12 Days of Meyers - Meyer Mule

I first met the talented writer behind the Mad Betty website not quite two years ago. In fact, when I met her, I was already following her blog but I did not know it was hers. I also found that I kept wanting to call her Betty instead of Kristin. Since then, we have become fast friends. I love that she reviews two of my favorite shows, Mad Men and Breaking Bad.  It never fails that her take on each episode is exactly how I saw it, but then, she'll pose a thought that I did not catch and I love that.  She is always bright and cheery and we always have great conversations when we get together.  Her blog is like reading a subscription magazine as it’s packed with posts on all kinds of cool topics, from movie reviews to restaurant openings to her own twist on holidays and the local food scene.  I am super-excited that she agreed to guest write for me. I’m a huge fan of Moscow Mules and now a bigger fan of Meyer Mules. Kristin proves that if you just take a simple recipe and exchange one flavor component, you can have a whole new explosion of possibilities. Her take on this traditional cocktail is just like her - savvy and sweet with a touch of spice.  Is it five o'clock yet?

Meyer Mule

The Moscow Mule never goes out of style. The classic cocktail is loved for its pleasant bite from spicy ginger beer and tart lime topped with a hefty dose of smooth vodka. It’s traditionally served icy cold in a copper cup that calls to mind romantic old Hollywood nights.

My twist on the original replaces the lime juice with Meyer lemon flavors that mellow out the acidity and leave a sweet finish. But the triple strength ginger brew is like a fierce kick in the pants from Stalin himself. The combination of rugged bite and elegant sophistication make it an ideal cocktail for gatherings of mixed company. Classy dames and motorcycle gangs alike will guzzle down these Meyer Mules.

Meyer Mule

Simmer the following ingredients in a small saucepan until well incorporated to make a lemony simple syrup:

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

Zest of one Meyer lemon

In a shaker of ice add:

2 oz high quality vodka

3 oz ginger beer

Juice of half a Meyer lemon

2 TB lemon simple syrup

2-3 mint leaves, gently crushed by hand

Stir ingredients until well chilled and strain into glass of ice. Garnish with additional lemon and mint.

House Proud

Be grateful for the home you have, knowing that at this moment, all you have is all you need.

~Sarah Ban Breathnach

I have always appreciated where I live and each place that I have called home. This month, however, my perspective on the true meaning of "home" was made even more clear due to the recent floods we had here in Austin. Friends of ours lost their home and 80 percent of their precious belongings due to flooding, but they still had their spirit. With spirit and a community of helpers rallying together they were able to sift through their many years of memories and start that long road to recovery. It will be a long journey but they will do it because the most precious items in their home was each other. As I was helping the family sort and wash and pack and move, I was reminded that a home is deeper then the bare walls and all the furnishings. Don't get me wrong, there is a story for every special item in your home, but if we have to choose between the material and the real, family wins every time. Helping this family during the same time I was scheduled to have my friend Amy come to my home to do an episode for her show House Proud really made me stop and think about my home and what I try to portray in it. I've always wanted a home that was stylish yet comfortable. A home where you walk in and don't feel stiff. Where yummy smells entice you to stay for a while. But if all of that was taken away overnight would I still have a home? Would I have the spirit and drive it takes to rebuild all that is lost? I'd like to think that I would. I realized that those same walls that bring us shelter are the same walls metaphorically speaking that my family and friends bring to me, shelter. As I prepped for the show to be filmed in my kitchen I had to "de clutter" many of my things to make room for the camera guy. It's now a week later and I have not brought those things back into my kitchen nor have I missed them. I guess in hindsight, I always knew that home is where the heart is but the love and joy and hope I have encountered these last few weeks has truly cemented it for me, I'm jus' sayin'.

I made three quick go-to recipes for this episode of House Proud. Each of these recipes can be whipped up with little fuss and no dent in the pocketbook, which in turn gives you more time to enjoy your guests. I like to start with an easy and affordable cocktail and sangria is the perfect choice. I put a seasonal spin on it with apple and cinnamon but feel free to mix it up. I bought a good fresh salsa and paired it with easy homemade tortilla chips. I also made a bacon appetizer because who doesn't like bacon!



