If We Drink Enough of These, Spring Will Come!

Dirty Girl Scout Cookie (Shot)

 This one is good for those chilly end-of-winter nights!

 1/2 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream

1/2 oz. Kahlua Coffee Liqueur
1/2 oz. Peppermint Schnapps

 Pour ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake well. Strain into an old-fashioned cocktail glass, and enjoy!

Sunset Sangria

A lighter, summery version of the Sangria we know and love!

 1 (750 milliliter) bottle rose wine

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup vodka

1/4 cup triple sec

1/2 cup simple syrup

1 peach, sliced

1 lemon, sliced into rounds

1 lime, sliced into rounds

1 (6 ounce) container fresh raspberries

Combine wine, pineapple juice, vodka, triple sec, and simple syrup in a large bowl or pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Next, stir the oranges, lemons, limes, and raspberries into the chilled sangria at least 30 minutes before serving. The longer the fruit marinates the better! Serve over ice.

 Or.... try Watermelon Sangria!

12 cups cubed watermelon

1 (750 milliliter) bottle dry white wine

1 cup vodka

1/2 cup triple sec

1/2 cup simple syrup

3 cups cubed seeded watermelon

1 medium lime, quartered

1 orange, cut into wedges

1 cup fresh blueberries

 Place 9 cups of watermelon cubes in a blender; blend on high until very smooth. Strain juice through a mesh strainer into a large pitcher.  Pour the wine, vodka, triple sec, and simple syrup into the pitcher- stir to combine. Mix the remaining 3 cups of watermelon cubes, the lime quarters, orange sections and blueberries into the sangria. Chill for 4 hours before serving.

Mojito

 Who doesn't love a low calorie, ultra refreshing minty lime drink that quenches your thirst?!

For EACH drink place into a cocktail shaker:

1 sprig of fresh mint leaves from your garden or local market, removed from their stems (don't use dried, but frozen fresh is okay)

1/2 a fresh lime squeezed
1 tablespoon or more of table sugar (start with one and increase to taste as needed later, don't skip the sugar, it's important to the taste. You can substitute Splenda, but Equal and Sweet & Low don't give it the same sweet taste you are looking for).

 Crush these 3 ingredients in the bottom of the shaker using a wooden muddler or whatever works for you.  This step is very important- it releases the mint essence from the leaves into the sugar and lime juice!

 Pour 1 or 2 shots (per drink) of white rum (or citrus rum!) over ice.  Cover shaker and shake vigorously and dramatically in front of your guests

Do not strain the mixture from the shaker, allow the crushed mint leaves to go into the serving glass as well, that's part of the look and taste!

 Fill the glass with sparking water, seltzer, or club soda and stir with a long spoon

 Garnish with a fresh mint leave floating on top and serve with a tall drinking straw

BEST Bloody Mary - from our friends at Food.com

A little "hair of the dog" when you partied too hard the night before- liquid breakfast!

3 cups tomato juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

1 ½ tablespoons worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¾ teaspoon tabasco sauce

¾ teaspoon celery salt

½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

¹⁄₃ cup pickle juice

1 ounce vodka, per drink

cucumber, celery or whatever garnish you are feeling/have in your fridge

In a blender combine the tomato juice, lemon juice, lime juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, pickle juice, and hot sauce and process until smooth. Transfer to a nonreactive container and add celery salt and black pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled, at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

When ready to serve, fill each glass with ice.

Add 1 ounce of vodka to each glass, then fill the glass with the bloody mary mix. Stir well, and garnish each glass with your favorite veggie, pickle, cucumber or celery.

Skinny Pineapple Martinis

Hey, it's not good to be vitamin C deficient!

 The average Piña Colada has 644 calories (that doesn’t include any fruit garnish or the whipped cream).  The average Pineapple Martini only contains 146 calories.  And the Pineapple Martini doesn’t have any fat calories at all…the Piña Colada can’t say that even if it doesn’t have the whipped topping!!!

 2 Ounces Pineapple Rum

2 Ounces Pineapple Juice (fresh or canned)
Pineapple Wedge (optional)

 In a shaker filled with ice add pineapple rum and juice.

Cover and shake vigorously.
Strain into martini glass.
Garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve.

Stay tuned- my next venture will be homemade pineapple infused vodka!!!!