Coconut Cloud

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Coconut Rum, kahlua and Cream

Most would agree that coconuts – though difficult to open – are delicious and refreshing, The thought of them Causes most minds to float to thoughts of beaches waves maybe a soft summer breeze and lots of palm trees.  Tropical paradise if you will.  Don’t forget the sand.  Anyway, Coconut Cloud is a whimsical little cocktail – tastes more like a nice sweet slice of coconut cream pie than anything else – but it’s sure to satisfy your sweet tastebud cravings and have you coming back for seconds.  A light and easy to drink coconut cocktail will leave you feeling a little buzz after you’re finished.  Give it a try sometime.

 

Coconut Cloud

1 oz Malibu Coconut Rum

.5 oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

Half & Half

Build over ice in a rocks glass.  Pour in Half and Half last.  Serve with or without coconut flakes.

 

Key Lime Kamikaze

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Delightfully SweetKey limes.  The adorable and tiny little cousin of the regular old lime fruit.  They so tiny it’s a wonder anyone can cut them open and get any use out of the little guys.  Ever wonder if there is even a difference between key limes and regular limes?  There is!  Key limes are much smaller (ping-pong to golfball-sized) than Persian limes, nearly spherical, thin-skinned, and often contain a few seeds. Green key limes are actually immature fruits, prized for their acidity. As they ripen to a yellow color, the acid content diminishes greatly, resulting in a sweeter fruit. Fresh Key lime is preferred for flavoring of fish and meats, marinades, making limeade, and garnishing drinks and plates due to its tantalizing bouquet and unique flavor.  Which is exactly why this might be the best kamikaze you’ve ever tasted.

Key Lime Kamikaze

1oz Vodka

.5oz Tripel Sec

1oz Sour Mix

3-5 slices from a fresh key lime

In a shaker, drop in your key lime slices and the triple sec.  Muddle until you can clearly see the juice from the limes has come out.  Pour in your vodka and sour mix.  Dump in some ice and then shake shake shake until the shaker is frosty.  Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a couple of key lime slices.

 

Strawberry Lemonade Margarita

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Quite Possibly the most refreshing drink of the summer

 

Not too sure about the rest of the country, but in Western Washington we have been seeing much warmer than usual temperatures.  We are at a record dry streak for may (no rain at all!) and flowers that have already bloomed are wilting if the gardener has neglected to water – and yes, people are setting up sprinklers in their front lawns.  Normally, this time of year we’d be lucky to see 60s, but nope, its been between 75 degrees all the way up to 90!  It’s MAY for pete’s sake come on mother nature where you at?!  Anyway, I digress.  It’s hot, I’m thirsty and my husband is complaining that there’s nothing good to drink around the house.  I open the fridge, breathe in a sigh as the coolness washes over me, and then start grabbing random fruit and refreshing things out.  I grab the blender.  Throw in some ice, lemonade (lemonade is always tasty on a warm spring day) fresh strawberries bought from the local farm stand, lemon juice, lime juice and…tequila of course we can’t forget the booze…then: BLEND!  And this is what came out.  A Deliciously cool and refreshing margarita smoothie.  The best thing about this drink, besides that it’s the best thing I had tasted all day, is that it tastes just as good without the tequila so feel free to share with the kiddies as well.  Fresh fruit is always a delight.

Strawberry Lemonade Margarita

1.5oz Silver Tequila

1 cup Cut Strawberries

1oz Lemon Juice

3oz Minute Maid Lemonade

Splash of Lime Juice

Ice, plenty of ice (maybe a cup)

This recipe makes approximately 3 margarita’s or so – feel free to add more or less tequila to your taste preferences.  Anyway – you’re gonna wanna throw everything into the blender and blend on the crush ice setting until everything looks all smoothie like.  Rim your margarita glass with sugar and pour your margarita in.  Garnish with a lime wheel and a strawberry slice.  Refreshing!

 

Orange Mint Mojito

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Orange mint has been used for centuries in teas, creams, ointments, as garnishes and in desserts.  You may have some even growing in your backyard.  It’s known to help with stomach problems such as nausea.  It can also be great for calming the nerves and taking the edge off a headache.  It’s simple to grow and if you’re in the right climate it will come back year after year.  These are all great reasons why sipping an Orange Mint Mojito is the perfect way to spend an evening after a stressful day.

As usual, I like to sweeten my mojito’s with honey.  It’s a healthier option and the mellow sweetness of honey pairs very well with the light orange mint flavors.  Honey may have more calories than sugar – but in the long run you actually wind up using less of it than regular table sugar. Unlike honey, table sugar lacks minerals and vitamins (hence it’s been often called empty calories), they draw upon the body’s nutrients to be metabolized into the system. When these nutrients are all used up, metabolizing of undesirable cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher cholesterol and promoting obesity due to higher fatty acid on the organs and tissues. You can use bar syrup instead if that’s what you’re accustomed to – but the healthier route would be honey. Who doesn’t want to watch their waste line while sipping on a bit of alcohol? ;)

Orange Mint Mojito Recipe - a healthy cocktail choice

Orange Mint Mojito

1oz Silver Rum (69 calories)

.5oz Tripel Sec or Another Orange Liqueur (62 calories)

1oz Honey (or sweetener of your choice) (64 calories)

3-4 Healthy Orange Mint Leaves

2 Lime wedges

Soda Water (0 calories)

First, pour the triple sec into your shaker with the mint and lime wedges.  Muddle until you can see the juice from the lime.  A good 15-20 seconds should do.  Pour in your honey and muddle a little bit more for good measure.  Dump in some ice and the rum.  Shake your shaker to mix everything up a bit then pour into your glass.  Fill to the top with soda water or sparkling water.  Garnish with a mint blossom.  Enjoy!