Deck the Halls Mocktail + A Holiday Recipe Exchange!

This year, I'm excited to take part in Eat the Culture’s 2023 Holiday Recipe Exchange: Party Pairings for All the Holidays! Holidays often revolve around communal moments – sharing stories, laughter, and, of course, food. This year's roundup is all about those delightful 'lite bites' and drinks that set the tone for festive gatherings.

I had the pleasure of partnering with Ashley of Pink Owl Kitchen who crafted delicious New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. This dish pairs perfectly with my Deck the Halls Mocktail. Learn more about Eat the Culture and find a complete list of recipes from all participants here.  Share these recipes with your friends and loved ones and follow each participant by using the hashtags #HolidayswithETC, #PerfectPartyPairings, and #ETCHOLIDAYS2023  on Instagram.  

And speaking of the holidays, they have always represented the time of year where my favorite things combine (faith, family, friends--and food!) and ignite my merry-making.  With the backdrop of the world today, I'm anticipating the upcoming holiday season more than ever.  

And to celebrate the many special moments, gatherings, soon-to-come memories, and merriment, I'm toasting to this season--and decking the halls!--with a festive, effervescent and beautiful sip.  Cue my easy and fun Deck the Halls Mocktail. 

I'm talking a worthy signature drink (for easy entertaining) that's adaptable for any occasion from a kids' party, to a Girls' Night, to Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Eve, and beyond.  It's the drink that you'll love to sip and serve, again and again.  It's been in my holiday repertoire for a couple of holiday seasons now, and I'm thrilled to share and make your holidays all the merrier, brighter and tastier.  

A really special wow factor happens to be the festive ice cubes that serve the double duty of both chilling—and adorning—this drink.  Like mini frozen ornaments, they boast orange, rosemary, cranberry, and star anise.  A beautiful compliment to the gorgeous drink hue, these ice cubes elevate this drink and make it a feast for the eyes.

So now that we’re agreed that this will be making the rounds during the holiday season, let’s cheers to safe, festive… 

Happy Sipping!

Deck the Halls Mocktail

Ingredients:

Festive Ice Cubes* (recipe to follow)

Ginger beer

Grenadine syrup

Orange slices  

Maraschino Cherries

Festive Ice Cubes:

Ingredients:

Cranberries (frozen or fresh)

Orange Slices

Fresh rosemary sprigs

Star Anise

Water

Special Equipment: Ice cube tray/mold

Method:

Place cranberries, an orange slice, rosemary sprigs and star anise into an ice cube mold or tray compartments.  Add water and freeze overnight.

Add festive ice cube(s) to a glass.  Pour over ginger beer.  Add a splash or two of grenadine. Garnish with orange slices and cherries. Enjoy and cheers to a fabulous holiday season!

Toast With This!: Cider Mimosas

When it comes to stress-free entertaining, one of my hallmark tips is to serve a signature drink--be it a mocktail, cocktail, or whatever suits your sipping fancy. It does the double duty of marking the occasion, while keeping the effort level low, freeing you up to spend more time with your guests--the ultimate reason we gather, no?

So just in time for your Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, and all around holiday soirees, I've created a delicious, festive sip that's a grown-up twist on one of my favorite seasonal beverages, apple cider.  And with only four ingredients, it couldn't be easier to make--and toast with--my cider mimosas.

Happy Sipping!

Cider Mimosas

Ingredients:
1 part Chilled Prosecco
1/2 part Apple Cider
Fresh thyme and rosemary

Method:
Pour prosecco and top with cider.  Garnish with fresh herbs and enjoy!

{Be Inspired!}: Decking the Halls!

Last weekend I finally began adding Christmas touches to my home.  And although I'm not quite as eager as some (I have a cousin, for instance, whose decorations are always on full display by the second week of November!), I must admit that once everything comes together, I'm in love all over again (and secretly wishing for a way to keep the decor this way throughout the year.) 

From adorned table tops, to embellished topiary trees, to candles, wreaths and other accents, the smallest to grandest touches make for my very own special space that creates the perfect backdrop for this most wonderful time of the year. 

Photo Credit: Architectural Digest

And with that in mind, I've rounded up some seasonal decor inspiration to get your juices flowing with these savvy decorating tips from Architectural Digest--as you deck your own halls this holiday season.

Whatever you decide to do (or not), I hope this festive time of the year brings you goodness from near and far.

Happy Decorating!

Toast With This!: Blackberry Ginger Soda

With so much happening in the world today, not the least of which involves addressing the very serious matter of the lingering impacts of systemic racism, there has never been a better time to celebrate and amplify the voices and impact of black people, including our culture, cuisine, businesses and more.  And with that comes the (perfectly timed) celebration of Juneteenth on June 19th., which commemorates the final act of emancipation from slavery under the Confederacy, two and a half years following President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

My personal celebration will include an exciting collaboration with fellow black culinary creatives for a virtual Juneteenth Cookout. With a bevy of recipes in tow, showcasing the exuberance, flavors, and resiliency of a people destined for freedom, I'm inviting you to join us by raising a glass of my favorite Blackberry Ginger Soda, an ode to the original Juneteenth staple of Red Soda Water.

“Watermelon and red soda water are the oldest traditional foods on Juneteenth,” said Dr. Ronald Myers, head of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.  

Red represents perseverance and spans much of the celebrated cuisine.  So if you haven't guessed by now, it's a delicious, empowering time of jubilee! 

