Sip & Snack - Knotted

Whenever I am home visiting my folks there is a little old fashioned Italian restaurant in Sag Harbor, NY that we go to  strictly for the garlic knots. Growing up my having bread before the meal was not usually allowed, my dad used to tell me "if you still want it, you can have it after dinner" {booooo} but even he can't resist the bread before the meal with this heaping bowl of warm garlicky bread. So since we unfortunately aren't home as much in the winter as we are in the warmer month, I thought I would try to recreate this indulgent treat for my husband after his long week of travel.

Recipe

pre-made pizza dough or you can follow this recipe
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 olive oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 chopped Italian parsley
salt & pepper to taste

Directions

Mix garlic, butter, olive oil, parsley salt & pepper in a sauce pan on low heat till melted & the garlic is evenly cooked blended. Roll out pizza dough and cut into strips. Tie each strip into a knot & bake in oven for 15-20 minutes {or till golden brown} at 375 degrees. Once out of oven, brush with garlic butter topping & enjoy!

A glass of wine would have been easy peasy to just serve with this old fashioned snack. But instead I went with a Italian style cocktail with some ingredients of my favorite ingredients.

A glass of wine would have been easy peasy to just serve with this old fashioned snack. But instead I went with a Italian style cocktail with some ingredients of my favorite ingredients.

Recipe
{makes two cocktails}

2 cups ice
4 oz St. Germain Liquor
2 cups chilled prosecco
2 oz lemon simple syrup
basil for garnish

Directions

Mix all the ingredients in a cocktail mixer and shake till evenly mixed, pour over ice & garnish with basil. Cheers!

Sip & Snack - Holiday Edition

 I couldn't be more excited for today as it is one of my favorite days in our little neighborhood. The Beacon Hill Holiday Stroll is an evening of Christmas festivities including victorian carolers, the lighting of the towns tree, carriage rides with clydesdales down Charles Street and of course the excitement of Santa's arrival to pass out treats to all the kiddos. If you are in the Boston area, it's a super fun evening with or without having kids. I feel especially lucky this year that my folks will be in town visiting and my sweet hubs rearranged his work schedule to join in the fun. Since my mom has never been to my apartment I thought I would put together a festive cocktail and buy a little pre-made snack for enjoying before we head down to soak up the holiday spirit!

Ingredients

1 cup eggnog {I used Horizon Low Fat}

1 cup vanilla ice cream {I used Haagen-Dazs}

1/2 cup brandy

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for garnish

Directions

Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. 

Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon & enjoy!

Sugar & Spice Almonds

Holiday Gift Guide - For The Foodie

This week I thought I would take a break from the usual sip & snack recipes and instead share some great gifts of the edible variety. I mean the holidays after all are the time to indulge and the winter fashions allow you to disguise an extra pound or two. So below I thought I would put together a selection of delicious treats that will be happily consumed by whomever you gift them to.
The best part is no cooking required!


one - Shopping local is key to keeping our neighbors in business and I personally adore the Boston boutique Olives & Grace for sourcing other local business for their artesian products. The best part is you can create a box of your favorite treats and create a truly personalized gift.

two - Macaron of the month club - yes please! I adore Dana's Bakery for it's unique flavors, neon macaron's and creative gifting & classes!

three - Tis the time of the year for everything peppermint flavored and hands down my addiction to the William Sonoma peppermint bark has me wanting to gift this to myself.

four - With a name like "studmuffin desserts" how can you resist. This West Village bakery provide petite desserts in darling packaging. I personally would go for the cookie variety but I feel confident you wouldn't be let down sampling anything they make.

five - My family and members and I go absolutely insane for these Montana made caramels. They are ridiculously decadent and every single flavor is ridiculously delicious. My man favors the espresso and I go crazy over the celtic sea salt. Get them & thank me later :)

six - Popcorn is always a great snack for watching a holiday movie so why not try this crunchy treat in some tasty new flavors.

