Cotton Tail Martini

Posted on March 21, 2013 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Looking for the perfect Cocktail to serve at your Spring and Easter Gatherings? Do you have Cabin Fever so bad that it has driven you to drink? Are you always looking for that one Cocktail that nobody else has heard of or too afraid to order? Well this little Gem is all for you! Cotton Tail Martini is all about Spring, all about fun, and all about delicious. You can make a pitcher or just one or two glasses and it will have the same wow factor every time that you make it! Cotton Candy and Champagne were just meant to be in the same glass.

Remember those little sponges that you used to get and they were a tiny square until you got them wet and they would grow? Well this Martini works in the opposite direction. As you pour the Champagne on the Cotton Candy it does this magic trick and disappears and quickly changes color.

I am in love with the Pretty Pink! Oh and the Coconut Rim just perfect! Once you have one of these you are going to be addicted and want to make them every Friday Night! Need another little piece to make this Martini even more Fun?!

Serve a Fun Marshmallow Treat as a Swizzle Stick! Happy Friday Everyone and please Drink Responsibly.

Cotton Tail Martini

This is a Plaid and Paisley Kitchen original recipe

Ingredients

1 bottle of Dry Brute Champagne
1 container Cotton Candy
flaked coconut
green food coloring
light corn syrup

Instructions

To tint your coconut add 5 drops green food coloring to a handful of coconut and mix till all is green
run a bead of light corn syrup on a plate the size of the rim of your glass
dip glass in the corn syrup then into the coconut to rim the glass with "green grass"
place a healthy sized piece of Cotton Candy in the glass
slowly pour the Champagne in
Enjoy!

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The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen 2012

Hot Chocolate Mix to Gift

Posted on December 12, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Christmas is right around the corner! It is a hurried frenzy around my house to get all the cookies baked, the presents wrapped and mailed out. I have 4 different States to Mail to! That’s what happens when you are from nowhere and everywhere at the same time! I have NY, CT, TN, TX, oh and KS! That’s 5! That doesn’t even include all the states we have lived in and all the friends in California! I am getting tired just thinking about how much work I have left to do. I am beginning to bemoan my decision to make most of my gifts this year! In the long run I know it will all be worth it though! Just tonight I have made 2 more batches of cookies and another batch of gumdrops! Wait till you see those next week! One of the foodie gifts that I am giving is this Hot Chocolate Mix. You will see there is no powder in this mix. No cocoa, No instant chocolate milk, No Sanalac (that stuff freaks me out) No desicated freeze dried marshmallows! This is the creamiest. Chocolateyest. Yummiest. Hot Chocolate you will ever drink! It is the perfect gift when paired with adorable snowmen mugs!

There are White Chocolate Chips, Chocolate chocolate Chips, Real mini Marshmallows, mixed with Evaporated milk and real cream….. Oh Christmas Chocolate Dream!!! I used Mint Chocolate Chips and that was even better!! So grab the kiddies, overdress them in winter coats til they can’t move (think Ralphie in The Christmas Story) load them up in the car, go drive around singing Christmas Carols and look at all the lights in your area. Just remember to make a batch of this Hot Chocolate for all to drink on your Adventure!

Hot Chocolate Mix to Gift

This makes 4 8oz servings and can be easily doubled

Ingredients

ingredients to package for gift:
3/4 cups White Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Chocolate Chips (I used Mint Chocolate)
1 handful of mini marshmallows
What they will need:
1 12oz can of Evaporated Milk
1 1/2 cups milk or cream

Instructions

On a gift tag print these directions:
Combine all gift ingredients in a sauce pan
add the Evaporated Milk, milk or Cream
Cook over Low heat stirring frequently until all is melted and heated through

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The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen 2012

Spiked Tea

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Oh Autumn how we love thee! It is time for so much fun after we have barricaded ourselves in the grand relief of air conditioning, hiding from the blazing heat of summer! We lovingly throw open the windows let the fresh air in, sit on the porch during cool mornings and then warm as the sun rises throughout the day. We run and jump for joy at the gorgeous colors you make the tress, we happily pick apples and pumpkins and bake the most delicious desserts. We rejoice at the sound of the school bus as it pulls away with the kiddies all inside. And on Sunday’s we get ready and we cook, and we bake and then we go out and party in parking lots! Parking lots?! What?! Yes Tailgating that most cherished of pre game traditions is held in an ugly dirty crowded parking lot! Just once I would love to have it at Park or in the backyard where the scenery is so more pleasant to look at and sometimes smell.(depending on who is Tailgating next to you!)

