Food for My Family » Beverages

Pompelmocello: A Celebration of Grapefruit, Spiked

Shaina — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 17:43:37 +0000

How to make your own pompelmocello (or grapefruit limoncello) using seasonal grapefruits and Everclear. Start now, drink later.

I’ve left you waiting unintentionally. My intentions were to come back and tell you a story or two, share a recipe and even a fun something I have been sitting on (tomorrow). Good intentions don’t get you very far, though. Forgiveness will.

So, here I am asking you for a bit of forgiveness in my absence, as it’s now time to celebrate. The book is tucked away. The pages have been proofed and combed through, and there’s nothing left for me to do but…okay, are still things for me to do, but the majority of it is out of my hands and in the competent hands of the team at HCP now.

It’s time for a toast. Really, my family started toasting the minute I sent in my last photo. There was soup. Then eggs. Biscuits and gravy. We had a steak dinner, the very first we’ve had from our portion of a cow that was delivered a whole five months ago now. We’re making up for lost time, the family dinner and I. Ole’s enjoying not being the only one cooking at 5:00, and I’m enjoying not being tied down elsewhere for the busiest hours in the family day.

Some things are worth waiting for, like this toast to turning the page in my life, to moving into the waiting phase of my book. Infused alcohol takes time, just like writing a book, but the ultimate reward is sweet in the end.

While the citrus is in season, why not take a few peels (avoiding the pith) and let them bathe for a while in a strong alcohol. This is where the waiting starts, and as the peel and the alcohol start to mix and meld and infuse their flavors together, the seasons will change, the snow will melt and the citrus will become scarce. Yet you’ll have this reminder of the time that has passed and how it was worth waiting for.

This toast is not just for me. It’s for you. Really, I can’t say enough about the people in this online space, the readers, friends and family who have been supportive the entire way through the process. Thank you.

Pompelmocello

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4-5 large organic grapefruit
750 ml Everclear (151 proof) or vodka
3 cups water
1 1/2 to 2 cups granulated sugar (depending on your sweetness preference)

Carefully peel the grapefruit or zest, avoiding the pith. In a large canning jar or other airtight container add the grapefruit peel and pour the Everclear over the top, completely covering the peel. Seal the jar and place in a cool, dry place for 20-40 days, agitating regularly.

After the peels and alcohol have seeped, in a medium saucepan combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until all sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Line a fine mesh strainer with a coffee filter. Slowly pour the alcohol and the simple syrup through the filter and the strainer into a large container. Stir to combine and pour into bottles or jars. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Serve chilled.

Makes approximately 1.25 liters pompelmocello
Copyright © Food for My Family.

Lemongrass Soda and Tiny Pea Babies

Shaina — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 15:01:22 +0000

Honey-sweetened lemongrass soda brings a delightful zip to any party, especially when it’s a baby shower for a few Peas and Their Pod.

Soft fuzzy skin and sweet-smelling heads. Tiny little fingers that grasp on tightly when you place your finger in their palm. They way they curl into themselves, looking so vulnerable and Even the little cries that come from newborns sound so different than the demanding cries they start emitting just a few months later.

It’s no secret that I have a soft spot for babies. (I’ve been known to start businesses dedicated to more baby time, after all. Not really.) I’m always excited when I hear of friends and family having their own sweet bundles, and I love having the chance to hold said bundles for a few moments to appreciate the wonder of life.

In reality, however, there’s not always that chance, and instead we celebrate new life from across the country, connected by the electronic communication and in packages mailed with loving kisses and sweet, lemony sodas.

Start by chopping the lemongrass. You can also bruise it with a mortar and pestle, which will let out more oils and make your syrup stronger.

Combine your lemongrass with honey and water and simmer it down to create a syrup.

Once your syrup is cool, you can combine it with soda water over ice. Stir to combine, garnish with a piece of lemongrass and sip.

Congratulations, Maria and Josh! I can’t wait to see you add that sweet little guy to your pod.

Want to celebrate with us? Check out these other baby shower eats.

