Take your traditional holiday cranberry sauce and give it a cocktail twist! Rum, mint, and lime juice star in this Mojito Cranberry Sauce, perfect for your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.

Guys, I think I’m officially old. I mean, I could totally list a million reasons why, but nothing demonstrates it better than my Saturday night. Basically, I spent Saturday night at home cleaning my house. Sign #1 I am no longer a spring chicken. Chris went to pick Winnie up from the groomer while I put on my yoga pants, grabbed a seltzer water, and ran around dusting and tidying. Wild and crazy Saturday night! At one point, I decided I needed to get rid of the 8031 books on my bedroom nightstand and move them to the bookshelf in our family room. So, I grabbed a stack and headed down the stairs. But somehow my shoe slipped on one of the top steps and I fell alllll the way down. On my butt. My shoes came off, books went flying, and I literally laid on the stairs crying, unable to move. It hurt so badly. I finally pulled myself together and limped my way back upstairs to lay down on the bed, which hurt even more. And now, here we are 5 days later and my butt is absolutely killing me. It hurts to sit. It hurts to walk. It hurts to bend over to pick something up off the floor. And I feel like such an old lady. Not only did I fall down the stairs, but I did so carrying a stack of books. While cleaning. On a Saturday night. Also, no alcohol was involved.

When Chris got home, he actually said, “We should get an Amazon Alexa so if something like that ever happens again, you can just say ‘Alexa, call 911.'” Like, really?? Am I at LifeAlert status now?? To be fair, I had left my phone in the bedroom, so if I was seriously injured, I would have been stuck. But geez louise, how has my life come to this??

But I promise… I still know how to have fun! Look! You know I still love my cocktails. And adding beer, wine, and liquor to many of my recipes. And now, I’ve made cranberry sauce with rum in it. Mojito Cranberry Sauce, if you will. You see… years and years ago, I made Cranberry Mojitos for the holidays and they’ve ended up being one of my most popular cocktail recipes over the years. Last year, my cranberry obsession grew and I made my own cranberry juice at least four times over the course of the winter (and this delicious hot spiced cranberry cocktail). I’ve been so excited that cranberries are back in season again and I’ve been dreaming of my Cranberry Mojitos for weeks. And then it hit me, why not enjoy my mojitos in cranberry sauce form, too? So, I did.

Cranberry sauce tends to be a bit polarizing with people either loving or hating it (and some preferring only the canned variety). I absolutely love all things tart, so I’m always on board with it… It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving or Christmas without cranberry sauce! But how you make it totally matters. If you aren’t really a fan of the normal stuff, I recommend kicking it up a bit with rum, mint, and lime juice.

Obviously we’ve got some major Christmas colors going on here. But that doesn’t mean this is a Christmas only side dish. And with Thanksgiving just four weeks away (hold me!), I know lots of people are already starting to meal plan. My family is quite traditional when it comes to Thanksgiving, meaning we have our favorite dishes and find it tough to veer and add new dishes without going overboard.

But I might have to put out a petition to get this cranberry sauce added to the menu this year. Hoping I’ll get enough votes for it to pass! Our Thanksgiving consists of 8 adults and 2 toddlers all who don’t even love cranberry sauce, so something tells me I can get this one through.

Now, if you’re someone who thinks you don’t like cranberry sauce because you never have, I’m begging you to please try this one! Love for tart flavors can often grow as you get older and while kids often scrunch their little faces up to sour, you might find that you actually enjoy it as an adult. Or that foods you thought were ridiculously tart actually aren’t anymore. Though my three-year-old nephews seriously love sucking on lemon and lime wedges, so I’m sure the opposite can be true, too. My theory is that it’s always good to occasionally try foods you think you hate because you never know how your tastes have changed.

Also? You can always make cranberry sauce sweeter by adding more sugar! I didn’t use a ton of sugar in this recipe (compared to other cranberry sauce recipes) because I like tartness and wanted to mojito flavor to be the star, but there’s nothing wrong with adding a little more sweetness.

But back to the mojito flavor! Don’t worry, the rum isn’t overpowering in this sauce, but it’s definitely present, along with the lime juice and mint. This side dish truly tastes like my Cranberry Mojito and I couldn’t be more excited about it. At the risk of sounding even more lame than I already do, after I took my fall down the stairs on Saturday, I sat (uncomfortably) on the couch and ate this straight out of the bowl for dessert. And it was perfect.

And I’m officially at the age where my idea of the ideal Saturday night involves cranberry sauce. Huh.

Are you planning Thanksgiving dinner yet? What kind of cranberry dish do you typically enjoy?

The post Mojito Cranberry Sauce appeared first on We are not Martha.

Wishing you were on a tropical island? This Strawberry Coconut Daiquiri is an easy-to-make rum-based frozen cocktail that will have you feeling like you’re on a beach vacation!

I’m so happy that summer weather is officially here. Of course, instead of sitting in my backyard, I’d much rather be on a tropical vacation somewhere luxurious. Mainly because I want to be by the ocean or pool and have someone bring me fun sugary cocktails. But since there don’t seem to be any cabana boys in my neighborhood (strange, right??), I opted to make my own frozen cocktails instead.

When I was planning this frozen cocktail, I had a few requirements in mind: 1) I wanted this beach-y drink to be easy to make. And 2) I wanted it to be fun and delicious, but not too sweet.

Don’t get me wrong; I love a good sugary cocktail, but too much sugar always results in a serious headache and epic hangover… Especially when combined with a little too much time in the sun. I love these strawberry coconut daiquiris because they’re packed with tropical fruity flavor, but not a ton of sugar.

