I am a Honey Bee

All about my adventures with cooking, crafts, and travel

Drinks

Thirsty Thursday: Hot Chocolate Mix

hot chocolate mix

Do you know what you should not do? You shouldn’t forget about the hot chocolate you are making on the stove and then be utterly surprised when it overflows burning on your new glass top stove. yep, that’s happened… twice…

Well, you should totally make hot chocolate (and pay attention to it) and to do so you should mix up this hot chocolate mix. It’s great to enjoy snuggled up under a cozy blanket while watching a movie or RHofsomewhere. It also makes for a fantastic gift. It is quick to mix up, packages easily, and is so yummy.

hot chocolate mix_01 hot chocolate mix_02

hot chocolate mix_03 hot chocolate mix_04

I made this basic hot chocolate mix to get things started. Not basic in being ‘meh’, but basic in that it is a great base for you to create specialty flavored hot chocolate. I love starting with one recipe and making some modifications to create something fun and different.

  • Swap out the semi- sweet chocolate chips for some peppermint chips for a peppermint hot chocolate.
  • You can use peanut butter chips instead of the semi-sweet chocolate chips. Awesome.
  • Or you can use caramel chips and triple the salt for a salted caramel cocoa.

But wait, there’s more! Amanda has flipped hot chocolate on it’s head with a Frozen Hot Chocolate. I’ve always wanted to try Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3 in NYC but have never made it there so this is the perfect chance to make it at home myself! If you can’t get to the frozen hot chocolate, bring the frozen hot chocolate to you!

Hot Chocolate Mix

Fills 8 1/2 pint mason jars

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 10.5 oz package of mini marshmallow
  • 8 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips, mini is preferred

Process

  1. Combine all of the ingredients together in a very large mixing bowl. Divide the mix up in bags or air-tight containers.
  2. To make hot chocolate- in an medium sized sauce pan, combine 8 oz of milk with 3 tablespoons mix. Heat gently to warm and melt the chocolate chips. Stir occasionally so the milk and chocolate do not burn on the bottom. Top off with more marshmallows or whipped cream and sprinkles. Enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: Ginger Grapefruit Martini

So the the ‘3’ in the numerical pad in our computer keyboard doesn’t work anymore. Why? Well, I might have been drinking and messing around on the Internets while I spilled the whole glass on the keyboard. I might have been a little tipsy. I hope I was not blogging…

Well, I what was I drinking?? I was drinking Domaine de Canton and some seltzer. I just love that DdC. I can get by with some of my homemade ginger simple syrup, vodka, and seltzer but it’s just not the same. Domaine de Canton is a smooth ginger flavored cognac in a beautiful bottle. The bottle matters. I swear!

 

 

This Ginger Grapefruit Martini uses Domaine De Canton, vodka, and fresh squeezed grapefruit. Grapefruit, as well other citrus, is in season in the winter so this is a perfection seasonal drink to enjoy before dinner, at a party, or while wrapping presents. I can’t guarantee how well your wrapping will turn out after a drink or two but that’s half the fun! Blame Santa’s elves.

Since this week’s Thirtsy Thursday is brought you by the flavor ‘Ginger’ (that feels very Seasame Street to me), Amanda made this Gingerbread Hot Chocolate. Less devilish than my drink but equally perfect for the season. Don’t you just love a nice hot chocolate after you come in from a cold afternoon outside or to wind down the day? This is so perfect for those occasions.

Ginger Grapefruit Martini

Ingredients

  • 4 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
  • 2 oz Domaine de Canton
  • 1 oz vodka
  • sugar
  • segment of grapefruit or lime, for garnish

Process

  1. Rim the martini glass with sugar.
  2. Combine the grapefruit juice, Domaine de Canton, and vodka together. Pour into the martini glass.
  3. Garnish with the grapefruit segment or lime wedge.

Thirsty Thursday: Thanksgiving Wine Glass Decorations

I’m totally flipping things around for this week’s edition of Thirsty Thursday. Sorry no drink this time… wait! don’t stop reading! This is drink related and it is perfect for Thanksgiving! Trust me…

So the thing about any family gathering or party is that people often mix up their drink with another. It’s always about ‘wait, have you seen my drink?’ or ‘are you drinking my drink?’ when there are a bunch people all drinking white/red wine. Sure wine charms are cute but wait… ‘do I have the blue charm or the green one?’ See what happens when you are drinking?!?