Fall Sangria Cocktail
In a large pitcher place the following:
2 apples cored and diced
3 strips of candied ginger minced (pantry staple)
1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon (spice pantry)
1/4 tsp. of ground cardamom (spice pantry)
1/2 bottle of Moscato wine (fridge staple)
1 bottle of hard apple cider
1 cup of apple juice
Juice of one half of a fresh meyer lemon
Stir all of the above and pour into glasses. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a cinnamon stick.
*Optional: rim each glass with lemon juice and cinnamon mixed with clear sanding sugar.


Fresh tortilla chips
1 bag of corn tortillas.
Oil for frying.
Cut each tortilla in fourths or strips.
Fry in 1/4 inch of oil.
Drain on paper toweling and sprinkle with Beer Salt. Serve with fresh salsa.


Sweet & Spicy Bacon Wraps
1 lb of bacon
1 bag of chili flavored dried mango strips (pantry staple)
Cut bacon in thirds. Cut mango strips to bite sizes.
Wrap bacon around each bite size mango strip.
Place bacon wraps on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
Bake in a 350 degree pre-heated oven for approximately 15-20 minutes or until bacon is cooked and caramelized. Drain on paper toweling and serve.

Want to help the flood victims? They still need so much. Check out this link and see how you can help.

Mr. White & Heisenberg

Dear Walt,

I felt such extreme sympathy when I heard that you had been dealt the card of cancer, I mean it's not like you have not had hard times in your past with selling out to your partners before their company made billions. Then you had to spend all those years teaching high school which we all know is a thankless job. I actually did not blame you for wanting to make money to take care of your family, what with the new baby and all those bills stacking up.

I found it admirable when you started to form a relationship with Jessie and I thought perhaps you two would form a bond that would be positive for you both. But then you had to put on that dang black hat and become "Heisenberg". You had to start taking lives (I know, some may have been justified) and take too many trips to the border. Finally, the lies to your family became almost unbearable.

I think I can officially say that you have become a diva in the world of all things crystal blue. I hate to admit it, but my sympathy has now disintegrated like the face of Gus. You have, however, continued to amaze me with your clever turns at throwing the DEA off and for that I will continue to sit on the edge of my couch with anticipation.

Mr. White, I may not have sympathy for you anymore, but I certainly have enjoyed this ride and I have to admit I will be very sad when this season comes to an end. I would like to thank you for introducing me to your family and for allowing me to fixate in a world of dark cartel that I normally would be giving up for some underrated reality show on TLC. I'm not sure how season 6 will close but for tonight, I will eat breakfast for dinner and raise a glass of Crystal Blue Sensation to you and your family as I watch with anticipation to see if you bury the black hat for good, I'm jus' sayin'.

Sincerely,

GirlGoneGrits

Tonight's dinner in honor of Season 6

Crystal Blue Sensation

2 oz Tapatio 110 Proof Blanco
3/4 oz Blue Curacao
3/4 oz diluted agave nectar

Shake ingredients over ice and strain into sugar-rimmed martini glass. Top with Jarritos Grapefruit soda.

5 Reasons To Lift Your Glass And Say ¡Salud!

A delicious fiesta with Margaritas rimmed with Sal de Mar salt

Reason 1 
I have many hispanic friends who have opened up their homes and lives by sharing stories, recipes and their beautiful culture with me.

Reason 2 
I'm married to the "Tequila Tracker" who is also a rep for the incredible T1 Tequila.

Reason 3 
My good friend Lucinda Hutson's book "¡Viva Tequila!" comes out in May and is a must read for anyone that enjoys tequila, cooking or the wonderful culture of Mexico.

*GIVEAWAY* 

Leave a comment below about your favorite tequila and I will do a random drawing for a free copy of this fabulous book on May 20, 2013.


Reason 4
My husband is an avid tequila collector with enough bottles to last many fiestas - which in turn may cause many siestas.

