Category Archives: Recipes

Sauza’s #MyKindofCinco

I like to entertain … like … a lot. The worst part, though, is being forced to be tied to the bar so you can make everyone drinks or to keep it tidy when the one messy friend inevitably spills all the things. (Dammit, Linda.) Say “adios” to playing babysitter to the bar and batch out a cocktail (or three) for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta.

For Cinco de Mayo, the easiest thing to batch out is, of course, margaritas. And (hold on to your sombrero), the US imported 12.3 million cases (yes, M-M-M-M-M-million) of tequila in 2014 … and Texas is apparently one of the top 10 tequila consuming states in the US. So yeah, a drink with tequila is a slam dunk.

This Cinco de Mayo, I’ll be visiting family in Pennsylvania to celebrate my grandmother’s 90th birthday. Luckily, on her last visit to Dallas, my mom and I introduced her to margaritas … and she loved them. Needless to say, once I land in the Keystone State, I’ll be swinging by a liquor store to pick up the makings of this remixed margarita just for her.

So, why Sauza? It’s made with 100% blue agave in Jalisco, Mexico the same way it has been made since 1873. The agave is put into production within 48 hours which gives the tequila a crisp flavor.

Perfect Pear Margarita (serves 8)
2 cups Sauza® Signature Blue Silver Tequila
1/2 cup lemon Juice
1/2 cup lime juice
1 cup simple syrup
1 cup pear syrup
Rosemary sprigs

Mix all ingredients in an ice-filled pitcher. Serve in margarita glasses garnished with a rosemary sprig and lime wheel. (Ignore the color … because it’s delicious!)

PEAR SYRUP
1 cup pear purée
1⁄4 cup Sugar in the Raw
1⁄2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
1 pinch grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients over medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves fully. Reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (The syrup will thicken-up slightly.) Strain and store in an airtight container in a refrigerator for up to two weeks.

I was given the chance to participate in this campaign and was sent items from Sauza to promote.

Cruzan Rum Blueberry Mojitos

I guess I’ve pigeonholed myself. I suppose that I deserve it for making (writing about) drinking my hobby. At this point, I’m no longer surprised when I’m asked to make a drink for a party as my contribution. I was honored to do so for a longtime family friend’s baby shower recently.

The color scheme being blues and yellow, a matching drink was requested. I did my best with a Blueberry Mojito made with Cruzan Rum … because I refuse to try my hand at a cocktail using Blue Curaçao. (Thought I’ll say that some local bartenders are starting to use it more … and not doing it badly.) While I thought the drink (which was the only alcoholic beverage served) would be plenty for the afternoon party, it was gone in 45 minutes!

BLUEBERRY MOJITOS
1 cup fresh, washed blueberries (plus more for garnish)
4oz Cruzan Rum
8-10 fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons mint simple syrup
2 limes
6oz club soda

To create blueberry puree, blend blueberries until smooth. Add rum, mint syrup, lime juice, blueberry puree, and ice in a cocktail shaker and shake until combined. Pour over ice and top with club soda. (Optional: Garnish with blueberries, mint leaves, and a lime wedge or curl.)

TIPS: To batch out this cocktail, I combined the ingredients in a drink dispenser and allowed guests to garnish it themselves. To keep the mint crisp, keep the stems in ice water. Puree and syrup can be prepared in advance.

CRUZAN AGED LIGHT RUM
Website
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Aged: 2 years in American oak casks
Proof: 80 (40% alcohol)
Nose: light coconut
Flavor: vanilla with a slight banana finish
Sipping/serving suggestions: in cocktails
Price: ~$12 for 750mL

Drink dispenser purchase from WalMart for $5!!!!!!

#DrinkingwithSusie: Caroline Cradick (a.k.a. Caroline Contessa)

Being from Arlington, the original home of the Kidd Kraddick Morning Show (and Kidd himself), the name Caroline Cradick has been in the air (pun intended) ever since I can remember. Kidd would mention his daughter on the show or a friend would be going to her house that weekend–I was always jealous. I will admit: I fan-girled a bit the first time I met her. I tried to play it cool at the office coffee maker (long story short: the company where I spend my sober days is partially owned by Kidd’s company, so we share office space) and then she said that she followed me on Instagram. I nearly jumped out of my skin. (I was not so smooth.)