 

So I created a template for you to use for this Thanksgiving to easily identify your glass while reflecting on what you are thankful for now.

Download the file here. Thanksgiving Wine Glass Decorations

(Amanda doesn’t have a Thirsty Thursday post for you this week but she does have a really great giveaway on her blog!)

Thirsty Thursday: Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie

As I write this I’m super cozy under a crocheted blanket while wearing sweats and super thick socks. Pretty exciting things going on over here. Well, there is a Nor’easter whirling around outside so anything goes. The walk from my office to the train station, which is only a few hundred feet, was so gross. Crazy wind and harsh rain. I am soo not ready for winter. I try to give myself a pep talk every year but the cold and wind make me walk like I am an 80 year old lady since I automatically freak out and ball up. I’m sure it’s a great sight to behold. Ugh.

While I hate the cold months of the year I do love the heartier foods associated with the season and holidays. I love the transition from summery berries, to late summer stone fruit to apples and then pumpkin. Ahhh this week’s theme…. pumpkin!! We tried to grow some pumpkins this year but didn’t have good luck so thank goodness all we have to do is pop open a can to have some great pumpkin puree to use in our recipes.

Start your day with my pumpkin pie breakfast smoothie and then from there have one of Amanda’s Pumpkin Pie Milkshake. Ahhh, love this week’s addition of Thirsty Thursday- just so perfect for fall!!

Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Smoothie

Makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 6 oz of milk
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Process

  1. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until the oats have been processed and all ingredients are combined completely.

Thirsty Thursday: Cranberry Lime Cooler

So this little storm came through named Hurricane Sandy. Well, let me tell you Sandy it was a Bitch with a capital B. As anyone with a pulse knows, she has wrecked havoc on a whole hell of a lot of  the country. Prior to the storm’s arrival I was glued to the TV watching weather channel like my life depended on it. Dear Jim Cantore, you had me at millibars. Since I’m a weather channel junkie I knew this was going to be bad but in no way did I anticipate just how bad it would be. My little town of Chelsea MA lost 15% of power, obviously including us- hence the blogging hiatus and crazy back log I have to catch up on. But loosing power is nothing compared to what the people in NY and NJ are dealing with. It is heartbreaking. Please consider helping if you can, I can’t make a big financial contribution but I am donating blood next week since, according to Red Cross “Hurricane Sandy has affected blood collections in the Northeast, forcing the cancellation of more than 240 American Red Cross blood drives, resulting in a shortfall of more than 8,000 donations thus far.” That’s huge! I just think that if help in anyway you should try.

Anywho, this week Amanda and I bring you drinks centered around the ‘cranberry’ theme.  This is the season for cranberries so be sure to get ready for some cranberry sauce, cranberry jelly, dried cranberries in just about everything. It’s an awesome thing, esp in Massachusetts, where there are a crazy amount of bogs. My coworker’s family even has a bog and they are profiled on Ocean Spray bottles- she is in the back, on the right. Cranberries are great for you as they contain antioxidants, such as vitamin C, that will boost your immunity, which is great for the upcoming cold and flu season.

I made a Cranberry Lime Cooler that is really refreshing, so simple to make, and a great alternative to sugary soda. Amanda made a Frozen Cranberry Margarita that will just knock your socks off… there is a pretty cool ingredient in there!!

Cranberry Lime Cooler

makes 1

Ingredients

  • 3 oz cranberry juice (not cocktail)
  • juice of a lime
  • tablespoon of simple syrup
  • 4 oz of seltzer
  • 1 cup ice
  • wedge of lime and mint for garnish, optional

Process

  1. In a tall glass, combine the cranberry juice, lime juice, simple syrup, and seltzer over ice.
  2. Garnish is a wedge oflime and mint.

