Pomegranate Martini Punch

In the spirit of encouraging you to get to really know me, we should probably start with a cocktail… This particular cocktail has a long and sordid history in my own kitchen. And if you message me privately, I’ll tell you the story of its real name. I tend to pour with a heavy hand so you will notice a range of ratios available in the ingredients list. The drink will taste wonderfully within this range no matter how you pour it, but if you want to end the evening with a dance party, take the upper range, if you’ve got an early morning, opt for the lower end. 750 mL champagne or other sparkling wine 8 oz pomegranate juice if it is pure/concentrated (12-16 oz if you use a blend or cocktail) 4-6 oz vodka (and don’t you dare buy expensive vodka!) 4-6 oz triple sec (more if you like it sweeter) some lime juice (2 limes) serve in a highball or a wine or champagne glass with an icecube thrifty alteration: 1 liter club soda 1 liter sprite (use a diet soda – you won’t notice the difference and few calories) 8 oz pomegranate juice if it is … Continue reading

Coffee Ice Cubes

My dear friend Susan was stuck in the Philly airport overnight, I knew I could save her day with something special like these Coffee Ice Cubes with Baileys for a night cap. Grr! August thunderstorms. Rather than allowing her to stay at the hotel airport, I encouraged her to head on over to our house/b&b. She was tired, it was late and she was fairly sure her day was firmly planted in the “no good” category. Imagine her surprise when I handed her an Irish Cream with coffee ice cubes and forced her to stay up all night giggling. It’s so easy to really “wow!” even an unexpected guest with minimal planning. Coffee ice cubes are a great start. Just brew extra strong coffee, I usually make decaf so that no one has a problem with these at night, and freeze them in silicone trays. I recommend the silicone because these don’t pop out quite as well as traditional ice cubes. You will have to do some peeling back the edges and the silicone won’t break since it’s flexible. I pop them out as soon as they’re frozen and store them in freezer bag so they’re ready to go at … Continue reading