May I Offer You a DRINK (5pm somewhere -- cocktail recipes!)

[Jill]

There was a time when I didn't have a recipe to share, unless it was for a cocktail. Not because I drank more than I ate, but because I didn't know how to make much that didn't come from a box or a can... Here are some "cocktails" that I particularly like and thought some of you all may, too.

SUPER EASY LOW CAL OPTIONS, but they FEEL Non-Diet:

• Crystal Light basic flavors (or the Walmart / Great Value version of that mix) + vodka nearly always works. I know, that's not a real recipe, but it is real good and you can make an "almost" screw driver with their orange sunrise mix, or a near sea breeze with the cranberry stuff, great spiked punch, hard lemonade, ETC.
• Crystal Light "Mocktails" come in 3 flavors, Mojito, Margarita, and Appletini. They are all good and the only real calories would be the booze (and you can drink them without any if it's just the flavor your want). I like to put them in a nice glass and garnish it like it would be in a restaurant. With a smooth vodka, you can actually feel like you had a Mojito (rum) or Margarita (tequilla) even though that's not what you used.

LOW CAL MOJITO:

• 6 or so mint leaves that you crush a little bit at the bottom of a tall class / high ball / tumbler
• 1/2 lime, sliced and squeezed and put into the bottom of the class
• Additional squirt of lime juice from plastic lime (optional)
• Ice
• Bacardi Limon 1.5 - 2 ounces (but any brand light rum would probably be fine)
• Diet Lemon-Lime Soda (I like diet Sierra Mist)
• Straw

SUNSET MARTINI:

• 1 & 3/4 ounce raspberry flavored vodka
• 2 ounces pineapple juice
• Dash of triple sec (or quantro sp?)
• Dash of grenadine
• Shake ingredients with ice serve in chilled martini glass

KEYLIME MARTINI:

• 3 tablespoons Liquor 43
• 1 tablespoon lemon-flavored vodka
• 2 tablespoons Key lime juice
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

I'm partial to Vodka, as the recipes I want to share may reveal... and I have a recommendation for a low cost, but I think very smooth (highly filtered) Voda... Platnium 7x. It comes in a cobalt blue bottle, and I like it actually better than some of the higher priced brands, including Grey Goose.

What about you all? Do you sometimes enjoy an adult beverage and have a recipe or two (or more!) that you can share?

 

[KanoasDestiny]

My adult beverages usually come from premade mixes. We love strawberry daquiries, so we get that strawberry puree mix from the store, add more strawberries and whip cream. Mmm....I don't drik often but when I do, it's gotta be a fruity drink with minimal alcohol. Hmmm, now that I think about it, I don't think I need to add the rum afterall.

 

[Jill]

When I drink a little, I need less insulin. Which is good but I need to not overplay it! I could start to like it too much.

H never drinks. I bet less than half a dozen times in all the years I've known him, and it was either him choking down red wine for the health benefits or me wanting him to try a drink I thought he'd like.

 

[vickie gee]

With summer and outdoor activities here I have decided to reward my hard work with an occasional margarita to sip on the front porch in the evening. The problem with margaritas for me has always been that it makes me feel hung over even if I just have one or two. So when I was shopping for margarita mix and looked at the ingredients I thought "EWWWW". No wonder. I mostly avoid preservatives, dye, sugar, high fructose, and additives in my diet. So I experimented and came up with what works for me.

No hangover or tummy ache Margarita:

Ice in a shaker

2 jiggers water

1 jigger tequila

1 jigger of juice squeezed from limes

Stevia to sweeten it to my liking

Splash of orange extract

Shake, shake, shake in a cocktail shaker. Wet the rim of glass and dip in sea salt. Pour into glass and add my no melt ice cubes. Cheers! Go sit in the rocking chair on the porch. Wake up next day feeling fine.