seven & eight - Gift your guy an awesome beverage crate filled with some delicious craft beer from Urban Grape. I love the idea of giving something new to try and luckily this shop offers the ability to buy bottles individually so you can try a bunch without a commitment to the typical six pack.

nine - Squirrel Brand Nuts have amped up the game in tasty snacks with flavors like Italian Black Truffle Almonds, Creme Brulee Almonds & Fleur-De-Sel Pistachios to just name a few are perfect for snacking with your craft beer or favorite vino.

ten - You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream. So honestly, tell me who wouldn't want a  tasting of some small batch luxury ice cream???

*All my gift guides from last year & this year {plus some other gift giving ideas} can be found all in one place here***

Sip & Snack - Buffalo Style Meatballs & Beer Cocktail

Boneless buffalo wings are a favorite indulgence of mine. I love the combination of the spicy sauce along with the cooling blue cheese. I however do not enjoy the calories that the snack has in it. I always have tried different "buffalo style" recipes to mimic this famous dish without the guilt but this by far has to be the closest I can get to the real deal and what goes better with this snack then an ice cold brew-ski. Well my version is a little more feminine with extra lime flavor that I find uber refreshing with this hot dish. 

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey {I used all white meat}

1 egg

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 a finely minced onion

2 tablespoons buffalo wing sauce {I used Franks}

10 celery sticks

1/2 cup blue cheese dressing 
{my husband doesn't care for blue cheese so I do half ranch and half blue cheese}

Directions

Mix ground turkey, egg, bread crumbs & onion in a large bowl. Form into small round balls. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. When out of oven dunk the meatballs in the buffalo wing sauce & serve with celery & blue cheese. 

Lime - Beer Cocktail

{makes two cocktails}

2 bottles Mexican beer {I used Corona}

1 bottle limeade {I used Simply Limeade}

1 lime

Directions

Mix beer & limeade in a pitcher, pour over ice or serve chilled and garnish with a lime slice.

Bottoms Up!

Sip & Snack - Mango Lassi & Spiced Snack Mix

I have been on a real cultural kick lately when it comes to inspiration for the weekly sip and snack recipes. When I first met my husband he loved Indian food. Having spent some significant time in the country he had tried so many of the dishes and swore I would like it. Like so many other things he was correct and I have been hooked ever since. The only issue is that it is definitely a meal we will always order in thanks to the numerous spices it takes to create our favorite dishes and the strong fragrances might have my neighbors not too pleased. However, todays post is easy breezy and neighbor friendly. The perfect combination of sweet and savory and perfect for your indian fix. I used other peoples recipes this week but are both most definitely worth trying, click here for the indian inspired snack mix and this recipe for the creamy mango lassi.

Sip & Snack - Mini Ice Cream Sandwiches & Spiked Espresso

Today's post sort of humored me as I really don't ever crave ice cream or ever drink coffee. However, my main squeeze loves both so I thought I would create a special treat just for him! I first remember making snickerdoodles in seventh grade home economics class where we learned the basics of baking along with a slew of other domestic duties that I am sure was meant to stick with me for when I became a Mrs. I unfortunately am not always a successful baker so I thought I would take a short cut and use the most delicious soft cookie ever made. While my husband almost always prefers anything chocolate flavored I thought vanilla would work best with this chewy cinnamon cookie. I added some other favorite ingredients and created a mini ice cream sandwich that is quite memorable and pairs perfectly with a creamy spiked espresso. Check out all the delicious details below!

Honey-Walnut Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwiches 

{makes 5 mini ice cream sandwiches}

Ingredients 

3 scoops vanilla ice cream {I used haagen das}

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

1 box snickerdoodle cookies

Directions

on a cold marble slab mix ice cream with honey & walnuts

{try to work quickly as ice cream melts at fast & furious rates}

take one spoonful of ice cream mixture and place on cookie & top with another

place in freezer for one hour to solidify or enjoy right away

Chocolate-Cinnamon Espresso

Ingredients 

1/2 oz godiva white chocolate liqueur

1/2 oz baileys irish cream

1 nespresso capsule {I used livanto}

6 mini chocolate chips

sprinkle of cinnamon 

Directions

sprinkle chocolate chips into the bottom of espresso cup

add in liqueur & stir

brew coffee & stir while brewing

sprinkle with cinnamon

Enjoy!

