SPICED RYE LEMONADE

Want a sipper to enjoy the front porch, or the backyard swing....or maybe a hammock a the beach, then this is the beverage for you!! (we know, we tried it, loved it and wanted to share!)


Step One:  Simple Syrup

In a saucepan combine the following:
2 Cups Water
3 Cups Sugar
3 Cinnamon Sticks
20 Whole Cloves
1 Vanilla Bean (whole)
1/2 a lemon (squeezed and thrown in the pot)
1 whole nutmeg (I put mine in a sandwich bag and gave it a whack with a heavy pan, then dumped the pieces into the pot)

Bring up to a simmer, stir every couple min to make sure the sugar gets dissolved in the liquid.......keep on low heat for an hour!
COOL and transfer to a Mason Jar or similar container and store in fridge.

Step Two:  Make the Lemonade

Juice 6 lemons over a mesh strainer to catch the pulp and seeds.
Pour juice into a measuring cup....see how much it equals to THEN
Add equal amount of water and equal amount of simple syrup.
That is your lemonade - put in a pitcher or similar container and store in fridge.

Step Three:  MAKE THE DRINK!!

For each serving - 1.5 oz rye (Catoctin Creek Roundstone Rye if possible)
3 oz lemonade
Serve over crushed ice
Stir
Garnish with a slice of lemon and a mint leaf

ENJOY!!!
CB

Easiest Monkey-Bread EVER!!!

Good Morning - here's a simple recipe for a quick breakfast treat.  Since Father's Day is tomorrow - well any one of your kids, with minimal supervision, could put this together as a surprise for Dad - along with a cup of coffee and lots of laughter - certainly a great way to start the day!!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon of Cinnamon
1 pkg of Cook n Serve Butterscotch Pudding mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup butter (melted)
3 10-oz containers of your favorite refrigerated biscuits

How to:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Prep a bundt or fluted cake pan with non-stick spray

In a bowl (or a ziplock bag) mix the sugar, cinnamon and pudding mix well.
set aside

In a separate bowl, melt the butter

Pop open the tubes of biscuits and, one at a time, roll in the butter then roll in the dry mix till well coated.  Lay coated biscuits in the pan and overlap layer by layer till all of them are used.

Bake for 30-35 minutes and serve!

Corn Pudding - life after corn on the cob!

Typically I use this recipe at Thanksgiving, but with summer upon us there's no reason you can't use fresh - just make your own creamed corn and use the same volume as the canned variety!   (now don't get all "organic" on me...yes, sometimes we have to use canned veggies instead of fresh due to season or time constraints!)

For my friends on gluten free diets - I've played with using cornstarch to replace the flour and increasing eggs to 5 - seems to do ok!

1 stick melted butter
4 eggs, beaten
1 17 oz cans of creamed corn
1 17 oz can of sweet corn kernels
2 5 oz cans evaporated milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
6 Tablespoons Matzo meal
1 1/2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
"Pam" a 2 quart casserole dish

Melt butter (I usually just use the microwave)
In a mixing bowl combine milk, eggs, sugar, salt, cayenne and beat well, add butter.  Stir in creamed corn and sweet corn kernels and Matzo meal, mix well.

Pour into casserole and set in a pan filled with hot tap water about 1/2 way up the side of the dish.

Bake 1 1/2 hours or until set.

Serve hot, room temp or even cold!

Beer Punch - hot summer/cool beverage

Simple ... and tasty!

The scoop on dealing with summer heat, especially while just hanging on the porch swing in the back yard, or with 50 people in your house after hearing amazing live music....good friends, good food and an easy cold beverage!

2 Cans frozen pink lemonade mix
6 Bottles Michelob Ultra Cactus/Lime beer
2 Cups of your favorite vodka

Mix, put into a gallon pitcher and keep in the fridge.

Pour over a glass of ice and enjoy!!