American Made!

The fourth of July is right around the corner and it is important that we celebrate our freedom and make a toast to those who keep us safe and put themselves in harm's way...our military.

So, I have a few suggestions for some all american cocktails that will create quite a stir!

I simply love selecting a signature cocktail to serve when entertaining..of course, I will set out the standard spirits and mixers but I think its fun to offer a drink that showcases your theme.

What's more Made in America than Whiskey?  So, gather up the hi ball glasses and let's get this party going!

Manhattans...think about the old movie The Thin Man!! Nick Charles was the conusumate gentleman and made his Manhattans shaken not stirred...

Of course in the movie Some Like it Hot, Marilyn Monroe liked hers shaken in a hot water bottle...........well, whatever works and necessity is the mother of invention. You go girl ~

These proportions are only guidelines...you might want to experiment:

The Manhattan

2 oz. bourbon or straight rye whiskey

1 oz. sweet Vermouth

2 dashes Angostra Bitters

1 maraschino cherry

Pour whiskey ,Vermouth and bitters over ice in a shaker or pitcher. Shake or stir. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with the cherry.  Salute!

The Old Fashioned

This drink has a colorful history...it got its start in the early 1880's during the Civil War era of alcohol. Most bartenders prefer Bourbon for this cocktail.

Huck Finn was a fan, Don Draper showed how to make one in his episodes of Mad Men  so this delicious concoction has a famous following and lends itself to the perfect Retro Vibe.

The Old Fashioned

1 teaspoon of simple syrup

2 dashes of bitters

1 maraschino cherry

1 orange slice

2 oz Bourbon

Splash of Seltzer water is optional.

Place the syrup, bitters, cherry and orange slice in an Old -Fashioned glass and muddle to a paste.  Add large ice cubes and the Bourbon. Stir Well.  You could do variations on this by using lemon, lime or even pineapple...lay out a tray of these options with the basic recipe and let your guests go wild. Why not host a its a Mad, Mad, Mad , Mad World party...this was the drink of choice in that film.

For those guests that want something a little more tame than the two above recipes you might want to make Southern Ice Tea!  You can't go wrong with this one:

Sandy's Southern Ice Tea

(yields 1 qt.)

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 family size tea bag...I like green tea

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 tespoon of almond extract

fresh mint.

Pour the boiling water over the tea bag and steep.  Discard the bag and add the sugar, and stir 'til well dissolved.  Add enough ice and cold water to measure 1 quart and stir in the lemon juice and the flavorings pour over ice in a tall glass and garnish with mint sprigs.   

This is a taste of the South and keeps well in the fridge.

Remember this 4th of July to be safe, enjoy your family and friends and don't forget to say a prayer for those who have your back..............the American Armed Forces!!

Sandy 

More Adventures on the Sugar Daddy!

First comes love, then comes marriage and then I get to redecorate the houseboat !!   Denny said he fell in love with my sons, Rich and Chris, and that sure sealed the deal for me!  He was kind and patient and very thoughtful and it was just what the Doctor ordered for us.  So, marriage proposals were made, and yes, he did go ask my Dad for permission, and Mom and I went fast to work on planning the celebration.   We set the date for early June so that we would have the whole summer ahead of us to be with the boys on the lake.    We set the location at my parents home in Hot Springs, it was a wonderful home and especially when filled with lots and lots of people.  Their great room was around 2000 sq ft and had a small pool (remind me to tell you about my Dad, Donna Summers and the pool someday).  My Mom was never afraid of the dramatic and had a major flair for style so went for a Polynesian feel (remember this was not my first wedding ) and floated candles and flowers in the pool.  All in all it was a fabulous celebration and a great way to kick off our years together.   It wasn't too many summers later that I mentioned to Denny that as much as we loved being on the boat it really needed to be freshened up....flooring,paint ,kitchen and so much more so I began the process after the first of the year knowing we wouldn't want any down time when the weather started warming up.   I pulled my crew together and made my selections and we gutted the interior.  Being one that isn't afraid to do something different I chose a new laminate floor that looked like large stone tile .  Most boats were carpeted but I wanted carefree and easy to maintain.   I had a couple of bolts of a great fabric left over from a job so I created roman shades for the galley windows.   To complete the goal of total relaxation I selected a leather sectional with three recliners and then added an accent chair that was a recliner and a wonderful Persian rug.........who puts Persian rugs on houseboats..............I  DO !   I hung a small chandelier over a woven rattan table with glass top and the breakfast/dining area was complete.  Add the pictures of our great times together and some soft lighting for night , a nice tv and we were ready for extended stays. I wish I had the photos to share with you but hopefully you can visualize it!!!   The upper deck was a place for sun and dining.. we could host thirty people easily and boy did they love cruisin and sippin!!  I would make white and red sangria and have pretty pitchers of it available and of course lots of sunscreen!!  Photo of the upper deck from a feature in At Home in Arkansas!  What a spread! The redecoration of the houseboat turned out great and Denny absolutely loved it , in fact he was always saying, Why can't we just live here "?  So, one year when we had sold our lake home in town he suggested that till we decided what we were going to do that we move out to the boat. It was late August and perfect. The boating season had begun to dwindle and we were alone for the most part.  This went very well till October and I mentioned that I didn't think I 'd like to spend a winter without a fireplace.............well, I came home from work that evening to a new electric fireplace that was perfect !!   I didn't complain about being there until it was very close to Christmas and no place for a tree and all the kids...........so we moved to town.   It wasn't long til we were just so busy in town that we decided to sell the Sugar Daddy.  Our family couldn't believe that we would do that to THEM !    Looking back I can't believe we did it to ourselves because it was the one place where cares just melted away, quiet when you needed it , a party when you wanted it and always giving us happiness.   We all had the perfect memories.  How many can smile and say they have had a Sugar Daddy ?