Sip & Snack - Lychee Martini & Glazed Edamame

I was solo in Boston this week as my main squeeze was away for work. When he travels it usually means cereal is for dinner as I am not interested in cooking for one person. I however can't resist making a favorite snack of mine that is super easy and made with items I always have on hand in the house. In our fridge you will always find a bottle of champagne, a variety of cheese and a bag of frozen edamame for last minute entertaining. I love these little pods as a healthy snack that is guilt free. While it is super delicious boiled with some coarse salt, I thought I would amp it up a bit with a soy glaze flavored with fresh ginger, garlic, honey & topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chopped garlic & fresh chopped ginger
{I throw mine in food processor for even chopping}
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 bag frozen edamame

Instructions

Chop garlic & ginger and sauté in sesame oil till tender
{I cook on low heat to avoid burning the oil}
add in soy sauce and honey and reduce till it's a thicker glaze
add in boiled edamame & coat over heat till evenly distributed
top with toasted sesame seeds

A cocktail I always indulge in when dining out for sushi is a Lychee Martini. It is made a few different ways but I always prefer to keep it simple so I made it the way I like it with keeping it simple. The sweet cocktail perfectly compliments the salty snack.

Ingredients
{makes two martinis}

1 can of lychee's in natural juice
4 oz Vodka
2 oz Coconut Rum

Instructions

Chill your martini glass in freezer
Fill cocktail shaker with ice
Add in vodka & coconut rum & 4 oz of lychee juice
Shake & strain over martini glass
Garnish glass with lychee's 

bowls // martini glass // drink garnish

Sip & Snack - The Hangover

After a wonderful weekend visiting my best friend in the woods of Maine, I quickly realized I do not bounce back from a night of drinking as quickly as I did in my twenties. Now the mixing of very fine wine along with tequila may have had something to do with how we felt upon wakening saturday morning. Or perhaps the fact that my best friend and I never want the night to come to an end now that we live so far apart but either way, the one thing I do know is that nothing is better for a hangover then a great breakfast and of course the hair of the dog, also known as a bloody mary. It feels silly to admit that my hellacious hangover inspired todays post but after a big breakfast and two advil we were back at our having fun and feeling good. I made todays recipe a little more sophisticated then what you get at the usual greasy spoon diner with serving breakfast in the cutest petite skillets and garnishing the bloody mary with a new fun teist. Check out all the details below and enjoy!

Ingredients 

Bloody Mary mix or make from scratch

2 oz Grey Goose Vodka 

2 slices pre-cooked bacon

2 wood skewers

2 green olives

{DNS tip - serving these up for vegetarians??? Try a celery salt rim & a pickle garnish}

Instructions

fill glass with ice

pour in one ounce vodka into each glass

fill with bloody mary mix

for the garnish

skewer one slice pre-cooked bacon onto wood skewer & microwave for desired crispiness

put green olive on edge of skewer

Ingredients

1 cup shredded hash browns

2 eggs

1/2 yellow onion diced
1/2 pepper {I used an orange pepper}

2 breakfast sausage crumbled {I used one sweet & one hot pork sausage}

salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

Sauté crumbled breakfast sausage and onion in olive oil & once cooked through add in hash browns till crispy on all sides. 

Once browned to your liking, make a little dent in the mixture for your egg to lay in, crack the egg on top and let it fill the skillet 

Place skillet in oven at 375 degrees and cook till your eggs are at your desired set and egg whites are cooked through

mini skillet // tea - towel // glass