Mother’s Day Brunch: Grapefruit Spritz

April 29, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

mother's day brunch3 Hi friends! It seems like we were just with you since we wrote the April Bonus post just a few short days ago. What did you think about the Templeton Whiskey Cake?

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Mother’s Day is just a couple of weeks away which got us thinking about the perfect Mother’s Day Brunch. Mimosas came to mind. Don’t get us wrong, Rhonda loves a good mimosa, but they seem a little ordinary. We are excited to share a new beverage recipe with you this week. Rhonda is kind of on a spritz kick right now. She had a delicious spritz in England when she went to visit Blind Piglet #1. Then she came home and made The Cucumber Gin Spritz. We had some of Seagram’s new Grapefruit Vodka in the house. We were playing around with different recipes we could try with this citrusy liquor, and the Grapefruit Spritz was born.

grapefruit spritz

Now that you know the backstory, let’s get to the details. We hear you already. Not a grapefruit fan? Is it the crazy cousin in the beloved citrus family? No worries. We aren’t huge grapefruit people either. However, Seagram’s Grapefruit Vodka has just enough citrus taste to give this drink a light citrus flavor without overpowering the drink. We pinky promise.

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This beverage hits the mark for easy, tasty and fresh. The recipe is soooo easy that you will feel guilty when your mother brags on what a great job you did serving her Mother’s Day brunch. Of course the drink is tasty, we already told you that. Fresh? The citrus punch of the grapefruit coupled with an easy garnish of fresh grapefruit has fresh written all over it!

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If you are viewing this post in your email, click on the website to view a printable version of the recipe for Grapefruit Spritz.

We (Rhonda) served the Mother’s Day Brunch with a Zucchini Onion Frittata recipe she clipped from Southern Living years ago. (It’s a winner.) Frittata only sounds complicated. Don’t forget that Kerrygold French Toast or Kerrygold Cinnamon Rolls are also easy, tasty, fresh brunch recipes that will please and impress mothers from near and far.

zucchini onion frittata

Now your special brunch for the mothers in your life is covered. You are ready to impress and tell your mother/wife/Godmother how much she means to you.

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Happy early Mother’s Day to all of those wonderful mothers who have touched our lives in big and small ways. We love you all.

theblindpig.blog

Disclaimer: The beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years old and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.

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Bonus Post: Templeton Whiskey Cake

April 27, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 3 Comments

It is bonus post time! Since we missed posting an extra post in March, we are making up for it with a doubly delectable post in April — Templeton Whiskey Cake.

Rhonda originally found this recipe in the March 2017 Southern Living Magazine. After a few minor changes, it has become Templeton Whiskey Cake. This cake combines some interesting flavors of coffee, Templeton Rye Whiskey and bittersweet chocolate chips. Templeton Whiskey Cake takes a little more effort than our usual easy, tasty, fresh recipes, but it is well worth the extra time! If you are planning a celebration for someone special, we recommend you try out this recipe. Besides, it is chocolate, and you can’t go wrong with chocolate!

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You begin this cake by making the ganache first. It is important to note that the ganache needs 8 hours or overnight to sit at room temperature. Unfortunately, when we made this cake, we didn’t have the luxury of time. Our ganache could have used it.

Begin by preparing a chocolate-caramel ganache. Stir together chocolate chips, corn syrup, and Templeton Rye. Set aside.

Next stir together sugar, cold water, and cream of tartar in a large, heavy saucepan. Cook over medium, swirling pan until sugar dissolves and starts to change color. Increase heat to high and cook until mixture is a rich, golden caramel color, 4 to 5 minutes. At first we were a little skeptical, but after heat and stirring, the sugar mixture did turn in to caramel.

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After heating the caramel, you will blend the chocolate and caramel together. Then let the ganache sit.

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Next you will begin to prepare the cake. The addition of a cup and half of dark coffee gives this cake an amazing flavor and aroma. Yummy!

After mixing the remaining ingredients, you bake the cake for 20-25 minutes. Cool the cake completely.

Once cooled, place one layer of the cake on a serving plate and spread with a cup of ganache. Add the second layer of the cake and spread another cup of ganache on top, and cover sides. Top off the cake with fresh berries. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve or place in the refrigerator overnight.

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This cake was a moist and delicious treat. The berries are an added bonus that compliments the rich chocolate ganache. We had some ganache leftover, so we saved it and drizzled it over fresh berries a week later. Yummo!

If you are reading this post through an email, click on the website to view the complete recipe.

What do you think about our Templeton Whiskey Cake? Give it a try, and let us know about it.

theblindpig.blog

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Happy Anniversary, Blind Pig

April 22, 2018April 22, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

The Blind Pig Blog has made one trip around the sun! Yes, this week marks our one year anniversary of The Blind Pig Blog. What an adventure this year has been! We are so grateful to our faithful subscribers who have joined us in this fun adventure. Each post has had its own special flare and flavor. At the end of 2017 we posted our Top Ten most popular posts for the year. This week, we want to take you on a trip down memory lane and share our personal favorites with you.