I am sure you all know who Phyllis Hoffman is. She has the cutest and great party idea magazine that comes out once a Season. This Autumn she has a great section on Tailgating, that is where I got the idea for this cocktail. The picture shows a spread in the back of an SUV that is fit for the Queen when she is in residence at Balmoral! Of course there is a beautiful Plaid tablecloth in the photo so of course I am biased about this! But really this is how tailgating should be done. Maybe it would be too time consuming to go to a park and then make to the game on time. Ok I can see that. When you tailgate at the stadium you get there early and you don’t have to fight for a place to park or end up parking 1 mile away. I get that is the main reason for tailgating in the parking lot. So here is my proposal……

Let’s make this a 2 day event!!!!! On Saturday we have the great bang out party in the park and Sunday we go see the game! I mean we all love football right? So why should we just celebrate and have fun on one day of the weekend? When we can have 2?!!! I think that I have solved the problem. Hee Hee well maybe not so much as a problem as it is a way for me to have more time to play……

This Tea is quite strong and soooooooooo good. Can I say that again. Sooooooo good!! Make it and take in mason jars with lids and you have the perfect portable cocktail! Now this would also be good warmed up and taken in a Thermos. For the NorthEast football fans I am sure it is already getting quite Chilly!

Spiked Tea

This is a great portable cocktail or just to make for parties at home. I adapted this recipe from Phyllis Hoffman's Celebrate Autumn 2012

Ingredients

1 bottle of Sweet Tea Flavored Vodka
1 2 liter bottle of 7-up
1 can frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
1 can frozen orange juice concentrate thawed
4 cups of water with 5 teabags steeped in it (this will be very strong tasting tea)

Instructions

In a large pitcher combine the juice concentrates and the vodka
then add the 7 up
when all the fizz from the pop has calmed down
add the tea steeped water
gently mix so as not to make the 7up fizz over
pour into mason jars filled with ice cover and take with you!
You can also mix this in a dutch oven and put over medium low heat until desired temp has been reached

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The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen 2012

Strawberry Bliss Cocktail

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Happy Monday My Foodie Friends!! Most of us dread this day as for most of you it means that the luscious weekend is over and you are headed back to work. That is for you lucky ones that have weekends. My crazy job, it is against corporate policy for Management to have two days off in a row unless we take PTO time! If I thought it wouldn’t get me fired I would tell you who this company is so you can all write ~~nasty~~ friendly reminders that they should not be such Nazi’s! But such is my lot in life! I have tried to quit 3 times from this job and each time they guilt me into staying! This situation can lead one to drink! Oh wait that is what this post is about! I think that this is a perfect start the week off right kind of cocktail! I mean I am not saying tip the bottle at 8am but really it is five o’clock somewhere!!!

So just because it is Monday doesn’t mean the whole day has to be drudgery! Come home from work tonight whip up a pitcher of this cocktail, invite some friends over, sit out on the patio and enjoy and relish in the bliss that is your wonderful life! No matter how dull a Monday can be, we all need to take time to stop and just be grateful for the Bliss that is in our lives!

Strawberry Bliss Cocktail

Ingredients

1 can limeaide thawed
1 pint of strawberries hulled and sliced
4 cups water
1/12 cups sugar
2 limes sliced
1 cup vanilla vodka
1 cup whipped cream vodka
1/4 cup marchino cherry juice (to enhance red color)

Instructions

bring 4 cups water and sugar to almost a boil just enough to melt the sugar, cool completely (this is your simple syrup)
in a blender add the strawberries and vodka and blend til liquified
in a pitcher add the simple syrup, the limeade and the blended strawberries float the lime slices in the pitcher
stir and serve over ice
use lime and strawberries for garnish

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Strawberry Nectarine Smoothie: Crazy Cooking Challenge

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Yippee!! It is Crazy Cooking Challenge time again!!! I don’t think I have had a chance to participate since my The Sexiest Chocolate Cake you have ever eaten post! If you have not heard about the Crazy Cooking Challenge you must check it out! Tina does a FANTASTIC job for all of us happy food bloggers!

