Vodka Gummy Bears

So we are on bonus posts now, we promised 12 and we delivered...we'll see what else we can come up with. Today's recipe is for Vodka Gummy Bears. If you start them today, they will probably be ready for New Year's Eve. but we don't promise. Every recipe we have seen says one week. Maybe vodka soaks in faster in Washington because it has never taken a week for us.

 Vodka Gummy Bears

Gummy Bears (not Haribo, while they are delicious, they do not absorb the vokda)
Vodka--just enough to cover the gummy bears, not enough to make a gummy bear swimming pool

We leave ours in the refrigerator. We have seen recipes that say they are fine on the counter, but we feel safer with them in the fridge. They will begin absorbing the vodka right away, and within a week, all the vodka will be in the gummy bear.

In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words. As you can see below, the gummy bears absorb a fair amount of vodka.

 

 

 

 

 

Until next time, happy days!



Apple Pie Moonshine

The 12th Post: Moonshine

Have you seen the show Moonshiners?  I will have to admit it is one of my favorites. I'd really like to make moonshine...but I'm not big on breaking the law, so I don't see it happening any time soon. Really, I think I'd like to hang out with some of the guys from Moonshiners for a day (though admittedly, without the benefit of subtitles, I am not sure how much I would get out of our time together.

My father-in-law introduced me to a delicious treasure that will have to suffice until I have my own still. Apple Pie Moonshine. Lucky for me, my mother lives in Oregon where 90% Everclear is legal to buy, and that is what the recipe calls for. Does make it even more appealing to visit her. However, I experimented tonight with 75.5% Everclear, and I just used a bit more and it seemed to work just fine.

The stuff is pretty delicious, and it doesn't taste very strong, so be careful!

Apple Pie Moonshine

1 Gallon of Apple Juice
1 Gallon of Apple Cider
1 1/2 cups of White Sugar
2 1/2 cups Brown Sugar
8 cinnamon sticks
1 liter of 190 Proof Grain Alcohol, Everclear or equivalent.

To get started, you need a large boiling pot. Add into this pot the apple juice, apple cider, the white and brown sugar, and the whole fresh cinnamon sticks. Bring these contents to a boil, then remove the pot from the stove and let it cool down to room temperature. Once at room temperature, gradually stir in the 190 proof grain alcohol. What you don’t consume in one sitting, you can bottle for later use. Store it in sterile Mason jars, place one cinnamon stick in each jar, and then store them in a cool dark dry place. After a couple of weeks your Apple Pie Moonshine will taste even better. This batch will make about 4 1/2 quarts. (Recipe borrowed from http://goodoleways.com/daves-apple-pie-moonshine-recipe/dogs-secret-recipe-file/)

As you can see from the photos I doubled the above recipe. I also use double tall cinnamon sticks, because I think they look better in the jars. It makes a great gift, and stays good for a long time. Hope you enjoy it.  

 

 

The Dumb Ass

We dedicate this week to asses. Of any kind.

The original ass came about during a family Easter celebration. The girls were all talking, and one of my relatives was sad because her brother-in-law had cheated on her sister. It really was a sad story, and I felt sorry for her, and her sister. I also didn't want her to be sad...so I said, "I'll make up a drink in the dumb ass's honor." I hope it helped everyone feel better. I had the drink in my mind for some time, but I guess I needed the inspiration to finalize it. We drank quite a few that day, so I can assure you they are delicious

You might ask why I am not calling the bastard by name...certainly isn't to protect him...I would love to humiliate him--which of course would not even be nearly to enough to make him pay for what he did to her. Truth is, he has an adorable and wonderful family, so the anonymity is only to protect them.

Let's be honest, we all have some relative that is an ass. Maybe we are lucky enough that we don't have to deal with them very often. If we are really lucky, maybe they grow up and stop being an ass. But thanks to the Dumb Ass (that is what I call him now...refuse to actually call him by name) we have a very delicious drink:

Dumb Ass
1/2 Cup Sparkling Lemonade
1/2 Cup Lemonade
1 ounce Vanilla Vodka
1 ounce Lemoncello
Splash of Whipping Cream or Vanilla Coffee Creamer (optional but delicious)

Pour over ice, stir, and enjoy.

