Strawberry and Cream Cooler

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite... This lovely soda-like treat will soon be retired from my kitchen. The Silver Fox is nearly back to fighting weight and once he's there, I won't be making this cooler for him on a regular basis. Till then, he gets to revel in its creamy goodness and forget about the caloric punch it packs. This is a delicious drink, but if you are watching your weight you'll have to make this a sometime treat. You can, of course, make it with less rich ingredients, but I really don't recommend it. There are certain treats that I place into an "all or nothing at all" category. This is one of them. I suspect those of you who try this will love it. Here's how it is made.

Strawberry and Cream Cooler...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cups softened strawberry or vanilla ice cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup strawberry syrup or melted, strained strawberry jam
2-3 ice cubes
Whipped Cream (optional)

Ingredients:
Combine milk, ice cream, syrup and ice cubes in jar of an electric blender. Whirl until blended. Pour into 2 tall glasses. Top with whipped cream if desired. Yield: 2 servings.


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound. Beverly is celebrating the 4th anniversary of her blog today.

One Year Ago Today: Reader's Favorite Posts for 2011

Two Years Ago Today: Blanquette de Veau

Three Years Ago Today: Blueberry Crumb Cake

Strawberry and Lemon Crush

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Mother's Day is nearly upon us and I wanted to share the recipe for this marvelously refreshing sipper with those of you who still are working on Sunday's menu. The drink is a non-alcoholic crush that's made with strawberries and fresh lemon juice. Crush is the name originally given to soft drinks whose flavors were enhanced by the addition of crushed fruit and oil from the peel. If you enjoy lemonade but are tired of the same ol' same ol' thirst quenchers, I hope you will give this a try. It is tart and sweet and the unmistakable flavor of fresh strawberries manages to hold its own against the more aromatic and assertive lemons, without making a drink that is cloyingly sweet. This crush has wonderful color and I like to serve it tall glasses that are packed with crushed ice. The Silver Fox tends to shy away from any drink that is colored pink, but even he likes this one and has learned how to make it for himself. For those of you who do not know him, that's tantamount to a rave review. I do hope you will give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Strawberry and Lemon Crush...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Emeril Lagasse
 
Ingredients:
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 cup stemmed and halved strawberries
1 cup unflavored sparkling water or soda water
Cracked ice
Optional: Fresh mint sprigs for garnish

Directions:
1) In a 2 cup measuring cup, combine sugar, lemon juice, and water and stir to dissolve sugar. Combine strawberries and sweetened water in a blender. Puree on high speed until smooth. Add sparkling water and pulse to incorporate. Taste and add more sugar if desired, and pulse to incorporate. Place cracked ice in 2 tall slender glasses. Pour strawberry crush over ice, garnish with mint sprigs, and serve. Yield: 2 servings.


This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

One Year Ago Today: Stuffed Anaheim Peppers with Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Two Years Ago Today: Spoon Bread with Leeks and Gruyere Cheese

Three Years Ago Today: Cotes du Porc A L'Auvergnate - Braised Pork with Cream and Cabbage

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple, but festive, holiday sipper for those occasions when you want to provide a non-alcoholic alternative for children and guests who are teetotalers. It is really simple to make, and while it was first prepared for a large gathering, you can reduce the quantity of ingredients and serve it for a family holiday brunch. This is best prepared several hours before serving. While it can be poured immediately, time gives the ingredients a chance to blend and mellow, and greatly improves the flavor of the finished punch when it is warmed. You can add spices to taste, but be careful to limit the amount of cloves you use. They can add a bitter taste and will spoil the punch if you use them too freely. I think those of you who try this will enjoy it. It would be a perfect drink to serve at a tree trimming party. The recipe appears below. Before I close, I wanted to thank the very special folks who are responsible for the photo blog, Knapkins. They have created a beautiful site and taken away the need for participating blogs to submit photos for publication. They do the hard work and free us to concentrate on our own blogs and recipe creation. It's like having a second pair of hands to help with the work. I really hope you pay them a visit and see how tastefully they do what they do. You can visit their site, here.

