Rumchatta Hot Chocolate

I think I've mentioned my favorite FestFoods guy before, right?  Well, this week he had this not-for-the-kiddies hot chocolate recipe for me that he said was amazingly rich and wonderful. Looking at the recipe, I think I might have to have some folks over just to have an excuse to make it!

1 bottle Rumchatta
2 bags Andes baking chips
4 c. milk
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1 can condensed milk


Combine all ingredients in crockpot and heat on high for 1 1/2 hours.  Stir it very well to combine the ingredients after that hour and a half.  He didn't say if you should turn it down after that, but I'd expect you might want to.  If anybody makes this, let us know how it turns out!

(Yes, I did buy the booze for this, but it was on sale this week! *grin*)

Beaujolais nouveau release week

Hey all, this week is the release week for the Beaujolais nouveaus! go pick one (or six) up for some delicious juicy drinking. Get them now and drink them soon... would go well with many Thanksgiving and X-mas meals. If you want something that will last longer and have more complexity then do a Cru Beaujolais, these are some great wines that rarely top $20.

Neat Champagne Science... and a Saber!!!

Ok, for some neat Champagne knowledge plus a SABER go to Wine Library TV and watch episodes #756 and #757... it's worth the 35 minutes!

Herbed Soda

I first had this served to me by a lovely, grandmotherly coworker. I believe she said she got the idea from Martha Stewart, but I might be misremembering. Anyway, this recipe is available many places online, but that's not going to stop me from putting it here.

Simple Syrup Herb Soda
Basically, you make a simple syrup, which is a one-to-one ratio between sugar and water. Let's say a cup of each. Bring that to a boil, and toss in, oh, a third of a cup or so of fresh herbs that you've crushed a bit to bring out the oils. So far basil is my favorite. I've also tried lavender (a little too floral/sweet, but I think it would be awesome if you also mixed in some lemon zest) and lemon verbena (YUM!). Anyway, turn off the heat under the water, cover, and let steep for 5-10 minutes depending on how strong you want the herb flavor to be. (I usually go 10.) Chill.

To serve the sodas, put some ice in a glass, fill about 1/5 to 1/4 with the syrup, then top off with club soda. If you want to be fancy, you could garnish with a sprig of whatever herb you used.

This is a fantastically refreshing summer beverage, and there's lots of flexibility around creating it to taste.

Wednesday Fun #78 - Banned Brewing and Lawless Lagers!

I was reading over at Accidental Hedonist the other day, and they mentioned that home brewing has just become legal in Utah! Now, I don't know about you, but I'd've figured on Utah being the last state in the union to legalize home brewing, but it's not! In fact, there are FOUR states in which it's still illegal to brew your own beer.

Can you guess which ones they are?

(I'll post the answer in the comments next Wednesday, but if you can't wait, take a look at this article on RealBeer.com, which was the source to which Accidental Hedonist linked.)

Wednesday Fun #33 - Coffee Call-Out

Coffee's been on my mind lately since our coffee maker is dying. It made me wonder - if you're a coffee drinker,

How d'ya like YOUR cup o' joe?

Black as sin? A little cream 'n' sugar? Some fancy half-caf, soy milk, venti, one-pump of vanilla to-go at your fav coffee joint? The best is the stuff they make in your church basement with the egg shells in the grounds? One time you were in Europe and you had this coffee and your eyes were opened as to its wonder? Do you have a favorite way to have it at home and a coffee-shop favorite as well? If it's got caffeine, it's good enough for you? Do tell!

White Trash Margaritas

I know it's winter, but sometimes you need an escape. These rock. But, don't put them in the blender (at least not after you've added the beer)!!

Combine:
1 can limeade
1 can cheap beer (do they still make Schlitz?)
1 can 7 Up

Fill limeade can with tequila and add to mix. Stir. ENJOY over ice.