MINI girl

Banana-Cherry Smoothie

Here is an easy smoothie you can whip up before work. You'll get two servings of fruit plus calcium and protein. Breakfast of champions!

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen pitted cherries
1 banana, broken up
1 cup (or more) soymilk

Method:
Blend in blender until liquified adding more soymilk as necessary.

Sunshine Punch

My friend and co-worker, Deb, gave me this recipe for punch. It is delicious, and not too sweet.

Ingredients:
1 can limeade concentrate, thawed
1 can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 can orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 cups cold water
1 2-liter bottle 7-up, Sprite or Ginger Ale

Method:
Combine canned juice concentrates with water. Mix in soda. Serve in a punch bowl.

Notes: Use a ring mold to freeze a ring of juice such as lemonade, limeade, or orange juice. Add maraschino cherries if desired. Float the ring in the punch bowl to keep it cold.

Champagne or Prosecco may be added to create a bubbly, alcoholic version of the punch.

Recipe from Deb Baker

Katie's Brandy Old-Fashioned

Our next-door neighbors, Katie and Jason, had us over for cocktails this afternoon. We had a great time. This cocktail is Katie's version of a brandy old-fashioned. It was great!

Yield: 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
1-2 shots of brandy
4 dashes Angostura bitters (optional)
4 oz 7-Up soda
1 dash grenadine (or juice from maraschino cherries)
maraschino cherries for garnish
lemon peel for garnish

Method:
Combine ingredients in an old-fashioned glass with ice cubes. Stir, garnish, and serve.

Pumpkin Shake Cocktail

Thanksgiving was the last time you mixed pumpkin pie and vodka. It was also the last time you pulled your skirt over your head while shouting at your sister, “At least I don’t have Mom’s thighs!”

There’s a safer way to blend your two favorites: the Pumpkin Shake. Follow this recipe for an ideal Halloween libation.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie vodka
1 scoop vanilla ice cream
½ oz. simple syrup
Splash of orange liqueur
3 large ice cubes

Method:

1. Combine in blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Top with whipped cream and sprinle with nutmeg.

3. Drink until happy/full/sleepy.

Candy may be dandy, but liquor is always quicker.

Modern Spirits Pumpkin Pie vodka available online at mondoliquor.com. For more seasonal cocktail recipes, go to modernspirits.com.

San Francisco Cable Car

Created a decade ago, this cocktail is now a true San Francisco classic.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Captain Morgan's spiced rum
3/4 oz orange Curacao
1 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup

Method:
Combine spirits and mixers in a pint shaker glass and fill glass with ice. Shake for 6 seconds, strain mixture into a cocktail glass. Garnish with cinnamon sugar rim, cinnamon stick and flaming orange peel.

Pomegranate Cucumber Mojito

Famed mixologist Ryan Magarian created this recipe for the Fairmont Hotel's 100th anniversary. This refreshing mojito is an innovative twist on the classic Cuban cocktail.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
4 thin slices of cucumber
6 fresh mint sprigs
1 1/2 oz Bacardi light rum
3/4 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 oz POM Wonderful
3/4 oz simple syrup
1 1/2 oz club soda

Method:
Muddle the mint and cucumber in a pint shaker glass. Add spirit and mixers and fill glass with ice. Shake for 6 seconds and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with cucumber slice, sugar rim and a sprig of mint.

Air Mail

A true gem that harkens back to the '20s. This recipe was created for the historic Fairmont Hotel for her centennial anniversary by master mixologist Ryan Magarian.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 oz Bacardi light rum
1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
3/4 oz honey syrup
2 oz brut champagne

Method:
Combine spirit and mixers and fill a glass with ice. Shake for 6 seconds, strain mixture into a champagne flute and top off drink with champagne.

Sour Cherry Syrup (Homemade Grenadine)

The cherry tree in our front yard was FULL of cherries this year! We harvested a pound of cherries and I made this homemade grenadine syrup - it's easy since you don't have to pit them first. I can't wait to have an amaretto sour with a splash of my homemade syrup!

