A youthful combination of berries

The Mixed Berry Daiquiri (pg. 124 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) is a cocktail full of anti-oxidant rich blueberries, raspberries and strawberries. So it was a fun Girl’s Night and an exercise in creating a youthful appearance!  We were certainly feeling younger by the end of the evening.

My friends and I do not rely on Science for this, we just know what we know and we know when we are feeling younger.  Any questions?

Mixed Berry Daiquiri (feel younger cocktail)

• 3 oz frozen mixed berries
• 1 3/4 oz sweet and sour mix
• 1 1/4 oz spiced Rum (I used Cpt. Morgan)
• fresh mixed berries (for garnish)

In a blender (I used my Margaritaville) combine ice, frozen berries, sweet and sour mix, and rum.  Cover and blend until smooth.  Garnish with fresh berries. Pour into a chilled glass.  Serve with a straw.  (We decided it was too thick so I added another 1/2 oz of the sweet and sour mix).

Be sure to make a blender full when you have a group of friends over.   And modify the ingredients for thickness – if you use more frozen berries and more ice for example, you will have a thicker cocktail.  Add more sweet and sour mix as I did, and you will have less requirement to use a straw.  Then let the party begin.

T-Cee review of Sandra Lee cocktails

OK, time to rate this cocktail. Do I give the MIXED BERRY DAIQUIRI cocktail a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT?
Because the MIXED BERRY DAIQUIRI cocktail was delicious and made us feel so youthful, it gets a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT A LOT.

So, invite your friends over and mix up a blender full of Mixed Berry Daiquiri cocktail. Leave your comments below to tell me what you think of this anti-oxidant rich youthful cocktail. (don’t forget to click on ‘submit comment’)

Salude!

T-Cee

Blueberry Sangria. A ‘just right’ Sangria that’s a blend of blueberries and lemonade that is perfect for a hot summer night.  Sandra Lee (pg. 104 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) you sure nailed this one on the head!

The ladies are here!  Lot’s of food and discussion.  I’ll get to the book review in a moment, but first, here is the Blueberry Sangria recipe:

Blueberry Sangria

• 1 bottle (750 ml) white wine
• 3 cups lemon/lime soda (I used died 7-Up)
• 1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries
• 1 can (12oz) pink lemonade frozen concentrate, thawed
• 1 cup congnac (just get a cheap one – it’s punch!)

In a large pitcher, combine wine, soda, blueberries, lemonade concentrate, and cognac. Chill in refrigerator for 1 hour. Pour into tall glass. Add ice. Drink up.
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We munched, drank, and caught up with each other. Who did what, with whom, and to whom. We ladies, we love our drama. Oh, and someone broke my toilet. Another story for another day. Ok, now time for the book.

This month’s Book Review/Cocktail Party was about the book Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn.   It is a collection of real life stories of oppressed women in developing countries, primarily in Southeastern Asia and Africa as told to the authors of this book.

The book focuses on three areas of abuse against women: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence; and maternal mortality. But Half the Sky is about more than bringing these issues to light (these issues have periodically been brought to the public’s attention via different news reports over the years). The authors are very up front in their hope to recruit people to the movement to “emancipate women and fight global poverty by unlocking women’s power as economic catalysts.”

The authors clarify how throwing huge sums of money at the countries has not worked in the past, as a great deal of the money never ends up reaching those in need. They champion targeting small amounts of money to specific efforts. They do a great job identifying education and micro financing for women as pivotal changes that can create exponential improvement in quality of life.

Half the Sky does an excellent job in all that, but unfortunately, the authors are clearly from a liberal bias, and do an unfortunate amount of America bashing. Additionally, while they say that both liberals and conservatives must work together on this, they manage to include political digs.

So, would I recommend this book? Yes, definitely. We all have our biases and this book is certainly intended to help oppressed women.

So, maybe this is where Sandra Lee’s ‘Cocktailing for a Cause’ will come into play. I will have to research this more – Note to Self: Call Sandra Lee. In the meantime, there are 6 more women spreading the word!

As to the Blueberry Sangria, did the book club group give this a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT?
The Blueberry Sangria got a unanimous Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT A LOT!

Salude!

T-Cee

Don’t forget to leave your comment. Have you read Half the Sky? Did you try the Blueberry Sangria?

It was book club night and both the Startini Dream and Berry Encore cocktails were a big hit.

These 2 delicious berry flavored vodka martinis (Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time book pg. 66) – one is a black cherry and the other a blueberry concoction – both with a touch of orange liquor – were very similar in taste but the majority vote that night was for the Startini Dream (black cherry).  For those of you who prefer a less sweet drink, simply decrease the orange liquor and increase the citrus juice.

Our book discussion was Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese.  Some felt that the book started very slow and then picked up, while I thought it started fine, but totally bogged down in the middle and thankfully the last 1/3^rd of the book was fabulous.

It follows the life of twin brothers growing up in Ethiopa who are as much in tune with each other as they are different – Marion the serious and thoughtful one and Shiva who skates through life with seemingly no thought to others.

There are many characters, and just as in real life, they each have secrets and pasts which ultimately shape their futures.  For ex., the twins Marion and Shiva are born out of wedlock to an Indian nun and a British doctor.  Add unrequited love, betrayal, parents unwavering love for their children, political upheavals, and barbaric attitudes and consequences for women to the mix and you have a really interesting story.  However, as I said, it just bogged down in places.  I usually like a book better than the ensuing movie, but I suspect that if a movie is made from Cutting for Stone, I would enjoy the movie more.

But with our martinis in hand the discussion was lively and isn’t that what sharing books with friends is all about?

And oh yeah, I did make my version of Sandra Lee’s White Pizza – only I made fresh pizza dough and homemade Alfredo sauce (I really do not like jarred Alfredo sauces and it is ridiculously easy to make).

So love the book or leave it, make your pizza from canned ingredients or fresh, but DO make the cocktails.

My Semi-Home-Tested rating for both the Startini Dream and Berry Encore cocktails are a definite LUSH IT.

Cast your vote of ‘Lush it’ , ‘Lush it a Lot’ or ‘Leave it’ in your comment.

Salude!