TGIF Cocktail Recipe: Spiked Cherry Limeade

Hey ya'll! I'm gonna share my favorite cocktail recipe from this summer. It's cherry-limey-liciousness. You are gonna love it! Well, you are gonna love it IF you like cherry limeade. If not, then this ain't the drink for you. Just go have a beer or something. Best of all, it's soooo super easy to make and the list of ingredients is short. Here it is:

Spiked Cherry Limeade

Captain Morgan's Lime Bite Rum
1 jar Maraschino cherries
Minute Maid Cherry Limeade (This comes in regular or Just 15 calories. Honestly, the regular tastes MUCH better, but if you are worried about the wasteline go for the Just 15. After a few drinks you won't care anyway...)
Lime Wedges

In a tall glass with lots of ice, add 1 shot of Captain Morgan's Lime Bite Rum. Fill glass nearly to the top with Minute Maid Cherry Limeade. Stir. Add 1 Tablespoon cherry syrup (Do not stir! The cherry syrup settles in the bottom and makes it really pretty. And, pretty is really important!) and 2 maraschino cherries. Finish with a lime wedge.

Now, all you need is a pool and some sunshine! Enjoy!

I've Been Away Drinking Spanish Wines

Hey ya'll! Long time, huh? I took a hiatus. Eleven months really flies by fast... but that's a post for another blog. This post is about Spanish wine varietals. Over the past eleven months, I have come to realize that Spanish wines appeal to me more than any other, and trust me when I say that I have tested many, many, many, many, many, many bottles of wine. I have also found that I detest Australian wines- all of them. I don't know what they do to grapes in Australia, but it ain't workin' for them. To me, the wines are all bitter, like the grapes are not ripe, or the soil quality is poor. I have never had a bottle of wine from Australia that I enjoyed. Now, I'm certainly no fine wine connoisseur, and wine is a finicky thing, so if you like Australian wines that's OK. You just won't find them at my house. However, you will find a selection of tempranillo (my fave, fave, fave), garnacha, macabeo, merlot, and probably some red blends ALL from Spain. These wines are fragrant, fruity, light on the palate, and easy to drink (trust me- very, very, very easy to drink. What!?! The bottle is empty already?!?) with almost any food you can imagine, especially the tempranillo. Also, did you know that this particular variety of grape can reduce bad cholesteral MORE than any other? I swear. I'm not making this up. Everyone has heard that a glass of red wine every day is good for you. (If a glass is good for you, a bottle is better!) Well, a study at Spain's Universidad Complutense de Madrid discovered that healthy participants who drank tempranillo had a nine percent decrease in LDL and participants who had high cholesteral recorded a twelve percent decrease compared to a decrease of approximately eight percent for other varietals. WOW! Apparently, it has to do with the grapes dark, dark color and higher fiber content. So, drink up! CHEERS!

I have found that wine drinkers are typically loyal to a varietal or region. This taste develops over years of wine drinking. I know this because when you are younger you will drink anything. Drinking is just a means to an end. You are in search of a better frame of mind and some fun. You will drink the cheapest, skunkiest beer. C'mon, you know you did! You will drink vodka concoctions from the fridge or a communal cooler that taste like Vicks Formula 44D cough syrup. (I occassionally still do this in a pinch.... Here's a tip: rum is much easier to mix with anything. Vodka is not.) When you are young and there is no alcohol available, you will eye the Listerine.... However, none of this true for older, more mature wine drinkers. They will say politely, "No, thank you. I'll pass.", if you offer them a wine they don't like or a wine they are unsure about. So, the point of all this narrative is.... if you have not tried tempranillo, you should. I would compare it to a pinot noir. It's not a very heavy red wine. It's light and fruity and goes well with all food. The same holds true for garnacha and the spanish red blends. In my opinion, the macabeo and, of course, the merlot are a bit heavier. Give'em a try! Let me know what you think. :)

Sick People Chicken Soup

Hello everyone! We have made it to Fall! The weather is beautiful and cooler! So, of course, everyone is sick. Almost everyone I know has some sort of allergy or sinus trouble or throat tickle or dry cough or the kids have the first Fall cold. I am going to share my recipe for Sick People Chicken Soup so you can doctor your family if the aforementioned afflictions are plaguing you and yours. Chicken soup is the perfect sick food because it is easy on the digestive system- I mean if you can't handle chicken soup you need to be in the hospital! I have always made this soup for every sick person in my family regardless of the ailment- colds, surgeries, allergies, back trouble, cancer, heart trouble, strep throat, you name it. I'm not claiming it will cure sick people, but it will definitely comfort them. Also, it's very simple to make, has just a few ingredients, and keeps well for several days in the fridge. It can also be frozen if you like for future outbreaks of illness. It will keep in the freezer for a couple of months. I would like to say that you should not stray too far from my recipe. I mean don't get crazy... We are talking about sick people here, OK? They don't need lots of herbs and spices and fresh ground black pepper and cheese and garlic toast and all that stuff we add to soup when we aren't sick. Keep it simple. We don't wanna irritate scratchy throats and make stuffy noses drip and eyes burn. We just wanna get the sick person to take some nourishment. I guess it would be OK if you want to substitute an oil or the kind of chicken I recommend, but really, I have pretty much perfected this recipe. So stick to it!