Mulled Cranberry and Cider Punch...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups apple cider
6 cups cranberry juice
3 cups orange juice
3/4 cup pure maple syrup
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
Optional: red food coloring

Directions:
Several hours before serving, combine all ingredients in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for several minutes. Remove from heat and allow to sit at room temperature for several hours. Reheat before serving. Yield: 20 to 24 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Miso Soup















Two Years Ago Today: Rosettes

Pumpkin Latte

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The kitchen is closed for the night. The table's set and gleaming and we are ready for tomorrow's feast. I always love this moment. The push is over and it's finally time to stand down, sure in the knowledge that all that needs be done has been attended to. Bob has set a fire and I've just made spicy pumpkin lattes. Music for the evening has not yet been decided, but I've claimed my chair and plan to enjoy this lull and watch the dancing flames. Our drink is a once-a-year affair, much like eggnog or a Tom and Jerry on Christmas Eve. The latte could be made on whim, but, for reasons still not truly clear, it has become a seasonal beverage that's mostly served between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. I cheat terribly when I make ours. The espresso machine is one of the appliance that didn't move with us from the east to west coast, so I foam with the blender and use double strength coffee instead of true espresso when I make these. It works well enough. The recipe I use was first published on the blog Sweet Happy Life. It's a great recipe, but I have found that it make three servings of latte rather than the promised two. I use Irish coffee glasses and I suspect a larger cup was used by the recipe developer. I have been known to suffer from the "more" syndrome and I don't mind occasional super-sizing, so, this presents no problem for me and mine, but I want you to be aware that serving size might be a bit iffy. I like these very much. I think you will too. Here's the recipe.

Pumpkin Latte...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Sweet Happy Life

Ingredients:
1 level tablespoon pumpkin puree
1 cup whole milk
1/2 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg + a pinch for garnish
Scant 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups double strength coffee
6 tablespoons half-and-half
Sugar to taste
Whipped cream

Directions:
1) Begin brewing coffee.
2) In a blender, puree milk, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, brown sugar and vanilla. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the milk is warm and begins to froth slightly. (About 4-5 minutes.) Remove from heat.
3) For each serving: Pour 1/3 of pumpkin mixture into a coffee mug. Add 2 generous tablespoons of half-and-half. Heat in a microwave for 30 seconds, then add brewed coffee to within 1/2-inch of rim. Add sugar to taste, then cover with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg. Yield: 3 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Coconut Bubble Bread
















Two Years Ago Today: Puff Pastry Pillows with Creamy Blue Cheese Filling

Strawberry Orange Smoothies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Smoothies for a mob? I'm a coward and would never attempt it, but I've just come from a breakfast where it was done successfully. I thought those of you who regularly entertain large groups for brunch or breakfast, might like to make this smoothie for your family and guests to enjoy. There were about 50 people at the breakfast this morning. The smoothies were made about an hour before serving and kept in half-gallon containers. The containers were given a vigorous shake before the drinks were served, but there was no unsightly mess to spoil the appearance of the lovely tables that had been set for breakfast. The recipe can be doubled or tripled, but remember the limitations of your blender. Even an average batch will have to be made in two parts and then mixed together. I think you'll like this. It is a fast, easy and inexpensive way to help feed a gang. Here's the recipe.

Strawberry Orange Smoothies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Deb Mac Neil

Ingredients:
3 cups orange juice
1 carton (8 ounces) strawberry yogurt
6 fresh strawberries
1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, drained
1 medium firm banana, cut into chunks

Directions:
Place half of each ingredient in a blender; cover and process until blended. Pour into chilled glasses. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Smoked Salmon Quesadillas












Two Years Ago Today: Buttermilk Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting






You might also enjoy these recipes:
Berry Nice Smoothie - Chow and Chatter
Simple Strawberry Smoothies - A Spicy Perspective
Tropical Smoothies - The Royal Cook
Green Monster Smoothies - Annie's Eats
Very Berry Smoothie - Cooking from My Heart
Strawberry Banana Smoothies - Smitha's Spicy Flavors
Banana Date Smoothie - Cajun Chef Ryan
Strawberry Coconut Smoothie - Sweet Basil Kitchen
Hawaiian Surf Smoothie - Hungry Rabbit
Watermelon Smoothie - Home Cooking Rocks

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Red Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wanted to feature a fall holiday drink that can be enjoyed by children and adults who do not use alcohol. This one is very easy to do and only a witch's brew could be more seasonally appropriate. The drink has two ingredients: really good apple cider and cinnamon red hot candies. The two are heated together until the candies melt. That's all there is to it. This is tastiest when served warm.

