July 19, 2020 begins National Prosecco Week. My Summer Orzo Salad will be the perfect pairing with a chilled bottle of Prosecco! Summer Orzo Salad Makes 6 servings 2 cups Orzo 4 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese 10 ounces tri-color cherry tomatoes, cut into fourths 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped fine 2…
entertaining at home
National Piña Colada Day
July 10 is National Piña Colada Day! The perfect day to drink a Frozen Maraschino Piña Colada made with Rhum JM Blanc and CLÉMENT MAHINA COCO. Please visit http://www.rhum-jm.com/en/collection for more information about this fabulous rhum that makes the BEST Piña Coladas! I like to add a little Maraschino cherry juice to my cocktail to…
Get Your Grill On for Father’s Day
This post was originally published on the Behind the Page Blog, The Roanoker Magazine, June, 2020: theroanoker.com Father’s Day evokes many fond memories. Dad trying to relax on his lawn chair in the backyard with us kids bouncing all around him. Giving him what we thought was the perfect gift – a tie that was…
Cherry Lemonade Vodka Slushie
One of my all-time favorite beach cocktails! Makes 12 cocktails. Requires freezing the slushie overnight, so make the day ahead. Cherry Syrup: Makes 2/3 cup 20 fresh cherries, pitted and cut in half 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup water Place cherries, sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat and stir until sugar…
Mionetto IL Prosecco ~ Mango Bellini
I love bubbly cocktails and Prosecco adds the best bit of fizz to our favorite libations. I’ve been enjoying Mionetto Prosecco and recently discovered their IL Prosecco DOC. Perfect for concocting cocktails because it is crisp, dry and bubbly but doesn’t break the bank in the $10-$12 range. Available on-line or locally – Mr. Bill’s…
Welcome To My Garden ~ Mionetto Prosecco Virtual Tasting ~
I was very excited to be asked to participate in the first ever Mionetto Prosecco Virtual Tasting with the CEO of Freixenet Mionetto USA, Enore Ceola. He greeted us by introducing Prosecco as “An everyday pleasure to reward yourself, without breaking the bank.” Please see end of this post for his bio. Mionetto Prosecco is a…
Ragged Branch Bourbon “Mobile” Tasting + Rising Sun Cocktail
During these times of #stayathome and social distancing, we are coming up with creative ways to enjoy cocktail hour and food/beverage tastings with friends. My friends at Ragged Branch Bourbon in Charlottesville, Virginia recently sent me samples of their lovely bourbons. I shared the bourbon with our friends, Mary Ellen and Bill who I consider…
Spring and Summer Bourbon Cocktails Featuring Rosemary Simple Syrup
Rosemary simple syrup adds a bit of fresh herbiness to cocktails. It is especially delicious in spring and summer cocktails that contain complementary ingredients such as pear and orange. It’s simple to make and lasts in a covered jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. (I like to store mine in a mason…
Award Winning Ragged Branch Bourbon ~ Cocktails #stayathome
If you’ve tried to purchase medical-grade alcohol at the store lately, you know it’s like liquid gold these days. Shelves are bare where multiple bottles of alcohol used to reside. Ragged Branch Distillery in Charlottesville is helping first responders and local EMS units, as well as the local postal service, by providing medical-grade alcohol to…