When I mentioned to her that I was doing this series, I was honored that she said that she’d work with me on an installment. Enter: #DrinkingwithSusie + Caroline Contessa. Caroline recently launched a really beautiful and (sometimes) deeply inspired and (sometimes) just really fun blog that features some of her favorite recipes, song covers, deep thoughts, etc. I thought it would be the perfect chance to mix her a cocktail and try to make her my new best friend. (I didn’t know that I’d be lucky enough to sample some of her cooking, too!) Head over to CarolineCradick.com for full recipes for her “Haute Pocket” and Crock Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip.

Since Caroline is a consummate hostess, I wanted to make sure whatever cocktail(s) we whipped up would be appropriate for all her friends (a.k.a. many different tastes). Since it’s usually difficult for me to land on just one batched-out cocktail for my guests when I entertain (and I inevitably end up making two or three … ), I decided to simply do a smash bar and give her guests the chance to exercise their own creativity while making their drinks.

A “smash” is a very simple cocktail mainly found in the south, and the origins of the smash go back to 1862! This is a cocktail that has more guidelines than recipes and, because of that, it can be interpreted in many ways … which is the beauty of the beast to me. The basics: seasonal fruit, an herb, and a spirit base. (Basically, a smash is a julep with fruit.)

For our seasonal fruits, we chose blackberries, raspberries, and pineapple, and for our spirits, vodka, bourbon, and gin. Throw in some fun simple syrup options and you have a perfectly stocked smash bar!

While everyone’s preferences for liquor vary widely, it’s usually safe to stick with three , simple (yet bold) spirits-vodka, gin, and bourbon. Everyone can get behind one (or three) and having three options leave the door open to creativity. So, why did I choose the three I did?

Four Roses Bourbon – The crisp yet smooth flavor of Four Roses lends flavor to cocktails while not overpowering the drink. It has slight notes of apple at the end, so it works well with fruity counterparts.

Reyka Vodka – This small batch, handcrafted vodka from Iceland has a deliciously smooth taste thanks to the clean air in the town where the distillery is located. To ensure a clean taste, they use glacier water and then filter the spirit through lava rocks, which apparently help remove impurities naturally. Rock on.

Hendrick’s Gin – Not only do I LOVE the bottle (5 points for something slightly different on the bar), but Hendrick’s is, in my opinion, a blank canvas with just enough character to hold up in cocktails thanks to its infusions of rose and cucumber.

SUSIE’S FAVORITE BERRY MINT SMASH
Fresh mint
1/2 a lemon
4-6 berries (of your choice)
1oz Demerera syrup
2oz Four Roses Bourbon

Lightly muddle berries and mint in a shaker with juice from 1/2 a lemon and Demerera syrup. Add bourbon and shake with ice until chilled. Pour through small strainer over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with mint and berries.

As mentioned, we had girls with varied tastes, so we ended up with for entirely different cocktails! The vodka version shown below uses the same recipe above with a few ingredients changed out. Follow the basic proportions below! If you find that your guests need a bit … less … top their smash with a bit of club soda.

BASIC SMASH
Fresh mint
1/2 a lemon
4-6 berries (or any fruit)
1oz simple syrup (or any flavored syrup)
2oz spirit
Club soda (optional)

Lightly muddle mint in a shaker with juice from 1/2 a lemon and simple. Add spirit and shake with ice until chilled. Strain over crushed ice in a rocks glass. Top with club soda (optional). Garnish with mint.

SHERRY COBBLER
4 oz dry Sherry
3 slices orange
1oz simply syrup

Shake all ingredients hard with ice and pour, unstrained, into a Collins glass. Garnish with fresh mint and berries.

What inspired you to start your blog? I always love reading lifestyle/fashion blogs and I was getting a lot of questions about my outfits/recipes on social media so I figured it was time for me to start my own! It has been a wonderful creative outlet for me and now I give bloggers WAY more credit than I used to. It’s a hard job!

I heard that you just started a cleanse … how long until I get to make you cocktails again! Ugh, girl! I’m seeing how long I can go on this cleanse …but my birthday is at the end of April, so I’m sure I’ll be up for a cocktail by then!

I’ve heard you’ve made a name for yourself in the kitchen. (Y’all can just call her Caroline Contessa.) What is your favorite dish to cook, and can we find that recipe on your site? The biggest crowd pleasure is the short rib mac & cheese. I’m constantly getting requests from my friends to make it. (It can be a little time consuming so I try to do it for special occasions now.)

What do you love most about Dallas? I love how it has something for everyone. Arts, fashion, food, business, music! I loved living in Nashville but I found Dallas had way more to offer me be it business opportunities or social opportunities!

I’m loving the Covers with Caroline! What is your favorite song you’ve covered? Thank you! I absolutely loved shooting “Tennessee Whiskey” I felt really connected to the song and it was so fun to sing a song by one of my favorites Chris Stapleton!

