This is what greeted me when I arrived at my Mom’s house the other day. I traveled about 25 minutes, first on surface streets and then on a State Route and finally an Interstate. To say I was traveling a … Continue reading
We had good friends over for dinner last night and I usually like to end the meal with Limoncello, especially if I’ve indulged a bit. The reason for that is that Limoncello is considered a digestif as well as an aperitif – the idea is that it aids in digestion. We had the most amazing organic pizza, so yeah, I indulged! As I was serving the Limoncello I saw that we’re down to our last 1/2 bottle and I realized it’s time to make more. Well, lucky for me my sister Melissa/Foodie for Two, just posted on this very topic – check it out here! I love her specialty bottle and the handmade tags…..why didn’t I think of that!
foodiefortwo.wordpress.com
The recipe she uses is from Joanne Weir and has been in our family for years. The really cool part is Joanne herself read Melissa’s post and liked it enough to comment on it – Whoo Hoo Melissa!
foodiefortwo.wordpress.com
As fate would have it, Joanne loves wine as much as she loves food. I found a post on her blog titled “how my love affair began“……See there is a Love Affair tie in. In her post Joanne tells a wonderful story of how she came to experience French wine in the most unusual way. My jaw dropped as I read the wine list; lucky lady! She also offers Culinary Journeys where you get to experience hands on cooking classes, day trips and local accommodations with her. Hubs and I are planning a trip to Italy next year and the Tuscany region is one of our destinations – this could be a perfect match!
So be sure to visit Melissa’s blog for the Limoncello recipe and while you’re there check out the Julia Child Remixed video in celebration of what would be her 100th Birthday.
Here’s what I have waiting for me!
Before I go, I have to share something silly with you…I don’t eat at Jack in the Box, but Hubs is watching a football game as I am writing – this came on almost every time there was a commercial! Here’s to Swavory and NoNookie…..
Cheers to you……..Cheryl
It’s hotter than blazes outside, so what better way treat yourself than with a cocktail and a tasty starter. Check out these Peach Daiquiris with Grilled Corn, Jalepeno & Queso Fresco Cheese Spread from Foodie for Two!
Two highly anticipated crops are finally available from the local Colorado farmers – sweet corn on the cob from Olathe and juicy, super sweet peaches from Palisade. Sure, you can enjoy both the traditional way – the corn grilled or boiled and slathered with butter, and the peach halved and eaten over the sink so the sun-ripened, sweet juices can run down your chin. But my quest here was to create something different that still made your taste buds zing. How about some Peach Daiquiris to enjoy with a delicious Corn, Jalapeno & Queso Fresco Cheese spread? The Daiquiri is super simple to make with the usual suspects: ice, fruit, sugar and rum – I like the flavor of dark rum but light works just as well. And the cheese spread offers up something refreshing and different with grilled fresh corn, buttery queso fresco cheese and spicy jalapeño.
For those who…
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I fully intended to have a much different post than this one but I’m gonna go with the flow here.
We are staying at a resort in Tucson, Arizona called the Westward Look. I’ve know of it since attending school here in the late 70’s, however, it was originally a hacienda-style family home-built in 1912. It boast views of the Sonoran Desert to the South and almost backs up to the Santa Catalina Mountains to the North. Breathtaking……
11 years later we are back for a Fathers Day weekend that my husband has planned since last year. He is golfing with his father, brother and nephews and I, in search of coffee, stumbled upon the most enchanting grounds I can ever remember. So I am sharing with you the overwhelming Love and Beauty I see around me….
The resort itself enchanting…..more details in another post. For now, I give you pictures of this beautiful resort in the area I grew up in.
Tucson June Monsoon
Humming Bird Garden
Quail running from me
View of the Santa Catalina mountains
My Guy……
My heart is so full of love for all the Dads/men in my life I feel like it will burst!
Hubby’s Bloody Mary at brunch
Happy Fathers Day….
I have been OBSSESED with St. Germain since first experiencing it as a St. Germain Cocktail at Hanny’s, in downtown Phoenix last summer. It is a beautiful floral elixir that enhances anything you mix with it. Soooo, since it was Sunday, and it was hot and we have a pool, I declared it Pool Day with Lady Germain!
St. Germain is a liqueur made from elderflower blossoms that have been hand harvested in the Alps of France. The entire crop is harvested in a few weeks and this becomes the supply for the entire year. Because of this, some years may yield more than others which could limit its production. These blossoms are transported via bicycles to collection stations and from there, to the distillery. Once the Elderflower has been coaxed to give up its amazing essence a proprietary process is used to create this delicate spirit.
I don’t know what to think about the bicycle story, but I’m sure there were some sort of four-wheeled vehicles involved. Otherwise, how would this beautiful concoction appear on the shelf at your local store like magic?
Also note, each bottle is individually numbered, reflecting the year the flowers were picked…..pretty cool!
The flavor is a bit elusive for explanation but I’m going to give it a go. On the nose it’s sweet, almost like nectar with a baking spice finish (vanilla mixed with pear??). On the palette it’s very sweet, much like nectar that coats the tongue. They claim it has a low sugar content, roughly half that of other liqueurs, but man I’m feeling a buzz from just these few sips!! I keep thinking pear….again, it’s not an actual taste I’m getting but more of an impression. It is complemented by pear vodka so maybe that’s my bias. Because St. Germain is all natural and has no preservatives, it should be consumed within six months after opening for optimum flavor. Like I need an excuse to finish this lovely libation!
So finally, onto the Lady Germain….My obsessive trolling of Pinterest yielded this beautiful recipe that I’m sharing from YumSugar which was originally from Imbibe Magazine so here you go:
Lady Germain from yumsugar.com
Lady Germain
This delicious cocktail from New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian was created for the 2009 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Dinner at Antoine’s.
3/4 oz. gin
1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 strawberry, muddled
1/2 oz. St. Germain elderflower liqueur
3 oz. Champagne
Tools: shaker, strainer
Glass: flute
Shake first four ingredients and strain into flute. Top with Champagne and serve.
Chris McMillian, Bar UnCommon, New Orleans
**My notes on this recipe: I used New Amsterdam Gin which has more Juniper flavor than I like. I would have preferred Bombay Sapphire but I used what was in the booze cabinet! Also I decreased the gin from 3/4 oz to 1/2 oz and bumped up the St. Germain to 3/4 oz. So it all worked out and every drop was drunk…
Keep in mind this yummy liquid nectar easily pairs with a variety of spirits and the St. Germain website has many great recipes to try. At my Fiftieth birthday (yes, that’s 5-0, I still don’t know how the hell that happened!) we served it with pear vodka and a splash of champagne and everybody loved it! Keeping along those lines, Happy Birthday to my favorite sister Melissa!!
So, have any of you tried St. Germain? If so, what’s your favorite cocktail or favorite way to drink it? If not, what are you waiting for???
Cheers to you! Cheryl
Great flick for a hot summer day!
****Totally unrelated, but I was reading a post from one of favorite bloggers, and realized I have never seen the musical “The King and I” with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr!!! So that’s on my To See list this week….
My Love Affair With The Vine 