I found my smoothie recipe at a really cool and healthy blog Skinny Taste. Please go check her out! I did have a bit of a snafu with my smoothie. As you see I used a nectarine and the Skinny Taste recipe calls for a Kiwi…… I promise I did not break the rules on purpose. I went to grocery store this morning and got all the ingredients I needed for all my posts for the week. I had a kiwi in my basket, I put the kiwi on the counter to be rung up, when I got home I had no kiwi!!! Arrrg! At least I also had some nice fresh nectarines so my smoothie was not just a plain strawberry smoothie. This smoothie is healthy has no added sugar and is very filling! I had it for lunch and it did the trick! I have stayed away from store bought smoothies as they are not as healthy as you would think, but if make them yourself and control the ingredients then smooth away my friends!!!

Strawberry Nectarine Smoothie: Crazy Cooking Challenge

5.0 from 1 reviews

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1 fiber one strawberry yogurt
5-6 strawberries
1 nectarine pit removed
1 cup ice

Instructions

mix all in a blender til smooth and enjoy!

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Irish Coffee Ice Cream Float

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!! I hope that you all have lucky days and the Wee Leprechaun’s are kind to you and leave you lots of pots of gold! We are getting ready for quite the party day here in Kansas City! We have one of the country’s largest Parade’s and this our first year to go! Needless to say we are Super Excited! So in preparation for tomorrow’s big even I made this fun dessert to get us in the mood. Like anyone in this household needs help……..

This is fun and yummy, you can make it virgin, but hey it is in honor of all us crazy drunk Irish! It is even better if you serve it in a cool Irish Beer Pint Glass also!

See the Leprechaun’s have arrived already!

Irish Coffee Ice Cream Float

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Serves: 1

Ingredients

1-2 scoops coffee ice cream
1-2 oz coffee liqueur
2-3 oz Bailey’s irish cream
coffee flavored milk

Instructions

in a glass put the scoops of ice cream
cover with coffee milk til almost full
pour in the booze!!!
let the good times roll!

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Blood Orange Hurricane

Posted on February 19, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

It is Mardi Gras Time!!! Get out your beads and fill the largest cup you can find with great New Orleans Libations! And that is New Arrlens for all you Northerner’s that want to say New or LEANs. I spent most of my life in the Deep South that is Memphis and Nashville Tennessee and it is a true Faux Pas to get this wrong. Especially at this most sacred of Southern Celebration times! Tomorrow is the Greatest Party Day of all times! Fat Tuesday!!! Time to get your PARTY on folks before we enter our most solemn of times in Lent. So in that Tradition I have created my own version of the MOST Famous of all Louisiana Cocktails. The Hurricane!!!

I am on my second one as I am writing this! Whoo Hoo!!! I took the classic drink and just tweaked it a tad to make it my own. I used a Carbonated Blood Orange drink. You can find them at most Posh Grocery stores. (I think we all know the one I mean) The one ingredient that CAN NOT be substituted is a Top Shelf Spice Rum! I use the Sailor Jerry kind…… Some like the Captain Morgan kind…… but one must NEVER use clear or Rot Gut kind……

So go on down to the Byou, take a trip down the mightiest river in the world, push your way through the spanish moss, fan away the humidity…. oh just make sure that you watch out for Vampires and Ghosts. It is not a legend or just child stories in this part of the world!

Blood Orange Hurricane

Author: The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

Serves: 1

Ingredients

2 oz BEST Spiced Rum
1 oz Pineapple Rum
1/2 oz Tripple Sec
Blood Orange Soda or Juice

Instructions

In a cocktail shaker fill with ice
pour all liquor in the shaker and shake!
pour in a glass with ice
top with the blood orange soda
Have a good time!!!

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Orange Dreamcicle Drink Mix

Posted on January 30, 2012 by Chandra@The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen

I think one of the coolest compliments I have gotten in a long time was when my Step Son Steven said “Oh My Gosh how did you do that? You are like a Food Chemist!” This was his response when he took a sip of the drink. At first he didn’t think that it could possibly taste just like that Summer Time Favorite. Well it does!!

Now we are having a very mild winter here in the Mid West. Most days are in the 40′s and 50′s. I worry that we are going to have to pay for this gift from Mother Nature one way or the other…… Like 10 feet of snow in March or 120 degrees in July. Even with the mild winter it still is not the same as my Sunny California and warm Sunshine. So I do have a bit of the Winter Blues, not too bad just a touch. It doesn’t help that I am reading about all the fun our Foodie Friends are having Down in Australia for Australia Day festivities. It is Summer there after all! I see all these warm and sunny and fun dishes being created and I just felt I needed a bit of Summer here in Kansas City!

This little gem does just the trick and it is also going to make great little Valentines Gifts for teachers and Co Workers! All you need is little cute jars emptied of their original items and washed and dried and a little bit of cute ribbon and you have a cute little gift!