Bourbon Cherry Crush

This drink is guest posted on my lovely sister-in-law's blog illi style, she is AMAZINGLY creative and has a ton of fantastic stuff on her blog. Please check her out, you won't be sorry!

Anyone who knows me well, knows I love bourbon. I mean, I named my blog after the sweet nectar for crying out loud! Now, I try to remain a purist and drink it with minimal, if any, alterations or additions but special occasions sometimes call for going against the grain.

Valentine's Day is coming up and you have to impress your honey by serving them something as sweet and as lovely as they are. I can see it now; All Out of Love by Air Supply playing in the background, rose pedals on the table, and two Bourbon Cherry Crush's mixed with love. Cheesy? Maybe, but you will probably score points with the ol' ball and chain (don't call them that, btw).

Bourbon Cherry Crush

Adapted from how sweet it is

1 1/2 oz. bourbon (I used Four Roses)
1 oz. cherry juice (just use the juice in the maraschino cherry jar)
1/2 oz. amaretto (I used Disaronno)
Squeeze of fresh lemon
2 oz. Cherry Coke Zero or Cherry Coke
4 Brandied or Maraschino cherries

Muddle the cherries in the bottom of your glass, add ice.
Mix the bourbon, cherry juice, amaretto, and lemon in a shaker, shake, add ice, shake again.
Pour over fresh ice, top off with Coke and stir. Add a couple more cherries and a lemon wedge as a garnish, if you like.

Yields one drinkAs always, PLEASE drink responsibly, always have a designated driver. 

Homemade Sweet & Sour Mix

Never, ever, ever, buy pre-made Sweet and Sour Mix. It's full of preservatives, and unidentifiable ingredients plus, when compared with homemade, it tastes terrible. I mean, you spend your hard earned cash on good quality liquor to mix it with sub-par mixers, not cool man.

This mix is perfect for any of your typical Sours. This mix is easy to make, with only 4 ingredients, and stores for about a week in the fridge. I made a small amount but you could make a bunch and store it if you are having a party.

Homemade Sweet and Sour Mix

Adapted from Bon Appetit

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

Juice lemons and limes, mix. Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar is desolved. Bring to a boil and allow to boil for a few seconds, about 10-15. Don't boil too long or you'll have carmel (not a bad thing, just not simple syrup). Add simple syrup to lemon and lime juice. Place mixture in a glass storage container. Stores for about a week. 

Taste test this with any store bought Sweet and Sour and you will be shocked at what you were missing! Have fun mixing!

Honey Pecan Bars

Honey Pecan Bars

Being that I'm in the south, pecans are the nut of choice. There is no argument as to the fact that pecans are a preference, it's the pronunciation that is debated heatedly.
In the south you don't talk about politics, religion, or how pecans are pronounced.

 So how do you say it? "Pee-can", Pee-con", "Puh-con"? I'm a "Puh-con" girl myself.

These little jewels are a great alternative to a Pecan Pie. I like that you can cut them into little bit size pieces, or big ol' squares. I, also, like the fact that you use honey instead of corn syrup. I don't know why, but I have an aversion to corn syrup. I'm not a health food nut, although I do try to eat healthy, it's just that corn syrup annoys me. Period.

Honey Pecan Bars

Adapted from eats well with others

Crust:

2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter

Filling:

2 cups pecans
1/2 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup of honey
1 tbsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Sift flour and powdered sugar; cut butter into flour powdered sugar mix with a pastry cutter until it resembles a coarse meal. It will seem kind of dry, that's normal. Sprinkle into a 9x13x2-inch pan and place parchment paper over the top. Press crust into pan firmly with hands. Place shortbread in the center of the oven and bake until light golden brown, about 20 min. While shortbread is baking, prepare filling.

Coarsely chop pecans. In a heavy saucepan, melt butter and stir in brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute.

Stir in pecans. Pour pecan mixture over hot shortbread and spread evenly. Bake in the center of the oven until it bubbles, about 20 minutes.

Cool completely in pan and cut while still in pan.

Yields about 12 bars, depending on how big you cut them. Will keep, covered, for about 5 days at room temperature.

Healthy Jambalaya

Did you make a New Years resolution to loose weight, or get healthy? When I finally decided to eat healthy, I knew that the only way I was going to be successful was I had to try to take recipes I already use and make them healthier. Now, that's not to say that I don't partake in some goodies, just in moderation. What I loath is diet food, pre-packaged, tasteless, textureless, colorless, masses of sodium. An abomination! Not only do they taste awful, but I never feel full or satisfied after I eat them. Honestly, the trick to loosing weight and getting healthy is fresh, homemade, healthy food and treats in moderation. Oh...and exercise!

I'm not really a New Years resolution maker, I tend to break them within minutes, it seems. I think it has something to do with my rebellious streak. Rules are made to be broken, right?
Lots of people make New Years resolutions though, and they can be a healthy thing! This Jambalaya is hearty, warm and full of flavor. You won't miss the fatty pork kielbasa, I promise!

I did the math for you: If you weigh out 11 ounces (which is a very hearty portion), it's only 350 calories per serving!

