer large enough for the glass rim to fit. Dip the rim into the melted chocolate and let cool.

Make your chocolate star candle holder and attach to rim.

Pour your homemade Chocolate Cake Vodka, the Godiva Liqueur and cream into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled.

Pour into your glass, light the candle and serve.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CAKE LIQUEUR

Take 12 ounces of very dark, bittersweet chocolate and chop up into small pieces with a knife. The darker and less sweet chocolate is better because Cake Vodka has enough sweetness on it's on.

Put the chopped chocolate into a blender with a 750 milliliter bottle of cake vodka and rough blend this. Don't get it too blended or you'll end up with a syrup.

Pour this all into a quart glass jar that has a sealable lid and place in the refrigerator for two weeks or up to a month. Shake at least once a day.

When your cake vodka has absorbed enough of the chocolate flavor for you, strain it first through a large metal strainer and then, little by little, through a coffee filter lined strainer.  Use a new coffee filter each time you fill the strainer and be patient as this takes time. The coffee filter is straining out all the solids which can make your liqueur grainy.

Once your Chocolate Cake Liqueur is completely strained you can pour it into a decorative bottle, label it and enjoy or share!

National Chocolate Cake Day is January 27th.

Updated 1-2021

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HAPPY "ENJOY BEING A GIRL DAY" - We Deserve It!

I DECLARE JULY 26th as ENJOY BEING A GIRL DAY!
GIRL'S NIGHT OUT MARTINI

(Plus a few more!)

TAKE A GIRL DAY!

Something every girl should know how to do is enjoy being a girl.  For me that usually means taking a vacation from the drudgery of everyday life, skipping out and going on a luxury shopping trip then ending the day with martinis with my besties!

I think most women are born with the shopping gene, but for those of you who have had it stomped on - put your stilettos on and do some stomping back! There's nothing that calms the emotions, soothes the ego and unruffles feathers more than a full day of throwing caution to the wind, spending a ton of money on yourself then enjoying a few martinis with your best friends! Well, almost nothing, but we're talking "Girls Night Out" here.....

I don't know why, but ordering your own limo, getting something frivolous for yourself, having a couple of martinis, filling shopping bags with stuff you don't need and maybe even taking in a romantic comedy along the way all combine to put a smile on any girls face!

So here's my list - in order and with tongue firmly in cheek - of how to fully utilize "Enjoy Being A Girl Day" by spending money and pampering yourself. Feel free to go it alone or share with your girlfriends:

First, you have to order up your own limo and driver for the day. Parking is a pain and alcohol is in the itinerary! One day of a limo rental is a lot less expensive than a DUI, way more fun and seriously more convenient for the schedule.

Is your limo here with your very young and attractive wannabe actor/chauffeur yet? Good. Let's start our "Enjoy Being A Girl" Shopathon!:

• You'll want to look good today, so, after a stop for a quick mocha latte, head right to the spa for a hair styling, some war paint and a mani-pedi. A few hours of pampering and you're done!  Now, you're looking good and no witch shop girl at any chi-chi boutique would dare snub you!
• It's probably around lunchtime now so head off to your favorite bistro for a wonderful gourmet salad and a lovely Bellini Martini. Take a teeny little detour first to your favorite jewelry store and buy yourself something sparkly. Bling is always a "Enjoy Being A Girl" must.
• Now that you're refreshed and properly warm and fuzzy from your Bellini (and the little bit of bling you just bought.), it's time for the serious shopping! Gird your Prada bag, hoist your credit cards and Charge!
• The shopping spree must buys are: One article of clothing that is not practical, One pair of divine shoes that make your legs look stupendous, a box of very expensive chocolates, something goofy that makes you laugh and a little gift for your BFF. These are mandatory purchases - everything else is gratis!
• BTW, You are a Goddess! You do not shop in malls! Go to the ritzy part of town and hit the snooty, upscale boutiques! Remember to keep your nose highly elevated and drawl this often, "oh, that's just too Paris Hilton for me!" then put it back like it's smelly trash, this will put the witchy shop girls in their place!
• Are your shopping bags full yet? Okay, then now it's time to take a little break and see a movie or enjoy a nice twelve dollar fruit smoothie with some rum in it! Ah, wasn't that a good break?
• Oh, look! It's time to pretend shop for cars! Get yourself right over to the foreign car dealer and saunter around the Ferraris and Aston Martins like you just can't make up your mind. If you've sauntered right and your stilettos look like Jimmy Choos, you'll hook a salesman and maybe score a test drive! At the end of the test drive, when the salesman starts getting pushy tell him to give you a card and you'll have your business manager call him, then saunter back on out of the dealership to your waiting limo.
• You are now into the solid Cocktail Hour so head yourself (and any BFFs) right over to the hippest little martini bar in town and order up a few Girl's Night Out Martinis. A nice plate of appetizers would be a perfect way to deal with that peckish feeling in your tummy and let you have just one more little 'tini before heading home.
• Wait, did we get everything? Sexy shoes, rich and calorie laden chocolates, jewelry, some trinkets and gifts? Uh-oh, what about lingerie?? We forgot the lingerie and no "Enjoy Being A Girl Day" is complete without one or two little strips of intimate-attire silk!  Back tracking takes energy so grab a Drunk on Espresso Martini for a little boost and head over to Victoria's Secret before they close!
• Whew. Disaster averted. You have gotten yourself beautified, completed the shopping mission objectives, enjoyed cocktails and cuisine, a few laughs and you enjoyed "Being A Girl" in style!
• Back in the limo? Great, now relax, kick off those skyscraper pumps, riffle through all your booty and enjoy the quiet of the limo on the way home while you sip a nice Dessert Martini and savor your "Enjoy Being A Girl Day" memories. Mission Accomplished!