I’m a huge word worm and I heard that you have your own language. Tell me all the things. LOL. I definitely do have my own language and I got sick of people asking me what they meant so I started the Cradictionary. “Jam-jams” is one of my favorite words that means something creeped you out. Like “that was the most awkward situation with that guy, totally gave me the jam-jams”.

What does it mean to you to be working with your father’s charity, Kidd’s Kids? It is such an honor. It really pays off when I get to see the kid’s faces once we enter into Disney World. It is so wonderful to see them be a “normal” kid and not have to worry about hospital visits and feeling sick. I get to see them having the time of their lives and that is a beautiful thing.

CAROLINE CRADICK
carolinecradick.com
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Introducing Tullamore D.O.G. & His St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails

written by Tullamore D.O.G. “O”

Hey, y’all … I’m Susie’s new friend! My new mom adopted me a couple weeks ago from TLC Rescue where my name was CeeLo (because I have really short arms … I get those from my corgi mom) and Susie changed my name to Tullamore D.O.G., but you can call me Tully. (She said that she wanted to name me after one of her very favorite things … Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey!)

The last two and a half weeks have been a big change for me … I went from running around in the country alone stealing pies from windowsills to hanging out in a condo in Dallas with food set right in front of me when I want it. Oh, and my human takes care of my doodoo. (One less thing to worry about, you know?) Life is good. Now … I’m not saying that everyone should go out and get one of my buddies I was at camp with, but they sure would appreciate it.

Tonight we tried on our St. Patrick’s Day parade outfits … do you like my green paws!? (The tip of my tail is green, too … you can see it on my mom’s Snapchat–@susieoz–along with a bunch of other cute videos of me being adorable.) Susie got me some super cool hair spray made just for pets and a bowtie so I could look cool on Greenville!

To make things even MORE fun my first couple weeks at my new home, my birthday is tomorrow, Saint Patrick’s Day!!! I have a Pup-pie to look forward to, but I wanted to tell y’all about a few of my mom’s favorite Irish whiskey cocktails so you can celebrate along with me! You’re welcome, human.

I hope you have a great time celebrating … I’ll see you all on Greenville!

TRADITIONAL IRISH COFFEE
1 jigger Tullamore D.E.W. Irish whiskey (or 1.5oz)
1 cup of fresh, high quality hot coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Real whipped cream

Combine Tully and coffee, add sugar, and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved. Top with whipped cream.

MIDORI GREEN EYED GINGER
1 part Midori® Melon Liqueur
2 parts 2 GINGERS® Irish Whiskey
2 parts Ginger Ale
Lemon Wheel
Lime Wheel

Build in order over ice in a tall glass. Garnish with a lemon & lime half moon wheel on the rim.

CRABBIE’S MOSCOW MULE
3–4 mint leaves
¾ oz lime juice
½ oz simple syrup
1½ oz vodka
Crabbie’s Original Alcoholic Ginger Beer

Muddle the mint gently in the bottom of your glass. Add the lime juice, simple syrup and vodka, fill with ice, then top with Crabbie’s.

PICKLE BACK
1 shot Jameson
1 shot pickle juice

You know what to do …

RED-HEADED BLOODY

2 parts 2 GINGERS® Whiskey
4 parts tomato juice
1 part lemon juice (to taste)
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 dash salt
2 dashes black pepper
2 dashes hot sauce
splash of Irish Stout

Combine ingredients in tall glass and stir, pour into second glass full of ice, and garnish with celery stalk and lemon wedge.

THE IRISH ROVER
1 & 1/2 measure of The Pogues Irish Whiskey
3/4 measure of Sweet Red Vermouth
3 dashes of Angostura Bitters

POT OF GOLD
1 ½ parts Frangelico
4 parts easy-drinking lager beer
3 parts ginger beer
½ part lemon juice
Garnish with a lemon wheel

Pour beer into a glass. Add Frangelico and lemon juice. Top with ginger beer. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

THE IRISH STOUT (Recipe by Matt Ragan, Victor Tangos)

1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
1/2 oz Varnelli Caffè Moka coffee liqueur
1 oz strong cold brew coffee
3 oz Southern Tier Mokah Imperial stout
1/2 oz vanilla syrup
Dollop of vanilla crème anglaise

Add the whiskey, liqueur and coffee in a shaker tin. Add three ice cubes, and give the tin a quick shake. Strain into a tulip glass, and top with the stout. Finish with the vanilla crème anglaise.

