Best Snowday Ever

Happy Close-callageddon! That's what you call it when all news sources were saying we would have another Snowmageddon, but we didn't have more than a dusting, and, therefore, could still drive to work. Today could also be called a Coldageddon since many of the schools in the area have closed due to the cold weather. Obviously adding the -ageddon is important in order to show the gravity of the situation. How would you know how bad the snow storm really is unless I compared it to the apocalypse. Kind of like when people add -gate after every scandalous situation. Not overused at all. 
Unlike the schools, work was not closed, even though as of Friday everyone thought it would be. They were saying there would be 6-12 inches. I even took a trip to Barnes and Noble on Thursday to stock up on some snow day books. I guess they will have to wait.
My best actual snow day ever was in law school. I went to law school in Minnesota, and if you've ever lived in Minnesota, you would know that they NEVER close schools. That is unless it was -50 windchill, or something drastic like that. Not usually for snow. So you could imagine my surprise and delight when I was having a girls night with some of my law school friends, and we were all starting to get texts from the school emergency hotline saying classes the next day had been canceled. Win. And, being that I knew this meant the roads were probably horrible, I decided to spend the night at my friend's apartment, which meant I could drink more wine. Another win. 
The next day, however, I went to go home and I saw this. 

Yes. That was my car.
I trekked back up to my friends apartment and asked to borrow her shovel so I could get myself out. It took me 45 minutes to shovel my poor car out of that parking space. When I came to drop the shovel off to my friend, she took one look at me and said "you need a drink". Which I did. We walked across the street to the Herkimer in Minneapolis, and spent more time there than I'm going to admit. It made for a great snow day. 
So the point of this story. I thought I'd share some of my favorite cocktails in the Kansas City and Minneapolis areas for all of those who might one day be snowed in and just need a good drink. You might say that it is a little late in the season to be sharing snow day advice, but with this winter, you never know.  The Smoking Dun Where you'll find it: Gram and Dun in Kansas City

This is the drink that made me think I like bourbon (then I tried bourbon straight and realized I did not). It is made with Templeton Rye, Rothman and Winter orchard cherry, rosemary simple syrup, and lemon juice. It is what I'd like to call a "sophisticated fruity drink", where it is sweet and fruity enough to be really good while avoiding the feeling of being a college girl on spring break. Those big ice cubes are also hickory smoked, so as the ice melts the taste of the drink changes. It's one of my and my husband's favorite drinks. 
Juicy Basil Where you'll find it: The Butcher and the Boar in Minneapolis

Another bourbon drink that makes me want to think I like bourbon (still don't). Made with Basil Hayden's 8 yr, triple sec, fresh orange juice and cranberry juice, and simple syrup, it is like a cousin to the smoking dun. Different, but delicious in similar ways. The Butcher and the Boar also has a beer garden, so you know. Something to consider.
Frozen Strawberry Margaritas Where you'll find it: Any Mexican restaurant really, but these are from Jalapenos in Kansas City.

I love frozen strawberry margaritas. My husband and I had them on our first date, so it is kind of nostalgic for me as well, but they are just so delicious. Jalapenos in the Brookside area of Kansas City makes the best ones in my opinion. 
Strawberry Jalapeno Margarita Where you'll find it: Rojo Mexican Grill in St. Louis Park, Minnesota

Best margarita ever. I admit, I kept seeing jalapeno margaritas being served on Vanderpump Rules, and I knew I had to try it. When I saw that Rojo had a strawberry jalapeno margarita when I was there on a girls night during Christmas break, it was a no brainer. So good. So spicy. Definitely worth the margarita calories.
Grand Street's Pomtini Where you'll find it: Grand Street Cafe in Kansas City

I've talked about this martini before. Still very good. 
Blue State Where you'll find it: Nightingale in Minneapolis

Also already talked about it. Also still very good.
I could go on and on about Smack Shacks oyster shooters, The Bulldog's numerous options of beer, or Coal Vines vast wine menu, but I think you all get the picture.
Warm thoughts to all of you!