Stawberry Coconut Daiquiri Ingredients

This frozen daiquiri has two components: a strawberry layer and a coconut layer.

For the strawberry layer, you’ll need:

• Frozen strawberries
• White rum
• Simple syrup

For the coconut layer, you’ll need:

• Coconut cream
• Coconut rum (can also use white rum)
• Freshly squeezed lime juice
• Simple syrup
• Ice

In case you’re unfamiliar, coconut cream comes in a can (but it’s different than coconut milk!) and is sometimes called “cream of coconut.”

If you want to add garnishes to the cocktail, you’ll neeed:

• Shredded cocktail
• Fresh strawberries

Cocktail Alterations

I love the strawberry and coconut combination in these daiquiris, but if one or the other is not your thing, there are plenty of substitutions you can make. You can swap out the strawberries with any other frozen fruit. For the coconut layer, if you’re using a frozen fruit, you don’t need to include the ice or lime juice. Here are a few suggestions:

• Mango
• Banana
• Raspberry
• Bluberry
• Lime (use more lime juice and simple syrup and include the ice)

How to Make Simple Syrup

I almost always have a jar of simple syrup in my fridge because I use it often for cocktails and for rimming cocktail glasses (it makes the best adhesive!).

To make a fresh batch of simple syrup, simply take equal parts sugar and water and bring them to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until syrup thickens.

Pour syrup into jar or bowl to let cool to room temperature. Store syrup in an airtight container in fridge. Full directions are here.

How to Make Strawberry Coconut Daiquiris

Once you’ve gathered all your ingredients, it’s easy to make each of the layers in a blender. I like to start with the strawberry layer and simply put all the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass, rinse out blender, and work quickly to get the coconut layer done (if it will take you longer than a few minutes, put the glasses with strawberry mixture into the freezer to stay chilled).

Same thing for the coconut layer- add all ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth.

Pour coconut mixture over the strawberry mixture. If you want more of a swirled look for the daiquiris, you can stick a straw or a butter knife in the drink and gently swirl the mixtures together.

Top with shredded coconut and a strawberry garnish and add a straw for sipping!

You’ll want to drink these strawberry coconut daiquiris right away when they’re nice and frozen. You can pop them in the freezer if they’re getting too liquid-y, but just note that if you leave them in too long, they may harden too much to drink out of a straw.

I highly recommend sitting outside in the sun and sipping this drink. You might even be able to pretend you’re on the beach with your own personal cabana boy.

Strawberry and coconut is one of my favorite flavor combinations and just feels so refreshing and tropical to me. I also love that, though this is a sweet cocktail, it’s definitely not overly sweet, like so many frozen cocktails you get at vacation destinations.

Aside from the natural sweetness from the strawberries and a little bit of simple syrup, these strawberry coconut daiquiris are more about the fruity tropical flavors than they are the sugar. Of course, you can certainly add a bit more simple syrup in if you like your frozen cocktails sweeter.

Staying at home on a hot summer day suddenly isn’t so bad, is it?? Of course, I’m missing a pool and/or beach right about now. But give me another strawberry coconut daiquiri and maybe I’ll stop caring 🙂

What’s your favorite vacation drink?

If you’re looking for more summery frozen drinks, check out my Blackberry Lemonade Margaritas and my Blueberry Frozen Moscow Mules! I can’t wait to make these Tropical Wine Slushies from Grandbaby Cakes!

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Strawberry Coconut Daiquiri

Wishing you were on a tropical island? This Strawberry Coconut Daiquiri is an easy-to-make rum-based frozen cocktail that will have you feeling like you're on a beach vacation!

Course Drink

Cuisine American

Keyword Coconut Cocktails, Frozen Cocktails, Rum Drinks, Strawberry Drinks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 drinks

Author Sues

Ingredients

Strawberry Layer

• 8 oz. frozen strawberries
• 3 oz. white rum
• 1 oz. simple syrup

Coconut Layer

• 3 oz. coconut cream
• 2 oz. coconut rum (can also use white rum)
• 1/2 oz. freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 oz. simple syrup
• 1 1/2 cup ice

Garnishes

• Shredded coconut, if desired
• 2 small strawberries, if desired

Instructions

• Add strawberry layer ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour strawberry mixture into a glass.
• Rinse blender out and add coconut layer ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
• Pour coconut mixture over strawberry mixture.
• Top with fresh coconut and garnish with small strawberry, if desired.

Notes

• To achieve more of a “swirl” look, use a straw or butter knife to gently swirl mixture together. 
• Get simple syrup recipe in post body or here.

The post Strawberry Coconut Daiquiri appeared first on We are not Martha.

Hot chocolate is good, but this Pumpkin Hot Coconut will blow your typical hot chocolate out of the water. Or the snowbank. This hot pumpkin drink is the perfect way to warm up on a cold, snowy day. Especially if you add the rum!

(This recipe for Pumpkin Hot Coconut was originally posted in November 2013, but was updated with new photos in 2019).

If you can have hot chocolate, you can have hot coconut, too. Right? OK. I had a tough time naming this drink because I really just wanted to a call it “ridiculously delicious awesomeness with a splash of alcohol in a glass and topped with toasted marshmallows.” But I figured that wouldn’t be great for SEO, so I decided to name it Pumpkin Hot Coconut instead.

It’s still not quite descriptive enough, but I suppose that’s what the rest of this blog post is for. To help you understand. I didn’t want to call it a cocktail because you don’t haveeee to add the rum. But I think you should. Especially today. It is Cocktail Friday, after all (p.s. woo hoo!!)