Reason 5 
It's taken me many years to get past my memories of bad tequila and educate myself into sipping true agave pleasure. 

If those are not reason enough to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, then I must need another sip to come up with more reasons and/or more shameless plugs. I'm jus' sayin'!

Soak Watermelon wedges in tequila-lime-agave. Skewer and Freeze.

Muddle fresh minced ginger and fresh blueberries in your favorite margarita recipe.

Mix freshly brewed Hibiscus tea with your favorite blanco and a splash of lime and agave syrup. 

Blood Orange Margarita

Anejo served neat with the essence of burnt orange peel on the rim

Margarita Gelato

Tequila Sunset

Avocado Margarita recipe courtesy of Notes From Maggies Farm

Take any flavor of the Republic Spirit Blends and pour straight into an ice cream machine for a delicious sorbet

How do you celebrate Cinco De Mayo?

Need more ideas as to what tequila is the best taste for you? Then check out these great sites that will give you plenty of information. And don't forget about the *GIVEAWAY*
http://www.tequilaneat.com/
http://www.TequilaAficionado.com/
http://www.agaveidiots.com/
http://tequilajournalist.com/

Mahalo Summer

I may have mentioned this in a previous post or two and I just have to say it again - I have the best neighbors! I know, I know... you probably have great neighbors too, however, the energy of our cove (cul-de-sac) has recently been revived with some new families and it's like it has awakened after being in some kind of cryogenic sleep chamber. Now we all seem to be outside with our kids playing, chatting and sipping cocktails more nights than not and our diversified group of personalities and age groups just adds to the fun.

A while back, my friend Lisa in Hollister, California started telling me about how her neighbors started doing progressive dinners. I was intrigued and thought if I ever had the opportunity to do one of these dinners with my neighbors I would. So step into the now with all of these fantastic neighbors and what a perfect opportunity to start our own tradition. We've now had two dinners and they have been nothing but huge successes! We started off with a simple "Progressive Meet Your Neighbors" dinner to test the waters. It was a hit, so we decided to end the summer right and have a luau-based progressive dinner. The progressive dinner itself is pretty basic. We start with three courses at three separate houses - appetizers, entree, and dessert. If you are hosting at your house than others can co-host by bringing food to that course. We had ten families participating in our luau, three of which hosted courses in their homes or backyards, the rest helping with their course of choice. We spend about an hour or so enjoying each course at each house until we move on to the next. It's simple, fun and a great way to get to know your neighbors. Of course, you don't have to have themes, we just happen to have an awesome group that is open to anything. As my new neighbor Ross mentioned last night, "Living on Cyrus Cove is like stepping into the 50's with a modern, updated twist." Thanks Ross, I could not have said it any better.

So if you find your neighborhood in a bit of a cyber-sleep and need to wake it up a bit, may I suggest something a bit progressive? You never know - it might just be the one thing that wakes you and your neighbors up... I'm jus' sayin'!

Here are some tips from my friend Lisa for making your progressive dinner successful.

1. Start with lots of communication, be it through e-mails, e-vite party invitations or phone calls. Don't rely on just chatting with people and keeping track of what you chat about. If it's all in writing then it's easier to go back and look at.
    
2. Appoint one master-planner. Having a master-planner will ensure that all communication (above) is stored and kept current. This planner can do any or all of the following:
   • Keeps track of the families participating (headcount).
   • Arranges groups (to keep families rotating amongst themselves)
   • Works with everyone regarding the theme/menu/timing (so no dishes are duplicated)
   • They create the final agenda and post it before the dinner letting everyone know where to go and when, what the theme is, and whether the theme requires any special needs like props or dressing to fit the theme.
   
    
3. Encourage neighbors that may be a bit shy to co-host rather than host a course at their house.
    
4. If kids are invited, make sure there's a small "busy" table set up so that they are not bored while the parents are mingling. It can be as simple as having bubbles and coloring books outside on a craft table. Just remember to make it as simple as possible so that they do not need a lot of attention, but rather can enjoy both themselves and each other.
    