Drinks
Simple Bites - Lemon Balm infused Lemonade
Ingredients, Inc. - Healthy Fruit Punch
Food for My Family - Lemongrass Soda
Heather’s Dish - Mixed Fruit Punch
She Wears Many Hats - Mini Pistachio Smoothies

Appetizers/Savory Bites
With Style and Grace - Truffle Popcorn
Family Fresh Cooking - Baby Peas & Cheese Frittata
Barbara Bakes - Creamy Orange Fruit Dip and Fruit
Aggie’s Kitchen - Pasta Salad with Balsamic Basil Vinaigrette
Reluctant Entertainer - Nutella Berry Bruschetta

Dessert
Dorie Greenspan – French Lemon Cream Tart
TidyMom - Blue and Chocolate Cake Balls
i am baker - Baby Pea Baby Shower Cake
Brown Eyed Baker - Pavlova
Picky Palate - Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Sandwich
What’s Gaby Cooking - Coconut Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Cookin’ Canuck - Nutella & Cream Cheese Swirled Blondies
Kevin and Amanda - Baby Blue Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Cups
Sweetopia - Decorated Sugar Cookies
Mountain Mama Cooks - Lavender Shortbread Cookies
Sweetapolita - Decorated Sugar Cookies
RecipeGirl - Baby Button Cookies
RecipeBoy - Mud Cups with Gummy Worms
Add a Pinch - Blackberry Tartlets
Dine and Dish - Oven Baked Cinnamon Apples

Crafts
Wenderly - Handmade Sweet Pea Cards
Our Best Bites - How To: Make a Diaper Cake Centerpiece

Thanks to Marla and Lisa for getting us all together to celebrate the Lichty’s little addition!

Honey Lemongrass Soda

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1 cup water
1/2 cup honey
4 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
club soda

Add water, honey and lemongrass to a saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat stirring frequently until bubbles start forming on the outside wall of the pan but the liquid is not boiling. Reduce heat to medium or medium low and continue cooking down the liquid for another 10 minutes. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Strain the syrup to remove lemongrass pieces and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Mix together 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of syrup with 6 ounces club soda over ice for each serving. Garnish with a lemongrass stalk.

Copyright © Food for My Family.

Homemade Ginger Ale for Summer Evenings

Shaina — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 22:29:51 +0000

Summer is here. Cool off and take refuge from the sun with some homemade ginger ale, perfect for sitting by the pool, with rum as a cocktail or with dinner on the patio. (Note to self: finish patio construction.)

Most days, my mornings are hectic. I get up to the sound of Ole’s alarm going off. I push him until he gets up, and then I sit in bed thinking about how responsible it would be of me to get up with him and start my day. Instead, I try to savor the low spot in the middle of our ancient mattress without two bodies occupying it, and when he comes to kiss me goodbye, I begrudgingly rip myself from between the sheets and start my day.

I walk through the living room and over to my desk, flipping my computer on in hopes of answering a few emails and getting things set up for the day before the four kids I call mine roll out of their beds and start begging for breakfast. This lasts for ten minutes before a child emerges with tussled hair and bunchy pajamas twisted every which way.

Work will wait a few minutes…err, hours more. Breakfast is made and served. School lunches are packed. Kids are sent off to the bus and others are busied with crafts or set about as engineers of the ever-changing wooden railroad set. I settle in to work: coffee in one hand, mouse in another, clicking and sipping.

The phone rings, which often has me giving the present children dagger eyes in an attempt to threaten them should they decide now is the perfect time to squeal and give away the fact that I work 60 or so hours a week from a desk situated in my living room with my kids at my side. This time, though, it’s the school.

I wonder if it’s my eldest, calling to tell me what homework assignment she forgot, but with only four days left of school, homework has ceased. When I hear the school health professional on the other line, I worry that my kindergartener is sick, as he was just home the day before for that very reason. “Kjell fell off the slide.” I pause, wondering if this is a courtesy call, which I’m used to receiving, as someone has a bit of a head issue.

This particular call, however, will mean eight hours in the hospital, four spent juggling a crying son, a quiet four-year-old, a curious two-year-old and a hungry 7-month-old niece as we get x-rayed and splinted and sent to the orthopedist for surgery and a proper cast. This particular call will signify the end of summer days at the beach, family bike rides, baseball season and soccer fields all before they begin.

Commencing Operation Summer Fun-in-a-Cast for the Olmanson clan.

Step 1: Buy a good amount of ginger and then a little bit more. Look for ginger that has smooth light brown skin.

Peel it. Chop it up.

To a pot, add the ginger cubes, water and the peel from about 1/2 a large lime, avoiding the pith as much as possible. Boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Add in sugar and simmer again until it reduces.

After your syrup is done, remove it from the heat and let it cool. Strain out the pieces of ginger and the peel.