Luck of Laphroaig® Created by Tyson Buhler (New York, NY)
1 1/2 parts Laphroaig® Select
1/4 part Sarsaparilla Syrup
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
Orange twist

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with orange twist.

Oscar Cocktail: The Gold Man

I am embarrassed to admit that I haven’t seen but one of the 2016 Oscars Best Picture nominees … and I just watched it last night. Needless to say, I’m going to need something to keep me entertained since I haven’t a clue what is going to be going on. Enter: alcohol.

So, to prepare for the 88th Academy Awards watching situation, I got a little crazy and ordered some edible gold to make a fancy cocktail instead of taking the time to actually watch the movies. I’ve included the recipe for the cocktail I will be sipping on tonight below along with some other drink options.

THE GOLD MAN
2oz Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
1/2oz honey syrup
1oz lemon juice
3 orange slices, quartered
garnish: edible gold flakes or an orange slice

Muddle the oranges and honey syrup in a cocktail shaker. Add ice, lemon juice, and shake until chilled thoroughly. Strain into a martini glass.

Too lazy to slice and shake? Pop into the grocery store for a bottle of PIPER-HEIDSIECK champagne (the only champagne served AT the Oscars ceremony) or one of the Coppola Winery’s Director’s Cut collection wines (seems fitting for FILM awards). Just make sure you plan your booze pick-up for after noon … because Sundays in Texas are ruled by TABC. The Man sucks.)

Too lazy to cook, too? (Seriously? Do something with your life. jk) Plano residents can call LASH Delivery and order one of their two Oscar-themed food packages–the Foreign Film Package (Bruschetta from Campisi’s and Caramel Flan from El Norte Mexican Grill) or the Red Carpet Package (a Hummus Trio from Zoe’s Kitchen and Summer Rolls from Mango Thai Cuisine). Each package is $20 (+$7 delivery fee) and can be ordered through 9pm on 2/28.

Basil Hayden’s Golden Spice
1 part Basil Hayden’s Bourbon
Sparkling Apple Juice

Add Basil Hayden’s Bourbon to a champagne flute. Fill the remainder of the glass with sparkling apple juice. Garnish with a sliced apple.

CELEBRITY COLADA
½ crushed pineapple
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup vodka
2 cups cold Coco Joy Water
2 limes

Combine pineapple, ice, vodka and Coco Joy Water in a blender and pulse until smooth. Garnish with limes.

GREY GOOSE LE FIZZ
35ml GREY GOOSE vodka
25ml ST-GERMAIN® elderflower liqueur
20ml fresh lime juice
70ml chilled soda

Pour all ingredients except soda water into a cocktail shaker. Shake briefly over ice and double strain into a chilled flute. Top with soda water. Garnish with a stirrer.

GOLD BAR PUNCH
1 bottle VSOP Cognac
1 bottle Powell & Mahoney Lemon Sour mixer
½ bottle Powell & Mahoney Ginger mixer
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 cup cold water

Mix together VSOP Cognac, P&M Lemon Sour mixer, P&M Ginger mixer, pineapple juice, and water. Chill for several hours before serving. When ready to serve, pour into a large punch bowl over the gold bar ice block. Top with 1 bottle chilled Champagne and stir. Add orange slice. To make the gold bar ice, fill a loaf baking pan with boiling water (this will ensure clear ice). Add edible gold flakes to the pan and stir. Place in freezer overnight. Prior to serving, run the outside of the pan under hot water to release the ice block. Serves 10.

In other news, there are some ridiculous facts about the Oscars from WalletHub:

25 Years Old: Jennifer Lawrence is the youngest person ever to earn four acting nominations
$3,500: Average cost of preparing a Hollywood actress for the red carpet
$220K: Value of the 2016 Oscar Swag Bag
39 Years: Between Sylvester Stallone’s two Oscar nominations for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa
45 Sec: The amount to which acceptance speeches will be cut down this year, thanks to individual shout outs scrolling on the bottom of the screen.

National Margarita Day 2016

Monday, February 22 is National Margarita Day … definitely one of the more important holidays of the year. If you’re around Dallas, stop by one of the places offering awesome deals on the limey tequila goodness.

If going out on a Monday isn’t your thing (which I just will never understand), try your hand at homemade margaritas sans the sugary (and, ahem, pedestrian) mixes with my Blood Orange Mid-Winter Margarita. Since blood oranges are in season from December to May (give or take), it’s the perfect way to punch up the traditional recipe. (Since it’s quite colorful, it makes for a great picture, too!)