Thirsty Thursday: Slime Rickey

With just less than 2 weeks until Halloween Amanda and I decided to have 2 Thirsty Thursday posts with a spooktacular Halloween theme. We each will share one drink that is for great for trick-or-treaters of all ages (non-alcoholic) and one boo-zy one that you can enjoy at a party. This week I am sharing a fun drink that kids will just love and Amanda is sharing one that will put a smile across any grown ups’ face.

 

 

A Slime Rickey is perfect for kids as it is a lime rickey but there are some spooky eyes floating around in the glass! Just kidding! Those creepy eyes are just grapes and some maraschino cherries. Make and freeze the eyeballs in advance and you can whip up these drinks for the kids for a party or to refresh them after a long night of trick-or-treating. Perfect drink to sip on while sorting out all the candy!

Check out Amanda’s drink called a Bloody Tooth Cocktail! A reddevilish delight for parents after a long night of trick or treating! Sure to put a smile on your face!

Slime Rickey

Makes 4 drinks

Ingredients

  • 8 oz of lime juice (approximately 6 limes)
  • 4 oz of simple syrup
  • 16 oz of seltzer water
  • green grapes, round is preferred
  • maraschino cherries
  • crushed ice

Process

  1. To make the frozen eyeballs: chop maraschino cherries into tiny pieces. Score a ‘X’ at the end of the grape. Insert the piece of cherry into the grape. Arrange on the baking sheet and freeze.
  2. Combine 2 oz of fresh limes juice with 1oz of simple syrup in a glass. Add crushed ice and then seltzer. Put at least 5 frozen ‘eyeballs’ into each drink and enjoy!

Thirsty Thursday: The Cure

The Cure – Beer Cocktail is a refreshing cocktail that will combines a light beer, fresh citrus, and ginger liquor. The perfect drink for a summer bbq or a tailgate at a football game. Cheers!

post from 10/11/12, pictures updated 6/9/18

For this week’s Thirsty Thursday post, Amanda picked out the theme of beer cocktails. Cheers!

This is perfect for football season!

Or any season, if we’re really being honest here.

I love football season since it makes for the best excuse to lounge around watching football all day (or at least I sit there and work on a project), you make chips and dip lunch, and enjoy all that with a beer. Just now, we have decided to have a bit of fun with beers and jazz them up to make beer cocktails!

While browsing around for some fun beer cocktails I came across a great list on Epicurious. One really stuck out to me that I had to try. The Cure – Beer Cocktail was created by Washingon DC’s PS 7 bartender Gina Chersevani as a “cure” for the economic recession since she sells it for the discounted price of $5. That’s a great deal! Definitely calls for one during Happy Hour!

 

I am not a huge fan of Miller High Life, AKA The Champange of Beers. It’s just so light and boring to me.

But this beer cocktail changes it all. With the addition of lemon juice and Domaine de Canton the beer is brought to life. The fizz from the beer, lemon undertones, and kick from the ginger are the perfect combination.

The Cure – Beer Cocktail really will cure all!

Amanda made Cherry Beergaritas! Head over to her blog and check them out.

These beer cocktails are so perfect for football season or a summer time beer cocktail. Great all year long!

The Cure - Beer Cocktails

The Cure - Beer Cocktails

Yield: 2 drinks
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 7 minutes

The Cure - Beer Cocktail is a refreshing cocktail that will combines a light beer, fresh citrus, and ginger liquor. The perfect drink for a summer bbq or a tailgate at a football game. Cheers!

Ingredients

  • 3 cups ice cubes
  • 12 ounces Miller High Life, or other similar light beer
  • 2 ounces Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur
  • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 16 1-inch pieces peeled fresh ginger cut into thin matchsticks

Instructions

  1. Divide the ice between the 2 glasses. A 12-ounce cooler (or highball) glass works well. 
  2. In a measuring cup or small pitcher, combine the beer, ginger liqueur, and lemon juice. Stir until just combined.
  3. Divide the cocktail in the glasses. Garnish with the ginger sticks.