As the holidays draw closer, I hope you spend a lot of time with the family and friends you love, and I hope the asses in your life are kept to a minimum.

Candy Cane Cocktail

Cocktails and Crafts

I love muti-tasking. So when my friends Darcie and Shai came up with the concept of Cocktails and Crafts I felt like it was a match made in heaven. I mean, I do love crafting, but it is so much more fun with friends, add a drink and it's just about perfect.

It's simple, Darcie and Shai create a craft for the evening and prepare the kits to make everything. There is a cocktail and a lot of laughter fills the evening. Tonight we made wine gift tags and a cute reindeer frame (my reindeer was drunk from too much wine, hence the red nose and inability to stay centered on my frame). The cocktail was a candy cane cocktail, and it was delicious. Here is the recipe:

 

Candy Cane Cocktail

1 candy cane, crushed, for garnish
2 ounces strawberry vodka
4 dashes white creme de menthe
2 1/2 ounces cranberry juice
Ice cubes

Directions

1. Place crushed candy canes on a small plate or saucer. Wet the outside rim of a chilled martini glass with water. Holding the glass by the stem, rotate the rim to coat with candy.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine vodka, creme de menthe, cranberry juice, and ice; shake until well combined. Strain into prepared glass; serve immediately.

I am surprised as anyone I am sharing a Martha Stewart recipe (original found at here) after what that woman did to me convincing me to make homemade marshmallows. My Kitchen Aid has never recovered, and I am also scarred, but the cocktail is delicious.

If you are ever in the Palouse area, you should come to Cocktails and Crafts with me. It is a very fun! You can check out more from Darcie here.

Happy Birthday!

Today’s post is in honor of Kelly’s birthday.  As mentioned before, we have been friends since the very young age of four.  She has been my BFF since long before the term was used.  Rarely are people lucky enough to have anyone that amazing in their life for that long.  Because of her greatness and the special occasion, we must have both a drink and a shot on today’s post. 

The first is an old drink which is as great as my old friend (because I have had her for a long time, not because of her age).  You’ve all had it before but I am pretty sure it is the first drink Kelly and I ever had together thanks to a freezer of orange juice and our parent’s liquor cabinet. 

 Fuzzy Navel

1 ½ oz Peach Schnapps

Orange Juice to taste

Mix and enjoy!

Now for the shot recipe.  I think Kelly and I had these at yet another visit to Silver Mountain.  We really love it there.  It is a great place to visit both to ski in the winter and also to bike in the summer.  The indoor water park rocks all year and the condos are a nice place to have a few drinks with your BFF at the end of the day. 

 Jell-O Shots

2 cups Whipped Vodka

3 packages Jell-O (cannot use sugarfree)
3 cups water

Boil 3 cups water then add Jell-O.  Mix Jell-O and water until Jell-O is completely dissolved. Add the two cups vodka and mix together.  Pour mixture into plastic shot glasses.  (We use a turkey baster to make it easier.)  Chill until firm.

 Happy Birthday to my BFF—you really are the best!  Cheers to you and everyone else enjoying a drink for your special day.

The Taste of the Islands

So today's post is a little different. First, it's a double cocktail post. Second, both recipes have been submitted. Third, one cocktail was never tasted by the creator. Fourth, one cocktail doesn't even have a name--and we are hoping you suggest a name to us. We can't go around drinking an unnamed cocktail. Let's start with that one:

Unnamed Cocktail

Diet Cherry Coke
Coconut Rum

Directions: Mix in a ratio that you think you would enjoy, and tell us what you think. Don't forget to suggest a name.

Thanks for the recipe, Shelly! We are sure it is a delicious as you say.

The second drink was created by Kelly's daughter. She is ten. She doesn't actually like any of the ingredients in the drink, but we think you will agree, it is beautiful. She came up with the name before the drink (can't say we haven't done that before ourselves). She was inspired to make a hibiscus as a garnish out of things growing in our garden. We don't live in a tropical climate, we were very impressed with her improvisation.

