Sandra Lee Ginito Cocktail

As the name implies, the GINITO cocktail (pg. 164 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) is, made with Gin. Not my favorite liquor. However, THIS COCKTAIL PRESENTS A GOOD CASE for Gin.

Since this recipe makes a batch of 10 cocktails, this was a perfect candidate for my Monday night tennis team.

Below, Sandra Lee shares her recipe for the GINITO.

GINITO Cocktail

• 2 cups gin (sorry, I used Gordons as I don’t usually stock this in my bar)
• 1 cup chilled pomegranate juice
• 1 cup chilled cranberry juice (I used diet)
• 6 packets sugar substitute (I used Splenda)
• 6 Tbs. lime juice
• Ice cubes, club soda*

In a pitcher, combine gin, pomegranate  juice, cranberry juice, sugar substitute, and lime juice.  Pour into glasses.  Add ice.  Top with club soda.*

*If you’ve been following my blog, you know by now that I do not like club soda, so I used diet Tonic water, which worked  fabulously.

T-Cee reviews Sandra Lee semi-homemade cocktails

My Monday night team LOVED THIS GINITO COCKTAIL. At least those 3 or 4 left hanging around after my match did.  Oh, sorry to those of you who didn’t get any cause my match went on FOREVER, and I didn’t leave the GINITO cocktail out on the food table, cause I know from experience YOU LADIES WOULD LAP IT ALL UP!!!

Anyway, I may start making 2 batches of cocktails to try – one for the early crowd and one for those of us who play loooong matches.  So, for myself and the 3 or 4 other ladies, we all gave this a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT A LOT (out of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT).

Once again, thank you Sandra Lee, for a great cocktail recipe.

Salude!

Toni

Blue Lagoon Cocktail

The Blue Lagoon cocktail (pg. 122 Sandra Lee semi-homemade Cocktail Time) is another summer mix drink made with blue curacao. This BLUE LAGOON however is also made with gin which is not a particularly favorite cocktail ingredient of mine.

It is interesting however, that I made the BLUE LAGOON on the same day that I was surrounded by a ‘sea of blue’ – I’ll explain that later, but first, here’s the mix drink recipe, courtesy of Ms. Sandra Lee.

Blue Lagoon cocktail drink

• Superfine sugar (I used regular sugar)
• 3/4 oz gin (I used Seagram’s)
• 1/4 oz. vodka
• 1/4 oz. blue curacao
• 1 splash lime juice (I used Rose’s)

Wet the rim of a (tall shot) glass with water.  Dip rim in sugar.  In a cocktail shaker, combine remaining ingredients, add ice cubes.  cover and shake.  Strain into glass.

Note:  Use a tall shot glass for this – the small quantity gets lost in a cocktail glass unless you fill it with ice first.

OK, now you’ve got the recipe, go ahead and make one and enjoy my ‘sea of blue‘ story .  Actually, it’s not a long story.  I was simply taking my son to practice at the school which is being renovated. Not only is the school campus a mess, the streets surrounding it are also a mess – some streets are blocked off entirely and entrances and exits to various parts of the campus have been changed.

So, I decide to follow the two cars in front of me that are going down a street next to the school. They appear to be driving with no hesitation, so I figured they knew where they were going. Zip, Zip, around the corner – no problem. Zip, Zip, into a parking lot which I assumed they must know is a back way through the construction.

WRONG. Those two parked their cars and the officers in each of the cars got out and made a bee line for the building – apparently they were late for work and the parking lot was the precinct back lot. And of course the split second I realized this, an iron gate slammed behind me locking me in the parking lot. Now I look around and realize I am surrounded by a ‘Sea of Blue‘, so I burn rubber racing around the parking lot to catch up with the last officer entering the building, roll down my window,and yell “hey, do you know how I can get out of here?” She looks at me like I’m from mars and says “how’d you get in here?” I indignantly reply “I followed you”. (I’m thinking, I’m a taxpayer and what the hell kind of security is this? – but I wisely keep this thought to myself). So, the officer has to get on her talky thingee and get some guy to remotely open the gate, and I make my escape. Not bad for 7AM! I wonder what else I’ll do today.

T-Cee reviews Sandra Lee cocktails

I really didn’t get into any other trouble that day, but that evening, I did make the BLUE LAGOON cocktail in honor of my Blue Sea adventure.

So does the BLUE LAGOON cocktail get a Semi-HomeTested rating of LUSH IT, LUSH IT A LOT, or LEAVE IT? The BLUE LAGOON cocktail drink was not particularly tasty – even a bit bitter. Although the BLUE LAGOON cocktail was a tad better when I threw it in a glass of ice, I have to give it a Semi-HomeTested rating of LEAVE IT. Sorry Ms. Sandra Lee.

Salude!