Mulled Wine

I absolutely LOVE warm drinks in the winter. Even more than I love warm soups. There is just something about sitting inside where it is warm and drinking a warm drink during the coldest days of winter that is just amazing. When I was up in Minnesota for Christmas last weekend, my sister and I were discussing what we were going to make. Knowing it would probably be way colder up there than it has been down here in Missouri, making me now more soft when it comes to cold weather (I am ashamed), I suggested mulled wine. I'd seen it before, but had never actually tried it. Being that it was a warm wine drink, however, I knew it would be right up my alley. 
It was amazing. Even my mother, who is not a wine drinker by any means, really enjoyed it. And, considering it was cold and snowing the entire time we were up there, it definitely helped us feel cozy indoors.

So much snow

Mulled Wine From Ina Garten 
4 cups apple cider 1 bottle red wine 1/4 cup honey 2 cinnamon sticks (or a dash of cinnamon) 1 orange, zested and juiced 4 whole cloves  3 star anise
Combine all the ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve.

Enjoy!

Kir Royale

On Saturday, for a family friend's shower, I was put in charge of the drinks. Well, in charge, but under the direction of my sister. My sister, Hillary, wanted to have a cocktail for the event that was appropriate for a brunch, but wasn't a mimosa. Not that there is anything wrong with mimosas. They are actually one of my favorite drinks. Hillary just though they were a little overdone.
Enter one of her close friends, who recommended making Kir Royales. Kir Royales are kind of like raspberry mimosas. Not only are Kir Royales delicious, they went along with the French theme of the bridal shower. It was perfect. 
This may be my new go to brunch cocktail.
Kir Royale
Chambord Champagne Raspberries

Place one raspberry in a champagne glass. 

Pour about 1 shot of the Chambord into the glass.

Fill with champagne.

Enjoy!

Aquavit and Limoncello

I remember the first time I had Aquavit, a Norwegian alcohol. It was at my cousins Anna and Craig's Christmas party. Anna's family had gone to Norway that year, and had brought back some Aquavit. They convinced me to try it. I took a shot, and thought I had just drank nail polish remover. It definitely hits you! However, despite the taste, I found myself drinking more of it. I admit, that's because it's a Norwegian drink, and I'm Norwegian. It only seemed right.

Years later, when I came across an Aquavit recipe, I felt the need to try and make it. I don't know why, but again, I'm Norwegian. It only seemed right.

This drink is traditionally enjoyed around the holidays. I had timed it so that it would be ready for Christmas, hoping to bring it up to Minnesota with me. This is mostly because I thought I would be hard pressed to find someone to share it with me amongst these non-Norwegians in Kansas City. Of course, about an hour after we left for the holiday, I realized I had forgotten it. Luckily, my cousin, Graham, came up to Kansas City a couple weeks later, and I talked him into trying it. I made sure to use the appropriate shot glass.

To my pleasant surprise, Graham actually enjoyed it! He compared it to the taste of Absinthe (The legal kind of course). I tried it just to make sure, and sure enough it was much better than I remembered! If you're going to try Aquavit, this is definitely the kind to try.

Because Joe is Irish/Italian, and to try and stay nationality neutral, I decided to also make Limoncello, an Italian liqueur. It kind of tastes like lemondrops, or at least this recipe does.

Aquavit
From Chow

2 tsp. caraway seeds
2 tsp. fennel seeds
2 cardamom pods, crushed
2 whole cloves
1 medium lemon
1 medium orange
1 750 ml bottle vodka
1 tsp. granulated sugar

Toast the caraway, fennel, cardamom, and cloves over medium heat for about 3 minutes, shaking occasionally.

Remove a quarter of the peel from the lemon and orange, avoiding the pith. Remove about 2 tablespoons from the vodka bottle and place the peels, sugar, and toasted spices in the bottle. Cover tightly.

Let stand for 2 weeks in room temperature, gently shaking the bottle once a day. After the 2 weeks, strain the aquavit through a fine mesh strainer. It is best to do so into a large measuring cup. Transfer the strained aquavit back into the bottle after the bottle has been cleaned. Store in the freezer.


