Backyard Summer Flips!

FLIPS!  The following recipes were inspired by a Cherry Lime Flip recently consumed on a shopping trip with my sister.  We spent a very long time trying on wedding and bridesmaids dresses and decided that it was high time for a refreshment!  We both ordered the Cherry Lime Flip which was drained at lightning speed.  During the second round, I pondered putting flip concoctions of my own on the blog.  I came up with the Orange Citrus Flip, the Wild Tea Flip and the Raspberry Lime Flip.

What exactly is a Flip?  About 300 years ago, a flip was a mixed cocktail of beer, rum and sugar that was heated through with a red hot iron.  The hot iron was used to froth the cocktail, thus flipping it from cold to a warm foamy texture.  Although tempted to use the term as a verb, the drink was referred to as a noun, "Flip".   Later versions of the Flip usually included cream and was similar to egg nog concoctions.  Essentially the red hot heating element was tossed out as an antiquated method and frothing was replaced by the constant pouring of the spirited blend back and forth between two vessels.  "Thus, to live at sea, eat biscuit and drink flip!" 

Orange Citrus Flip

The Orange Citrus Flip

Makes 2

8 oz Orange Crush Soda

2 oz Blood Orange Absolut vodka

2 T. fresh lime juice

2 T. Rose's Lime juice

1 T Rose's Grenadine

Orange and Lime slices for garnish

crushed ice

Take a pitcher and add the first five ingredients.  Mix.  Pour over ice into two chilled high ball glasses and garnish with lime slices.  Add a fun straw or a party swizzle.  Serve ice cold. 

*I love the color orange!  I served them at my birthday party!  Everyone loved them!







Wild Tea Flip



 Wild Tea Flip
Makes 2

8 oz Ginger Ale
2 oz Wild Tea Absolut vodka
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 T Rose's Grenadine
Lemon slices for garnish
crushed ice

Take a pitcher and add the first four ingredients. Mix. Pour over ice into two chilled high ball glasses and garnish with lemon slices. Add a fun straw or a party swizzle. Serve ice cold.


Raspberry Lime  Flip

Raspberry Lime Flip
Makes 2


8 oz 7-Up soda
2 oz Raspberry Absolut vodka
2 T fresh lime juice
2 T Rose's Lime juice
1 T Rose's Grenadine
Raspberries and Lime slices for garnish
crushed ice


Take a pitcher and add the first five ingredients. Mix. Pour over ice into two chilled high ball glasses and garnish with lime slices. Add a fun straw or a party swizzle. Serve ice cold.


Enjoy!

Hot Chocolate with Frangelico and Maple Whipped Cream

Hot Chocolate with Frangelico

and Maple Whipped Cream

This recipe is for my Canadian friends to the north.  It seems that everything tastes better in Canada. From Coca Cola to steak and frites, I'm convinced Canada has some of the best food around. It wasn't always this way, but you are blazing your own trail and I'm lovin' it. 

 

My dear Canadian friends, you most certainly have the best hot chocolate around.  When visiting your country, I try to get as much 'chocolat chaud' as I am able to consume and make sure I take some home with me when I leave your beautiful country.  For those of you who haven't had this experience, I urge you to take a moment to indulge in a cup of their hot chocolate and every warm holiday memory you've ever had just may flash before you.

What to do with left over maple whipped cream.?  Get out the tea kettle, the 'chocolate chaud' and some Frangelico and we will be having ourselves a very smooth sugar date.  Can't wait!

Ingredients:

1 package hot chocolate (Canadian preferred)

1 C. boiling water

1 jigger Frangelico liqueur*

1 T. maple whipped cream

Directions:

Add the package of hot chocolate to your most festive (whatever the occassion) heat proof mug.  Add the boiling water and stir until hot chocolate is combined.  Stir in Frangelico liqueur.  Add the maple whipped cream on top.  Serve hot.

*Cook's Note:  Frangelico Liqueur has a nutty flavor.  When combined with chocolate and maple,  I ask you, what could be better?

September Dinner Club - "Masquerade Theater"

September 2010 Dinner Club

“Masquerade Theater”

It's been nine years this month that my girlfriends and I have been participating in Dinner Club.  I chose to host September.  I usually have October because I love Halloween, but this year I thought I would give October up and try another month.  The host gets to pick their own theme and the rest of us are adventurous and usually exhibit good sportsmanship, so we just go with it and see what the evening brings.  My theme, "Masquerade Theater" just came to me.  I'll explain how it works.