The Taste of the Islands
4 Ounces Hawaiian Punch
2 Ounces Ciroc Red Berry
6 Sage Leaves
4 Lemon Thyme Stalks

Directions: Mix punch and vodka in shaker filled with ice. Carefully pour into a martini glass rimmed with red sugar. Arrange sage and thyme to look like a hibiscus. Enjoy!

Kelly's daughter loves to entertain (yeah, not sure where she got that from). After she created this drink she asked every family member that walked through the door if they wanted one. Most of them said yes. She also told the lady at the liquor store she invented her own cocktail. We really would just like to reiterate, she doesn't even drink Hawaiian Punch,  and we certainly wouldn't let her have any vodka!

Caramel Apple Cider

So we were going to give you a link to an answer site with a bunch of holiday cocktails, but that is going to have to wait until tomorrow...tonight it's a simple but delicious beverage.

Caramel Apple Cider

2 Ounces Caramel Vodka (but, if after yesterday's post you got Toasted Caramel Black Velvet, that would be just as delicious
1 Cup Apple Cider (we used the fresh kind from the grocery store, but if the dry packets are good enough for Starbucks, there good enough for us, too).

Heat the apple cider, add vodka. We garnished with a cinnamon stick, but that is because we hate dishes and could use the cinnamon stick to stir the drink.

We will have to make a run to the liquor store tomorrow (a place we have been much more often than usual lately) because a friend told us about salted caramel vodka...sounds too good not to try. The conversations you have after an elementary school music concert. If you have a recipe for a drink with this, please let us know. Not sure what we will try, but sounds like another Starbucks inspired creation is in our future.

Happy days!

Velvety Caramel Cream

We are pretty excited about today's cocktail, it's very versatile and delicious. Kelly had the opportunity to go to the tents before the WSU Homecoming game, and the bartender there introduced her to a liquor she had never heard of before--Toasted Caramel Black Velvet. She really didn't think she was going to like it (except for in a Sagebrush she never drinks whiskey) but she is always up for an adventure. She was very glad she tried it. Trust us, it is delicious.

Velvety Caramel Cream

2 Ounces Toasted Caramel Black Velvet
6 Ounces Cream Soda

Like all the cocktails we create, measurements are suggested, as we rarely measure anything (just makes more dishes). This one is easy, just add everything to a glass with ice and enjoy.

We have tried this with Sprite, ginger ale and Dry Vanilla Bean Soda, and all the variations are delicious. We're sorry we didn't catch the name of the great bartender before the Cougar game, this cocktail wouldn't exist without you. To everyone that has already received a bottle of this delicious liquor as a gift from Kelly, and those who don't yet know they are going to receive a bottle, we hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Cheers!

Vanilla Peartini

Do you ever make up a drink just because you saw something you wanted to try in the liquor store? We do. Today's inspiration came courtesy of pear vodka. We are amazed at the number of flavored liquors to be found these days. They certainly make mixing drinks a lot of fun.

Vanilla Peartini

4 Ounces Pear Juice (we used the sparkling type)
2 Ounces Pear Vodka
1 Ounce Vanilla Vodka
Part of a Vanilla Bean (use a knife to scrape the seeds out)

Combine everything in a shaker with ice, and shake like you mean it. We rimmed the glass in vanilla sugar (just add the spent vanilla bean to sugar and wait two weeks) but you can use regular sugar or no sugar at all. If you don't have a vanilla bean,  try the drink without it...but the specks of vanilla do look beautiful in the glass. Next we are going to try replacing the vanilla vodka with ginger vodka...hopefully it is just as delicious.

Happy days!

Dirty Pirate Hooker

We are pretty excited for our first friend submitted cocktail. We haven't even had a chance to try this one, but Lisa promises us it is delicious. We have been known to buy the occasional bottle of wine because it had a great label, and we will admit we have tried a few drinks because the name is too good to pass up. We believe this one fits in the awesome name category:

Dirty Pirate Hooker

1.5 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1 oz Peach Schnapps
Coke

Mix rum and schnapps with desired amount of Coke in a glass with ice. Lisa actually got this as a recipe for cocktail popsicles (how have we not heard of these before?) but she like how they tasted so much she converted the recipe to a regular drink! Feel free to try it either way.

Nice work, Lisa. This drink sounds amazing! We wish we knew how the name was created.

