cherry pickin' fun and infused vodkas

The trees

Riddle me this: Is it fun? Is it free (or close to it)? Is it outdoors? If an activity meets all three of these criteria, then Brandon and I are probably doing it, have done it, plan to do it, or want to plan to do it on the weekend. Cherry picking is a fun Saturday activity that definitely fits the bill. It's cheap, tons of fun, and beautiful!

We went to Riley's Mile High Ranch all the way out in Yucaipa because, after a few minutes of research on the Internet, we knew they still had a good crop left. It was quite the trek, but well worth it. Walk up to the giant barn and they will give you a bucket for $10. You can pick to your heart's content - or as much as you can fit in the bucket. The cherries are perfect right now, so get your patooties out there and start picking!

Lugging my haul... heavy!

I got home with two giant bags of cherries and no real idea what to do with them. One can only eat so many plain cherries in the matter or a week. So, to start off, I figured I'd deal with them in the best way I knew how... in booze!

*Cherry Vodka*
Crap ton of cherries
Crap ton of vodka

Mix together. Let sit for a few days. Mix in cocktails or drink straight!

And since I bought two handles of Absolut Vodka (I almost always use Absolut or Smirnoff because they are perfectly suitable here) and had plenty of extra, I made a batch of my famous...

*Pineapple Lime Vodka*
1 Pineapple
5-6 limes, zested

Mix together. Let sit for a few days. You can add pineapple juice and lime juice if you need it to 'mature' faster. Serve over ice.
mmm...

I love to keep these vodka concoctions in the freezer during the summer... they are absolutely fabulous and always a crowd pleaser. Bonus: These make cute gifts if you bottle them in mason jars and tie a ribbon around the top.

recession mondays at mo's

I am a sucker for all things discounted. I'm one of those people who is tricked into thinking I'm getting a good deal, even if (the proverbial) "they" jack up the prices so that they can discount them back down to basically regular price. I admit it. It makes me feel better to see the red marks on garments. 25% off! That's like making money!

Bran and I always look for deals when it comes to food (remember my Katsu-ya post?). I think it may have even been one day on our way to Katsuya that we saw the sign out in front of Mo's advertising their recession Mondays! So, being the deal-luvr that I am, I googled it when I got home to make sure it was legit and not some marketing scheme to get you in the door.

I couldn't find much about it online. I found it referenced in their Yelp reviews, but that was it, so we made the decision to give it a shot.

We have been to Mo's before and it's decent. It's not gourmet, it's not trying to be something it's not, it's just ok burgers at ok prices with decent ambiance and service. When it's cheap, as it is on Mondays, it's a nice place to grab a beer and a burger. I got the turkey burger with mozzarella and marinara and it was good. The onion rings and french fries are also pretty decent! I would definitely go back, but probably only on a Monday to take advantage of the discounts.

Here, have a fuzzy beer!

pom

I remember the day like it was a few weeks ago (because, well, it was a few weeks ago). I got a suspicious email from someone named the POMblogger. Since I get at least 50 pieces of SPAM a day, I was thisclose to just hitting the delete button, but then I read the title.... Hello from POM wonderful! I thought to myself "I like POM.!" Then I was like, "hmmm, blogger?" I have a blog. I wonder if the two could be related.

When I opened the email, I was very surprised to see that Janny, blog searcher-outer extraordinare, had stumbled across my blog. The email stated that she wanted to send me a free sample of their juice! I thought to myself for a split second that she must have mistaken my blog for someone else's, but then she commented on some of my content and I knew it was my blog she had been reading. Do you have any idea how cool that made me feel?

The awesome thing is that I already knew that I liked POM. I'm a huge fan of cranberries and cranberry juice, which is what is most closely resembles, though a bit thicker and more flavorful. My mind went kind of wild when thinking about the possibilities of what I could make with it.

I have some great cocktails in my arsenal that feature pomegranate juice, though the alcohol may negate the many health benefits, but c'est la vie! You can be healthy and tipsy at the same time, right?

*Pomegranate Grenadine*

1 cup pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the two ingredients in a saucepan and let boil for about 10 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. Let cool.

Use this in any way that you might use regular grenadine. For instance, in a...

*Laverne and Shirley*
...because she is a bit saucier than good old Shirley Temple
2 oz good vodka
1/2-1 oz pomegranate grenadine
7-up
pomegranate seeds

Shake the vodka and grenadine with some ice. Pour over a glass full of ice and top with 7-up. Garnish with a spoonful of pomegranate seeds.

sangria

This is some good stuff.

Sangria is one of those drinks that is easily made with what's already in your fridge: the wine (red, white, rose), the sweetener(sugar or fruit juice), the fruit(tons of options here), the bubbly(sparkling water, lemon lime soda, none). So much of it is simply taking what you have and adjusting the the amounts so that it tastes yummy. Play around with it and have fun!

Plus, it's one of those make ahead batch drinks that you can prep the night before and put it out and let people help themselves. Easy, tasty, no fuss. What's not to love?

*Simple Sangria*
a bottle of decent red wine (I used a Spanish table wine)
1/2 cup vodka
1/2 cup triple sec
1 1/2 cups pomegranate lime juice (Trader Joes special!)
1/2 cup OJ
Any fruit you have available (I used apples, oranges, limes, strawberries)

Cut up fruit and throw it in all the liquids combined. Let it sit for a few hours, or even better, overnight. You can top it off with the bubbly or your choice or drink it straight over a big glass filled with ice.

