TGIF Drinks

Candy’s TGIF Party Sangria

Aug 27, 2010 | Filed Under: TGIF Drinks

As you may remember, my child was down in the dumps last week with a post-vaccine fever, a touch of a virus, plus (as it turns out), an eighth tooth breaking through.  Good times all around.  This week…?  Genuinely good times.  When in good health, Miss Skye is such fun to hang out with.  She is cruising around the house like nobody’s business — and is so close to walking on her own that it’s almost ridiculous.  This weekend I’m going to try dangling a piece of chocolate on the other side of the room to “help” her along.  That same technique has worked to get me out of bed.

So, yeah, happiness abounds here at Chez Candy.  And when I’m in a good mood on a hot summer day, there is no better TGIF drink than this:

PARTY (pronounced par-tay) SANGRIA

Sangria happens to be one of my specialties; I’ve helped kick off more than a few parties with my “special” (read:  STRONG) recipe.  This particular concoction is modified to make only one glass — and, I promise, is not so strong that it will lead to you drunk-Tweeting about your brother-in-law’s “secret” cross-dressing habit.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

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Candy’s TGIF Strawberry Shortcake Martini

Aug 20, 2010 | Filed Under: Food,TGIF Drinks | Tags: Tasty

If you heard a disturbingly loud moan coming from the Western part of the nation this afternoon, it was probably me after sampling this week’s drink.  Yes, perhaps I become too intimately involved with my cocktails, but…

Oh.  Dear.  Lord.  This is a good one.

And, boy, do I ever need it.  It’s been one of Those Weeks.  You know about Those Weeks.  This week was marked with a fussy, feverish baby whose immune system was fighting off the effects of the MMR vaccine — yeah, the poor thing could probably use a cocktail, too, but Cheerios will have to suffice — and who has entered the ol’ “separation anxiety” phase, refusing to leave my side for even one second.  If I so much as think about going to the bathroom by myself, she SCREEEAAAMS.

*SIGH*  What is it with chicks always wanting to go to the bathroom with other chicks?  This is why I de-sisterized from my college sorority.

And here is why I joined a sorority in the first place:  access to good alcohol.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE MARTINI

INGREDIENTS

• 1.25 oz. Stoli Strasberi (which I could not find, so I used Strawberry Smirnoff instead)
• 1.25 oz. Chambord
• 1.25 oz. Baileys
• A dash of cream (for which I substituted Skye’s whole milk… hey, it’s not like she needs the calcium, right?)
• Strawberries
• Graham Crackers

INSTRUCTIONS

Shake all (liquid) ingredients with ice.  Strain into a martini glass.  Instead of graham crackers, I bought a graham cracker crust and used a peeler along the edges, which yielded the same result as crushing it — then rimmed the glass with the crust.  I may or may not have also stuck my finger in that crushed crust and licked it off like a five-year-old.  Garnish the glass with a strawberry and…

… Sneak into a bathroom by yourself, quickly close the door behind you, oh-so-leisurely sip your drink, and ignore your toddler’s cries outside the door.  Happy TGIF.

Candy’s TGIW Raspberry Mojito

Aug 14, 2010 | Filed Under: Food,TGIF Drinks

TGIW:  Stands for Thank God It’s the Weekend.  Because, clearly, I’ve missed the TGIF deadline, thanks to a one-year-old who was being ridiculously cute yesterday, thereby forcing me to play hooky and spend the entire day with her — followed by a husband who forced me to whip up a couple rounds of refreshing, rum-heavy TGIF mojitos for us (SLAVE DRIVER), after which I wasn’t exactly in, um, optimal blogging condition.  But I did it all for YOU, so that I could attest to the drink’s yumminess.  Which I now can.  Because that’s the kind of consummate professional I am.

RASPBERRY MOJITO

INGREDIENTS

• 8 or so fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 teaspoon superfine sugar (Mr. Candy and I like our drinks sweet, so we used two packets of Splenda that I stole, er… I mean, borrowed from Starbucks)
• 2-3 oz. Bacardi Razz Raspberry Rum (or just white rum will do)
• 2-3 oz. seltzer
• 4-6 fresh raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Place mint leaves, lime juice and sugar in a highball glass (something tall and narrow is perfect). Using the straight end of a wooden spoon, gently press on leaves to release flavor (“muddle” is the official term).  We do not own a wooden spoon at Chez Candy and Mr. Candy, so I used a wooden chopstick to muddle.  I kid you not.  Again, consummate professional and all that.

Fill glass with ice cubes. Pour in rum. Top off with seltzer. Drop in raspberries and CHUG!  Or sip, if you’re all refined like that.

Happy weekend!

Candy’s TGIF Pear Saketini

Jun 18, 2010 | Filed Under: TGIF Drinks | Tags: Mmmmm

In celebration of summer lurking right around the corner, I selected a light and fruity (much like Glee) drink this week.  A longtime sake lush enthusiast, I concocted this particular recipe myself, so drink at your own risk.