Have a cocktail you think we should feature? Email kelly.brantner@gmail.com.

 

Cheers!

The Caffeinated Cape Codder

Time for the promised cocktail that can help you use the rest of your cranberry sauce from yesterday. This drink has been evolving since last July. As previously mentioned, we are somewhat obsessed with Starbucks. We consider the baristas--even the ones we haven't met yet--our friends. Who doesn't feel at least a little bit happier when they leave Starbucks? So when they came out with their Cool Lime Refreshers, we felt it was an extra gift they were giving us. Especially since there is no Starbucks in the town we are from. So the drink that started out as a Chief Joseph Days cocktail has been transformed into something perfect for Black Friday, but please feel free to drink it any day you'd like. As of yesterday the drink didn't have a name, and we still aren't sold on its current name...but here it is:

The  Caffeinated Cape Codder

2 cups water
1 packet Starbucks Cool Lime Refresher
4 tablespoons cranberry sauce
2 shots rum
Squeeze of fresh lime
Slice of lime and fresh cranberries

Suggested mixing instructions: We don't really like to tell you what to do, so really you should do what makes you happy. That being said: mix the water and cool lime refresher packet...shake it or stir it vigorously...it's delicious but if you leave little bits of the mix it's unpleasant. Kelly doesn't like lumps in her drink, so she mixes the cranberry sauce in a Magic Bullet, but you certainly don't have to. Add everything to a shaker with ice and shake like you mean it. Again, to avoid the bits Kelly strains it all through a mesh strainer into the glass. If you like the bits, you should leave them in your drink. If you feel like it, garnish the glass with a slice of lime and add a few fresh cranberries. Really this should make two cocktails, so feel free to make half, share with a friend, or get a really big glass.

Happy Black Friday, and at press time the Cougs were ahead in the Apple Cup, let's hope it stays that way (this drink is crimson, so it's perfect for today)!

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Martini

We are aware we promised you a recipe using cranberry sauce, but turns out that is tomorrow's drink. What says Thanksgiving more than pumpkin pie? A pumpkin pie martini! Wish we could say there is an awesome story that goes with this cocktail (because usually there is) but turns out this one is just plain delicious. We are also willing to bet that if you go out and buy a bottle of pumpkin pie vodka for this cocktail, you can also repurpose it adding a shot to a pumpkin spice latte (another hint for tomorrow: adding alcohol to a Starbucks beverages makes something already heavenly even better).

Pumpkin Pie Martini

1 shot pumpkin pie vodka
3 Tblsp pumpkin purée
1 1/2 shots half and half

Put in martini shaker with ice
Top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon

We hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving--we certainly did.

Sagebrush

So Dawnette and Kelly have been creating recipes since they were about five...but our recipes have improved over time, and for the holidays they all include some type of alcohol. We will post at least twelve recipes between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Some we find, some we make up, and we hope some will come from you. We were going to wait until tomorrow to launch the 12 Daze of Cocktails, but since we think you can repurpose some of the Thanksgiving ingredients to make delicious drinks, we are going to start a day early.

Our first drink comes courtesy of Hamley Steakhouse in Pendleton, Oregon. Dawnette shared the recipe with Kelly on a fabulous snowboarding trip (ok, let's be honest there was more drinking than snowboarding) at Silver Mountain (if you haven't been there you should go--it's awesome and has an indoor water park with a bar). Not only is the cocktail delicious, Kelly has a huge purple sage bush in her front yard...what better use than in a drink. If you live near her and want to make this drink, feel free to stop by and she will give you a bunch.

Sagebrush

1.5 to 2 oz. Pendleton (more if you are feeling wild)

Fresh Sage leaves

Fresh Orange Slices

1/2 oz Triple Sec

1/2 oz Orange Juice

1/2 oz Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

Ginger Ale

In a 12 oz glass, muddle sage leaves and orange slices with back of wooden spoon. Add liquids and pour all into an old fashioned glass half filled with ice. Top off with ginger ale and garnish with orange slice and sage leave.

Sorry there isn't a picture, it is a beautiful cocktail. Stay tuned for the for the next edition. We will give you a great use for that leftover cranberry sauce.