I chose six genres; Action & Adventure, Romance, Horror, Drama, Comedy and Foreign.  I wrote them all on separate pieces of paper.  Then I wrote down all the components of the dinner: Appetizer, Entree, Salad, Side Dish, Beverage and Dessert.  Lastly, I wrote the names; Tina, Tracy, Jeni, Stephanie, Kathy and Trisha.  Since the hostess gets the entree, I left those out and had a friend draw my theme.  It came out, "romance".  How fitting.  Therefore, I had the "Romantic Entree".  The others were, Action & Adventure Appetizer by Stephanie, Salad of Horror by Tracy, Dramatic Side Dish by Kathy, Beverage of Comedy by Tina, and a Foreign Dessert by Jeni.  The goal was to make your contribution closely resemble that of the genre.  All of the pairings turned out good.  I thought the Salad of Horror would be the most difficult and the foreign dessert sounded like bliss.  My Dinner Club friends told me that out of all the Dinner Clubs we have been doing over the years, this was the most challenging and the most difficult.  We had met our match.  It thrilled me to hear that.  That was my goal!

I wrote up a menu based on the theme and the recipes they chose.  I created a program scroll keepsake that read as follows:

ACTION and ADVENTURE

Appetizer by Stephanie

This riveting dish will put you on the edge of your seat! So moving, it’s almost 3D! Her choice was inspired by the active preparation of the ingredients and the adventure of putting it all together! Autumn Apple Appetizer Bites

ROMANCE

Entrée by Trisha

Sicilian Meatballs with Homestyle Marinara  obtained from a Sicilian family that is rumored to have ties in the mob. Her choice was inspired by the romantic interlude that occurs in Walt Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp.”

HORROR

Salad by Tracy

Baby mozzarella, assorted baby heirloom cherry tomatoes, baby basil with dressing made from a 30 year aged balsamic vinegar. Her choice was inspired by the movie “Rosemary’s baby.”

Baby Caprese Salad

DRAMA

Side Dish by Kathy

Potatoes Supreme

Pastry piped potatoes served in individual ramekins. Her choice was Inspired by the dramatically crafted presentation!

COMEDY

Beverage By Tina

Individualized bottles of wine adorned with comedic lables crafted by Tina herself and inspired by the character and personalities of her fellow Dinner Club members.

FOREIGN

Dessert by Jeni

Three layer traditional German Chocolate Cake with cocoa filling and chocolate icing. This cake will whisk you back in time as the recipe was published in 1915 in a cookbook titled, “Mary at the Farm and Book of Recipes” by John Hartenstein. Her choice was inspired by German chocolate.

Being that my Dinner Club was so close to Halloween, I was able to decorate with masquerade masks.  For a centerpiece that had a special "theater" effect, I found Shakesperian quotes on a website and printed them off the internet onto cream colored paper.  I carefully tore the edges, top and sides, and taped them to clear glass vases.  Place your tealight in the center and you have a glowing, theatrical effect that your guests can have fun reading. 

Our next Dinner Club is scheduled for November 13th.  Tina will be hosting and the theme is Russian.  I have the side dish!  Can't wait!



Goodnight Kiss

Goodnight Kiss

If you are looking for something creamy and smooth to carry you off to dreamland, consider indulging in a Goodnight Kiss.  This is a wonderful dessert coffee.  After all, they say Amaretto di Amore' "embodies the essence of romance."  With the right combination, the flavor isn't too sweet, but it is heavenly.  On one of these cool evenings, I encourage you to surprise your sweet one with a Goodnight Kiss.


Picture courtesy Shane Boyd 2009

 Ingredients
3/4 oz. Coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua

3/4 oz. Irish Cream liqueur

3/4 oz. Amaretto di Amore'

1/2 oz. Creme de Cacao liqueur

1 C. hot brewed coffee

2 T. whipped cream
2 T. Hersheys chocolate syrup

Directions
Use one of your most comforting coffee mugs (for me, this is the biggest one I can find).  In it, combine Coffee liqueur, Irish Cream, Creme de Cacao and Amaretto.  Fill the rest of the mug with coffee leaving room at the top.  Dollop with whipped cream and top with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and a chocolate covered coffee bean.  Serve and savor the moment.