10. Spiked Honey Watermelon Limeade

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We first shared this delicious beverage with you during our Watermelon Wars. Not only is the drink fun to make, but it is a great drink for summer cookouts or pool parties.

9. The Royal Hurricane

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The Royal Hurricane is one of the newer members of The Blind Pig cache, but will most likely be a crowd favorite at our household this summer. It’s an excellent beach or lakeside drink.

8. Kerrygold Cinnamon Rolls

Kerrygold Cinnamon Rolls

No one makes rolls like Grandma Ruth, but these are a great substitute when Grandma is not near.

7. Kerrygold French Toast

kerrygold french toast

This recipe is a must-have at your next brunch. By the way, Mother’s Day is just right around the corner.

6. Salted Whiskey Caramel Corn

salted whiskey caramel corn

This post is one our favs because it was so darn easy to make, and was such a delightful surprise!

5. Zaya Banana Bread

zaya banana bread

Zaya Banana Bread is hands down the BEST banana bread we have ever had. It even tastes better after a day or two.

4. Kerrygold Ice Cream

kerrygold ice cream

This post was probably our most overlooked post, and it was definitely one of the best recipes we shared with you. It is such an easy way to make homemade ice cream, and it is delish! The chocolate sauce is a dream, too.

3. Caffe Borghetti Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie

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Six words: Peanut Butter Ice Cream Fudge Pie. Need we say more?

2. Mary Ann or Ginger?

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This fun, easy drink is a crowd pleaser and one of our favorites to serve at get-togethers and gatherings.

1. The Skinny Agave Margarita

This post started it all. Not only does The Skinny Agave Margarita taste great, it is a versatile crowd pleaser for any social gathering. Besides, who doesn’t appreciate a good margarita every now and then?

Thank you for being a loyal follower. Please share our posts and site with friends. We would love to have them join us. New to our site? Please subscribe.

We are closing out this post with a shout out to Blind Piglet #1. She turns 21 years old today! Happy Birthday. XOXO

theblindpig.blog

Disclaimer: The beverages shared on this site are meant for adults 21 years of age and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.

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London in Four Days

April 15, 2018April 15, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 1 Comment

Guard at The Tower of London

Hello, friends! How did you like the Cucumber Gin Spritz? Rhonda ran off to London for a few days last week to visit Blind Piglet #1 who is studying abroad for the semester. It was a quick trip packed with lots of fun sight seeing, so she is going to share some highlights with you this week.

Rodin’s Bronze Statue of The Thinker at the British Museum

I left Dallas around 3:30 pm on a Friday. I had a layover in Charlotte and left there at 10:00 pm. I don’t tell you this to bore you with every detail of my trip, but wanted to share that time-wise, it was a great flight to take. As soon as I got on the plane in Charlotte, I made myself settle in and go to sleep. Although I did not sleep well, I did manage to get some sleep. We landed in London at about 11:00 am. I was refreshed enough to keep moving the rest of the day with little jet lag. I have traveled to Europe three times before, and each time I had to take a break during the middle of the day, because I could not function without my sleep. Not this time!

Rhonda crossing Abbey Road

Soon after landing in London and connecting with Blind Piglet #1, I was off to seeing the sights! My trip through London the next four days would feel like a kindergartener had sketched our route. I am sure it was much more logically planned, but it did not feel like it to me.

Our route through London

One of my first stops was to Greenwich to see the Prime Meridian. I am a huge math and science geek which gave me great pleasure to stand with one foot in each hemisphere and see where the standard units of measure for the English system were calibrated.

One foot in each hemisphere!

After visiting Greenwich, which is lovely, we boarded a boat and took a little trip down the Thames near London Tower and Tower Bridge.

Tower Bridge

While near Tower Bridge we decided to have dinner at this fun restaurant called Coppa that has little bubbles you can sit in while eating. We thought that these little domes had been reserved for weeks, but upon asking, managed to snag a fun little table. The food was better than is typical for restaurants in a high tourist area, and was not overly priced. We had great service, and enjoyed watching the tourists walk along the Thames.

Peach and Blood Orange Spritz

Dining in the dome

Breakfast was a fun adventure the next morning we went to The Sky Garden. This fun restaurant, bar, and greenhouse combined makes for a great place to have a meal, sip a cocktail and enjoy the views of London. You need to make reservations, because they only allow a limited number of visitors at a time. It is well worth it. The only thing that I would change is that we were there on a day that the weather was quite dreary, so we could not see far.