Red Hot Cinnamon Apple Cider...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 quart apple cider
1/4 cup cinnamon red hot candies

Directions:
Place apple cider and cinnamon candies in a large sauce pan. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until candies have melted. Serve warm. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Apple Cider Milkshake Recipe - Amanda’s Cookin
Pumpkin Spice Hot White Chocolate Recipe - The Luna Cafe
Hot Caramel Apple Drink Recipe - Real Mom Kitchen
DIY Sparking Beverage Recipe - Elana’s Pantry
Pumpkin Chai Smoothie Recipe - Group Recipes
Warm Cacao with Cinnamon Recipe Made With Almond Milk and Agave - Rawmazing Raw Dood

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Sweet Raspberry Tea - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...For many of us this weekend marks the end of summer. Calendars and alarm clocks are waiting to reclaim their rightful places in our lives, but before we cede territory to them there is still time for one last barbecue or a trip to the beach. Bob and I plan to head to the coast and enjoy the lovely sea breezes on what promises to be a gorgeous weekend. I suspect polar expeditions have made it to the top of the world with fewer provisions that we pack for our trek to the ocean. I've just filled a thermos with our favorite sweet tea and thought you might enjoy it as well. It really is easy to make and if you prefer a more adult version of this old favorite, I can heartily recommend the addition of a splash or two of orange vodka. One caution. Be sure to strain the tea before serving. Raspberry seeds can spoil the tea. Here's the recipe.

Sweet Raspberry Tea...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite
Ingredients
5 bags raspberry zinger tea
6 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1/2 pint raspberries
1 lime, cut into wedges
Mint sprigs or stemmed cherries


Directions
1) Place tea bags in a 2-quart bowl. Bring 6 cups water to a boil and pour over tea bags. Let sit until water is room temperature. Discard tea bags.
2) Meanwhile, combine sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add raspberries and allow syrup to come to room temperature. Strain syrup into tea. Put ice into 4 (12-ounce) glasses. Squeeze a lime wedge into each glass. Pour sugared tea over ice cubes. Garnish with mint or cherries if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Watermelon Sweet Tea - The Runaway Spoon
Peach and Mint Iced Tea - The Comfort of Cooking
Blackberry Iced Tea - Jane Deere
Blue Green Iced Tea - Taylor Takes a Taste
Herbal Iced Tea - Pham Fatale
Lemongrass Iced Tea - Served with Love

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Watermelon Smoothie - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I found myself alone for lunch today and didn't really feel like cooking. I wanted to stay away from sandwiches and thought a smoothie would be filling enough to carry me through the afternoon. I had a large piece of watermelon sitting in the refrigerator and decided to use it as the base for a smoothie. I have, in the past, found the National Watermelon Promotion Board to be a great source of recipes and, sure enough, they had a recipe for a simple smoothie that was just what I was looking for. There are a lot of recipes floating in cyberspace that sound more like milk shakes than smoothies and I really was looking for something lighter and more healthy. I liked the recipe because it uses yogurt as a thickener. It took five minutes to assemble this version of a watermelon smoothie. It was time well-spent. It's a delicious drink when made with ripe watermelon. I look forward to having it again. I think you might enjoy it as well. Here's the recipe.

Watermelon Smoothie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the National Watermelon Promotion Board

Ingredients:
2 cups seeded watermelon chunks
1 cup cracked ice
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1-2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender container. Blend until smooth. Yield: 2 to 3 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Watermelon, Cucumber and Tomato Salad - One Perfect Bite
Iced Watermelon Drinks - One Perfect Bite
Watermelon, Black Bean and Corn Salsa
Watermelon and Feta Salad - Two Peas and Their Pod
Watermelon Gazpacho - The Perfect Pantry
Strawberry Watermelon Slush - Real Mom Kitchen