Sick People Chicken Soup

1 large white onion finely chopped
4 stalk celery finely chopped
6 carrots peeled and chopped (You can add more if the sick person likes carrots.)
1 clove garlic finely diced (That's it garlicaholics! We aren't trying to repel vampires!)
2 tbsp EVOO
1 rotisserie chicken deboned and diced  (I use store bought, but if you are feeling like Martha Stewart you can cook your own.)
1/2 cup uncooked white rice (You can substitute pasta here if you like. Ditalini works well. Increase to 3/4 cup.)
2 tbsp fresh dill finely chopped
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white pepper
2 32 oz. containers organic chicken stock
*Note: I recommend using organic ingredients for this soup. I always feel better about feeding my sick family members organic foods. When they are well- whatever, but sick I really, really care. :)

In a large stock pot add the EVOO and the chopped onion, celery, carrots, garlic and salt. Saute gently over medium heat until veggies just start to soften. (You want to sweat them a bit- not brown them.) Add the chicken stock, uncooked rice or pasta, diced chicken, white pepper, and chopped dill. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Stir occasionally. If it looks too thick, add water and let simmer.

Serve this with saltine crackers- the other famous sick people food! For dessert, I recommend a popsicle or jello. Of course, this entire meal should be served to your sick person on a tray while they recuperate in bed. Just prop them up on some nice fluffy pillows. Maybe I'll get sick soon...

The 411 on Bistro 217

Lunched at Bistro 217 today. What can I say but awesome, good things??? I've eaten here numerous times and they have catered our office holiday party a couple times. The food is always great. I love the atmosphere of the restaurant- very casual and laid back. I love the wait staff. (Pat, Pam, and Rebecca who we met today.) I just love it. You know, they have renovated the restaurant and now have expanded inside seating and a larger bar area, don't you? If you haven't been in a while you should go. If you haven't been at all you should go soon. You can literally close your eyes and pick something off the menu, and I promise it will be beyond good- into the realm of totally fantastic. I know you are waiting for my menu recommendations, aren't you? This is the one place that my answer is emphatically- ANY and ALL.  ANY and ALL of the menu items are awesome- unless, of course, you have some particular food aversion. (I'm blessed (or cursed depending on how you look at it...) with the ability to eat anything.) I have never ever been disappointed with anything I've ordered or eaten there- this is an important distinction, too, because I have ordered many things, and I have also eaten many things that others have ordered (I'm not ashamed to eat off someone else's plate! "Gimme summa that! Ohhh! That's soooo good!!!!"). It's all good. I typically go for one of the specials when I eat there. They always have several lunch and dinner specials that change daily. I do have some menu faves that I fall back on if the specials don't turn me on, which I will gladly share. My fave menu selection for lunch is the Pan Sauteed "Lunch" Grouper. I had it again today, and I swear it just gets better every time I eat it! Yummy! It's a plate of their homemade bistro potato chips topped with fried spinach. Then, they top that with the pan sauteed grouper, then top that with lobster sauce that has big chunks of lobster. SOOOOOOOOO YUMMY! My hubby really digs their fish tacos (he gets this every single time we eat lunch there...) that come with homemade tortilla chips and really tasty chunky guacamole. In fact, he compares every fish taco he eats to the fish tacos at Bistro 217. My other lunch faves are the Crunchy Thai Shrimp Salad and the Tomato, Crab & Jalapeno soup. For dinner, my old faithful standby is the Cornmeal Encrusted Flounder, which is always sooooo superbly cooked. However, I usually order a special at dinner, because as I mentioned before, the specials are always fantastic. Maybe I should go back for dinner tonight...

Skillet Chicken Cacciatore- That's Amore!

I know I haven't given ya'll a good recipe in a while, so here's a GOOD one! I made this last Sunday after looking in the fridge for ten minutes and thinking- "What the hell am I gonna cook???"  I had some left over mushrooms and sliced bell pepper from Friday night's salmon spinach salad. I had some chicken breasts. I had some canned tomato sauce. I had some diced tomatoes. I was drinking some red wine- a cabernet sauvignon if I remember correctly... Chicken cacciatore, maybe? I grabbed my trusty Southern Living cookbook and looked it up. OK, so I didn't have the exact ingredients for a traditional cacciatore, but I certainly could whip up a knock-off. (I get brave and very self-confident after a couple glasses of wine!) Fortunately, my pantry is always pretty well stocked. It turned out great. Even my picky-eating son ate it! He actually came wandering out of his room while I was cooking and asked, "What smells so good?". When I told him it was dinner he was more than skeptical until he stuck his nose in the pan of onions and EVOO that was deglazing with red wine. He said, "YUM! That smells so good!". Score 1 for Mom. Here's what I came up with:

