Cocktail Friday - Piña Colada-tini

I am not overly keen on martini type drinks, they are always a little short for me.  This one may have changed my mind.....

Introducing the Pina Colada-tini.  A Pina Colada, but smaller, and not quite as rich.

Ingredients for 2. Taken from this recipe 

4oz rum

2oz coconut rum 

4oz pineapple juice

2oz coconut cream

1oz blue curaçao 

Add rums, pineapple juice and cream of coconut to a cocktail shaker filled with ice. shake vigorously and strain into a chilled martini glass (Side note: I picked these glasses up at the Dollar tree.  That means I paid $1 each....) SLOWLY drizzle the blue curaçao down the side of the glass to get a layered ombre effect.  Garnish as desired.

To say these were delicious is an understatement.  They were delightful.  So delightful I had to make more.....

Cocktail Friday - Rum Punch

Ahhh, starting to feel really summery now.  And really getting into cocktails.  The fruitier the better!  

I found this one through Pinterest as usual.  What did we do before this website? we actually relied on books and word of mouth???  Out kids are gonna know a whole different world to what we did.....

Any whooo, this is a Rum Punch.  Recipe adapted from here

Ingredients for 2 Rum Punches 

6oz pineapple juice

4 oz orange juice

2 oz of dark rum, plus extra to our on top

2oz coconut rum

splash of grenadine

lime wedge for garnish

In a glass with ice pour in the orange juice, pineapple juice and measured rums.  Give a light stir.  Slowly pour in the grenadine so it sinks to the bottom of the glass.  Add 1/2 oz of dark rum to the top of the drink, and garnish with lime.  We chose a frozen wedge, it was what we had....

oh my, oh my oh my..... these were lush.  We had them at a BBQ.  yummy.  One to make again me thinks....

Cocktail Friday - Rum Runner

Ahhh summer, I love it.  What is more summer-y than a delicious cocktail?  

While traveling back from Kiawah Island, I stumbled across this info gram.  Very interesting I thought.  Not keen on South Carolinas cocktail, but Florida's looked lush.  Seeing as we are off there in a couple of weeks, I though i would give it a go. Might even try and make our way across the country!

Here is Rum Runner

Ingredients for 2 (recipe adapted from drinksmixer.com)

1.5 oz Captain Morgan's Original Spiced Rum

0.5oz blackberry liqueur

0.5oz creme de banana

4oz orange juice

Pour ingredients into cocktail shaker, shake.  Pour over crushed ice.  Enjoy.

As you can see from the photos, I changed glasses.  This drink ended up being a short.  Probably because i do not have a proper blender to which up slush type drinks.  This will change in a few weeks....

This drink was lush, just the right mouth of sweetness.  Next time I will double them up again, and make them long drinks.  Until I get my blender....

Cocktail Friday - Orange vodka martini

I have been itching to try some of the drinks of my Pinterest board.  Have you seen it?  If not, you can find it here.

So this is a Orange Vodka Martini.  I had to go to our local Total Wine warehouse to get the triple sec, even though the recipe calls for orange liquor......

I made my own sugar syrup from the recipe I found on line.

Don't you love the martini glasses??? Thank you Dollar Tree!

Credit for this recipe goes to give recipe.com and can be found here

Ingredients for 2 orange vodka martinis 

4oz vodka

2oz triple sec

2oz simple sugar

2oz orange juice (missing from picture)

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake for 10-30 seconds, until the shaker becomes cold to the touch.  Strain into martini glasses.

hmmm...... Doesn't look a thing like the original website picture.  We chose not to rim the glasses (too lazy).  Still really lush.  Potent, with very little alcohol taste.

Cocktail Friday - Florida Sunshine

I really have been tequila heavy this month!  Apologies.  I shall purchase a new liquor shortly!  

So this is a Florida Sunshine.  Given it is June next week, this is apt.  We are off to Florida in July, maybe we take the ingredients for this.....

Ingredients for 2 

4 oz tequila

1oz grenadine

4 parts orange juice

4 parts pineapple juice

Put the juices and the tequila into a shaker.  Shake.  Pour over ice into glasses.  Slowly add the grenadine.

My, oh my.  Deliciousness......  

Enjoy the sunshine!

Cocktail Friday - Sneaky Tequila

A small problem I have with doing cocktail friday is inspiration.  I love Pinterest, but often seem overwhelmed with the ideas, and the perfectness of some of the posts I come across.  I sincerely hope that you can see the frailties in my blog, the imperfect pictures, the mad ramblings......