Sometimes I wonder how it’s possible for us New Englanders to get through the long dark winters here. Then I make a drink like this and realize I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. Weekends cuddled up in yoga pants and blankets on the couch with a steaming hot drink like this one and a good book or Bon Appetit magazine.

Snow? Bring. It. On. The combination of coconut milk, pumpkin, and a splash of rum is one I want to be sipping on all fall and winter long. And this one is way, way less caloric than its hot chocolate cousin. Which means you can totally drink 3 or 4 without feeling guilty, obviously.

PUMPKIN HOT COCONUT DRINK RECIPE

This is an easy peasy recipe. Which means you can make it on a whim and be enjoying a nice hot drink at any time this winter. Literally, all you have to do is combine coconut milk (the kind that comes in a carton), pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk everything together and heat until sufficiently warm.

Really, that’s all you have to do to enjoy a pumpkin hot coconut. BUT I also highly recommend the next two steps, too. With your oven set to broil, lay mini marshmallows in a single layer on a foil-covered pan. Broil for a couple minutes until the marshmallows are nicely toasted. Keep a very close eye on them as they’ll get brown fast!

Also, I highly recommend rimming your glasses or mason jars with coconut. I typically like to use a simple syrup to brush along the glass rims (I ALWAYS have simple syrup in my fridge), but you can also just mix together a little water and granulated or confectioners’ sugar.

Pour that delicious pumpkin-y coconut milk mixture into the glass and stir in a little light rum. Fine, you don’t have to add rum if you’d prefer a nonalcoholic beverage. But there’s something so perfect about a hot alcoholic beverage in the middle of winter. Don’t forget to top with the toasted marshmallows, too!

Hellooo. If you want some extra sweetness, you can stir in some more of the coconut, too. Or you can add a little agave syrup. I loved that this drink wasn’t overly sweet, but if you’re in the mood for even more of a treat, you can add some extra.

I tend to be a bit of a homebody in the colder weather (um, that’s the understatement of the year)… And this drink is totally not going to help my case. When I have this at home, I really don’t think I’ll feel the need to ever leave my couch again. This could be bad news.

I know some people are sick of pumpkin. But even if you’re sick of the trend, I urge you to still enjoy it. I’ve always had a strict September-December pumpkin policy and never let myself indulge in it the rest of the year. But then I started making drinks like this pumpkin hot coconut and realized that pumpkin is totally appropriate all year round. Especially when it’s in the form of a hot pumpkin drink. After all, some years it doesn’t even snow until January!

You should know that pumpkin and coconut is a super fabulously delicious combination. And also that marshmallows make everything more delicious. There’s something about a toasted marshmallow that is absolutely perfect in both the dead heat of summer and the dead cold of winter. I just love that about them.

Oh, one warning. This drink WILL end up leaving your face covered in coconut. Which is even more reason not to leave your house. Sorry, guys. I was just trying to help.

Now go forth and celebrate the fact that it’s Friday! What are your plans for this weekend? Going to a big party? Or staying in on the couch and drinking this? That’s what I thought. Make me proud, friends.

What’s your favorite cold weather drink?

If you’re looking for more hot winter drinks that will help warm you up, be sure to check out my Hot Spiced Cranberry Cocktail or my English Rose Cocktail.

And if you’re more in the mood for a cold pumpkin drink, this Pumpkin Spice Latté Milkshake from Delish looks incredible!

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Pumpkin Hot Coconut

Hot chocolate is good, but this Pumpkin Hot Coconut will blow your typical hot chocolate out of the water. Or the snowbank. This hot pumpkin drink is the perfect way to warm up on a cold, snowy day. Especially if you add the rum!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Pumpkin Cocktails, Pumpkin Drinks, Winter Cocktails, Winter Drinks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Servings 2 drinks

Author Sues

Ingredients

• 3 cups coconut milk (the kind in the carton)
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup mini marshmallows
• Shredded coconut, for garnish
• 2-3 oz. light rum (optional)

Instructions

• In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, combine coconut milk, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk together and heat until sufficiently warm.
• Spread mini marshmallows out on a foil-lined baking sheet and place under broiler for about 2 minutes, until they are nice and toasted.
• Rim glasses or mason jars with shredded coconut. You can brush a little simple syrup or just a sugar/water mixture on glasses to get coconut to stick.
• Pour pumpkin coconut milk mixture into the glass and stir in 1-1.5 oz. of rum into each glass (depending on how strong you want them). Top each drink with toasted marshmallows.

Notes

• You can make this drink nonalcoholic by simply leaving the rum out.

The post Pumpkin Hot Coconut appeared first on We are not Martha.

Let’s get this weekend kicked off with a cocktail, shall we? I think it’s safe to say we all need one and I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s experiencing major busy season in all areas of life. I actually meant to post this last night, but according to my husband he found me passed out with my computer on my lap at 3:00 a.m. And half the things I wanted to do before going to sleep not done. So, that’s how things are going right now. Can you say I’m very much looking forward to Thanksgiving break? And a cocktail?

But I’m also taking a bit of a mini vacation this weekend. I can’t spill the details, though, because it’s a surprise birthday trip for Chris. I’m hoping it will be a fabulous and fun getaway and a kickoff to what should be a fantastic holiday season. So, let’s start celebrating with a cocktail. I admit this one sounds a little weird. But when I found it on the Food Network website, I knew I had to try it. And it’s one of my new favorite drinks… both with alcohol and without. This Mexican Pumpkin Punch is perfectly seasonal and should be made and enjoyed ASAP before pumpkin season is over (SOB!).

