Cocktail Recipes

Keisha Wright asked:




2008 marked one of the most momentous races for the U.S. Presidency, one fueled by intense passion and determination. Use the suggestions below to celebrate President-Elect Barack Obama’s historic victory by hosting an inaugural ball at your home!

Décor & Tabletop suggestions

Pave the entry to your home with remnant red carpet purchased from your local carpet store, or rent a red carpet from Red Carpet Runway.

As guests enter, have a photographer snap a photo of them next to a life-sized cut-out of President-Elect Barack Obama. This will make a fun party favor. Place photos in glossy, quality stock paper photo frame imprinted with the host’s name and the date of the party (e.g. Debbie’s Inaugural Ball, Jan 18, 2009).

Place vases with white roses around the home for added drama.

Suggested Invitation Copy

(Host Name) requests the pleasure of your company

at the Yes We Can Inaugural Ball in celebration of

Barack Obama

44th President of the United States of America

DATE

TIME

PLACE

RSVP

Semi-formal Attire

Cocktail Recipes

No celebration would be complete without champagne. Serve cocktails with custom imprinted napkins featuring the Presidential seal and date of the party. A few patriotic themed cocktails include:

Red (Serves 10)

Ingredients

3 cups chilled Arizona green tea

6 cups chilled pomegranate juice

10 - 20oz Gin or Vodka

5 oz amaretto

Toothpick

Garnish: Strawberry, blueberries and mini-marshmallows

*Prepare Garnish before beginning

1. Mix the green tea and pomegranate juice into a bowl

2. Line up 10 glasses filled with ice.

3. Pour 1oz (full shot glass) of Gin or Vodka and 0.5oz (half a shot glass) of amaretto in each Glass with ice. *You may also add an extra shot of liquor for a kick.

4. Pour 7oz (less then a cup) of the green tea and pomegranate mix into each cup.

5. Garnish and Serve

WHITE (Serves 1)

Ingredients

1 oz vodka

1 oz peach schnapps

fill with Sprite or 7up

Garnish: Blueberries and raspberries on Toothpick

Mix vodka, peach schnapps together and pour in glass. Fill the rest of the glass with Sprite. Garnish with Blueberries and raspberries.

BLUE (Serves 1)

Ingredients

1/2 oz. Light Rum

1.2 oz. Vodka

1/2 oz. Blue Caracao

3 oz. Pineapple Juice

1 oz. Sweet & Sour Mix (or margarita mix)

Garnish: Pineapple and Cherry

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve in a tall glass. Garnish with a slice of pineapple and a cherry.

Hors D’ourves Recipes

Red & Blue Chips with White Cheese Dip

White Cheese Dip (Serves

Ingredients

4 cups monterey jack cheese or asadero cheese or chihuahua cheese, shredded fine

16 ounces green chilies

1 cup half-and-half

8 tablespoons onions, chopped fine

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

4 serrano peppers, chopped fine (optional)

4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped fine (optional)

Tortilla Chips (Blue & Red- organic)

Directions

Put all ingredients in a double boiler and heat on medium. Cook until melted and well blended, stirring occasionally. Serve with fresh chips.

Linda Wilson asked:




Fall is a great time for parties, from children’s parties to adult parties. Everything from Halloween to Harvest to Football call for parties.  If you are looking for something new for your party, check out the recipes below.

How about having a taffy pull?  This is fun for all ages and here is one of my vintage recipes for taffy.

TAFFY

2 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/3 cup water

2 tsp vinegar

2 tbsp oleo

2 tsp vanilla

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine sugar, syrup, and water. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and add vinegar. Cook to soft ***** stage or 268 degrees. Remove from heat, add oleo and vanilla. Pour into 2 buttered plates with edges. Cool until able to handle. Butter hands, gather taffy into a ball and pull with fingertips until satiny in color and hard to pull. Pull each piece until it is about 1/2-inch thick. Cut into bite-size pieces and wrap in waxed paper. Makes about 1 1/4 pounds.

Note:  You can change the flavor of the taffy by using butter flavoring, mint extract, banana extract, or other flavored extracts instead of the vanilla.  For colors, use a drop or two of food coloring to match the flavor you are making; ie yellow for banana, red for peppermint, etc.

Note: This is an old Southern Indiana recipe.

Popcorn balls are another great fall party item.  You can make them in advance or have your guests assist as a party activity.  Here is a recipe for you to try.

NEVER FAIL POPCORN BALLS

1 cup white syrup

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup unpopped popcorn, popped

Pour popcorn into a large glass mixing bowl or other bowl that won’t be ruined by the hot syrup. Bring syrup to a boil, add sugar to syrup and return to boil. Remove from heat and add baking powder and butter; stir until smooth. Add vanilla. Pour over popcorn, let stand a couple of minutes then shape into balls using your hands that have been lightly buttered.

Yield: approximately 18 popcorn balls

Having a big crowd?  Dig out your large-sized perculator and make our Perculator Punch.

PERCOLATOR PUNCH

Use a 20 to 30 cup percolator to make this punch that serves 16.

1 qt apple cider

1 pt orange juice

1 tsp whole allspice

3 cinnamon sticks

1 pt cranberry juice

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp whole cloves

Combine cider and juice in percolator. Place sugar, spices, cinnamon sticks in percolator basket. Let perk until finished.

Make your party a little different from all the rest.  A taffy pull and making popcorn balls should do that!  And what a surprise for your guests; punch from a perculator!

Have fun and Enjoy! 

Nadine Lloyd asked:




Each and every country has a singular libation that it claims as its own. In Costa Rica, the libation of choice is Guaro beverages.  There’s a certain state pride related to saying an alcoholic libation. Think about Mexico, and tequila straight away is evoked. Vodka, naturally, goes with Russia. Visit Greece and an ouzo headache can not be far behind. Aquavit in Sweden will certainly turn your head and stomach.

Costa Rica, naturally, could not lose out on the excitement. Guaro depending on which barkeeper you talk to, Guaro is either a mind erasing alcohol drink or an energy drink with a little kick.  Regardless of visiting Costa Rica on many occasions, I have not attempted this potent drink and for good reason.  

Well, some time ago, a few of us were hanging out in the beach city of Carrillo just taking in the evening after another day in the sun. Carrillo is a great town for fishing and some classic surf spots are close by. It is analogous to Tamarindo, but without the overpowering expatriate influence. Unfortunately, Carrillo is intensely tame at night. Put an alternative way, there’s actually zilch to do. A bit bored, we had congregated in a cafe overlooking the sea. Tables and chairs had been pushed together and we had reached the point in the evening where we were telling lies about how great we used to be. The barkeeper / owner approached our table and recommended we had not experience Costa Rica until we had sampled Guaro.

One of our fellow mates were chosen. Known humorously as Mexico Joe, our guinea pig was experienced in the manners of Mexican Tequila. Mexico was remotely close to Costa Rica, so that the drinks were likely similar. Indeed, Mexico Joe was the person for the job. The shot glass came. Jokes were made. Joe thru it back. A small scowl, a lime, slaps on the back and general laughter. Just as we started egging one another on to be the new person to experience Costa Rica, an amusing thing occurred. Mexico Joe was becoming Pink Joe.

Laughter quickly stopped and a general concern spread across the table like the rash quickly developing on his arms. We were doubtless 3 hours from a surgery and the term pink eye was taking on a much bigger meaning. His whole skin was slowly turning pink! You could really see it moving down his arms and across his chest. His fiancé, Linn, wasn’t at all happy! It’s got to be a peculiar feeling to sit there and watch your skin change colors. Joe was cracking jokes as is his nature, but there had been a definite strain to his giggle. Luckily, the reaction shortly slowed and retreated. Inside twenty minutes, he was good as new and we had a new story to take note of. We generally passed on further offers of Guaro. A traveler has to understand their limits!