Anyway, I found this little beauty here on Pinterest.  I adapted it slightly as I dint have any orange liquor (next on my list) so used banana instead.

Ingredients for 2

4oz tequila

4oz coconut rum

1 oz banana liquor

splash of pineapple juice

splash of cranberry juice

Add all ingredients to shaker.  Shake well. Serve over ice

To say that this is potent is an understatement.  It was really strong.  I ended up half filling our glasses, then adding more pineapple and cranberry juice to the shaker, mixing it all together, then topping up our glasses!!!!  That made it better, and we got one and a half cocktails each for out trouble!  The measurements need to be worked a little on this, but it was very tasty! 

Cocktail Friday - Tequila Sunrise

Ahh, probably one of the most classic Tequila based cocktails.

The Tequila Sunrise.

Ingredients for 2

4oz Tequila

8oz orange juice

1 1/2 oz grenadine

Pour tequila and orange juice into glass over ice.  Add grenadine slowly, allow to settle before drinking.  Stir to complete your sunrise

Yum, yum and yum.  Simple, yet tasty 

Happy Friday! 

Cocktail Friday - TVR

I finally bought a new spirit/liquor.  Tequila, it makes you happy?

I had lots of interesting, vomit inducing experiences on tequila when i was younger.  To the point I often avoid it.  But this was at Costco, and hey, it was cheap!

If you spent the best part of your young alcohol drinking years growing up in the UK, you will probably have heard of this cocktail.  It was served in many bar, pubs, clubs etc when i was a young-un.  And it wasn't cheap......

The TVR, tequila, vodka and red bull. 

Ingredients

I pretty much just wrote them above....

equal parts tequila and vodka.

1 can of red bull between 2 drinks

Put liquor over ice into glasses.  Add red bull.  Ta-da

Refreshing, yet potent, if you want an early night, this is not for you.  Simple, almost makes me want another.....

Cocktail Friday - Bay Breeze

Do you have it?

That Friday feeling????

I am not sure if i do, but hopefully this cocktail will help!

This is a Bay Breeze, a vodka based cocktail.  Paul bought this particular Smirnoff at the duty free in Heathrow on his way back from England.  Its nearly gone (opps)

Ingredients (for 2)

3 oz vodka

4 oz cranberry juice

4 oz pineapple juice 

Add ice to cocktail shaker, add all ingredients. Give it a good shake.  Put more ice in to glasses (I like my cocktails cold!), pour over drinks

This was another fountain of deliciousness.  Something about pineapple juice makes me think of holidays.  Must make sure we always have some, so I can escape any time!

Cocktail Friday - The Roswell

Next up.....

The Roswell......

Wonder why it is called that?  anyone care to enlighten me?

Ingredients (for 2)

3oz Malibu rum

3 oz cranberry juice

3oz Orange juice

splash of pineapple juice 

Add all the 3oz ingredients to a glass filled with ice.  Top with pineapple juice.

Oh. My Word.  These were lush, lush, lush, lush.  I may even have one tonight.....

Cocktail Friday - The Classic Mojito

Ahh, the classic mojito.  

We love this drink.  I have even got a pitcher which we bought just so I could make jugs of mojitos.   I think I was first introduced to this drink while on holiday in France, probably about 5 years ago.  It is particularly yummy, a good mix of sweet and bitter.

There are many versions of mojitos.  This is what I think is the classic.  No doubt others will disagree!!!

The Classic Mojito

1.5 oz lime juice OR the juice of one lime, which ever is most convenient

teaspoon of brown sugar, we prefer the light stuff.

5-8 mint leaves.  I swear, this drink is the only reason I grow mint, and why I now have 2 plants.

1.5 oz white rum.  Cuban is preferred, but we live in the States, so thats nay on impossible.

soda water / club soda 

lime wedges to garnish ( I had frozen ones)

In the glass, muddle together the mint, lime juice and sugar.  You can use the end of a rolling pin, back of a spoon or a pestle to do this.  You want to crush the leaved slightly, so they release their juice.  Add in ice cubes and lime wedges.  Pour over rum.  Top up with soda water.  You may want to give it an extra stir before consumption.

My mojitos can be a little hit and miss sometimes, but these ratios made for a very good version. No doubt they shall be made again many times in the summer until both mint plants are bare  

General update/ photo drop

Oh my gosh, how long has it been since I did one of these?!?!  