5. Teens can sometimes not be as gung-ho as the adults or little ones. Make sure you involve them in the creative set-up and course planning, that way they can feel like they are contributing.
    
6. Diet or special needs are where the "communications" person can make sure that specific needs are met. If a person is gluten-free, make sure they bring a dish that is suitable to the course as it will give them a chance to offer something new to the group as well as take care of their own personal needs.
    
7. Relax! The dinner should not be difficult but rather fun and entertaining. If you are uptight it will show. This is about getting to know your neighbors.
    
8. If you think there will be more people then your home can comfortably hold, move it outdoors or even at an easily accessible park for one of the courses.

Here are a few recipes from our Progressive Luau to get you started

The Luden's Mai Tai's

Mai Tai
4.5 fl oz Mr & Mrs T® Mai Tai Mix
1.5 fl oz Light Rum
1.5 fl oz Triple Sec

Instructions: Pour ingredients over 1 cup of chipped ice in a tall cocktail glass. Garnish with pineapple slice and lime as desired

Dianne's "Not Your Hokey Poke"

Poke
2 1/2 lbs. ahi tuna, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 bunches green onions, white and some green, sliced
½ C soy sauce
1/3 C toasted sesame oil
Sesame seeds or wasabi sesame seeds

Toss tuna and onions in a bowl.  Mix soy sauce and oil and pour over tuna. Toss, and add sesame seeds.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Dianne's Macaroni Salad

Macaroni Salad 
1 1/2 lbs small elbow macaroni, cooked al dente
3 bunches green onions, sliced
1 bag shoestring carrots
1 – 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Mayo to taste
Salt and pepper

Rinse the cooked pasta to cool it. Toss pasta with onions, carrots and still-frozen peas. Add mayo to taste, season with salt and pepper.


 

Tony's Pineapple Brocoli Chicken

Aloha Pork Sliders w/Pineapple Mango Salsa & Spicy Plum BBQ Sauce.

Anita's Delicious Spicy Plum BBQ Sauce was slathered on one side of the bun

Aloha Pork Sliders

Aloha Pork Sliders
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup of minced spicy pickles like Wickles brand
1 medium red onion minced
1 egg
1/4 cup of pickle juice from jar
Salt & pepper to taste
Pineapple Mango Salsa (I made my own by just combining diced mango, pineapple, jalepeno, onion, lime juice, red bell pepper, cilantro and salt & pepper. You can certainly purchase ready-made at your local grocer.)
Hawaiian Bread Rolls
Spicy BBQ sauce  (I used a gift of homemade but you can certainly use your favorite bottled)

Mix the above, until completely combined. With an ice cream scoop make rounded scoops about the size of a kiwi. Place on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

To Assemble: Slice each roll in half. On one side, spoon on some BBQ sauce and on the other, put a tablespoon of salsa. Place a slider on the BBQ side and put the salsa side on top. I secured mine with cute hula girl toothpics. You could certainly use a wooden skewer. I also placed a wedge of pineapple on top to garnish. This recipe should yield 24 burgers.

The Langham's Hawaiian Kabobs
Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/hawaiian-chicken-kabobs/
We followed the recipe closely, with the exception of substituting the sherry with rice vinegar.


The Javan's Absolutely Delicious Banana's Foster


Sweet after dinner cordials served at the Javan's Dessert Course


The Gatshe's Rice Pudding with a Sweet Pineapple Compote


First Course Appetizers


Ross greeting us all at the door with an "Aloha"


Buffet style for the entree course


Eating Outside (Entree)


Kelli whisking up the sauce for the Bananas Foster.

Summer Hydration!

  

Sometimes too much to drink is barely enough.

 ~Mark Twain

The temperature alone will bring you running to the nearest watering hole. Why not have some fun with your hydration? Whether you add spirits to your glass or just enjoy an icy cold glass of H2O you can still make it festive.  Staying cool in the summer is what it's all about so if you like it straight up, on ice, with fruit or fizz, do it with pizazz... I'm jus' sayin'! 

This Delicious Frozen Sangria is courtesy of Hilah Cooking
You can find the recipe here at this link.