Mexican Pumpkin Punch (serves 6):
Adapted from Food Network
Print this recipe!

• 6 C water
• 1 C packed brown sugar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 3/4 C pumpkin puree
• 1 lime
• 1 C rum
• Pineapple chunks, for serving (optional)

In a large saucepan, combine 6 cups of water with the brown sugar and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Then stir in the pumpkin and return the mixture to a simmer. Peel the limes in wide strips (with a vegetable peeler) and add them to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Let the mixture cool a bit before moving to the fridge to cool completely (2-3 hours).

Now, place a fine mesh sieve over a pitcher or bowl and work in batches ladling the mixture through the strainer and keeping all of the pumpkin pulp behind. Discard the pulp and the lemon zest, keeping cinnamon sticks in mixture.

Fill glasses with ice and divide rum among them. Then pour the pumpkin punch into the glass and stir in chopped pineapple and a cinnamon stick garnish.

I had no idea what to expect with this drink, but I’m seriously in love. It’s so perfectly pumpkin flavor packed and absolutely addicting. I can’t even believe I’ve never made anything like this before.

Even the non-pumpkin-obsessed Chris drank it right up.

The addition of the pineapple is a little odd, but I do think it makes a pretty little garnish. The original recipe also recommended pecans for garnish, but I wanted to keep it a bit more simple.

Not an alcohol drinker? Well, I obviously am, but not every day of the week 🙂 But I had a bunch of leftover punch and I continued to drink it throughout the week, mixed with a little soda water. Best drink ever.

If you’re looking for an ideal Thanksgiving cocktail, I highly recommend whipping this up. You can make the pumpkin punch at home, pack it in a travel pitcher or tupperware and then mix the drinks when you get to your place of celebrating.

You could probably sprinkle a little cinnamon over the top, too, but I think the cinnamon stick adds a nice subtle spice without overpowering.

OK, I am off to take Chris on his mystery trip! I’m sure I’ll have some fun details to share when we get back… Or you can follow me on Twitter (WANM and personal) where I’m sure I’ll be tweeting about it once we arrive! I hope you all have wonderful weekends 🙂

What will you be sipping on this weekend?

[Sues]

The post Mexican Pumpkin Punch appeared first on We are not Martha.

This Pineapple Kiwi Mojito is made with fresh fruit and no added sugars or other juices. It looks like a fancy cocktail, but you’ll be surprised by how simple it is to prepare and enjoy on a hot summer day!

(This recipe for Pineapple Kiwi Mojito was originally published in May 2014, but was updated with new photos in 2018).

Guys, we need to have a Cocktail Monday. Seriously though. For lots of reasons. One is because I have all these cocktail recipes piling up and Fridays kind of keep whizzing by. Well really, it goes a little something like this: Monday I’m totally on top of my blogging game, mostly because I spent some time Saturday or Sunday pulling things together. Wednesday I manage to get a post out too, probably because I had Monday night to edit photos, Tuesday night to start writing, and Wednesday night to finalize things and hit publish before midnight.

But then the next day is Thursday. And I’m so wiped out from my week that when I get home from work, I can’t even open Photoshop. And then it’s Friday morning and I realize Cocktail Friday will have to wait until evening. But somehow I end up staying at work until 7 p.m. and then I come home and crash on the couch, cocktail photos unedited and blog post unwritten. Repeat. My poor, poor cocktails.

So, that is what happened to Cocktail Friday. But I think I’m desperately going to need a cocktail this Monday anyway. I mean, I fell asleep on the couch both Friday and Saturday night by 9:30. And if you know me at all, you know how absolutely crazy this is for me. I guess I’m just plain tired. So, basically, if I drink this pineapple kiwi mojito now, I’ll be asleep within about five minutes. Head to the desk.

Luckily, you could pass this cocktail off as half juice. In fact, I’d be totally content sipping on it without the rum. Well, maybe not quite as content as I am with the rum… But it’s not usually acceptable to fall asleep at your desk at 9:00 a.m. Even on Mondays.

PINEAPPLE KIWI MOJITO RECIPE

As with most of my cocktail recipes, this one is ridiculously easy to put together. It mainly just requires a little bit of chopping, namely a whole lotta’ pineapple and kiwi.

In fact, all you’re going to do is muddle the chopped pineapple and kiwi with the mint in your glass. Add in some ice. Then squeeze in the lime juice and rum. And top it all off with soda water.

Hey, I can clearly barely keep my eyes open after work… I obviously need to keep things simple around here if I want to be drinking fancy cocktails.

I did, however, manage a pineapple garnish… Which consists of a cube of pineapple on a toothpick. I know, I know. I totally went overboard. But really, this pineapple kiwi mojito doesn’t need anything extra to make it feel like a fancy drink!

Usually when I make a mojito drink like this, I’d add in some sugar or simple syrup, but my pineapple was so naturally sweet, I didn’t feel like I needed it. I also considered adding in actual pineapple juice, but then decided against it. The muddled fresh kiwi and pineapple are really all you need to get the perfect amount of sweetness.

Of course, it was also a super minty drink, as all mojitos should be!

Is it safe to say we can officially stick with summer drinks now? The last couple days in Boston have been marvelously perfect. But it was only a few days ago that I was shivering to the bone. It could most definitely turn on a dime… But for now, I’m sipping mojitos and enjoying the mini heatwave.

And here we go… Off to start another crazy packed week. I’m glad we talked about cocktails today because who knows the state I’ll be in by Friday.

 What state are you generally in by Friday evening?

If you’re looking for more summer cocktail recipes, check out my Key Lime Pie Mojito or my Blueberry Vodka Lemonade. And seriously, check out these Color Changing Mojitos from One Armed Mama!

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Pineapple Kiwi Mojito

This Pineapple Kiwi Mojito is made with fresh fruit and no added sugars or other juices. It looks like a fancy cocktail, but you'll be surprised by how simple it is to prepare and enjoy on a hot summer day!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Keyword Kiwi Cocktails, Mojito Recipes, Pineapple Cocktails, Summer Drinks

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 1 cocktail

Author Sues

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup diced pineapple
• 1/4 cup diced kiwi
• 10 fresh mint leaves
• 2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 oz. light rum
• Soda water

Instructions

• In the bottom of a cocktail glass or mason jar, muddle together pineapple, kiwi, mint leaves, and lime juice until pureed as much as possible.
• Add ice to the glass and pour in rum. Top off with soda water.

The post Pineapple Kiwi Mojito appeared first on We are not Martha.

Happy Monday, friends! I just wanted to shoot you a note to let you know that I’m guest blogging over at The Economical Eater today. Head over to Michelle’s blog to see my recipe for Watermelon Jalapeño Mojitos (and stick around because Michelle’s blog is awesome).

Also? A little FYI that WANM will likely be down starting tonight and possibly for a couple days. But for happy reasons… It’s time for the big redesign! It’s been a long time coming and I’m crazy excited for larger, cleaner photos, recipe organization that’s a billion times better, and more. I’m hoping (fingers crossed) to get on a more regular blogging schedule, with lots of fabulous recipes and other fun stuff that I’ve been slacking on a bit. Seriously excited.

Also, also? Just for fun, I had to share these. And ask if anyone has tried them. And would you? They’re pricey, but I’m SO SO intrigued.

Image via Dr. Oetker

Yes, edible cupcake wrappers. They’re from Dr. Oetker, who frankly I had no idea made anything but frozen pizzas. Consider my mind blown (though  I can’t find where these are sold in the U.S., FoodBeast reports that they’re $4 for a 6-pack). Speaking of edible cake decorations, though, Wilton’s Gold Shimmer Sheets are a bit more reasonably-priced (and can be fashioned into a seriously fab chevron design).

Anyway, I hope you all had fabulous weekends. Mine was gone in what felt like the blink of an eye and I can’t even believe it’s Monday already. Here’s to another productive, perfect summer week for everyone (hey, I’m trying to have some Monday morning optimism here!)

[Sues]

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The post Watermelon Jalapeño Mojitos appeared first on We are not Martha.

This Meyer Lemon Lavender Mojito combines winter citrus fruit into a traditionally summer cocktail to help you get through the those chilly winter days.

I’d do a lot of things for a vacation on a beach right now. An 80 degree beach vacation. Spending hours reading a book in the sand, only to fall asleep for another couple hours and then to wake up and think, “gee I’m feeling kind of hot right now; maybe I’ll take a dip in the water.” I miss feeling hot. Though today is actually going to be 27 degrees, which is basically a heat wave. I probably should stop complaining otherwise another blizzard is suddenly going to pop up in the forecast.

I’m continuing my winter tradition of pointing out the few remaining positives of this never-ending season of doom. My latest “this is what’s getting me through”? Meyer lemons. We don’t often find Meyer lemons on our tropical beach vacations, so I’ll count that as one point against tropical beach vacations. Maybe the only point against them… In any event, I couldn’t help myself and incorporated them into a traditionally summer drink, a lavender mojito. Because… summer. I miss you.

Making this cocktail gave me the opportunity to get crazy with my new Crisp Zester. Which isn’t just any zester. It’s a 4-in-1 zester. And, in case you can’t tell in the photos of my drink, I went totally zest wild.

I couldn’t help it… This zester has a scoring blade, a channel knife, and two zesting blades – a traditional head for larger zests and a fold out blade for finer zest.

Can we talk about the fact that zesting is actually really therapeutic? Especially when you’re stuck inside for the 4902th day in a row due to horrific weather. I’d rather do it on a beach, though.

I also find simple syrup making to be incredibly therapeutic. I’m still planning to start my own simple syrup business some day. Then I can make simple syrup all day long. Would still be preferable to do so on a beach.

Same with drinking it. I wonder how much simple syrup I’d drink if I spent all day making it. Probably way too much. Especially  this Meyer lemon one.

I used the beautiful zest of one Meyer lemon for the syrup.

And combined it in a saucepan with 1 cup sugar, the juice of the Meyer lemon (about 2 ounces), and 3/4 cup water.

Brought it to a boil and then lowered it to a simmer for about 10 minutes, until it thickened a bit.

I poured it into a jar and added it to the simple syrup collection in my fridge. Yes, collection.

I got a jump on my lavender ice cubes, too. Seeing that they’re ice cubes and all, they’re going to need a bit of time to, you know, freeze.

First, I seeped 3 cup warm water and 1 1/2 Tbsp lavender in a large container.

Then I put the mixture through a fine sieve to strain out the lavender and poured the lavender-infused water into ice cube trays. I used my giant ice cube tray. And sprinkled some more lavender on top before freezing.

OK, finally we’re ready to whip up the lavender mojito cocktail. I brushed a little simple syrup on the rim of my glass and then dipped it in more Meyer lemon zest. Which was probably kind of overkill, but I am obsessed.

I used the handy dandy little pull-out zester for all the fine zest.

Then, I put 1 1/2 oz. Meyer lemon simple syrup and a small bunch of mint leaves in the glass and muddled them all together. Lavender mojito, here I come!

I put a giant lavender ice cube into the glass. You can use multiple ice cubes if yours are smaller.

And then stirred in the rum and topped it with soda water.

But wait… There’s more zest! I wanted to get fancy so I zested another Meyer lemon and then twirled it around a toothpick to make it all curly. These are my favorite zests!

And you can never have too much zest, right?? Right?? OK, admittedly, this cocktail has a little bit going on. But it’s all 100% awesome.

If you prefer for your cocktails not to have so much going on, just strain the simple syrup before pouring. But that sugar-coated Meyer lemon zest? omg. That is all.

I’ve made a lemonade mojito with lavender simple syrup a couple years ago and that was fabulous, but for some, the lavender flavor was a bit too strong. The lavender ice cubes are a bit more subtle and it’s definitely the Meyer lemon that’s the star of this show.

And the current star of my winter season. Besides my couch and fireplace and piles of blankets. And sweatpants. Definitely sweatpants.

I hereby swear that I will not complain about the heat of summer this year. I will simply bask in it. And sip on cocktails. And be thankful. I will miss Meyer lemons and Meyer Lemon Lavender Mojitos though… But not enough to bring winter back. There’s always next year. But please, let’s not talk about that right now.

Do you need to participate in some therapeutic zesting, too? Now you have the chance to win the 4-in-1 Crisp Cooking Zester I used in this recipe! To enter to win, simply comment on this post telling me: What cocktail would you create with this zester?  Comment by Saturday, February 28, by 11:59 p.m. EST for a chance to win!

While we’re at it, I’m going to announce the winner of my last Crisp giveaway… Congratulations to Andrea who said, “I love to add apples and/or nuts to my salads, something crunchy!” I will email you ASAP!

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Meyer Lemon Lavender Mojito

A wintry citrus fruit is incorporated into a traditionally summer cocktail to help you happily get through the rest of the chilly days.

Course Drink

Servings 1

Author We are not Martha

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 oz. Meyer lemon simple syrup recipe below
• 1 small bunch mint
• Lavender ice cube recipe below
• 2 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. soda water

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup (makes enough for multiple drinks):

• 1 C sugar
• Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
• Juice of 1 Meyer lemon about 2 oz
• 3/4 C water

Lavender Ice Cubes (makes enough for multiple drinks):

• 3 C warm water
• 1 1/2 T lavender food grade

Instructions

• Muddle together Meyer lemon simple syrup and mint in the bottom of a glass.
• Add one large lavender ice cube (or multiple small cubes).
• Stir in rum.
• Top with soda water

Meyer Lemon Simple Syrup:

• Put sugar, Meyer lemon juice, Meyer lemon zest, and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat, and let simmer for about 10 minutes, until syrup thickens.
• Remove to jar or bowl and let cool to room temperature.

Lavender Ice Cubes

• Put warm water and lavender in a bowl or large glass.
• Let seep for 20 minutes.
• Pour lavender water through sieve.
• Pour water in ice cube trays. Add additional to water lavender if desired.
• Freeze.

 Full Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Crisp Cooking, but as usual, all opinions are 100% my own!

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It may be freezing cold and grossly icy outside, but I don’t care because I just planned a vacation. Isn’t it funny how sometimes it just takes a little something to look forward to to make your world seem SO much happier? Especially if that little something involves warm weather, a beach, and well… that’s all you really need. It’s been about a zillion years since I’ve been on a beach vacation (since our honeymoon!) and I’m already loading up my Kindle, searching for new beachwear, and dreaming of stepping away from the daily grind for a few days. We’ll be in St. Maarten and I’d ask you if you had any recommendations, but I’m really not sure I want to do anything other than the beach… Aside from eating, so bring on the restaurant reccs.

And cocktails. Bring on the cocktails, too. Though I’m certainly not waiting for vacation to indulge in those. Of course, there’s lots to love about summer drinks (berries! sangria! rose!), but we shouldn’t be discounting all of the glorious concoctions we can make in the winter. Especially with winter citrus. I’ve been eating clementines by the dozen and came across this recipe, which gave me a little bit of inspiration. Muddled clementines, ginger, and basil… Does it get any better than that? Oh yeah, rum!

If you love clementines, you’ll love clementines with rum. I promise.

Also, crushed ice. What is it about crushing ice into little pieces that makes it so much appealing than whole cubes? It always makes me feel like I’m indulging in a treat.

And muddling mint into cocktails makes me feel like it’s summer. Or that I should be sitting on a beach on a tropical island. I love that it can be combined with clementines for a winter sipper.

Sadly, I’m likely sitting in an office as you read this… With this cocktail not anywhere near me. Life is just not fair in the winter.

But have you noticed it’s staying lighter out a little bit later? Like a very, very little bit. But it’s a spark of hope! I’m trying to get my fair share of winter fruits and vegetables before the season is over and I regret wishing it away.

Orrr maybe I’ll just continue to count down the days until vacation where I can get any cocktail my heart desires.

Are you clementine obsessed in the winter, like me?

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Clementine Ginger Cocktail

Take advantage of winter and its plethora of cold weather citrus with cocktails! This Clementine Ginger Cocktail combines clementines, ginger, mint, and rum for a winter sipper that will warm you up from the inside.

Course Drinks

Servings 2 cocktails

Author We are not Martha

Ingredients

• 1 clementine peeled and sectioned
• 12 mint leaves
• 1/4 tsp grated ginger
• 2 oz. simple syrup
• 3 oz. light rum
• Soda water

Instructions

• Divide clementine, mint leaves, and grated ginger into two glasses and muddle together.
• Fill glasses with crushed ice ice.
• Pour 1 oz. simple syrup and 1 1/2 oz. rum into each glass.
• Top off with soda water.

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Your favorite summer cocktail in fish form? This grilled Mojito Swordfish has all the flavors of the classic mojito and is so quick and easy to prepare.

Hi, August. Where the heck did you come from? August is such a tough one for me. Because on the one hand, I’m pretty much obsessed with the weather that usually comes with the month. Super hot and sunny and summer-y. On the other hand, it’s signaling the end of the summer, which has me feeling super ugh.

I know that summer technically doesn’t end until the middle of September, but let’s fact it, once September hits, fall is here. I saw on Facebook that some people’s kids are actually going back to school today. On August 1. What? In my day and in my New England region, we never went back to school until after Labor Day in September. Also, today’s weather is rainy and chilly and I walked past a girl wearing suede booties this morning. Too soon.

Let’s keep the grill running throughout the month of August. And the summer cocktails coming. Or you could just grill your cocktails… On fish. OK, that sounds weird, but I promise you that this grilled Mojito Swordfish is anything but weird.

It’s quick and simple to prepare, which  means you can come in from the beach, throw the fish in the 20-minute marinade, heat up the grill, and have dinner on the table in no time.

GRILLED MOJITO SWORDFISH RECIPE

The grilled swordfish marinade basically contains a classic mojito cocktail- rum, lime juice, and mint. Plus an abundance of garlic… Which you probably wouldn’t want in your mojito cocktail, but which goes perfectly with this fish.

You’ll want to let it sit in the marinade for about 20 minutes for best results.

And then it’s ready to be cooked. It’s done after about six minutes on the grill and a little extra sprinkling of mint on top. Ooh la la. Almost as good as a tropical island vacation, right?? My suburban New England backyard… tropical vacation… What’s the difference really?

There’s something about swordfish that is just begging you to keep it simple and stay away from any frills. I think this dish is the perfect balance for keeping things exciting, but not taking away from the integrity of the fish (you know… gotta keep the fish’s integrity in mind at all times!). The flavors were light and fresh and summer-focused, but the full swordfish flavor still came through.

The only thing I did wrong with this meal is to not also serve it with actual mojito cocktails. I feel like that was a pretty big faux pas on my part. But don’t worry, I dined on my grilled swordfish with a White Claw hard seltzer, which is pretty much my (and everybody else’s) new favorite drink of the summer.

I probably say this every time I make any type of seafood, but I never really understand why people are so afraid of it. Since fish is usually best served simple, it doesn’t really require a lot of frills and can be served quickly and easily. Plus, when you grill it, you can keep any “fishy” smells outdoors, if that’s what you’re afraid of!

I hope that August brings with it a million more grilling days. Or at least 31. I’m going to spend my time focused on how much more of summer we have to enjoy (and eating more grilled mojito swordfish) rather than the fact that it’s beginning to fade.

What’s your favorite way to prepare swordfish?

If you’re looking for more fish recipes, check out my Swordfish with Citrus Pesto or my Fish Tacos. I’m also obsessed with these Blackened Fish Burgers from Oh, Sweet Basil!

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Grilled Mojito Swordfish

Your favorite summer cocktail in fish form? This grilled Mojito Swordfish has all the flavors of the classic mojito and is so quick and easy to prepare.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Keyword Grilled Fish, Summer Fish, Swordfish Recipes

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Marinating Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 2 servings

Author Sues

Ingredients

• 2- 6 oz. swordfish steaks
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup light rum
• 1 Tbsp. freshly lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped mint
• 3 cloves garlic minced

Instructions

• Place swordfish steaks in a shallow dish, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Combine light rum, lime juice, chopped mint, and garlic in a small bowl.
• Pour marinade over the top of the swordfish steaks.
• Put in refrigerator and let marinate for about 20 minutes, but be sure not to let it sit much longer or the lime juice may cook the fish.
• Heat grill to medium-high heat and brush grates with canola oil.
• Place swordfish steaks on grill and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness, until swordfish is cooked through.
• Sprinkle with additional mint and serve with lime wedges.

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These Spiked Eggnog Doughnuts are packed with festive eggnog flavor and just a touch of rum (you can leave out the rum if you want!). They’re incredibly moist baked doughnuts perfect for celebrating the holiday season!

(This recipe for Spiked Eggnog Doughnuts was originally posted in November 2012, but has been updated with new photos and content in 2019).

I used to believe eggnog was one of those things you either love or hate. But now I’m not so sure that’s true. I think there are plenty of eggnog “in-betweeners” out there. People who love the flavor and festivity of eggnog, but can’t stand the consistency. Because it’s hard not to love the sweet nutmeg-y flavor. But I get not wanting to large chug a glass of thick, creamy eggnog. Solution? Instead of drinking it, use eggnog as an ingredient in your baked goods!

When it comes to actually drinking eggnog, I’d say I’m somewhere in the middle of being an eggnog in-betweener and an eggnog lover. I absolutely LOVE the flavor, but only enjoy drinking it in small doses at the appropriate time of year. Chris, however, is a hardcore eggnog lover. Like I’ve never known someone who can drink so much of the stuff. He’s been asking for it since October, but I really can’t bring myself to buy it until November (though I saw it in stores in freaking September!).

When it comes to baking with it, though, I always love eggnog. I even like the flavor in more questionable things, like tea (Bigelow’s eggnog tea is a true holiday joy) and even seltzer water (seriously upset Polar Seltzer no longer makes their eggnog seltzer because it had all the flavor of eggnog with none of the thickness). I also will never turn down a mug of spiked eggnog during the holiday season.

And now I won’t turn down a spiked eggnog doughnut either.

SPIKED EGGNOG DOUGHNUTS RECIPE

These spiked eggnog doughnuts have all the flavor of eggnog without all the thickness and… well, they do have the calories. But that’s OK because they’re totally worth it. I promise.

They also have rum. In both the doughnuts and the icing. Because I would never let you down like that. It’s not a super prominent flavor, but you can tell it’s there. However, if you want to make these for the kids or someone who doesn’t like the taste of rum (the alcohol does burn off in the oven, but I get if you don’t want to feed your kids “spiked” baked goods), just substitute the rum with a little more eggnog instead.

These doughnuts are baked and super easy to make. Fried doughnuts can definitely be a bit of a project, but baked doughnuts can be made in no time at all. All you have to do is make a batter…. and you don’t even need a mixer for this one!

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs. Then add in and whisk together eggnog, rum, and melted butter, until combined.

Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, being very careful not to over-mix (that’s what causes the dense cake-y doughnuts).

Spray your doughnut pan with some cooking spray. Then fill the doughnut pan about 3/4 of the way with batter. An easy tip for filling your doughnut pan? Put the batter in a Ziplock bag (or a pastry bag) and cut the edge. Squeeze batter into pan. It’s so much easier than spooning it in! If you’re in the market for a good donut pan, I highly recommend this one from Wilton (affiliate link… this listing comes with 2 6-cavity pans!).

Bake donuts for about 10-12 minutes at 325 degrees. Doughnuts should be nice and springy to the touch when they’re done.

Let the donuts cool in the pan for a few minutes and then remove to racks to cool completely. Re-spray the pan and pop the next batch in the oven (if your doughnut pan only holds 6 doughnuts like mine!).

While the doughnuts are baking and cooling, you can make the icing! It’s easy. Simply whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, butter, rum, salt, and 4 Tbsp eggnog. If your icing is too thick, you can add more egg nog… OR rum. Whatever floats your boat.

Once the eggnog doughnuts are totally cool, top with frosting. And some pretty sprinkles if you so desire.

I like to double dunk my doughnuts in the icing. I dunk them all and then go back and dunk them again.

I know it’s not quiiiite Thanksgiving yet, but I think I can say welcome to the holiday season. The weather in Boston has certainly been preparing us the last couple weeks. Brrrr. A glass of eggnog straight from the fridge might not warm you up, but I’m pretty sure a spiked eggnog doughnut would.

These are most definitely the BEST baked doughnuts I’ve ever made. Of course, they don’t taste like traditional fried doughnuts, but I feel like fried AND eggnog would have been a bit too much. Even for me. So, I liked that these are more like cake doughnuts. But eggnog helps make them super moist, so they aren’t too cake-y and certainly aren’t dense.

There’s really nothing about these spiked eggnog doughnuts that won’t make you happy. Or launch you into the holiday mood. And let’s face it; eggnog is pretty harmless in November when you consider I could be decking the halls with candy canes and Christmas trees. Don’t worry; that’s coming soon. You ain’t seen nothing yet!

Oh, but we can’t forget about the icing. Oh my God, the icing. It’s sweet for sure, but also tastes distinctly like eggnog. With just an itty bitty teeny weeny touch of rum. Because if that doesn’t get you into the holiday spirit, I don’t know what will.

I’m pretty excited for holiday drinks this year. And I’m sure I’ll be spiking up some eggnog and whipping up some creamy cocktails to welcome holiday decorations, snow, and Christmas carols.

But first, we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving in just a week (!!!). It’s my all-time favorite holiday and I plan on enjoying it to the fullest extent. But still, all eggnog concoctions, including these eggnog doughnuts, are fully welcome at my Thanksgiving celebration.

Are you an eggnog lover, hater, or in-betweener?

If you’re looking for more ways to incorporate eggnog into your recipes, check out my Eggnog Overnight Oats and my Eggnog Linzer cookies. I’m also dying to make these Frosted Eggnog Cookies from KJ and Company!

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Spiked Eggnog Doughnuts

These Spiked Eggnog Doughnuts are packed with festive eggnog flavor and just a touch of rum (you can leave out the rum if you want!). They’re incredibly moist baked doughnuts perfect for celebrating the holiday season!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Alcoholic Desserts, Donut Recipes, Doughnut Recipes, Eggnog Desserts, Eggnog Recipes

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings 1 dozen doughnuts

Author Sues

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup eggnog
• 1 1/2 tsp rum
• 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
• Spiked Eggnog Icing (recipe below)
• Sprinkles, optional

Spiked Eggnog Icing

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, very soft
• 2 Tbsp light rum
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4-5 Tbsp eggnog

Instructions

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and lightly spray a doughnut pan with oil.
• Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.
• In a separate small bowl, whisk eggs. Then add in and whisk together eggnog, rum, and melted butter, until combined.
• Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until combined, being very careful not to over-mix (that’s what causes the dense cake-y doughnuts).
• Fill doughnut pan about 3/4 of the way with batter. I like to put batter in a Ziplock bag (or pastry bag), cut the corner off, and squeeze batter into doughnut pan.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until doughnuts are cooked through and springy to the touch. Let doughnuts cool in pan for a couple minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining batter, making sure to spray doughnut pan with oil again.
• Once cooled, dip doughnuts in icing (I like to double dip) and top with sprinkles, if desired.

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