About 6 weeks. I seem to be writing more on topics than general ramblings.  Better change that quick smart.  Try and keep up, while I bombard you with photos of our lives.  I apologize if I repeat myself in any way shape or form.

So a couple weekends ago we went to Lake Conastee Nature Park.  We have been to Conastee Park before, they have loads of play equipment and plenty of baseball pitches.  This is the other side of the Lake.  It is more of a bird watching / nature reserve place.  It was a beautiful day, and we had lots of fun walking / running on the paths.  They form part of the Swamp Rabbit Trail, which they are constantly updating and maintaining here in Greenville.

This is an adorable picture of two of my favorite people. They both look so happy here.  Notice the garden furniture is out?  It is finally getting warm here.  Although it is rainy today, it is still 76 degrees......

We recently took a trip to Helen in Georgia.  You can read more about that here.

Th boys had a great time hunting for eggs on Easter Sunday.  Even if they were in their pajamas still

Sebastian was more inclined to eat what he found straight away, rather than hunt for more.....

I have been doing a shed load of baking.  We have stopped buying bread, as it just wasn't very nice.  I am now making a loaf a day to keep up with what we all eat.  At least this way we know the majority of what goes into our food.

I am also making a batch of about 40 cookies each week.  I found an awesome recipe on the choc chip pack from Costco.  A slight tweak on the time and temperature, and they make awesome snacks.  Not sure I have bought any packs of cookies or biscuits for about 6 weeks.  I am also making my own rice crispie treats, with decorations, which the boys love.  Next up is fruit jelly snacks.  I have tried one recipe, but they end up as jelly blocks, rather that gummy sweets.  Again, a slight tweak on the ingredients will probably do it, but we have to eat what we have first!

Isaacs behavior had been better for 6 weeks.  Until yesterday.  Funny, he started eating a certain snack type yogurt over the weekend, after not having it for six weeks.  We introduce it, and boom, email home about behavior.  Think we will be knocking them on the head for good.

Do you like my painting?  I went out on a Friday night with some ladies form a local Facebook group to Corks and Colours at Southern Galleries in Simpsonville.  It was a bring your own bottle painting evening.  It was great. I am really pleased with my picture!

Cocktail Friday is still going strong.  Don't forget to check back here every friday to see what concoctions we have been drinking recently!

This is a screen shot of a photo I pasted on Instagram.  See those likes???  They are all Monster Jam drivers!!!!!  If only they could know how truly OBSESSED Sebastian is with monster jam. We have a few recorded, and that is all he wants to watch.  He plays with the monster trucks when he is not watching them.  He thinks he is a monster truck and uses the sofa as his course.... 

This is my friend Amber.  She is another Zumba instructor.  We recently got together and choreographed 'Chica Practica'.  You can check it out here on her YouTube Chanel.

Check out the flower on my strawberry plant!  I got these in the ground too late last year to fruit, though they did send off tones of runners.  I have so many flowers this year it is ridiculous.  There are load of little strawberries coming along.  Yaaaaayyyyyy!!!  Think I will do a full post on my veggies patch soon, it is certainly coming along.

And in case you missed it, Oliver had the titanium plates laced in his ear recently.  You can read more about it here.

I did my Zumba Gold training this weekend.  It was awesome.  Ali the trainer was really good, I had a lot of fun, and learnt a few more rhythms.  

                                          

I am so enjoying my Zumba at the moment, and am looking out for a subbing opportunity very soon.  I am leading a song at a Zumbathon this weekend.  It is a charity event for the Make a Wish SC, so if you are in the area, please come along

Thats all for now! 

Cocktail Friday - Boat drink

Ok, major confession time.  The next 4 cocktails I will post about on Fridays were all consumed in the same weekend.  Don't judge me, it was Easter, Paul was off work, the boys were off school, and we were kinda tied to the house given Oliver's recuperation.  

There's something to be said for drinking cocktails in the early afternoon/ evening.  Really makes you think like you are on holiday.... I so can't wait for our holidays to the beach.  Just got to decide which cocktails to make while there.  Oh the choice.......

Boat Drink 

3oz Vodka

1oz Rum (I used Goslings, typically)

Orange juice

Pineapple juice

Place ice cubes in glass, pour in vodka and rum.  Top up with 2/3 pineapple juice and 1/3 orange juice.  Enjoy

oh.  my.  word.  These were a little slice of heaven.  and so easy to make.  Needless to say another was consumed.....