HAPPY "ENJOY BEING A GIRL DAY"

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Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes? Put some BOOZE in them!

Get the complete recipe and full instructions:

ICE CREAM CONE CUPCAKE COCKTAILS

Yeah, everybody and their mother is doing cupcakes in ice cream cones.  Nothing new there, BUT they're doing them wrong!! They're not putting any BOOZE in them! Yeah, right??

Happy National Ice Cream Cone Day!

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THE PROJECT RUNWAY MARTINI - MAKE IT WORK!

THE PROJECT RUNWAY

MAKE IT WORK
MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

 2 OZ. THREE OLIVES LOOPY VODKA

(This is a fruit loops flavored vodka, which I thought was snidely appropriate to all the fruit loopy contestants)

1 CUP OF MIXED BERRIES

(because Project Runway is a huge sewing basket full of fruits & nuts)

JUICE OF 1/2 LEMON

(for the acidic and tart comments from both contestants and judges.)

SPLASH OF SODA

(for the effervescent Heidi)

SEVERAL FRESH BERRIES

(For the berry astute Nina)

AGAVE SYRUP

(for the sweetalicious Tim Gunn)

SHIMMER WHITE SUGAR CRYSTALS

(for all the bling and flash)

TOOLS

Fashionista Style Vintage Crystal Martini Glass

Classically Fashionable Retro Cocktail Shaker

Fashion Forward Cocktail Pick

Plain Old Strainer

INSTRUCTIONS

 Dip your martini glass in the agave syrup and then into the Shimmer White Sugar Crystals and chill in the freezer.  Put the cup of mixed berries and the lemon juice into the bottom of a cocktail shaker and muddle really well so all the juices are released.  Add a cup of ice to your cocktail shaker, pour in the Loopy Vodka and shake until well chilled.  Your cocktail shaker will frost over when the martini is chilled well.

Strain this into your chilled martini glass, skewer the berries onto your fashion forward cocktail pick, lay this across the martini and enjoy during every episode of Project Runway.  If you need a snack to go with try my Salad Pizza!

AUF WIEDERSEHEN!

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY Updated 10-2016

CAVIAR MARTINI & EDIBLE COCKTAILS

July 18th is NATIONAL CAVIAR DAY and I couldn't let it pass without giving you a fun way to have caviar in your booze.  I got so riled up that I actually came up with a Caviar Martini AND Edible Caviar Cocktail  Gels (aka Jello Shots.)

We may not be living in the greed driven, decadent 1980's and we may not be awash in a life of luxury but there's no reason why we can't grab a little bit of gourmet for one martini or a glitzy edible bite at happy hour, right?

The
CAVIAR MARTINI

INGREDIENTS
2 Oz. Chilled Vodka
Tsp. Dry Vermouth
3 Thin Slices Cucumber

Garnish: 2 small slices of a cucumber. 1 caviar cube.

Tools: Cocktail shaker, Metal strainer

DIRECTIONS
Add the cucumber slices and vermouth to a cocktail shaker and muddle to release juices from cucumber.
Fill shaker with ice, add vodka and shake until chilled.
Double strain into a chilled cocktail  glass garnish and serve.

Get the full size, mailable Caviar Martini Recipe Postcard/Invitation HERE.

National Caviar Day is July 18th.
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