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Entertaining this Holiday Season with Two-ingredient Cocktails

November 26, 2012 by 4 Comments

I’m excited about the holidays.  They mean family, friends and fun! For the grown-ups like myself,  it means having “mommy juice”. Sometimes if you’re not throwing a huge soiree that requires a licensed bartender, that means the bartender is YOU! If you’re like me, you not only want to be the “hostess with the mostest” while entertaining your guests…you want to have a little fun yourself!

I always advise hostesses to prepare some of their most popular cocktails ahead of time. You know your guests and you know what your signature drinks are, so whip them up an hour or two before your guests arrive and place them in stylish carafes, so they can either self-serve or save you time refreshing their drinks and don’t forget to have lemon and lime wedges on hand.

I also know that there are some two-ingredient cocktails out there that are just as good the complicated concoctions and they leave you just as satisfied. Some of these have actual names and the others, well, let’s just say I was your guinea pig and they’re good. Trust me.

1. Bellini – Champagne and Peach puree (My mouth is watering right now.)

 

 

2. Pink Bikini – Simply Raspberry Lemonade and Malibu Rum (This is a great tasting mix!)

 

3. Rum and Coke – This is a classic that will never go out of style. (To switch things up a bit, try a spiced or coconut rum.)

 

4. Screwdriver – Vodka and orange juice (Another classic that you can put a tweak with mango flavored orange juice)

 

5.Comfortable Screw (pardon the name) – Southern Comfort and orange juice.

Comfortable Screw

Source: mixit.co.uk

 

6. Vodka and Tonic – Easy breezy classic…(Use a flavored vodka for a little flair.)

 

7. Seven and Seven – Seagram’s 7 Gin and 7 up ( or Sprite, Sierra Mist, etc.)

 

8.  I don’t know the name - Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka and Simply Lemonade (This may be more of a summer drink, but I wanted you to know about it, in case you didn’t already. Tip: Counting calories? Use a sugar-free lemonade)

 

9. White Wine Spritzer – Your choice of a white wine and Diet Sprite (w/ frozen raspberries pictured below)

 

 

10. Greyhound – Citrus Vodka and a grapefruit juice

 

Do you have any two ingredient cocktails that you’d like to share? What about 3 ingredients? We’d like to know your secrets to being a fabulous hostess!!

Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: Food, Lifestyle, Wine Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Easy & Healthy Salmon Dinner – A Weekly Dinner Favorite

November 14, 2012 by 8 Comments

Do you know why its so important to incorporate salmon into your family’s diet? It contains essential fatty acids which are essential to overall health and the prevention of various diseases. In addition to this, Omega-3′s in salmon:

  • helps reduce cholesterol level by increasing the good cholesterol and reducing the bad cholesterol.
  • help to repair heart damage and strengthen heart muscles.
  • help to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease.

The amino acids in salmon in combination with Vitamin’s A and D:

  • help with brain and nerve functions.
  • help to prevent the deterioration of the brain and nerves caused by aging.
  • help to lower the risk of blood clots which cause strokes.

Salmon also helps speed up the metabolism. (Who doesn’t want this??) In addition to helping provide your skin and hair with added nutrients. One 4-0z serving of salmon contains 30 grams of protein and a full days worth of Vitamin D. (Are you in love with this fish yet, or what??)

I’m so happy that I have acquired a taste for this healthy fish. (If only I could get my son on board.) I’ve also found that its quite easy to prepare and it cooks well with different types of marinades. If you remember a while back, I posted a 30 minute meal featuring Honey Soy Salmon. It is so easy and delicious, I just don’t think its fair that its my husband’s favorite meal to eat. (wink wink)

So, in an effort to inform you of the wonders of this “super fish”, I just wanted to share with you, what exactly had me “winning” with my husband the other night. It was like taking candy from a baby…Wait, why do people say that? They must not know my babies.

Anywho, I won’t bore you with any more fish facts, but I will share my quick and easy salmon dinner secret with you.

First, find the type of salmon you like (Wild, Atlantic, Sockeye, etc), marinate it for at least 30 minutes or (like I prefer) overnight in your favorite marinade. There are sooo many varieties out there now, its mind-boggling. I like a Bourbon or a Teriyaki sauce with [a little] sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, minced garlic and lemon juice. Bake this for 20 minutes on 400 degrees F and broil for the last 10 minutes. While you’re preparing the salmon, you can prepare and be done with your Uncle Ben’s Fast Cook Recipe Rice. If this is not in my pantry, I must be losing brain cells….My family loves it!

Uncle Ben's Long Grain and Wild Rice Fast Cook Recipe

Uncle Ben’s Long Grain and Wild Rice Fast Cook Recipe

 

All you need is your favorite green veggie or a salad and there you have it. The meal that makes my husband in love with me all over again.

Easy Salmon DInner Recipe

Easy Salmon DInner

 

The only other thing you need to do, is pair your “super fish” with an “awesome white”. Any varietal will do. This particular night, I had a California White Table Wine and it was a match made in heaven. The notes of the wine danced all over my taste buds and complimented our meal to perfection. By the way, I get two of these wonderful bottles of vino: one white and one red every month, courtesy of California Wine Club. Its like Christmas every month!

 

Bixler Vineyards California White Wine, California Wine Club

Bixler Vineyards California White Wine

 

Bon Appetit…and as always, I’m Keeping it Smart & Sassy (KISS),

Filed Under: 30-minute Meals, Food, Health, Wine Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Skinnygirl Cocktails anyone??

July 19, 2012 by 2 Comments

Skinny Girl Cocktails

You know how I am about “the vino”…I love it…I love tasting it, pairing it, swirling it and of course, sipping it. I love it! So, when something else grabs my attention, I have to go with it. A couple of weeks ago, my girlfriend invited a few of us over for cocktails. Knowing her guests, this “hostess with the mostest” tantalizes our tastebuds with a fantastic mango martini. But guess what? The best part of it all was the fact that it was a LOW-CALORIE cocktail, inspired by Skinnygirl Cocktails. And it didn’t compromise the taste AT ALL! Which is why I’m sharing this with you. Jenny, my hostess that night, was really tight-lipped about her recipe, but she did share that it was also mixed with Diet V8 Splash…just knowing that you’re enjoying the spirits essentially guilt-free just makes them taste better, right?!

Skinnygirl Cocktails was created by Bethenny Frankel. We all know her from reality TV. She’s also a renowned natural foods chef, mixologist, New York Times Bestselling Author, and star of Bethenny Ever After. When she found out just how high in calories restaurant margaritas were, she saw an incredible opportunity: give women a low-calorie version of the cocktail that didn’t sacrifice the fresh, delicious taste. Now Skinnygirl Cocktails offers lots of premium low calorie spirits, including margarita, sangria, white cranberry cosmo, wine, and vodka….YUM!

I can’t wait to try their wine varietals as well as their White Peach Margarita, So when its my turn, I’ll be serving up this recipe that I found on the SkinnyGirl Facebook page:

“Skinnygirl Tropical Punch”
1 ½ oz Skinnygirl Tangerine Vodka
½ oz passion fruit juice
Squeeze of fresh lime and lemon juice
Dash of orange extract
2 tablespoons sugar-free pineapple syrup
2 oz club soda
Pour over ice and stir.
Garnish with a lime
Does this sound cute or what?! Love it! So, be an extra special hostess next time and serve your calorie-conscious guests a virtually guilt-free cocktail. They will LOVE you for it! #Thankmelater
Keep it Smart & Sassy (KISS),
Filed Under: Lifestyle, Thank Me Later, Wine Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wine Review Wednesday!!!

June 6, 2012 by 5 Comments
You know how I am about the vino, so I was ecstatic to have the privilege of being offered a special from The California Wine Club. They are always running a special, so its worth the “like” on Facebook or the “follow” on Twitter. For three (3) months, I am able to receive two (2) bottles of my favorite varietal of my choice for only $25/month!!! That’s incredible considering the individual costs of a quality wine per bottle. Anyway, I received them and with extreme excitement, I opened the Truchard Syrah, first. I have yet to try the Fess Parker Riesling, but I will very soon. Here’s the info if you ever want to try them out. Cheers!
syrah, riesling, wine enthusiast, Fess Parker, Truchard, California wine
Name: 
Truchard Syrah
Country:
USA – Carneros, Napa Valley
Winery:
Truchard Vineyard
Category:
red, medium-bodied
Vintage: 
2007
Alcohol %: 
14.3%
Tasting notes*:
I used a merlot glass because I don’t own the syrah/shiraz stemware, YET! It had a pork fragrance to me, it and was sort of acidic in the beginning, but after allowing it to breathe, that dissipated shortly afterward. I felt great drinking it!
Wine & food pairing:
I had it with a lasagna and it was nice, but a hearty beef meal would probably be much better.
Smart & Sassy Mom rating*:
94
99-100 Points
A GREAT wine! This wine is part of the best!
96-98 Points
An outstanding wine. Definitely a superior wine that you will remember and talk for a long time.
92-95 Points
An excellent wine. You will keep asking for this wine. This wine rocks!
90-91 Points
Now, we are talking! A very good wine which charmed you.
85-89 Points
A very good wine. However, it does not surpass the 90-point mark.
80-84 Points
A good wine
70-79 Points
A drinkable average wine. Improvements welcome.
60-69 Points
Most likely undrinkable.
50-59 Points
Not recommended. This wine is undrinkable.
*Please note: I am not a sommelier, but simply a wine ENTHUSIAST. I was in no way compensated to provide opinion on this wine. The views and opinions expressed about this wine are purely mine.
Filed Under: Wine Tagged With: , , , , ,