Looking for a fun and colourful drink to serve your friends? You will love this Pixie Stick Martini

Ingredients & Measurements:

• 1 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Blue Curacao
• 1/2 oz. Midori
• 2 oz. Pineapple Juice
• 10-12 Pixie Stix
• Shaker
• Ice

Instructions.

• Cut the ends to 10-12 pixie stix and empty them into a plate. The color of the rimmer will depend on how you mix the colors.
• Dip your glass into water to coat just the rim. Shake off excess. Place the glass onto the dumped out pixie stix.
• Fill the shaker with gin, midori, blue curacao, pineapple juice, and ice.
• Shake and pour into glass.

Here is a tasty treat and you do not need to wait for the holiday season to enjoy!

Ingredients & Measurements:

• 1.5 oz. Ginger Vodka (Schnapps or Brandy is fine too)
• 1 oz. Irish Cream
• 1 oz. Vanilla Vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua
• 1.5 oz. Half & Half
• 2 Gingerbread Cookies
• Whipped Cream

Instructions:
Take one of the cookies, put it in a ziplock bag, and pound it until you have a bag of fine crumbs.  In a saucer, pour in two tbsp. of the Irish Cream on one side, and place the crumbs on the other side.  Take a Martini glass and swirl the rim of the glass through the Irish Cream.  Then run the rim of the glass through the crumbs to completely coat the rim.  Next, set the glass upright in the freezer while you build the cocktail.  To make the cocktail, combine the liquid ingredients into an ice filled cocktail shaker.  Cover, shake well, and set aside.  Remove the glass from the freezer and strain your cocktail into the glass.  Place, or spray, a dollop of whipped cream on top of your drink, and set the other cookie on top of the whipped cream to garnish.

Everything you love about the ice cream treat in a glass :)

Ingredients & Measurements:

• 1/2 ounce Banana Liquor
• 1/4 ounce Frangelico Liquor
• 1/4 ounce Blavodka (Black vodka)
• A squirt of Whipped Cream (the one in the can works best)
• 1 Marchino Cherry with a stem
• Chocolate syrup (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pour the banana liquor first then add the frangelico.
2. Slowly pour black vodka so it sits on top. There should be a little room at the top of the shot glass.
3. Squirt some whipped cream on top & add a cherry.
4. Add a couple drops of chocolate syrup on the whipped cream. Enjoy!!

Cool! Refreshing and great for all your guests (men and women) The Blue Long Island is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients & Measurements:

• 1 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. Gin
• 1 oz. Light Rum
• 1 oz. Gold Tequila
• 1 oz. Blue curacao
• 5 oz. Sweet & Sour Mix

Instructions:
Pour into a glace with ice. Liquors first followed by sour mix & then blue curacao. Serve with straw & garnish with a lemon. Enjoy!!

This one kind of looks like a birthday cake in a glass. Yummy!

Ingredients & Measurements:

• 2 tbsp Vodka
• 2 tbsp Chocolate Liquor
• 1/4 cup Irish Cream
• 1/4 cup Half & Half
• 2 tsp Butterscotch Syrup
• Ice
• Candy Sprinkles

Instructions:

In a shaker with ice, add all ingredients except sprinkles. Shake. Dip rim of martini glass into water then into sprinkles. Pour shaked ingredients into glass. Top with more sprinkles.

Sharing for fun. Can you skip class today?

Stocking your pantry with nonperishable items is important. It allows you to stock up on items on sale  and have food on hand for recipes etc. a pantry can be a cupboard, shelf or closet depending on your space.

Non-perishable foods are “shelf-stable” items that do not spoil or decay.  They can withstand months of shelf life.  They do not require refrigeration. These types of items are found on the shelves of most home pantries.

Non- perishable foods include many boxed and canned foods. Here are a few examples.
Fruits and Vegetables 
• Canned vegetables 
• Vegetable and fruit juices
• Canned fruit and fruit cups; dried fruit 
• Canned tomatoes (juice and sauce) 
Grains
• Oatmeal 
•Whole grain or salted crackers 
•  cereals 
• All pasta types 
• Whole grain or white rice  
•dried beans
Proteins
• Canned tuna, salmon or chicken 
• Bean soups 
• Baked beans 
• Dried and canned beans and peas. 
• Chili Beef stew 
• Peanut butter and nuts

Also soups, gravies, jams/jellies, seasonings, powdered milk, granola bars, nuts, cookies, pre-packaged dry meals like hamburger helper, side kicks etc.