THE PEAR SAKETINI

INGREDIENTS

3 oz. Pear Sake

1 oz. Pear Schnapps

1/2-oz. Vodka (Could even try Absolut Pear if you’re all about pears)

INSTRUCTIONS

You know the drill:  shake all ingredients with ice; strain into a martini glass; and…

… Pose with it out in your courtyard, so all of your neighbors can gossip about how you like to get your drink on at 2 p.m.  Cheers!

Candy’s TGIF Stork Club Cocktail

Jun 11, 2010 | Filed Under: Food,TGIF Drinks | Tags: Candy's TGIF Drinks, Mmmmm

Today’s drink is in honor of Cartoon Stork, who graced The Laughing Stork’s header until his demise during the redesign last week, when he was cruelly axed from the site for being deemed “too cheesy.” (Don’t feel too bad for him.  He used to forward me all kinds of inappropriate e-mails.  And did you ever notice that you could only see one of his hands?  You don’t even want to know what he was doing with the other one.  RUDE.)

THE STORK CLUB COCKTAIL (as suggested by Laughing Stork reader, Cowgirl in the Sand)

• 1-1/2 oz. Gin
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/4 oz. Lime juice
• 1 oz. Orange juice (I’m not a huge gin fan, so I added another ounce of OJ.  Did the trick.)
• 1 dash Angostura bitters

INSTRUCTIONS

Shake all ingredients with ice.  Strain into a martini glass.  Garnish with an orange twist, if you’re fancy like that.  And…

… This one’s for you, Cartoon Stork.  May you be at peace up there in the big wetlands in the sky, where there are surely plenty of fish on which to dine, and hot stork babes to harass.  *Sniff*  *Sniff*

Candy’s TGIF Cosmopolitan

May 28, 2010 | Filed Under: Food,TGIF Drinks

I’m going to see “Sex and the City” with the girls tonight and, based on the reviews, I’m going to need A LOT of these beforehand.  Yikes.  Oh, how I hate that they’ve tarnished the legacy of one of my favorite TV shows with these sub-par films, BUT… of course I’m still going to see it.  Because that’s the kind of sucker I am.

Naturally, this week’s TGIF drink is…

THE COSMOPOLITAN

INGREDIENTS

• 1 oz. Vodka (Being in a party mood, I used the kind that comes in a Disco Ball)
• 1 oz. Cranberry Juice
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 1/2 oz. Lime Juice

INSTRUCTIONS

Shake with ice, strain and recite favorite “Sex and the City” line.  (e.g., “Oh my god! She’s fashion roadkill!”  or… “I think I have monogamy. I must have caught it from you people.”) Or… just drink your Cosmo like a sane person.

I don’t own any Manolos, so, in the spirit of “Sex and the City”‘s fabulous footwear, I thought I’d take the Cosmo’s picture with the only pair of Jimmy Choos I have.  Which no longer fit my big-ass feet that GREW after having a baby.

Also, as I was taking this picture, I was like, ew.  My dirty shoes are on the dining room table. Great idea, Candy!

Oh well.  I won’t care about the nasty shoes or the movie’s shortcomings after a few of these.  Just happy to get out of the house tonight.  Bottoms up!

The Menu Thief’s TGIF French Cosmo

May 21, 2010 | Filed Under: Food,TGIF Drinks | Tags: Candy's TGIF Drinks

As you know, it’s been a long week.  A week when Miss Skye has been sick — again — and Mr. Candy has been traveling.  Again.  At this point, I’ve become convinced Mr. Candy is clairvoyant and purposely schedules his business trips to coincide with Skye’s colds — returning on the very day she starts feeling better and I’m making TGIF drinks.  Hmmmm.  Coincidence?  I.  Don’t.  Think.  So.

Speaking of clairvoyance, I was just thinking this morning that I was plumb out of TGIF drink ideas when what should appear in my in-box…?  (Besides the exciting opportunity to “Buy Viagra from Online Canadian Pharmacy Mega Sale,” that is.)  A scanned menu listing delicious martini recipes, courtesy of Laughing Stork reader, fellow drink enthusiast and thief, Lainey, who “borrowed” the menu from a martini bar.  Which is why this TGIF drink is named after her…

THE MENU THIEF’S TGIF FRENCH COSMO (with “Sex and the City” premiering next week, I thought we’d get a head start on the cosmos… and, well, I also happened to have these libations on-hand)

INGREDIENTS

• 1-1/2 oz. Ketel One (although any vodka will do)
• 1/2 oz. Chambord
• 3 oz. Pineapple juice

INSTRUCTIONS

An easy one for all of us worn-and-weary mamas after a long week:  Shake the ingredients together with ice, strain into a martini glass, sip, then smack your lips and exhale loudly as a classy lady such as myself would do.

This bad boy and I have a date planned on the rooftop later this evening.  Have a great weekend, everyone.

Candy’s TGIF Piña Colada

May 14, 2010 | Filed Under: Candy's Column,Featured,Food,TGIF Drinks | Tags: Candy's TGIF Drinks

Is this post too late for a proper TGIF toast?  You betcha!  My apologies… how ’bout we just call it a TGINT (Thank God It’s Not Thursday) drink then, because yesterday really bit the big one for me. Continue Reading »