When it is room temperature, it can be stored in a bottle or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

When you’re ready for ginger ale, pour 1/4 cup or so of ginger ale over ice. Add one cup of club soda on top.

Drinks, check. Nothing like a glass of homemade ginger ale to get the creative juices flowing.

A 15′ pool for the broken boy doesn’t hurt either. (Um, there is no question why this child is the one in a cast, that one up there posing triumphantly on the slide. Also, we are now accepting any and all bread bag donations.) Truth: I was relieved when they said it was Kjell’s arm looked mangled. Mangled arms can be put back together. Bizarre neurological episodes are more frightening.

Besides, I happen to enjoy sitting in my swimsuit and watching my kids jump into a bright blue pool in the middle of my yard as I sip on homemade sodas. And I have a feeling the kids enjoy it, too.

Bonus for the “Big Kids” (otherwise known as adults): A shot of rum makes this a fabulous cocktail, and ginger syrup on its own can be added to several other mixers and liquors for spicy summer drinks. The fun is never ending, even after small heads are resting on pillows and it’s just Ole sitting next to me at the end of a summer’s day.

Homemade Ginger Ale

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3 cups fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon lime peel
6 cups water
1 1/2 to 2 cups sugar or sucanat
club soda
lime wedges

Peel ginger root and chop into small chunks. Add ginger root, lime peel and water to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add in sugar and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and liquid has reduced down to 3 1/2 cups or so.

Turn off the burner and let the ginger syrup cool. Strain out ginger chunks and then pour cooled syrup into a bottle or other airtight storage container. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make ginger ale:
Pour approximately 3-4 tablespoons ginger syrup over ice. Add 1 cup club soda. Stir lightly to combine and serve with a wedge of lime. Sip and enjoy.

Makes 16-18 servings.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

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Margarita Fish Tacos for Cinco de Mayo and Welcoming in Spring

Ole — Sun, 01 May 2011 01:27:42 +0000

Cinco de Mayo is just around the corner, and with the weather warming, it’s the perfect time to take out the grill for fish tacos and make yourself a margarita.

On our block, we joke with the neighbors that once the snow falls, we don’t see anybody for five months. People park their cars in the garage in an attempt to keep warm and stay dry and only poke their heads outside to get the mail or shovel the walk. Fortunately, every spring we emerge and get reacquainted with our friends from last fall, usually over a good meal, eaten outside if possible.

Our reintroduction to the neighborhood this year came in the form of weekly neighbor-hosted happy hours and then to head across the street to share a dish with the neighbors. So we packed up the essentials and took our dinner a few houses down to fix up some refreshing fish tacos to remember why we like living where we do.

These are great because the majority of the work can be done ahead of time which makes this a perfect dish for entertaining. They are also a nice way to ring in the spring season with light and fresh flavors of citrus, cilantro, and tilapia with the distinctive zing of a real margarita. Begin by marinating the tilapia fillets in a margarita mixture of tequila, lime juice, agave nectar, a little oil and a bit of salt. Overnight is the best, but anywhere over an hour is a good start.

The topping for this taco is an easy salsa fresca. Chop tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro and mix with lime juice, oil and salt. Follow the recipe below or adjust ingredients to suit your tastes. I like to add some fresh jalapeños and cumin, but you can do whatever you want. Why not go loco with pineapple or mango? The only other necessities are shredded lettuce and sour cream, perhaps a bit of cotija or asadero if you can’t have tacos without a dairy fix, and we love to add guacamole to ours.

All that is left is to fire up the grill for a bit and get the fish done and it’s time to eat. Here we want a hot grill somewhere around 450 to 500 degrees. With a thin fish like tilapia, which is what we used, it can get a little tricky on the grill. However, if you cook it hot and fast and properly lubricate your grill, you’ll be fine. Properly lubricate. Did you get that? Properly lubricate. If you don’t you will be eating vegetarian tacos and your next steak will taste like a tuna sandwich. So have a can of spray ready or some olive oil to brush, but please, please, don’t let the fish stick.

Okay, hot grill, check. Clean grill (scrape it now), check. Lubricated grill (in this order), check. Let’s cook. Quickly arrange the fillets, evenly spaced, across the grill. Close the lid and wait about two to three minutes. Gingerly flip and squeeze a lime on them and sprinkle with salt. After another two or three minutes they’ll be done. Remove quickly to a plate and loosely wrap in foil adding a few more drops of lime before you tuck them in.