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1 1/3 cups sugar
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 pound washed and stemmed sour cherries (unpitted)
cheese cloth

Method:

1. In a large pan, bring sugar, lime juice and water to a boil, stirring occasionally. Tie cherries up in 2 layers of cheesecloth and gently lower into pan. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
2. Lift cherries in their cheesecloth and hold above pan for a minute to let syrup drain. Set cherries aside and let everything cool.
3. Pour syrup into clean jars or bottles. Keep in refrigerator until needed. If desired, place cherries in a clean jar and cover with syrup.

Note:
Stir 3 or 4 parts cold water with 1 part syrup and add ice to make sour cherry coolers. Syrup can also be diluted with sparkling water to make cherry soda, or used in cocktails as grenadine. Reserved cherries in syrup may be used in desserts or as cocktail cherries.

Strawberry Summer Coolers

I made up this tasty summer cocktail to go with my grilled halibut tacos.

Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 (12oz) can strawberry juice (such as Jumex, available in the Mexican aisle)
juice from 1/2 lime
2 oz raspberry flavored vodka (such as Stoli Razberi)
ice cubes
2 strawberries, sliced

Method:
Divide into two glasses. Serve immediately.

Sangria

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
2 bottles red wine
3/4 cup brandy
1/2 cup triple sec and/or Cointreau
3/4 cup orange juice
2 oranges, sliced into thin round
2 green apples, cored and sliced thin
2 lemons, sliced into thin rounds

Method:

1. Place sugar and water in a small saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat and allow to cool.
2. Combine wine, brandy, triple sec and/or Cointreau, and orange juice in a large pitcher and stir to combine. Add the cooled sugar water and stir to combine. Drop in the fruit slices.
3. Store in a covered pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Serve over ice.

Recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's Hot off the Grill.

Brandy Slush

Ingredients:
1 can pink lemonade concentrate
1 can cranberry juice concentrate
1 (32 oz) bottle cranberry juice cocktail
16 oz Brandy
2 liter 7-Up or Sprite, for serving

Method:

1. Mix juice concentrates, juice, and Brandy together.
2. Freeze mixture in shallow containers, covered.
3. To serve, fill a glass half full with frozen mixture; fill remainder of glass with 7-Up or Sprite.

Variations:

• Substitute orange juice concentrate for the pink lemonade concentrate.
• Substitute 32 oz freshly brewed tea of your choice for the bottle of cranberry juice cocktail.
• Substitute ginger ale for the 7-Up.

Sunburnt Senorita

My husband and I were inspired by a cocktail we had at Teja's Restaurant in Edina, MN. This is what he came up with, and it is delicious! The proportions can be tweaked to taste.

Yield: 1 drink

Ingredients:
Ice - as needed
2 shots of Sauza Blanco (or your favorite Tequila)
1 shot of Triple Sec
Juice from 1/2 fresh lime
4 oz. Orange Juice
1/2 to 1 shot of Chambord
Margarita salt (or granulated sugar), optional

Method:

1. Use a lime wedge or a little water to wet the rims of margarita glasses or other cocktail glasses of your choice. Dip the rims in margarita salt to coat. Sugar may be used instead, but salt and tequila are natural complements.
2. Add ice to glasses along with Sauza Blanco, Triple Sec, lime juice and orange juice. Stir.
3. Drizzle Chambord into glass; serve immediately.

Source: Christopher Leighton-Brooder

Rum Punch

I made this delicious cocktail along with the Pork Tenderloin with Spicy Guava Glaze and Grilled Pineapple and Avocado Salad.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4 cups mango juice, chilled (such as Looza brand)
3 cups pineapple juice, chilled
1 ½ cups dark rum
1/3 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 limes)
¼ cup grenadine
3 cups club soda, chilled

Method:

1. Combine sugar and ½ cup water in a small saucepan over high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; transfer sugar mixture to a small bowl. Chill.
2. Combine sugar mixture, mango juice, and next 4 ingredients (through grenadine) in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Stir in soda. Serve over ice.

From Cooking Light Magazine, September 2006

Frozen Grasshopper

An old-fashioned supper club favorite.

Yield: 1-2 servings

3/4 ounce green Creme de Menthe
3/4 ounce white Creme de Cacao
2 cups vanilla ice cream
4 ice cubes
fresh mint leaves for garnish

Mix all ingredients (except mint) in a blender on medium speed until combined.
Pour into glasses and garnish with mint leaves.