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Coconut Bubble Tea

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We spent the day panning for gold. Really! Each year the town of Cottage Grove holds a Bohemia Mining Day celebration to commemorate the discovery of gold in the area. The event is much like a county fair and it's a wonderful family activity. What is less known, is that while the mine is closed, there are still active claims in the area. That makes it possible for the more adventurous to pan for gold. Ever up to a challenge, Bob and I trekked into the area and did some panning. We found no gold, but had a wonderful day and burned a lot of calories. That, of course, meant a special sweet treat could be enjoyed without any feelings of guilt. We decided to spend the expended calories on large glasses of bubble tea. Now, I can't begin to tell you how a day in a Bohemian community led to a drink of Chinese origin. It just did. The drinks are cold and frothy and they just seemed like a perfect way to end the day. Bubble tea was created in Taiwan in the 1980's. It spread across Asia and made its way to Canada before finally reaching the United States. While the drink has a frothy texture, its called bubble tea because it contains pearl-sized tapioca balls, bobas, that are dispersed throughout the drink. The balls have very little flavor, but they are gummy and are sipped through an oversize straw to be chewed between sips of tea. The base of the drink is tea and it can have milk or fruit flavors added to it. I prefer the milk-flavored version. The tapioca pearls have little flavor of their own, so they are soaked for about 30 minutes in sugar or honey after being boiled. I found a recipe at the New York Times: Dining and Wine site that can be used to make a really nice bubble tea at home. If you're curious you might want to give it a try. Here's my version of the recipe.

Coconut Bubble Tea...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, adapted from The New York Times: Dining and Wine

Ingredients:
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 cups tapioca pearls (1/4-inch wide)
For each bubble tea:
1/2 cup chilled tapioca pearls
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup coarsely chopped mango
3/4 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup milk
1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Directions:
1) Combine sugars and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Torn off heat. In a second pot, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add tapioca and cook until tender using time suggested on box. Drain. Mix tapioca with sugar mixture and chill.
2) To make a drink, spoon pearls into a large glass. Place ice, mango, coconut milk, milk and lime juice in a blender jar. Puree. When frothy, pour over pearls and stick in a wide straw. If straws are not available, serve with a spoon.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ginger Tea - One Perfect Bite
Homemade Vanilla Chai Tea - The Mother Load
Indian Chai Hot Chocolate-Tea Recipe - Tea Escape - Tea Blog
Russian Friendship Tea - Bake It Pretty
The Ultimate Iced Tea Recipe - Cooking By the Seat of My Pants
Lemon Almond Iced Tea - Elite Tea
Herbal Iced Tea - Oprah.com
California Iced Tea - Lifestyle Food.com

Limeade Concentrate

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There is in cyberspace a remarkable site called Cooking for Engineers. It's written by Michael Chu who features wonderful recipes with instructions that clearly explain how and why things within his recipes are done. While the site is a technocrat's dream, it's designed and written in such a way that everyone can read and enjoy it. I recently paid the site a visit to search for recipes that used limes. I have a weakness for quantity buying and managed to return from a warehouse store with enough limes to serve the needs of a small country. Having made lime curd and sundry other treats, I still had limes to deal with. Lots of limes. Fortunately, Michael had a recipe for limeade concentrate that you can find here. The concentrate is made using fresh lime juice and a simple syrup. You'll need six to eight good-sized limes to extract a cup of juice. That cup of juice is mixed with three cups of a simple syrup to form a limeade concentrate that can be frozen. When you're ready to enjoy a cool and refreshing beverage, the concentrate is reconstituted using two parts water to one of the concentrate. We love bubbles in our summer drinks, so I reconstitute our limeade with club soda. Ginger ale or a lemon-lime drink would also work well. Here's the recipe for the concentrate and the limeade.

Limeade Concentrate...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Michael Chu

Ingredients for concentrate:
1 cup fresh, strained lime juice
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1-1/2 cups water

Directions for concentrate:
Combine sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar is dissolved. Cool. Add lime juice. Refrigerate or freeze. Yield: 1 quart concentrate.

Ingredients for limeade:
1 cup limeade concentrate
2 cups water

Directions for limeade:
Combine concentrate and water in a pitcher. Stir to dissolve. Yield: 3 cups.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Homemade Ginger Ale - One Perfect Bite
Iced Watermelon Drinks - One Perfect Bite
Blue Lemonade - One Perfect Bite