Limoncello
From Diane, A Broad

4 cups vodka
10 lemons
3 cups sugar

Clean the lemons and, once dried, zest, avoiding the pith. This takes awhile, so I set up a zesting station in the living room and zested while watching "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and drinking a glass of wine. I highly recommend this method.

Mix the zest with the vodka in either a large bottle or two large mason jars. Leave in a cool, dark place for a week (not the refrigerator). Gently shake every few days.

After the week, combine the sugar with 3 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until dissolved, and allow to cool to room temperature. Mix the sugar with the lemon vodka mixture and allow to rest for another week. Strain the limoncello in a fine mesh strainer, and then through a coffee filter. This part also takes awhile.

Return to the bottle, keep chilled and enjoy!

Skinny Eggnog

Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday. That's why, once Thanksgiving is over, I decorate immediately. It's an attempt to get as much Christmas out of this holiday season as possible. For the last two years we have spent the day after Thanksgiving decorating our condo. I'm trying to make it a tradition.

I have to admit though, it doesn't take too long to decorate our condo. Being that we are newly married, we haven't had too much time to collect very many decorations. Most of the decorations we have are from my parents. We also don't have matching stockings. Well, they match meaning they look similar to each other, but Joe's is much bigger than mine.

When I ordered them online, I swear Pottery Barn did not mention that the red stocking was bigger than the white stocking. Joe made me feel better about the whole thing, saying his is bigger because he is the boy. I can live with that.

Most of our ornaments on our tree are also ones we were given by my parents. Last year, Joe's nieces came over to see our tree, and one asked me why there weren't very many ornaments on it, so my mom let me take quite a few of her ornaments last Christmas to fill the tree out alittle bit more. My family has a tradition where whenever we go on a trip we always buy a Christmas ornament to commemorate it. Those are always my favorite ornaments, because they always bring me back to the good times my family has spent together. When my mom asks me which ornaments I want off the tree, those are usually the ones I take. This is a tradition I plan to keep doing with Joe, and the two ornaments that are my favorite are the oraments Joe and I received on the trips we have taken together. My favorite is from the Caymen Islands, where we went on our honeymoon.

 

  My second favorite is the one we received when we went to Hawaii for my sister, Hillary's wedding.

Another part of the day that I'm trying to make a tradition is to make a special Christmas drink every year that we can have while we decorate. Last year, I made spiked apple cider. This year I was determined to make egg nog. Joe asked why we don't just buy the egg nog, but I heard it is so much better if you just make it.

My brother in law, Mike, makes the best egg nog. I thought about asking him for his recipe, but when I found this recipe for skinny eggnog online, I thought I would try it. Considering all the eating we have been doing and will be doing this Holiday season, I figured it couldn't hurt to make something alittle less fattening.

I made two slight alterations to the recipe. First, the recipe calls for using an actual vanilla bean. To me that sounded like alittle too much work for the day after Thanksgiving, so I used vanilla extract. Second, the original recipe also calls for 1 % milk, but I ended up using skim (because that is what I buy). Both of these alterations the original author of the recipe said was ok.

Skinny Eggnog
adapted from skinny taste

3 cups skim milk
1 Tbs vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
nutmeg for garnish
rum or bourbon

Heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk on medium heat. Add the vanilla extract and let simmer. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and cornstarch.

Temper the eggs by pouring the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture about a cup at a time and whisking constantly. This is to avoid cooking the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, heat over medium heat, and stir constantly for about 6-7 minutes. Remove from heat, and pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of milk to stop the cooking.

Let cool and then pour into a pitcher. Chill. Spike with bourbon or rum. We used rum because we had plenty left over from when I attempted to make tiramisu a few weeks ago. Attempted is the key word. If you can't find marscapone, don't let someone convince you you can make your own by mixing cream cheese and cream. Doesn't turn out well.

 Can you guess who drank out of which mug?

Merry Christmas season everyone!