Did your fish stick a little? It’s okay. The good news with fish tacos is that the fillets will be hidden inside a tortilla so no one will see if they are a little beat up.

Time for assembly. Fill a warmed corn tortilla (why not do it on the grill alongside the fish if you have room) with a few ounces of fish, a spoonful of salsa fresca, a smear of sour cream and top with shredded lettuce. Don’t forget the guacamole if you made it. Fold, eat and repeat.

To really complement the meal, serve with a just-mixed classic margarita. Want to go the other way? Those averse to alcohol can have this recipe too. Just substitute club soda for tequila and add a little extra lime juice and salt.

Make sure you have plenty of tortillas, after having three tacos myself, I really contemplated a fourth. Yes, they’re that good, so celebrate spring, celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or make them for no particular celebration at all. These tacos are a great way to wake up your taste buds for spring and the summer to follow.

Margarita Fish Tacos

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2 pounds white fish fillets (tilapia, cod, red snapper, mahi mahi)
1/3 cup tequila
3 limes, juiced
3 tablespoons miel de agave (or agave nectar)
1 1/2 tablespoon avocado oil (or any light oil)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Basting:
1 lime, juiced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Salsa Fresca:
1 large tomato diced
1/2 onion diced (yellow or red)
1/2 large green pepper diced
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
kosher salt, to taste

Assembly:
20 white corn tortillas
shredded romaine lettuce
sour cream
diced jalapeños
guacamole
cotija or a white cheese, shredded/crumbled

Mix tequila, lime juice, agave, oil and salt in a zip-top bag. Add fish and refrigerate from one hour to overnight. Grill fish on a hot, oiled grill (450 to 500° F) three minutes per side. Squeeze lime over fish after the first flip and sprinkle with salt. Remove the grilled fish pieces to aluminum foil and wrap to retain heat.

Prepare salsa fresca by combining tomato, onion, pepper, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice and salt. Refrigerate if it is made ahead of time.

Warm tortillas on the grill or otherwise. Assemble tacos with fish, salsa and other additions of your choice.

Makes 6 servings

This is our neighbor Sara‘s margarita recipe. (Sara is pictured above.) We approve. In fact, I made them again 4 days later to make sure I had the right ratios for this post. Painful process that was. Painful.

Agave Margaritas

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For each margarita:
1 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 ounce miel de agave (agave nectar)**
1/2 ounce water, club soda or fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 ounces 100% agave silver tequila (Patron, Corazón)
1 lime wedge
salt for rim
ice

In a glass add lime juice, miel de agave, water/club soda and tequila. Run lime wedges over rim of glass and roll edge in salt to rim. Fill glass with ice. Shake margarita mix with ice and strain into the salt-rimmed glass over the ice. Serve with the lime wedge.

**You can substitute miel de agave and the water/club soda/orange juice for 1 full ounce of simple syrup.
**for virgin margaritas, omit tequila and add additional club soda

Makes 1 margarita.
Copyright © Food for My Family.

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Banana Berry Smoothies and Magic Bullet To-Go Giveaway Contest

Shaina — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 04:59:14 +0000

Smoothies are a great meal choice when you’re on the go. Choose fresh and frozen ingredients, and just a few minutes in the blender gives you a healthy, portable breakfast. Enter to win a Magic Bullet To-Go for further ease of smoothie prep by leaving a comment with your favorite smoothie recipe. Keep reading for more details.
I am guilty of skipping breakfast on a regular basis. While I feed my kids a healthy meal, I sometimes stop short of actually preparing something for myself, usually because I don’t have the time to sit down and eat it as I dress and feed the four kids, manage any work deadlines for the morning, sign planners and check homework, remember “mystery buckets” and brush hair. Because I’m up and moving, I don’t even consider eating, and before I know it, it will be 10:30 and I am famished, which is a shame when you consider my love for breakfast foods, and it probably also explains why we eat breakfast for dinner so often.

Smoothies are the answer to my breakfast-skipping ways. I start with milk and 100% fruit juice. When I’m choosing other smoothie ingredients, I naturally lean towards the berry side of things. Freezing berries means they’re always ripe and ready, and because they’re packed full of vitamins and phytochemicals, they make a natural addition to a healthy smoothie. Plus, they taste good.

I also use smoothie time to use up some of the greens I stock my fridge with, and it’s a good chance to get some extra nutrients in my body. Being that it’s spring, spinach is a must in my fridge, but you can also use kale, swiss chard, dandelion or beet greens and other green, leafy varietals you’ve got in your house. And consider throwing in some further added health benefits while you’re at it. Some possibilities include chia seeds, ground flax, hemp seeds, sesame seeds or coconut.