Many recipes can be created using items from the pantry. Often with these items you just need to add water and heat.  A stocked pantry is essential. Peanut butter and powdered milk are my must have items. But that is more out of emergency preparedness than daily use for us. You never know when  you may be snowed in.


Do you have a MUST HAVE pantry item?

This Genoese sauce for pasta also goes well with vegetables and as a dip or spread for bruschetta.
Serves 4-6

• 4 Handfuls of fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
• 1 Large garlic clove, crushed
• 5-6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. 1 Combine the basil, pine nuts, cheese, and garlic in a food processor or blender and blend. Until finely chopped.
2. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the machine running add the oil through the feed tube in a slow steady stream until a thick sauce is formed. For a thinner sauce, add more olive oil.
3.  If you don't have a processor, put the basil and garlic in a mortar and pound with a pestle. Add the pine nuts, a few at a time, then the cheese and oil alternately until you have a thick paste. Add more oil if desired.

Serves 8
What you need

• 3 tbsp loose green tea leaves or 5 green tea bags
• bunch Moroccan mint or spearmint
• water
• 1 cup superfine sugar 

Fill a large teapot with boiling water to warm it; then discard water. Place the green tea and fresh mint inside teapot. Pour 6 cups of water into large pot. bring to a boil over high heat, then carefully pour it over the tea and mint in the pot. Steep for 5 minutes, stirring gently once or twice. Add sugar stir until it dissolves. Pour hot tea through a strainer into a small serving cups, or cool and pour over ice cubes in glasses for iced mint tea. 

Bouquet Garni
This little bundle of herbs is used in French cooking to impart flavor to slow-cooked dishes. The muslin cloth tied with string holds the herbs together and should be removed before serving. A classic bouquet garni contains a bay leaf, 2-3 fresh parsley stalks, and 2-3 springs of thyme.

Cut Batonnets 
1 Cut the vegetables into 1/4 in (5mm) thick slices, then cut into 1/4 in wide stripes.
2 Cut across the width of the strips to make batonnets long.

Cut Diamonds 
1 Slices the vegetables in half down the length and lay each piece flat down on the board.
2 Start at the white root and cut diagonally along the length into diamond-shaped pieces.

Shred 
Rub the vegetable down the length of the grater, choosing the hole size that gives you the best size you prefer, or shred in a food processor.

Dice
Cut vegetables into stripes of equal width and thickness, then cut them into dice the same length as the width and thickness.

Julienne 
Making julienne is similar to cutting batonnets, but slices are thinner, and cut into thinner stripes too.

Mandolins 
Will make very thin slices or batons. Use one with adjustable blades to cut at any thickness. The blades are very sharp.

Braising and stewing are slow-cooking methods that use liquids to keep the meat moist. They are excellent ways of using cheaper cuts of meat. Stewed meat is cut into smaller pieces and completely covered with liquid, while braise meat is cooked with less liquid in slices or as a whole joint.

1. Cover the meat pieces with water, stock, wine, or another liquid. For a joint, add liquid one-third of the way up the meat.
2. During the cooking, check that the meat is not drying out and top up the pan with more liquid if necessary.
3. Add herbs, spices, and diced vegetables about 45 minutes before the end of the cooking so they will remain firm.

Marinades are great for flavoring meat such as beef and pork, and bringing it to life under the broiler or on the barbecue. Marinate the meat for 1-5 hour, depending on type and density of the cut.

Asian Marinade : Whisk together 2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, a splash of mirin or dry sherry, 1-2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, and a pinch each of grated fresh ginger and garlic. add a splash of olive oil to thicken, then brush on the meat, covering completely.

Mediterranean Marinade : Mix together 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, a good pinch of oregano, a crushed garlic clove, and some salt and pepper. Brush on the meat covering completely 

There are four simple steps to getting crisp crackling: Score the rind with a sharp knife, rub it with salt and oil, roast for 15 minutes and then do not baste the joint for the rest of the cooking time.

Score the rind:  width wise with a very sharp knife or a scalpel, keeping the lines parallel and close together. First work from the middle toward one edge, then turn the meat around and work from the middle to other end. This is easier than scoring in a long line. Always tilt the knife blade away from your other hand and make sure the knife cannot slip toward your body.