Thirsty Thursday: Watermelon Margarita

• 
  It's too hot outside! Everywhere from Phoenix to Denver is dealing with triple digits. Heck, Minneapolis was forecasted to reach 100 degrees yesterday! So, what's a person to do? Enjoy a cool, refreshing Watermelon Margarita compliments of Clinton Kelly at The Chew. (By the way, did you know that watermelon is a vegetable?!?! http://www.watermelon.org/Fruit-or-Vegetable.aspx)

Thirsty Thursday: Happy Summer!

In celebration of yesterday being the first day of summer, we thought about summery, sunshiny drinks. Thoughts of Tequila Sunrises came to mine, as well as the good ol' beer/vodka/lemonade Summer Brew. But today, for your summer slurping pleasure, we bring you, courtesy of the The Quarry Golf Club of San Antonio the Summer Fling Margarita. It uses Skinny Girl Ready-to-Serve Margaritas mixed with Fresca, plus a little more tequila if you want it stronger. So get your solstice on tonight (as if we ever needed an excuse). 

Summer Entertaining: Delish But Simple Toothpick Bites

Summer is a perfect time to entertain -- friends, food and cocktails on the back patio or around the pool. But, in the heat of the summer, who wants to spend time in a hot kitchen cooking and baking?  Our friends at the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board have developed 50 cheese-based treats on toothpicks that are easy to assemble, pretty to look at and tasty to eat. Fill a platter with a few of these, mix up a pitcher of refreshing cocktails and you're set for a party -- without breaking a sweat.

Thirsty Thursday: Happy Flag Day Everyone!

Cocktails should be fun.  And, what's more fun than concocting cocktails that go with a particular holiday or season?  So, this week, in honor of Flag Day (and in anticipation of Independence Day just around the corner), we looked around for ideas for patriotic cocktail recipes!  

In the search for ideas, we came across a new liqueur we hadn't tried before called Hpnotiq.  It is blend of French vodka, exotic fruit juices and a touch of cognac.  Most special is its wonderful vibrant blue color, which makes it a natural as a base for layered red, white and blue drinks.  (The same company also has introduced Hpnotiq Harmonie, which sports a beautiful violet shade which we will revisit on a future Thirsty Thursday.) 


For actual recipes, try one of the following: 

From www.drinksmixer.com

Old Glory

1/3 oz grenadine syrup
1/3 oz Hpnotiq liqueur
1/3 oz white chocolate liqueur 

Layer the drinks in above order into a shot glass. Red/white/blue like old glory. Shoot.

Simply Stated, a blog by Real Simple, had a series of red, white & blue cocktail recipes.  Check it out!

Asian Chicken Pesto Pasta

Sometimes, dinner is created by what's on hand. Now, granted, I have a somewhat eclectic pantry, so I have a bit more "on hand" than others, but this dish can easily be made in under 15 minutes after a brief stop to the store. If you can't find Thai basil or aren't growing your own (I got a plant for $2 at Home Depot and it grows like crazy!), use regular basil.  It just won't be as peppery.

Note, it only serves 2...I've been practicing my "empty nesting" recipes in preparation for this fall when our daughter heads off to college. Also note that the measurements are not exact.  Use your intuition, taste and creativity to make it your own.  You could add diced cucumber as well, and we served it with cubed mango drizzled with lime juice.

Asian Chicken Pesto Pasta         

Serves 2

1 rotisserie chicken breast, shredded

One large handful slaw mix

One bundle Asian noodles

One large handful Thai basil

7-10 mint leaves

One handful peanuts, roasted briefly in hot skillet

2 garlic cloves

Dash sesame oil

olive oil

Sriracha

 

Place chicken in large mixing bowl. Meanwhile bring water to boil in large skillet, place in Asian noodles.  Turn off heat and let sit until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and add to bowl with chicken. Add in slaw mix and salt. In a food processor, combine Thai basil, mint, salt to taste, peanuts, garlic cloves, sesame oil until it forms a paste. Add about ½ c. olive oil and process until somewhat smooth. Pour over ingredients in bowl, mix and serve with Sriracha hot sauce if you want it spicy.

Thirsty Thursday (Friday): Bourbon for Barb

For this week's Thirsty Thursday, (which I now realize is a day late but hopefully not a dollar short), I decided to do an homage to my buddy Barb, who is celebrating her birthday today on a fabulous beach in Mexico.  

 
I briefly considered some type of Margarita, but frankly, I'm feeling a bit bored by that right now.  So, I went with her favorite booze -- Bourbon.  Lately, I've been sort of converted to bourbon by a series of bar cocktails that featured a bit of honey in the mix.  So, here's what I've found for this week:  a Manhattan Honeymoon from AllRecipes.com that seems to fit the bill.  It's a traditional Manhattan with a little sweet twist.  Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Barb! 

Sharon