Healthy Jambalaya

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
14 oz turkey polska kielbasa
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup long grain white rice
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 in. cubes
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 - 4oz jar sliced pimientos
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions: 

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add kielbasa saute until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove kielbasa, set aside. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; saute until transparent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in rice, toast for about 1 minute. Mix in kielbasa, potatoes, chicken broth, white wine, pimientos. Season with; turmeric, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn heat to medium low, cover, and simmer until rice and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cilantro. Cover and cook until shrimp are just cooked, about 4 minutes. 

Turkey Cranberry Melt

There are endless ways to use the leftover Thanksgiving or Christmas turkey and trimmings. I love soup and enchiladas but sometimes I just want to whip up something quick for lunch, enter the beloved melt. This melt is super easy and can be customized. If I had any stuffing left, I probably would have added that too!

Turkey Cranberry Melt

2 pieces of good quality sourdough bread

Butter

Shredded turkey, to taste

Shredded mozzarella cheese, to taste

Shredded sharp cheddar cheese, to taste

Homemade cranberry sauce (recipe to follow)

Directions: 

Pre-heat skillet. Butter one side of each piece of bread. Place one slice of bread on the skillet, pile on a handfuls of cheese, then turkey, cranberry, then more cheese, top with the other slice of bread. Cover skillet with a lid to help cheese melt faster. Toast until golden brown, or a tinge of burnt butter (that's how I like it, at least). Flip, place lid back on, toast until browned. Slice and serve! 

Cranberry Sauce

12 oz. fresh cranberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup orange juice, fresh preferable

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools. 

Lemon Ball Drop Martini - New Years Eve Cocktail

(get it? Lemon Drop Cocktail + NYE Ball Drop = Lemon Ball Drop)

 What better way to ring in the New Year than with a lemony, sweet, refreshing cocktail? The Lemon Drop martini is one of my favorites, actually anything lemon and I'm on it! So much so that a good friend of mine actually nicknamed me "Lemony" because I love lemons so much (feel free to call me Lemony anytime)! To me, lemons are good luck. Yes, I just made that up, but how else do you think those traditions and superstitions get started? This cocktail is easy to make and customize.

I had a blast creating this post as it was a family affair! My lovely sister in law has a beautiful blog: illistyle which she has so graciously allowed me to guest post with this cocktail. Please take a peek at her blog as she is uber talented and it is chock full of wonderful crafts, recipes, and other handmade ideas. 

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You will need:

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz triple sec or grand marnier, 

1 1/2 oz lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

1 lemon head

Sugar for rim of glass 

Cocktail Shaker 

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Mix the following in the Cocktail Shaker:

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz triple sec or grand marnier, 

1 1/2 oz lemon juice (about 1/2 a lemon)

Ice

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Rim glass with sugar, and add cocktail to glass

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Add a lemon garnish and a lemon head - fun!

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Enjoy!

Happy New Year's my friends!

Remember to please drink responsibly and always designate a driver.

And if you are still deciding on your attire: check out illistyle for picks of NYE fashion for every event.

Palmiers

I love me a good cookie! I really don't have a favorite cookie because I can't choose which I like best, but if I were going to have a top 10 (yes, 10) I would have to include the Palmier.

The Palmier is a sweet, flaky, biscuit made from puff pastry and shaped like a palm leaf. With only three ingredients, these cookies are super easy to make and your friends will think you are a baking genius. Don't try to be an overachiever and make your own puff pastry dough, trust me. 

This recipe is a slight variation of Barefoot Contessa's recipe. Barefoot Contessa

The most difficult part of this recipe is the folding of the dough. I use the word difficult loosely as you will find it is very simple: 

After rolling dough to a 13x13 square, fold it in half so it meets in the middle: 

Then, fold the dough, again, so it meets in the middle: 

Now, fold your dough in half like you are closing a book: 

Trim the edges and cut the dough into 3/8" slices: 

Place them on the cookie sheet cut side up and you are ready to bake!

Serve these little jewels with a cup of tea or do as I did...pair them with a decent Pinot Noir. Note that I said decent, doesn't even have to be your good stuff.

Palmiers

Ingredients

2 cups granulated sugar

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon of cinnamon (optional)

2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted (recommended: Pepperidge Farm)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Combine the sugar, cinnamon and kosher salt. Pour 1 cup of the sugar/salt mixture on a flat surface such as wooden board. Unfold each sheet of puff pastry onto the sugar and pour 1/2 cup of the sugar mixture on top, spreading it evenly on the puff pastry. This is not about sprinkling, it's about an even covering of sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom. Fold the sides of the square towards the center so they go halfway to the middle. Fold them again so the two folds meet exactly at the middle of the dough. Then fold 1 half over the other half. You will have 6 layers. Slice the dough into 3/8-inch slices and place the slices, cut side up, on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place the second sheet of pastry on the sugared board, sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar mixture, and continue as above. (There will be quite a bit of sugar left over on the board.) Slice and arrange on baking sheets lined with parchment.

Bake the cookies for 6 minutes until caramelized and brown on the bottom, then turn with a spatula and bake another 3 to 5 minutes, until caramelized on the other side. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.