Category Archives: Drinks

Random Wine of the Week – Mulderbosch

Mulderbosch500
Buying wine doesn’t have to be a confusing experience. You can find great, inexpensive, everyday wines anywhere. This post is the first in a series designed to help those of you new to wine (and even experienced oenophiles) learn which wines you like and which ones you don’t. I’m calling it Random Wine of the Week, because I will (and hopefully you will too) select, drink, and review a random wine every week.

What I mean by random is that I will visit my local wine merchant (supermarket, liquor store, wine boutique, etc…) and select a wine based on factors that have nothing to do with the wine itself. For example, this week I have chosen a pink wine starting with the letter M. Next week, I’ll choose a bubbly starting with the letter S. The following week, maybe I’ll try a red wine with a tree on the label.  And so on. I’ll keep the price range on all of these wines to less than $15.

Then entire point of this activity is to experiment and taste new wines. I would highly recommend that you start your own wine journal to capture the information from the label and your opinions of the wine.

So go on, invite some friends over, pick out some random wines, and enjoy!

Click here to see my selection for Random Wine of the Week

You CAN Win Friends with Salad – Taco Salad that is…

Taco Salad 2

According to the Bart Simpson song from ‘Lisa the Vegetarian,’ You Don’t Win Friends with Salad! (link goes to YouTube)

While we love the Simpson’s, my husband and I have to disagree with their song. The following take on Taco Salad is sure to be a crowd pleaser whether you are cooking for a large group of friends, your family, or making dinner for one.  After all, who doesn’t like things topped with crushed chips and cheese!?

The following recipe will feed 4 hungry salad eaters.

Click here to see the rest of the post

Charleston Sweet Tea Vodka – Frosty Beverage Friday

Sweet Tea Vodka I’ve already talked about the delicious food I had on my culinary tour of South Carolina (Shrimp and Grits and Bojangles Fried Chicken), but it would be wrong to omit another South Carolina low country favorite that helps the locals beat the summer heat. I’m not talking about food on this one, but instead a delicious sweet iced tea vodka drink that was all the rage at the local bars.

Because sweet tea is a Southern favorite, it’s no wonder that this drink is so popular in Charleston. For those that don’t know, people in the deep south add a lot of sugar to their tea (almost too much for my liking), and the resulting sweetness is a perfect way to mask the strong vodka flavor. In fact, the first comment that most people make upon trying this drink for the first time is that they can’t taste any alcohol at all.

Click here to read more about Sweet Tea Vodka

Brazilian Caipirinhas – Frosty Drink Friday How To

Add a couple of lime wedges and you are done.

When I went to Brazil in 2004, I quickly learned about the country’s national drink, the Caipirinha. At every bar and restaurant around town they were serving up the good stuff. Why do Brazilians like Caipirinhas so much? Not only does this drink taste really good, it’s also deceptively strong. The magical ingredients of sugar and lime go a long way to mask the strong taste of the Brazilian Cachaça rum too. Also, this drink served on the rocks is a refreshing way to cool off from the Brazilian heat.

Now that Brazilian Churascarias like Fogo de Chao have become popular in the States and are serving up Caipirinhas in a restaurant near you, I thought I would share this recipe, especially during the economic downturn. Why pay $8 for this delicious drink at Fogo de Chao when you can make all the drinks you want for roughly the cost of only 3 of these tasty drinks at a high dollar restaurant?

Click here to see the rest of the recipe

Frozen Peach Drink – Frosty Beverage Friday

There are two temperatures in Texas, Hot and Face of the Sun HOT.

If there is one thing that is going to make this Face of the Sun season (known as summer elsewhere) bearable and it comes in the form of the Margaritaville Frozen Concoction Maker. Yes, the same device that was depicted as the cause of the  economic crisis. Of course, you can use any blender you have available, just make sure to add 1 cup of ice to blender before mixing.

peter_tsai_peach-7

Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups frozen peaches
  • 1/4 Cup sugar
  • Juice of 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1/2 to 3/4 of Tito’s Vodka

Place all of the ingredients into the blender and mix them until they resemble a chunky smoothie. Use the shave function of the Margaritaville to add about 1 cup of ice. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

I sometimes add water in small amounts if the mix gets stuck. Share with friends.

Cheers!

-Jon

Photographs courtesy of Peter Tsai Photography