BLOOD ORANGE MID-WINTER MARGARITA
1.5oz tequila
0.75oz of Monin Blood Orange Syrup
0.75oz fresh blood orange juice
0.75oz fresh lime juice + a bit more
chile salt

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker. Add ice and shake for 15 seconds. Dip the rim of the glass in lime juice and then the chile salt.

Want a bit of spice? Throw in 1/2 oz of Torani’s Sweet Heat ghost pepper syrup!

Product Review: Pickle Juice Chaser

Written by: Anna Tomczyk

Designed with the trendy “pickleback” shot in mind, The Pickle Juice Company has announced their brand new product, The Pickle Juice Chaser. What is the big “dill”, you might ask? (Yeah, I made the pun … whatever.) The chaser provides 10 times the electrolytes, vitamins, and zinc and is ready to easily pour out of a bottle (forget making a mess with old fashioned pickle jars).

The Pickle Juice Company boasts 15+ years in the pickle juice arena, but up until now their primary focus remained in the innumerable health benefits in this powerful beverage. The juice is a big hit for pickle-lovers nationwide and those looking for a 100% natural, healthy thirst quencher. Pickle juice is proven to prevent dehydration and muscle cramping, which has also made it a great choice for athletes of all levels. (Yes, drinking can be considered a sport.)

As a pickle lover myself, I was eager to give The Pickle Juice Chaser a shot … a literal shot, by trying the infamous pickleback shot first. I found the chaser a satisfying balance of savory and salty. To my surprise, it completely took away the harsh sting that can follow a shot of whiskey. The aftertaste was as if I bit into a juicy dill pickle, slightly salty with full pickle flavor.

The Pickleback
1 shot Jameson Irish Whiskey
1 shot Pickle Juice Chaser

Pour each shot into separate shot glasses. Drink the whiskey shot immediately followed by the shot of Pickle Juice Chaser.

If you aren’t into shots but want to try the chaser, The Pickle Juice Chaser works great in cocktails and martinis as well.

The Dirty Pickle Martini
8 oz gin or vodka
½ teaspoon dry vermouth
2 tablespoons Pickle Juice Chaser
2 pickled okra spears for garnish

Add ice halfway up the cocktail shaker. Add gin, vermouth and pickle juice. Shake well and strain into 2 martini glasses. Garnish with a pickled okra spears.

The Pickle Juice Chaser by The Pickle Juice Company
www.picklepower.com
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Available for purchase online or at Kroger, Academy, and HEB.

Recipe: Hot Buttered Rum

Christmasy drinks can be a little intimidating … at least by name. I mean, who decided to call a creamy nutmeg treat egg nog or delicious apple cinnamon goodness hot buttered rum? (What is a nog anyway?) Well … as scary as the name “hot buttered rum” is, it adheres to the cardinal rule of life (or at least Paula Deen’s rule): adding butter makes it better. Unfortunately the name isn’t an misnomer.

I found myself in Plano recently and happened into Holy Grail Pub. Our waitress hardly finished saying the whole phrase “hot buttered rum” before I yelled that I’d have one. After two sips I demanded the recipe and she nicely obliged. I whipped up HALF a batch for a recent holiday party, and, even though it wasn’t even a tad cold outside (what the heck’s up with this weather?!), it was the first to run out. (I’ve also had three attendees ask for the recipe, so I thought posting it was easier.)

HOT BUTTERED RUM (recipe from Holy Grail Pub in Plano)
1 gallon unfiltered apple cider (I really love the cider at Trader Joe’s)
2 Gala apples, cored & sliced 1/16” thick
2 Bartlett pears, cored & sliced 1/16” thick
3 oz fresh ginger root, peeled & sliced thin
4 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup brown sugar
3 cups Sailor Jerry spiced rum
1/2 cup butter

Mix all ingredients in a HUGE saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. Serve warm and garnish with an apple or pear slice and cinnamon stick.
(Makes a whole lot.)

Some quick tips when making this:

plan ahead on the size of your saucepan (it really makes more than you expect)
if you’re using a beverage dispenser, strain out the solids before you put it in as it’ll clog the nozzle
make this ahead of time … it’ll make your house smell ah-mazing

If you’re not into butter in your drinks or making giant batches of drinks, here’s a simpler version that you can spice up as much as you’d like.

SIMPLE SPIKED CIDER
2 parts apple cider
1 part spiced rum
1 dash cinnamon

Mix, warm, and add the following ingredients as desired: apple slices, pear slices, fresh orange juice, orange bitters, cinnamon sticks, more rum