Once your blending device is full of all your smoothie ingredients, mix them up. When I was new to the smoothie-making game I often didn’t mix them enough. I thought that if they looked blended, they must be blended. Really, though, getting a bit of a cyclone in there and letting it go for a while will give you a more even and smooth texture, which is more of what I’d like in a smoothie.

And that’s all it takes to get a delicious breakfast that you can enjoy while walking around buttoning up shirts and smoothing down stubborn cowlicks. It also makes a good commuting meal, sitting snuggly in the cup holder on your drive to the office or appointments.

Magic Bullet wants to hear what your favorite smoothie is. Simply post your favorite smoothie recipe in the comments below before 5 p.m. ET on Friday, April 30th. Magic Bullet will choose their four favorite recipes. Winners will receive their very own Magic Bullet To-Go!

And the winners are:
-Sharon
-Carmen B.
-Regina C.
-Cheryl W.

Thank you to all who entered! I’ve emailed the winners, so please check your inbox!

Banana Berry Smoothies

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½ cup acai berry or pomegranate juice
½ cup milk of your choice (rice, almond, cow, goat…)
2 tablespoons honey (optional)
1 whole ripe banana
½ cup frozen blueberries
½ cup frozen strawberries or raspberries
1 cup fresh greens (spinach or kale)
2 tablespoons chia seeds or ground flax

Add juice, milk and the honey to blender. Top with fruit, spinach and chia seeds. Start with blender on a low speed and raise the speed. If the blender seems to drag, turn off and stir. Re-cover and turn back on. Continue to blend until a small cyclone forms, and then allow to mix about one minute more. Stop the blender. Pour and enjoy.

Makes 2 small or 1 large smoothie
Copyright © Food for My Family.

What goes in your favorite smoothie?

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Peppermint Twist Hot Chocolate and Christmas Traditions

Shaina — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:24:38 +0000

I mentioned that the tree had made an appearance at our home not too long ago just the other day. Since the moment it walked in through the door and found a place to rest in the living room, Kola Nut has been asking every. five. minutes. to put the ornaments on. So, naturally, we made him wait until we were all there together. He got over the waiting when he remembered that tree decoration and ornaments came in tandem with candy canes and marshmallows in hot chocolate. Even better? A foot or so of snow falling outside to accompany the Christmas music.

We like to decorate the tree after all our other responsibilities have been taken care of. Dinner has been consumed, dishes cleaned and put away. The toys from the day have found their bins and baskets, and pajamas find the kids’ bodies. While they busy about doing that, I head to the kitchen to start making hot chocolate.

In the pan on the left I place the chocolate. These are Ghirardelli 72% Cacao wafers and a few blocks of Bakers because I’d opened the bag to the wafers and was a bit shy. I could use a stainless steel bowl here, but mine are all pretty large, so I decided the saucepan was a more appropriate size.

And in the saucepan to the right I place the cream.

Over medium heat, bring it to a boil. (Excuse the sorry attempt to capture that moment in picture form. I had about half a second to get it right.)

Then pour the hot cream into the chocolate.

And stir until it is all melted.

I’m using peppermint schnapps to my chocolate. You could use a smaller amount of peppermint extract as well because the alcohol content is higher and more concentrated peppermint flavor. (See recipe.)

Stir until it’s all one smooth consistency.

In the saucepan I used for the cream I start heating 3 cups of milk and a generous 2 tablespoons of sugar while stirring.

And when it is hot and steamy, I add in about 1/3 cup of the chocolate ganache.

Continue heating and whisk together so it’s nice and frothy until 175 degrees.

The candy cane melts into the chocolate to give it a bit more peppermint presence. The marshmallows? They were requested by my children. For the kids I added a bit more milk from the fridge to cool down their cups. To Ole’s and my own? Peppermint schnapps.

And then we go about the drinking of chocolate, the practicing of Christmas program parts and the decorating of the tree. The kiids are excited and bubbly, and mom and dad have a short break in the busyness of the everyday to enjoy the simple things.

As for the extra ganache? Let it cool for a few hours before packaging it up into an airtight container. We’ll be making truffles here, but you can whip it into a frosting for your favorite cake or make hot chocolate in minutes by adding it to a cup of warm milk with a bit of sugar.

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