Creative Culinary

This post for a Cherry Lemonade Vodka Spritzer is a refresher from the archives. I refreshed the photos and wanted to share it again. I first published it over 15 years ago, so it’s like new again, and perfectly seasonal. I know Sprouts does not have a huge market like some other grocers, so I feel lucky that I can shop there.

I have a little recipe binder that I’ve had since my twenties that holds the recipe for the best Hot Buttered Rum. Yellow with a cross-stitch look to it and plastic sleeves inside with handwritten recipe cards in them. It is so old and country looking and SO not me today but I love that little binder; it seems that everything that I took the time to include in that book is still something special (including the Date Nut Bars I’m making today!).

I first published this recipe for English Toffee with Salted Chocolate over 10 years ago and while I love this toffee, and the product of that effort was as fantastic as I expected, I never really shared it much. Why? Well, it was in the period when I was between homes, living with a friend while my house was being completed, and using a spare bedroom at my daughter’s for photography. Not ideal. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox.

I have a ton of Christmas decorations but Halloween, Thanksgiving and Fall in general have been ignored by me for the most part. I decided to get with the program and wanted something beautiful but did not plan on how perfect it would look with this Bourbon Pumpkin Cocktail with Chocolate Liqueur! I prefer cooler colors; and most definitely not a big fan of orange. That’s right, poor orange.

Halloween is soon and I’m still not the biggest fan…but here I am again, making another Halloween treat. I have to share these Halloween Ghost Cookies. I always participated in Halloween traditions with my girls, but when they grew up, graduated from college and then got jobs and moved away, I thought I was done.

I know, I’ve mentioned I do not love Halloween and it’s never a holiday that I’ve devoted a lot of time and attention towards. Honestly I wish I knew why it’s so ‘meh’ for me but I will divulge a little and my Vodka & Kahlua Ice Cream Cocktail that I’ve called a Ghost in the Graveyard is the latest example.

I’ve mentioned to a couple of friends that I was developing some compound butters for Kerrygold, my favorite butter for baking. They were unfamiliar with that phrase and though I could explain it easily enough the fact is that I think what’s come from this effort deserves a new name. The result with this Sage and Caramelized Onion Brown Butter had me over the moon.

Summer is not summer unless I make this Italian Cut Ribeye Steak (Tagliata) at least once. It is not our standard fare but it is so easy and beyond delicious. While we do our fair share of burgers and chicken, this has to happen at least once…and I usually wait until August so that we can also have fresh tomatoes and other veggies; it’s a special meal. Tagliata, in Italian cuisine, refers to a dish where meat, typically beef, is grilled or pan-seared and then thinly sliced before serving.

My inspiration, as many readers know; should be called fridgespiration. I was very happy to have a container of my homemade salsa verde in the fridge and while it is great with chips, I thought a more concerted effort to use it would be nice too. Baked Chicken Salsa Verde was the result! It took only minutes to decide to combine chicken and salsa with melted cheese and a nice handful of cherry tomatoes.

This Watermelon Moscow Mule Float was inspired by a photo of a watermelon float. It was simply blended watermelon with vanilla ice cream and 7-Up. As delicious as it sounded, I wanted to make a major revision and make it a boozy float. I have something to celebrate and needed a drink that was festive and this cocktail fit the bill. Beautiful, summery, and worthy of a celebration. Perfect. Want to save this recipe? Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox.