Happy Hour Friday: The Poinsettia



Photo property of the Food Network

If you are in desperate need of a New Year's Eve cocktail to serve tomorrow night, look no further. This tasty poinsettia is truly indicative of the season and only requires three ingredients (most of which you probably already have at home). Serve it in a wine glass with crushed ice and a few strips of orange zest and you are sure to have your guests beggin' for more!

Have a safe and happy New Year! Cheers to 2012!

Adapted from The Food Network

You Will Need:

• 1/4 cup vodka
• 1/4 cup Champagne
• 1/2 cup cranberry juice
• Crushed ice
• 2 strips orange zest, each about 1/4-inch wide and 2 inches long

Here We Go:

• Combine the vodka, champagne and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass
• Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled
• Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve

Makes 1 Cocktail

Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday: Somersault Ale

Somersault New Belgium Ale is the perfect beer for these final hot days and crisp, cool nights. We have loved having this beer around while we cooked out with friends and had crackers with cheese sitting on our porch.  It is easy on the palette and goes well with pretty much anything. Flavors of ginger and apricot come together for the perfect party for your taste buds. Enjoy this seasonal beer before it is too late!

Happy Hour Friday: Pineapple Vodka Cocktails

Photo Credit: Esther Ayers

Since the entire country is practically melting from the rising temperatures, I think that we all should take a minute and cool down with this delicious, refreshing pineapple vodka cocktail. I cannot take credit for this drink as they are a favorite of my brother and his girlfriend (thank you Johnny and Esther)! The only thing problematic about this drink is that it is so tasty you might forget that you are even drinking alcohol...pace yourself!

You Will Need:

• 2 oz Vodka
• 1 1/2 oz Pineapple juice
• 1/2 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• Slice of fresh pineapple for garnish

Here We Go:

• Mix vodka, pineapple juice and lime juice together
• Garnish with slice of fresh pineapple

Serves 1
Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday: Classic White Wine Spritzer

With temperatures rising all over the country, everybody is trying their best to stay cool in this unbearable heat. Another great way to still enjoy your white wine during the summer is with a white wine spritzer. I made this one for my happy hour cocktail and added some frozen fruit. I used strawberry, mago and pineapple and it gave the spritzer a nice subtle fruity flavor while the frozen fruit acts as ice cubes to keep your spritzer cooler longer!

You Will Need:

• 1/2 cup club soda
• 1/2 cup white wine (I used sauvignon blanc)
• 2 or 3 pieces of frozen fruit

Here We Go:

• Mix all ingredients together and enjoy

Serves 1
Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday: Watermelon Daiquiri

I have always been a fan of pretty party drinks. Nothing is better in the summer than a gorgeous, frozen cocktail.With temperatures rising across the US (the high is 95 degrees today), this frozen daiquiri is perfect for a summer picnic, cookout or cocktail party. I bought a whole watermelon at the grocery store earlier this week, and after we had eaten almost half of it and didn't think we could possibly eat anymore, I used the remaining melon for this tasty daiquiri. Serve it in a highball glass and garnish it with a lime. Your guests will be ever so thankful that you did!

Source: Food.com

You Will Need:

• 4 cups peeled seeded and cubed watermelon
• 1/2 cup light rum
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup triple sec
• ice cube

Here We Go:

Freeze watermelon in a shallow pan at least 6 hours

Combine frozen watermelon, rum, lime juice and triple sec in blender

Process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides

Add enough ice to bring mixture to 5-cup level and process until smooth

Repeat procedure, if necessary, until mixture measures 5-cups

Garnish with a lime wedge and serve immediately

Serves 5
Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday: Apothic Red

It is hard to believe that we are leaving Charlottesville in just about two weeks. Time has truly flown by. I feel like it was only a few months ago that we were moving into our current apartment and now I am furiously wrapping my dishes and glassware for our next move. With work now beginning to wind down, I had a goodbye lunch with some colleagues last week and we went to a wonderful French restaurant in town called Petit Pois. I had the most delicious seared hanger steak that was cooked to perfection with shallots and herb butter. To top it all off, my steak came with the most delicious french fries and I gobbled up every last bite (I'm sorry I don't have a picture of this for you)!

So what does my phenomenal steak have to do with apothic red wine? Well, nothing directly but I wanted to share my tasty lunch with you before I talked about the vino. As a little going away gift I was given a bottle of Apothic Red and let me tell you that this California wine is so tasty! According to apothic.com, It is " a captivating blend of three distinct grapes, with the dark fruit flavors of Syrah, brambly spice of Zinfandel, and a smooth elegance of Merlot. Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend." At under twenty dollars a bottle this wine is not to be missed! You can purchase this wine at most major grocery stores in any city.

I am off to Curacao this weekend to celebrate my dad's 60th birthday! I hope that everyone has a great memorial day weekend. If you need any ideas for your memorial day cookout check out the meal ideas in the leftover section of the blog!

I will hopefully be sitting here in a matter of a few hours!

Photo from worldcitypics.com

Enjoy Your Happy Hour and your long weekend!

Happy Hour Friday: Blue Mountain Rockfish Wheat Beer

Photo: From Blue Mountain Brewery

Last weekend one of my best friends from college came to visit. With this being her first visit to Charlottesville, I knew that I had to show her the gorgeous vineyards and our favorite brewery. After an afternoon of wine tasting we ended up at Blue Mountain Brewery for some afternoons beers. I love this brewery because of the beautiful scenery and delicious beers. It also doesn't hurt that they are open long after all of the vineyards close. "Blue Mountain Brewery sits in the shadow of Appalachia’s Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, Virginia. They are a farm brewery, growing their own hops, and making a vast variety of tasty beers."

The Rockfish is their summer beer. It is an "authentic Bavarian-style “Kristall Weizen” filtered wheat beer. It has such a wonderful and light flavor. It is perfect for those hot summer days and cool spring nights. This beer is available from April to September and can be purchased at most large grocery stores - Kroger, Harris Teeter and Publix. A six pack of blue mountain bottles varies in price from roughly 8 to 10 dollars.


Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday : Champagne Punch

This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous and that is great news since Saturday is the Foxfield Races. These horse races have taken place for over thirty years and there is always a huge turnout. From children to adults, it is a  favorite of many in Charlottesville. There is tailgating galore with a wide variety of BBQ, deviled eggs, ham biscuits, salads and fried chicken. And what tailgate would be complete without an ample supply of beer, wine, mimosas and bloody marys?

This recipe for champagne punch looks so refreshing and delicious. The addition of fresh fruit mixed with champagne and simple syrup sounds like the perfect cocktail for spring, summer and warm weather in general. Whip up a big batch of this and have some friends over for brunch, a pre-dinner cocktail, or to watch the royal wedding today!

Source: Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Martha Stewart

You Will Need:

• 1 thinly sliced peach
• 1 cup raspberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 cup simple syrup
• 1 bottle champagne or other sparkling white wine

Here We Go:

• In a pitcher, combine ice, peach, raspberries, blueberries, lemon juice, and simple syrup
• Slowly pour in champagne or other sparkling white wine

Serves 6
Happy Feasting!

Happy Hour Friday : White Hall Vineyards Petit Verdot

Last weekend my brother and his girlfriend were visiting us from Atlanta. Although the weather wasn't warm and sunny as we had all hoped, it definitely didn't slow us down. We went to a dinner party Friday night (thanks John and Hobby!) where the wine was freely flowing and the dinner spread was out-of-this-world. There was BBQ from Barbeque Exchange, marinated tomato and mozzarella skewers, mini pizzas, herb chicken mini bruschetta with cheddar and fig jam (unreal!), and one of my all time favorite dressings to accompany the asparagus - green goddess! Oh, and who could forget the little macaroons for dessert -so cute! It was a wonderful night of eating, drinking and catching up with friends.

We woke up Saturday morning and left the house headed to lunch followed by an afternoon of vineyards. The final stop on our wine tour of Charlottesville was White Hall Vineyards. This was my first time at White Hall and it exceeded my expectations by far. The vineyard is small and intimate and the staff is so warm and personable. After a wine tasting, we ended up buying a bottle of this wine (because we loved it so much) and the four of us sat in front of the fire chatting and loving this petit verdot.

White Hall's tasting notes describe this wine as "rich ruby colors and luxurious aromas of cedar, dark chocolate, and tobacco foreshadow a round palate laced with notes of bright cherry and currants, enhanced by smoky vanilla flavors and well-integrated tannins." This red is light and versatile. It is the type of wine that could accompany pasta, steak, chicken or even a salad . This bottle retails for around $20 which is so reasonable for a great red wine! You can purchase it online directly through the vineyard or find it at select Harris Teeters, Krogers or Publix. Don't miss out on this delicious petit verdot. Have a great weekend and enjoy your Happy Hour!

Happy Hour Friday: Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc

This past weekend I was in DC with a bunch my college girlfriends. Since graduation, we all try to get together once a year if possible. Last year it was New York City and this year it was Washington. The weekend was filled with staying out too late, mimosa brunches, shopping in Georgetown and a delicious meal Saturday night at Chef Geoff's downtown. I think we were on our fourth bottle of sauvignon blanc and second round of cosmopolitans (there were a lot of us!) when one of my friends said "Kate, you should totally talk about cocktails on your blog!". I had definitely thought about this before, but it was sort of a fleeting thought and I decided that I was going to focus solely on food. Well, needless to say, I have changed my mind.

Welcome to Happy Hour Friday! From here on out, every other Friday, I hope to discuss great bottles of wine, beers, cocktails and maybe even a handful of delish virgin happy hour treats! As summer is just around the corner, I know that people will be flocking to bars after work or heading home to grill-out with friends, and after a long work week it doesn't get much better than a happy hour!

Now onto this week's wine...

Given that this resurfaced while consuming many bottles of sauvignon blanc, I figured that it was only appropriate that my first happy hour post be just that. When it comes to wine, I am not prejudice - red or white will be just fine. I will say, though, that on a regular basis I definitely drink more white wine than red wine. And of the white wines, sauvignon blanc is generally my go-to.

New Zealand's Oyster Bay is a crisp and refreshing wine. I first purchased a bottle of this affordable wine while living in New York City because at roughly $12 per bottle it was exactly what I could afford.  Now, even though my budget could probably afford a little more why would I stray? Don't try to fix what isn't broken and this wine is definitely not broken. Natalie MacLean, drinks blogger for Epicurious, writes “This is one of the most consistently delicious and refreshing whites on store shelves. The fruit for this New Zealand wine is gently pressed and the juice is cold-settled to retain its freshness. It has a vibrant, zesty flavor with enticing notes of passion fruit and lime, and works both as an aperitif for cocktail parties and paired with a wide range of dishes, from shellfish to vegetarian." I couldn't agree more with her comments. Go and get yourself some Oyster Bay!

Enjoy your Happy Hour!