WINE: Metairie Sauvignon

Perfect wine for a summer patio night!

MINT JULEP SWEET TEA

Kentucky Derby Party anyone???

MINT JULEP SWEET TEA

Combine 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves; 1 lemon, sliced; and 2 Tbsp. sugar in a 2-qt. pitcher.


Press mint leaves against sides of pitcher with back of spoon to release flavors. 


Stir in 3 cups cold Southern Sweet Tea (below) and 1 cup bourbon. 


Serve over crushed ice.  

SOUTHERN SWEET TEA

3 cups water
2 family-size tea bags
1/2 to 1 cup sugar
7 cups cold water

Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a saucepan; add tea bags. Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover and steep
10 minutes.

Remove and discard tea bags. Add desired amount of sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour into a 1-gal. container, and add 7 cups cold water. Serve over ice.

Thanks Ballard Designs for this great recipe!

ENJOY!

GOVERNOR'S MANSION SUMMER PEACH TEA PUNCH

GOVERNOR'S MANSION SUMMER PEACH TEA PUNCH

Makes: 2 gal.   
6 family-size tea bags
3 cups loosely packed fresh mint leaves
2 (33.8-oz.) bottles peach nectar
1 (12-oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 cup Simple Sugar Syrup
1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale, chilled
1 (2-liter) bottle club soda, chilled
Garnishes: fresh peach wedges, kumquat slices

Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan; add tea bags and mint leaves. 

Boil 1 minute; remove from heat. Cover and steep 10 minutes.

Discard tea bags and mint. Pour into a 1-gal. container; add peach nectar, lemonade concentrate, and Simple Sugar Syrup. Cover and chill 8 to 24 hours.

Pour chilled tea mixture into Beverage Jar. Stir in ginger ale and club soda just before serving. Serve over ice

Simple Sugar Syrup

Makes: 2 gal.

2 cups sugar

Bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil, stirring occasionally, 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is clear.

Cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week.

Thanks Ballard Designs for this great recipe!!!

ENJOY!

MIXED BERRY BELLINI

MIXED BERRY BELLINI

1 (12 oz) package frozen mixed berries, thawed
1/4 cup sugar
1 (750 ml) bottle sparkling wine

Combine berries and sugar in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Strain mixture, if desired. Pour fruit mixture into pitcher.  Slowly add sparkling wine, stirring gently to combine.

Enjoy!

GOLDEN DAIQUIRI

GOLDEN DAIQUIRI 

6 Fresh Raspberries

1 Packed tablespoon dark brown sugar

Ice Cubes

2 oz golden rum

Juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 Tbsp)

Muddle raspberries with the sugar in a rocks glass. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.  Add the rum and lime juice.  Shake until chilled.  Pour drink over the berries in the glass.  Add a few ice cubes.

Enjoy!

MISTLETOE MARTINI

MISTLETOE MARTINI

3/4 oz lemon juice
3 or 4 ice cubes
3 tsp sugar
3 oz chilled cranberry herbal tea
2 oz orange juice
2 oz vodka

Mixing instructions:
Place ice cubes in martini shaker and add all the ingredients. Close the shaker and shake. Strain into two martini glasses. Garnish and enjoy.

WHITE SANGRIA

I can always count on mom's Bunko group for amazing drink recipes!

WHITE SANGRIA

1 cup water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 bottle apple juice

2 oranges (wedged, squeeze juice in mixture)

2 limes (wedged, squeeze juice in mixture)

2 lemons (wedged, squeeze juice in mixture)

1 granny smith apple (remove core and seeds, rough chop apple)

Heat water, sugar and cinnamon stick.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.  Remove and chill.  Remove cinnamon stick, add wine and all citrus juice and wedges, add apple wedges, and apple juice.  Cover and chill for 48 hours.  Strain out all fruit and serve chilled with any fruit in season.

LIMONCELLO CHAMPAGNE

LIMONCELLO CHAMPAGNE

8 Tbsp Limoncello

4 Tsp fresh lemon juice

1 bottle brut Champagne, chilled

Lemon rind

Sugar

Rim the glasses with sugar.  Roll up each strip of lemon rind; place 1 into each of 8 Champagne flutes. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon juice to each glass. Divide Champagne evenly among glasses. Serve immediately.

Serves 8.

MOJITO

MOJITO

This recipe is the official Bacardi Mojito recipe and is amazing!  Perfect for summers in Texas when the weather is 300 degrees all day long!

1 Part Rum

3 Parts Club Soda

12 mint leaves
1/2 lime, cut into wedges
1/2 Part Sugar (or 1 part simple syrup)

Mint sprig and lime for garnish

Place mint, lime and sugar in a glass a muddle with a pestle.  Add rum, club soda and ice.  Stir well.  Garnish with mint and lime.

MINT JULEP

MINT JULEP

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup loosely packed chopped fresh mint (spearmint preferably)

EACH SERVING:
1/2 to 3/4 crushed ice
1 oz. bourbon
2 tsp. lime juice
1 1/2 oz ginger beer
Mint sprig and lime slice for garnish

Combine the sugar, water and chopped mint in a large saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Cook until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool to room temp.  Strain the syrup and discard the mint.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

For each serving, place ice in a metal julip cup or rocks glass.  Pour 1/4 cup syrup, bourbon and lime juice into the glass; stir until mixture is well chilled.  Top off with ginger beer; garnish with mint and lime slice.

LIMONCELLO

After visiting Italy, I fell in love with Limoncello! It's a refreshing lemon liquer, perfect for a spring afternoon on the patio.

LIMONCELLO

6 ripe lemons

4 1/3 c. 92-95 proof alcohol (vodka or grappa)

3 1/2 c. sugar

4 1/3 c water

Wash and dry the lemons. WIth a sharp knife or potato peeler remove the lemon rinds. Put these in a glass bottle, add the spirits and close tightly. Shake the bottle vigorously and put in a dark cupboard for 7 days. It is important to shake the bottle occasionally during this period.

On the 8th day, put the sugar and water in a large pot and cook until they become syrup. This should be about 3 minutes after the mixture starts to simmer. Then let it cool.

Remove the bottle from the cupboard, remove the rinds and pour the liquid into the pot. Mix well. Use a tea strainer to strain the liquid of any remaining rind pieces and pour into bottles.

Close tightly and put them into a cupboard for 20 days. After that time, it can be drunk as an "digestivo" at the end of a meal. Serve chilled, some can be kept in the freezer depending on the alcohol content.

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Fresh or frozen strawberries

Vanilla yogurt

Honey

Ice

Blend it all together. YUMMY!