Raspberry Cosmopolitan Jello Shots

There's something about New Year's Eve that gives me the desire to make jello shots. Going to an SEC school, jello shots became synonymous with a celebration for me. I started making these classier-looking jello shots my senior year of college when I hosted my first NYE party with a few friends. I was in charge of the food and alcohol for the party.

The one request from the guys I received was to make jello shots. I was resistant at first because I thought they were so tacky. I usually see mismatching colors of jello shots served in cups that are holding way too large of a portion, which was always unattractive to me. I started looking for  way to serve them that would look more sophisticated and came up with this solution. 

I decided to do a little experiment. I used a baking dish and an ice cube mold to see which one would produce better looking shots. I was sure that the ice cube mold would make them look perfect.

I was wrong. After trying 3 different methods of removing the jello carefully from the mold, all 3 resulted in the same, terrible way...a glob.

After removing the jello from the baking dish lined with plastic wrap, I found that it was a much better way to create a more unified look for the shots.

These shots are a hit wherever I take them! I found these cute edible star sprinkles on amazon, and used them to garnish the tops of my shots for New Years. If I'm making these in the summer or spring, I usually liked to use rainbow sprinkles for birthday parties or a lemon or lime zest for other types of parties. Any way you serve them up, they are a tasty a fun treat to make for bachelorette parties, holiday events, or a girl's night!

Raspberry Cosmo Jello Shots

Preparation:  5 min Cool Time: 4 hours Total Time: 4 hours

Serves: 25-30 shots

Ingredients

        

          1 cup of hot water

          1/2 cup vodka

          1/2 cup cold water

          1 package of raspberry lemon jello

          Sprinkles or zest from a lemon or lime for garnish

Instructions

          1) Pour jello packet into a large bowl. Add hot water and mix until all of the jello packet has dissolved.

          

          2) Once dissolved, add your vodka and the cold water to the bowl and mix.

          3) Line a baking dish with foil or plastic wrap. Pour the mixture into the baking dish.

          4) Place the dish in the fridge for 3-4 hours, or until set.

          5) Once your jello is set, lift the foil/plastic wrap from the baking dish, holding the jello, and place on a 

               flat surface. Using a knife or square cookie cutter, begin cutting squares out of the jello. 

          6) Place the squares onto a serving dish and garnish with sprinkles or zest.

Enjoy!

Cranberry Mojitos

Christmas is almost here! It is such a wonderful time of year! Friends and family coming to town, communities coming together to celebrate and decorate, and best of all, holiday treats and drinks! I love getting into the spirit with seasonal libations. I enjoy putting a holiday spin on traditional favorites. Mojitos are one of my favorite drinks to make during the summer, and I found myself wanting to make them festive for the holidays. Rather than using cranberry cocktail, I decided to make a cranberry-infused simple syrup and add it to a traditional mojito recipe. Warning: these are so tasty you may forget there is alcohol in them! I just love the way they look, too! With fun pops of red and green, these gorgeous cocktails are sure to be a hit at your next party!

Cranberry Mojitos

Preparation:  10 min Cook Time: 5 min Total Time: 15 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

        

          1 cup of fresh cranberries

          1 1/2 cups of fresh mint (just the leaves)

          1 cup water

          4 tbsp lime juice

          1 cup (or 8 oz) of rum

          Soda water

Instructions

          1) Place the cranberries, sugar and water in a medium size pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

          2) Once simmering, lower the heat to medium-low for 10 minutes.

          3) Remove from heat and allow to cool. Once cooled, take a mesh strainer and place it over a bowl. 

                Pour the mixture into the strainer, and using a large spoon, press the cranberries to try and extract 

                as much liquid as you can.

          4) Arrange the glasses you plan on serving the drinks in. Place about 8-10 mint leaves and 

              squeeze one tbsp of lime juice into each glass. Muddle the leaves with the lime juice. 

             (Note: I infused my simple syrup with the mint leaves...this is a nice option if you want less of the 

               leaves in your drink.)

          5) Place ice in each glass and then pour 4 tbsp (2 oz) of rum and 4 tbsp (2 oz) of the cranberry simple 

               syrup into each glass. Top with soda water and garnish with fresh cranberries.

Cheers!

     

Bee's Knees Cocktail

Bee's Knees

With our outdoor space taking shape, I've been spending a lot of my time outside. If you live in the south, you know that must mean I really like my new table because being outside in the summer feels like sitting in an oven. 

We went to dinner with my husband's godparents the other night to catch up with them. I love his godmother. She is stylish, smart, fun-loving and sassy. You better believe if you serve her a cocktail she doesn't like, she's sending it back...as many times as it takes to get it right (one of the attributes that makes me love her). She's as southern as they come. You won't catch her outside of the house without her face fixed. She once told a waiter to wash off some of his cologne because it was so strong she couldn't enjoy her meal. Ha! She is a woman who knows exactly what she wants and gets it. 

I admire that. 

We introduced them to a new restaurant down the road from our home. They had just returned from a trip to NYC to visit their daughter. The waiter came to take our order. "I'll have the bee's knees" she said. I had never heard of it. "I tried it at a restaurant in New York. It was their specialty. I just like something refreshing with my meal."

I tasted a sip of it and loved it, which was surprising because I'm not much for gin. 

Being out in the heat, I got a craving for that refreshing sipper I had with my godmother-in-law. 