Po Cha and Clues to Our Destination

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...The suspense is over. Our holiday plans have been finalized. Selection of a location was really difficult this year. Bob and I had different adventures in mind and the final decision was made in the only fair way possible. We quite literally pulled a photo from a stack spread like playing cards of the table. There was a randomness to it that made the whole thing seem more fair than might otherwise have been the case. I'm happy to report we are both happy with the decision the gods of chance made on our behalf. It will be an adventure and I'll be counting the days until it actually begins. October is a ways off but that gives us time to get visas and study more about the places we'll be visiting. I'm going to keep you in the dark for a while longer. I've put together some photos of people and places we'll be visiting to see if you can identify the three countries we'll be touring. I'm also including one recipe associated with the most remote of the places on our itinerary. We have promised the children, who don't like the words trek or safari used in the same breath as their parent's names, that this is absolutely, positively our last visit to remote locales with sometimes fragile political systems. They are dubious. Seems I said that last year as well. I really meant it, but the back and legs and brain have held up well and this seems like the right thing for us to do. At any rate, here is the recipe for a drink that really should be made with yak milk and butter. I must say it is a real challenge to the palate even when made with cows milk and butter from a local creamery. I don't always do well with foods that fall into the acquired taste category. It took me years to enjoy a martini. I comfort myself with the knowledge I tried it, and who knows, it may taste better in country. Here's the scoop for other brave and kindred souls.

Po Cha......from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
5 -6 cups water
3 black tea bags or 2 tablespoons loose black tea
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk, half-and-half or 1 teaspoon milk powder

Directions:
1) Bring five to six cups of water to a boil. Reduce heat. Add tea bags or loose tea and simmer for several minutes more. Remove tea bags or strain loose tea.
2) Pour steeped tea, salt, butter and milk or milk powder into a blender or chandong, a type of churn. You can also shake the tea in a thermos bottle. Churn, blend or shake the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes. Our into cuos and serve piping hot: Yield: 4 servings.

















You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ginger Tea - One Perfect Bite
Blueberry Tea - One Perfect Bite
Himalayan Salted Butter Tea - Not Quite Nigella
Yak Butter Tea - The Greedy Glutton

This recipe is being linked to:
Designs By Gollum - Foodie Friday

Homemade Ginger Ale and Candied Ginger

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm usually careful with my purchases, but ginger root got the better of me and I ended up far more of it than could normally be used. I can't bear waste. My search to avoid the compost pile led to a few interesting alternatives and I decided to make candied ginger and use the syrup in which it steeped for ginger ale. I've made candied ginger in the past, but never saved the syrup for other uses, so this was a bit of an experiment for me. There are three types of simple syrup and each is identified by the ratio of water to sugar in the mix. Thin simple syrup is used to glaze cakes and cookies and has a ratio of 3 parts water to 1 part sugar. Medium simple syrup is used to make beverages and sweeten ice tea and has a ratio 2 parts water to 1 part sugar. Thick simple syrup has a ratio of 1 part water to 1 part sugar and it's used as a base for cold drinks and to glaze candied fruits. I'm not fond of overly sweet drinks, so I decided to go with a medium simple syrup. This process requires a lot of ginger and a bit of straight forward knife work or a mandoline. All told, you'll need 1-1/2 cups of peeled, thinly sliced ginger. Quick work can be made of this if you use the edge of a spoon to scrape the ginger clean. Try to keep the slices of ginger uniform in size for even cooking. A thickness of an eighth to a quarter of an inch is ideal. Time takes care of the rest. I was really pleased with how well the ginger ale turned out. It has a really fresh sharp taste that's missing from its commercial counterpart. I added slices of fresh lime to ours and can happily report this would make a wonderful warm weather beverage. Here are the recipes.

Homemade Ginger Ale and Candied Ginger...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cups ginger, peeled and thinly sliced in 1/8 to 1/4-inch slices
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided use
2 cups water
1 quart club soda
1 lime cut in wedges
Optional garnish: lime slices, mint sprigs

Directions:
1) To make ginger ale: Combine ginger, 1 cup sugar and water in a saucepan. Simmer slowly for 1 to 2 hours, until sugar is dissolved and ginger is softened. Strain warm syrup and allow to cool. Save the ginger pieces to make crystallized ginger. Fill a tall glass with ice, add mint sprig and lime slices, 2 ounces ginger syrup and 6 ounces of club soda. Squeeze lime wedge into glass. Use more syrup if desired. Stir. Yield: 4 servings.
2) To make candied ginger: Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. Place a cooling rack on top. Place reserved 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Toss ginger in sugar and dry on rack for 1 to 2 days. Store in airtight container or a zip lock bag for up to 3 months.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Candied Orange and Lemon Peel - One Perfect Bite
How to Make Candied Ginger - David Lebovitz
Homemade Ginger Ale - Simply Recipes