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Cuisine: American / Category: Drinks

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Thirsty Thursdays: Apple Pie Cocktail

After Amanda and I had fun with our S’mores Week in August we decided to make a that we should do more posts together related to a theme. We thought about different themes we could do but the main thing that kept coming up was that we wanted it to be longer than a week. So things evolved to become sharing weekly drink recipes that can be boozy or non-alcoholic and that can match the season or holiday. The possiblites are endless! So we are kicking our Thirsty Thursdays posts today with fun recipes that we both wanted to share. I picked this apple pie cocktail and Amanda picked Honeycrisp Apple Sangria.

Last year when my mom and I went to Utah to attend a crafting event we came back one night to the hotel and were discussing how we wanted to get a drink. We asked a group of guys, who were drinking in the lounge watching sports, were they got their beers. They were so nice that they just gave us a few. Well, we run up to our room with our prizes in hand and that is when I noticed that they were not twist tops. By this time I had actually put my pajamas on so I went back to downstairs to them in my pajamas (clearly, I have no shame) for them to open the bottles. They gave me a cup of Apple Pie Moonshine for us to try and I was hooked. Seriously the midwest is so nice. It was sweet, light, and packed a punch.

 

This is a great cocktail to make to celebrate fall. The original recipe calls for Everclear as it is a grain alcohol like moonshine but I was having trouble finding that in Massachusetts. So I switched to vodka and increased the amount. One of the biggest things is that I really suggest using cinnamon sticks. If you use ground cinnamon then you need to then remove it as it does not dissolve and it would be pretty intense to drink. This is great both hot and cold so you can enjoy some just from the stove while the rest of the batch cools.

Check out Amanda’s Honeycrisp Apple Sangria.

Apple Pie Cocktail

Serves 24 (8oz cups)

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon of apple cider (8 cups)
  • 1/2 gallon of unsweetened apple juice (8 cups)
  • 1 1/2 cups of light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup of sugar
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 vanilla bean, optional
  • 2 cups vodka
  • 3 cups Whipped Cream flavored Vodka

Process

  1. In a large pot, combine the cider, apple juice, sugars, cinnamon, and vanilla together. Cook together to dissolve the sugars and to warm.
  2. Remove from heat and the cinnamon sticks and vanilla.
  3. Add the vodkas.
  4. Enjoy hot or cold.

Very Berry Sangria

Price and I recently had a party at our place for my birthday. It was centered around a Mexican theme so I’ll be posting a few recipes from that that works well for a fiesta or just a great gathering. Enjoy!

I love sangria so much because it works well year round and with so many different add in’s. You can do citrus, stone fruit, or berries, or an combination in between. I really prefer wine sangria but I have been enjoying red sangria more and more. Most of all I love to serve sangria when people are over. It works well for a crowd since you start with inexpensive wine, add fun fruit to it and it really transforms into a great drink.

 

This red sangria is packed with fruity flavor. All of the different types of berries add so much sweet, bright flavor.  Each of the 4 different types of berries provides a different flavor to the sangria. Then when you add the tequila you get a bit of a kick to it in the end. The seltzer adds a nice bubble to the the whole thing to finish it off.

 

Very Berry Sangria

Serves 12-16 people

Ingredients

  • 4 bottles of red wine
  • 1 pound of strawberries
  • 1 dry pint of blueberries
  • 1 dry pint of blackberries
  • 1 dry pint of raspberries
  • 1/4 cup agave, depending on the wine
  • 3 cups of tequila
  • 1 liter of seltzer, or ginger-ale

Process

  1. Divide the 4 bottles of wine into 2-3 pitchers, depending on the size of pitcher. Fill the pitcher about half way full.
  2. Wash all the fruit. Discard an bruised fruit.
  3. Slice the strawberries.
  4. Add all the fruit to the wine, divide evenly.
  5. Add the agave and tequila. Gently mix the wine to incorporate.
  6. Let chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
  7. Right before serving add the seltzer to the pitchers.

Coquito- The Puerto Rican Eggnog

Coquito is the Puerto Rican Eggnog like drink that is made with lots of coconut and rum. It’s a boozy drink that will transport you to the island.

Post from 9/8/2009, Pictures Updated 11/4/18

Post Contains Affiliate Links. Read my full disclosure HERE

Coquito season is one of my favorite seasons. I love it sooo sooo much. Are you ready for it? Are you gifting it?

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