I drove to our local package store and picked up what they called a 'sweeter gin' to make my drink. The first one didn't come out too well and I'll tell you why. This recipe calls for honey. The problem with honey in a cold drink is that it doesn't melt. For the second batch I poured my honey into a small pot on the stove with a little water and made it into a simple syrup. Voila! This little trick made all the difference. 

I added a few chamomile flowers for garnish because honey and chamomile go together so naturally. It also looks like a little cup of sunshine. :)

Bee's Knees

Preparation: 5 min

                  Cook Time: 0 min  Total Time: 10 min                       

Ingredients

        

          2 oz gin

          3/4 oz lemon juice

          1 oz honey simple syrup (2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp water)

Instructions

        

          Boil honey with water until honey disintegrates (about 1-2 min). This recipe makes one drink so portion 

          accordingly. Allow the simple syrup to cool. I stick mine in the fridge. In a shaker combine all ingredients 

          with ice until well blended. This drink is usually served in a martini glass, but I serve mine in a low ball 

          glass with a large ice cube. Garnish with a lemon twist or a few chamomile flowers.

Limoncello Spritzer

Sip, sip, hooray! For the love of all things refreshing and bright, I've whipped up some delicious and easy limoncello cocktails. This yummy treat is a perfect porch sipping additional to all of your summer get-togethers.

Whether you're hosting a backyard BBQ or a bubbly brunch, this recipe is sure to please all taste buds - including the guys! My trick to bringing it all together? Having a bowl filled to the rim with fresh, fragrant lemons! Your guests will be so impressed with this gorgeous display next to their bubbly cocktail, they may just think you made the limoncello from scratch! 

Limoncello Spritzer

Preparation: 10 min

                     Total Time: 10 min                        

Ingredients

          1 oz limoncello

          3/4 flute prosecco or brut Champagne

          Fine sugar for rim

          Lemon twist or mint sprig for garnish

Instructions

           

          Rub the rind of the lemon over the rim of the glass to wet. Place your sugar on a plate or in a bowl and 

          place the rim of the glass face down into the sugar to coat, twisting if needed. Add your limoncello to 

          the bottom of the champagne flute. Top with champagne until the glass is full. Garnish with your lemon 

          twist.

Apple Cider Hot Toddy Recipe

Fall is my favorite time of year. Is there anything better than fall foliage, pumpkin spiced everything, and finally busting out those Frye leather boots? I argue, no. I love making these each year when the weather gets below 70 degrees...this is Atlanta after all. We have been making little improvements to our home as of late because we are hosting Thanksgiving here this year! I feel so grown up! I've been working on menu ideas and decor this month for the holidays, but this beverage is a classic. I will be sharing ideas this month for healthy Thanksgiving recipes and chic decorating ideas for your own soiree. If you have any specific requests, let me know in the comments!

Ingredients: lemon, bourbon, apple cider, mulling spices, cinnamon sticks.

Put the mulling spices in a tea ball or cheese cloth.

Add the mulling spices to the cider and heat the cider over medium heat until aromatic (about 10 minutes).

Add 1-2 shots of bourbon to your mug and then top it off with the cider.

I like to garnish with apple slices because they aren't as widely used to garnish and give it an extra kick of flavor.

And there you have it! An easy fall treat that will warm you up in seconds! Enjoy fireside. :) 

Ingredients: 

Use 2 cups of cider for every 1 drink

1/4 cup mulling spices for every 2 cups of cider

I use 1-2 shots of Maker's Mark in each mug

Garnish with lemon wedge, cinnamon stick or apple slices

Skinny Mojito Recipe

Any hint of warm weather, and I'm ready to break out my skinny mojito recipe! This past weekend it actually got up to 80 degrees outside! So, to celebrate, I decided to show you all how I make my skinny mojitos - the classic kind. In this recipe, I create a mint-infused skinny simple syrup so you can enjoy the mint flavor without getting the leaves stuck in your teeth! :)

What you'll need: mint, white rum, club soda (I used the sodium free kind), truvia (be sure to get the kind that comes free from the little packets....or this will take you forever), limes, mint, and straws.

Start by adding one full package of mint (about 1 1/2 cups) and water into a pot. I add enough water to slightly cover the mint. Cook over medium high heat and bring to a boil. 

While the water is heating, add in your truvia. I used 3/4 cup of truvia, but you can add a little more or less depending on how sweet you like yours.

Once the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and wait for the mint to cook down. You'll know it's ready when the mint has wilted like the photo above (about 5 minutes or so). After the mint has wilted, remove the simple syrup from heat, and with a slotted spoon remove the leaves. I kept them attached to the stem so it would be easier to remove.

You should be left with a semi-thick liquid that looks like this. 

Refrigerate the simple syrup.

While the syrup is cooling, start juicing your limes. I like to use the citrus juicer from Amazon. It saves so much time!

You may now begin making your drink! Start by pouring a shot of your white rum over ice in a tall clear glass.

Once you pour the rum, add a few thin slices of lime using a mandolin slicer and a few tablespoons of lime juice. I used 5 tbsp because I love lime juice.

If you'd like your garnish to look like mine, cut a lime slice about 1/2" thick like the picture above.

Take a sharp knife, and starting at the center of the lime, make one cut being sure to cut through the peel.

Place the lime on the rim of your drink.

Once your simple syrup has cooled, add 1/8 cup of the liquid into your drink, followed by a pour of club soda until the drink is full. (You can add more simple syrup if you like it really sweet)

Finally, garnish with a sprig of mint!