It's a lovely drink to end a long weekend with!

mixology monday! plan c, big-batch, minted lemon drop

Spring is in the drink... er.. air? This month, I'm participating in what's called Mixology Monday- a monthly drink submission bloggy community thing (got that?). The main thing to know is that I'm involved, it's fun, and this month, it's being hosted by The Wild Drink Blog. Check out both of these sites... you won't be sorry! This weeks theme is twists on classics. My (third tier) drink of choice is a regular old lemon drop, but the twist is the addition of mint (I know, I know, big whoop) AND the versatility of making it in bigger batches so that it's absolutely minimal fuss. It's a twist in flavor, method, and service.

I came into this drink challenge with high hopes. On Friday night, I got myself to my favorite liquor store and perused the shelves to find a liqueur/liquor/mixer that might spark an interest. I have already blogged on my current drink of choice, so I had to go to plan B. I remembered my foray to a little bar in San Francisco, where I discovered a maraschino cherry liquor called Luxardo. I remembered it being not terribly sweet and not at all like cherry. It seemed like a challenge I was up to.

I got home Friday night and enlisted Audrey's help. We mixed the luxardo into everything that we could think of... I mixed it into a margarita, she tried a lemon drop, we tried a cosmo, we tried straight up with gin. Nothing, and I mean nothing, turned out remotely delicious. Sure, they were palatable, but since I might have more than my regular 5-10 viewers for this post, I wanted to make sure that it was spectacular. (BTW, does anyone have a tried and true recipe for Luxardo? I'm feeling defeated.)

Since Friday came and went and I already knew that I needed a drink to serve for Easter, I wanted to make a big batch of something I *know* everyone loves. I call it, plan C. So I went to my ace in the hole- a minted lemon drop.

It's showcases everything that's good with spring, great for large parties, and very versatile. Making drinks in big batches is sometimes exactly what the doctor ordered.

*minted lemon drop*
3 cups vodka
2 cups lemon juice
1 cup superfine sugar
1 cup mint, torn into pieces

Put all of the ingredients together. Mix up and let sit in the fridge for at least an hour.

Serve in one of several ways: shake it up and pour it into a martini glass for a more traditional lemon drop look, put it over ice for backyard BBQ's, or top it off with sparkling water if you're a lightweight (this drink packs a punch)!

It's no fuss and fabulous!

bonny doon pacific rim dry riesling

I like wine as much as the next snob. I try, try, try to study up on the different grapes and regions because it's all a lot of fun, you know, trying the wines and such. Being completely honest here, I do love wine and I find it really, very interesting, but there is of course this other reason to learn- I don't want to sound like a complete moron when ordering at a fancy restaurant. I always freeze up when I go into a nifty wine shop or order at a swanky restaurant. I know a fair amount, but when you get handed the wine list, there is an air of snobbery that you get dealt as well. I mean, am I supposed to decide between the $40 Pinot Noir and the $75 bottle? It's just a complete stab in the dark unless you are really well versed. I'm not. So, when this happens, I usually take the suggestions of the sommelier/wine dude. They generally steer me in the right direction and I get to learn about/try new wines.

However, the bottom line is that you can like a $10 bottle of wine just as much as you like a $30 bottle. The Bonny Doon Pacific Dry Riesling is the perfect example of that. It's not too sweet, crisp, and it's generally a really easy to find, solid bottle of white for a pretty spring evening. Pairs especially well with seafood or something with a kick to it. Even Jack likes it!

simple, easy, delicious cosmo

Don't they look purty? They are usually much more of a mellow pink color than the picture, but I just loved this shot. Anyway, these are super simple and really very good. I like to go heavy on the lime and line the glass with sugar to offset it.

*cosmopolitan*
1 shot vodka
2/3 shot triple sec
1/2 very juicy lime
2/3 shot cranberry juice
lots of ice

You have to mix, mix, mix this drink in a shaker, or it will just be off. The pictured cosmo was not shaken because my shaker is in storage, which is why it's so red. And when I say shot, I mean all the way to the top of a shot glass shot. Don't be shy!

koko cocktails

When I walked into Koko Cocktails, I knew it was my kind of place.

1. A DJ was bumping cool 40's music throughout the joint
2. When I sat down at the bar, they had my current favorite liqueur behind the bar (St. Germaine, and the bartender knew how to use it - as pictured)
3. They had the movie Caddyshack projected on the wall (!!!)
4. All cocktails are $7

The crowd was low key, but still lively. It wasn't too crowded, the bartenders were friendly and made awesome drinks, the clientèle wasn't too snobby/hipster/yuppie/scary. Audrey and I each had a St. Germaine and mint martini, something I had never tried. It was sweet and intense, but not too much so. I sipped on my drink, chatted with my friends, watched Caddyshack out of the corner of my eye.

Our second round went like this... I had a black cherry cosmo made with Effen black cherry vodka (lol, I said effen), triple sec, fresh lime and cranberry. Very good! Audrey had the casino which is made with gin, luxardo (marashino liqueur), orange bitters and fresh lemon juice. Hers was a bit harsh and bitter, but I can see why people might like it, but we just aren't those people. Brandon stuck with the dark and stormy made with rum, ginger beer and lime juice. It was very well put together. These were quality drinks in a quality environment. Go there and take me with you!

elderberry collins

I didn't even know that I liked gin until this drink. Craft exposed me to an extremely refreshing cocktail based on the classic Tom Collins. Here is my rendition of the drink, as prepared by G-dale's best bartender, our own Audrey!!! :::round of applause:::

*Elderberry Collins*
1 full shot glass of gin
2/3 shot of St. Germain Elderberry Liquor
splash of simple syrup
1/2 lime
sparkling water
ice
limes for garnish

Put the liquor, syrup and lime juice in your shaker (or Nalgene if you're super cool like us) and shake, shake, shake until you get a nice, blurry picture!
Top it off with a splash of sparkling water and a lime wedge.
So good!