The Sky Garden

Our next adventure was tea at The Wolseley. The Wolseley is a cafe’ and restaurant near Piccadilly Circus. Remember The Ritz Carlton that Julia Roberts’ character stayed at in Notting Hill? The Wolseley is right next to The Ritz. This cafe’ was so fun. The decor was black and gold with cool chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The place was bustling for afternoon tea and the people watching was entertaining. The experience of having a proper English High Tea was something that everyone should partake.

We visited many other exciting and interesting places while I was in London, but the final one that I want to highlight is The Tower of London. If you are a history buff or just intrigued by stories of Henry VIII, The Tower of London is a must see. We participated in the free tour by the Yeoman’s Warder, which enhanced our visit with tidbits of information that we would not have otherwise known. The highlight of the visit was not the cruel stories of beheadings and torture, but viewing The Crown Jewels of England.

The Tower of London

What trips have you taken on a whim while packing in a long list of activities? We’d love to hear about your adventures. Next week, we are back to sharing some more great recipes with you, and we promise, we will do an April Bonus post.

theblindpig.blog

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A Spritz of Spring

April 7, 2018April 29, 2018 / theblindpig11 / 5 Comments

cucumber gin spritz

Hello friends! We are enjoying Spring in full bloom. Our flowers are blooming, the lawn is turning green, and our trees have bright leaves and buds. We know that some of our readers in the Midwest are longing for Spring, but they are still dealing with Winter. This week’s light and fresh beverage will have you feeling like it’s Spring in no time.

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You may notice that we are introducing a new spirit into our Blind Pig repertoire. Our newest member is Malfy Gin. This yummy spirit comes to us via the Amalfi Coast in Italy. Malfy Gin is one of the only true Italian gins. Although most people think gin originated in England, its true beginnings were in Italy. The Amalfi Coast is one our favorite spots to visit in the whole world. We stayed in the village of Sorrento in an refurbished castle. We had the most amazing pizza in Sorrento in a little outdoor cafe. Our photos were from the pre-digitized photo generation, so we found this photo to help get you in the mood.

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The Cucumber Gin Spritz is a light, refreshing drink made with Malfy gin, prosecco and club soda. The added crisp freshness of muddled cucumber and a cucumber ribbon around the circumference of the glass gives the drink a cooling and energizing zip.

Although the Cucumber Gin Spritz takes a little more effort than many of our other recipes, there is no need to worry. It’s not too difficult.

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To start, cut 5 round slices from the cucumber to muddle in your shaker. Shave a long thin ribbon of the cucumber to save as a garnish for later.

If you don’t have any simple syrup on hand, you will want to make some of your own. We gave you some recipes for simple syrup in our Mojito post.

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After muddling the cucumber, add 1 ounce of gin, 1/2 simple syrup and ice to the shaker. Shake. Strain the mixture into a serving glass. We used our bar strainer, but you may want to use a strainer with a thinner mesh.

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Top off with about 4 ounces of Prosecco and add a splash of club soda. Ahhhhhh! So tasty! So easy! So fresh!

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Cucumber Gin Spritz

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What do you think? Are you ready to celebrate Spring on a patio with a refreshing Cucumber Gin Spritz? Perhaps you should give it a try.

theblindpig.blog

Disclaimer: The beverages on this site are meant for adults 21 years old and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.

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The Royal Hurricane

April 1, 2018 / theblindpig11 / Leave a comment

Our week has felt like a hurricane! We are hosting 3 Mexican soccer players for the Dallas Cup Invitational. With the two full-time teenage boys that already live at our house, it has been a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. Aside from the soccer players, we have a case of spring fever! Thus we chose to share The Royal Hurricane with you. With all of the flurry that has been happening around The Blind Pig casa this week, we will be making this post short and sweet.

This tasty drink is easy to make and even easier to drink. Shhh! This just might be the recipe that Royal Caribbean is offering on their cruises for a limited time. (wink, wink) So if you are planning a cruise or just wishing you were, try this easy, tasty and fresh recipe for yourself.

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One of the things that we like about this drink is its amazing presentation. Who needs a fancy garnish when you get this beautiful ombre of red, orange and yellow hues? It’s like a sunset in a glass.

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The ingredients are simple: 1 1/2 ounce of Zaya Rum, 3 ounces of orange juice, 3 ounces of pineapple juice, a splash of Grenadine, and an extra 1/2 ounce of Zaya Rum float.

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The directions are even easier. Pour ingredients over ice, add a splash of Grenadine and top with the extra 1/2 ounce of Zaya Rum! Now you are ready to sail away to the Caribbean even if it is only in your own backyard.

Helpful hint: This Royal Hurricane has a larger volume than most drinks on our site. Make sure to start out with a tall glass or schooner.

This drink is the perfect sipper for pool side parties and barbecues this spring and summer. Try it out and let us know how you liked it!

theblindpig.blog

Disclaimer: The beverages shared on this site are meant for adults 21 years and older. We do not condone underage drinking. Never drink and drive.