Skillet Chicken Cacciatore

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut into chunky pieces
1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil- I know you know what that means!)
1 medium onion- chopped
4 cloves garlic- chopped
1/2 cup red wine (It's perfectly OK to drink the rest of the bottle.)
1 green bell pepper- chunky diced
8 oz. white sliced mushrooms
1 can tomato sauce w/ Italian herbs
1 can petite diced tomatoes w/ garlic & olive oil
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried thyme
sea salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 lb. pasta- cooked al dente (I used perciatelli, but use whatever you prefer.)
fresh grated parmesan cheese

Brown the chicken in the EVOO over medium-high heat until browned. Remove to a plate. Add the chopped onion to the pan and saute until transluscent. Add the chopped garlic and saute for just another minute- do not burn the garlic. Add the red wine to the pan to deglaze using a wooden spoon to rub the bottom of the pan to release all the bits stuck on the bottom. Let the wine cook off a bit- maybe 2-3 minutes at a low simmer. Add the diced tomatoes to the pan. Bring up to light boil. Add the mushrooms and bell pepper to the pan. Add the tomato sauce to the pan. Add the oregano and thyme. Salt & pepper to taste. Add the chicken back to the pan and stir it in to coat it in the sauce. Add the 3 bay leaves and stir in gently. Bring to a gentle boil. Cover and reduce heat. Let this simmer for at least 40 minutes so the sauce comes together and the chicken gets tender. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serve this yummy stewed chicken over pasta with lots of fresh grated parmesan cheese at the table. Enjoy!

Honest Tea is Honestly Good- Honest!

Hey Ya'll! How about this cool snap? It's awesome. You can actually get outside and enjoy some activities without sweating like a pig! However, if you do get hot and thirsty I have a new beverage for you to try- Honest Tea Moroccan Mint Green Tea. I'm so addicted to it. Unlike other bottled teas, this one is the real deal! It's USDA certified organic, and it's NOT overly sweet like all those tea drinks on the market today. I have found in my old age- well, older age- I'm not quite ready to succumb to OLD AGE- that I'm sensitive to two things: salt and sugar. They literally make me swell up like a bullfrog. Too much salty chinese food and sugary drinks have me looking like a puffy hot mess the next day! Now, sometimes I still indulge in spite of the ugly (and I do mean ugly!) consequences, but usually I try to limit salt and sugar because I am terribly vain. So, this is how I stumbled upon Honest Tea. I was perusing the beverages at CVS (You can also find a much wider variety of Honest Tea at the super awesome Fresh Market.) for something with low sugar, low caffeine, no preservatives, and great taste. Mind you, these criteria REALLY limit the choices. I chose the Honest Tea Moroccan Mint Green Tea. It's organic- check for no preservatives. It has 1/4 the caffeine of a cup of coffee (approximately 24.3 mg per serving compared to 80 mg in a cup of coffee)- check for low caffeine. It has 1/6 the sugar of other tea beverages on the market and is sweetened with honey (only 34 calories for the whole bottle- SWEET!)- check for low sugar. BONUS- it has as much of the antioxidant EGCG as 32 servings of blueberries! All that remained was taste. I was pleased. It actually tastes like tea with a light spearmint flavor that is lightly sweetened. It's very refreshing and doesn't leave you still thirsty after you drink it the way some beverages can. Also, it's reasonably priced at about $1.69 per bottle and comes in other varieties of green and black teas. I just happen to be hooked on the Moroccan Mint, but you may like another variety. Try them.

Grab a Greek Pizza in G'Town!

Hey Ya'll! This week I have found a diamond in the rough! Actually, it was two weeks ago, but I'm just now getting around to writing. Sorry... I'm a very busy gal. I know all of you have heard of, eaten at, or at least driven by Tony's Famous Pizza in Georgetown, right? This local joint has been in Georgetown FOREVER. They also have one in the big metropolis of Andrews. I have eaten here way too many times to count and had everything on the menu forwards, backwards, sideways, special ordered, and smothered in Tony's famous sauce. Yes, they have a famous sauce. It's the main reason that people eat there, because in all honesty the food is simple and plain. It's subs and pizza- mainly. You can get a salad (I don't recommend it, but you can...), or pasta (again- at your own risk- except the lasagna- it's really good). The subs are good but not by any means great until you pour on the special sauce. Then, suddenly you have sub perfection! I'm telling you, it's the sauce that has made Tony famous! However, this post is not about Tony's sauce. No, no, no... It is about Tony's Greek Pizza. I am not a huge fan of pizza because I live with 2 kids who eat it A LOT. So, naturally, I am burned out. The very thought of pizza makes me nauseated. But, this one day the thought of subs was more nauseating, so I opted for pizza. I picked the Greek pizza because it was the LEAST traditional pie on the menu. When I opened that box all i could do was smile. It was beautiful- golden brown crust, sliced meatballs (homemade, too...), fresh slices of tomato, green peppers, onions, black olives, lots of feta cheese, marinara sauce, and just enough mozzarella to hold it all together. The crust is good, too. Not too chewy, not too thin, not too thick. Just right. If ya'll are in Georgetown I highly recommend stopping in at Tony's for a Greek pizza. Or, call and order one, pick it up, and take it home. The number is 546-1612.