See my original post below that includes the easy four-ingredient recipe and join in the celebration with a toast to freedom, joy and better days ahead.  You can also grab the recipes of the additional collaborators below for exceptional menu ideas for your very own Juneteenth cookout.
****************

Original Post:

If last week's solstice didn't carry enough of a bang to convince you that Summer has officially arrived, then this past weekend's sweltering heat offered a not-so-gentle reminder.  And almost as fast as I welcomed the season, I began seeking a refreshing sip to usher in a much needed cool down.

While running my Saturday morning errands, I stopped in one of my favorite stores and landed upon the inspiration for this beautiful & ohh so good drink: rich, sweet blackberry syrup and sparkling dry ginger.  My wheels instantly began turning and the resulting mocktail was born.  I couldn't resist garnishing it with stunning blackberry king ice cubes, for added flair, and topping it off with a couple of splashes of club soda.

The punch from the ginger, coupled with the sweet blackberry essence and fizzy soda, makes this the perfect drink to toast the season--and it should definitely be in rotation in your sipping and entertaining repertoire.  It's a casual, pour-as-you-like, non-recipe of sorts so make it your own, leading with the ginger as the base and accented with blackberry syrup and club soda to finish.

Happy Sipping!

Blackberry Ginger Soda

Ingredients:

Sparkling Dry Ginger (or ginger ale), chilled

Blackberry Syrup

Club Soda

Blackberry Ice Cubes

Method:

Fill glasses with ice cubes.  Pour desired amount of ginger into glass, followed by a few drizzles of the syrup.  Top with a couple splashes of soda.  Stir to combine and enjoy! 

The Juneteenth Cookout Recipes Round-Up:

A Girl Called Adri | Blackened Catfish   

Beautiful Eats & Things | Spiced Grilled Peaches

Black Girls Who Brunch | Brown Butter Sweet Potato Cake   

Brazilian Kitchen Abroad | Brazilian Collard Greens with Bacon    

Britney Breaks Bread    | Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Sour Cream and Honey Sauce    

Brownbelle | Watermelon Hibiscus Whiskey Smash   

Butter Be Ready | Chicken and Waffles   

Chef and Steward | Watermelon and Feta Salad   

Chef Curl Ardee | Honey and Butter Cornbread   

Chenée Today | Lemon Icebox Pie   

Christy Irene | Crawfish Etoufee    

Collards Are The Old Kale | Guaymas Shrimp   

Confessions of a clean foodie | Mint Peach Spritzer    

Cooking to a T    Jamaican | Beef Patties   

Cooks with Soul | BBQ in Jar   

Dash of Jazz | Golden Pineapple Pound Cake   

Dish It With Tisha | Honey Jerk Shrimp   

DMR Fine Foods | Blackberry Ginger Soda   

Dom N' The City | Pound Cake   

Domestic Dee | Easy Berry Fruit Salad   

Dude That Cookz | Cajun White Beans   

Erique Berry Co | Three Green Summer Salad   

Ethically Living | Vegan Jackfruit Jamaican Patties   

Food Fidelity | Nigerian Beef Suya Skewers

Food Is Love Made Edible | Smothered Okra with Chicken & Sausage   

FoodLoveTog | Braised Cabbage & Johnny cakes    

Forks and Straws | Cassava Corn Waffles with Shrimp Creole   

Geo's Table | Curried Potato Salad   

Gristle & Gossip | Sweet Potato Honey Cornbread Cake    

Heal Me Delicious | Trinidadian Callaloo   

Immaculate Ruému | Chin-Chin   

Jamieson Diaries | Crockpot Smoked Red Beans   

Kenneth Temple | Red Velvet Biscuit with BBQ Brisket    

Kenya Rae | Pork free baked beans   

Lenox Bakery | Sweet Potato Cheesecake    

Maple Points | Peas & Rice – Guyanese Style   

Marisa Moore Nutrition | Fresh Peach Iced Tea

Meiko and the Dish | Strawberry Cornbread Skillet Cobbler   

Murielle Banackissa | Vegan Saka Saka (Congolese Cassava Leaf & Spinach Stew)   

My Fabulous Food | Black eye peas with smoked turkey    

Nik Snacks | Easy BBQ Pork Ribs   

On Ty’s Plate | Watermelon Limeade   

Open Invitation Entertainment | Coconut Collard Greens   

Orchids + Sweet Tea | The Ultimate Vegan Mac + Cheese

Our Perfect Palette | Jollof Rice

Peaches 2 Peaches | Vanilla Cake With Caramel Poached Pears   

Pink Owl Kitchen | Strawberry Buttermilk Biscuits   

Razzle Dazzle Life | Southern Peach Cobbler   

Rosalynn Daniels | Southern Tomato Pie   

Savor and Sage | Black-Eyed Pea Salad   

Savory Thoughts | Jus Citron (Haitian Lemonade)   

Seasoned To Taste | Cajun Shrimp Deviled Eggs   

Sense & Edibility | Blackberry Cobbler   

Simply LaKita | Candied Yams   

Slice & Torte | Fried Softshell Crab   

Slight Kitchen Werk | Roasted Sweet Potato Salad   

Sweet & Sorrel | Baked Jerk Chicken   

Sweet Savant | Black Eyed Peas and Sweet Potato Salad   

That Green Lyfe | Vegan Red Red Stew (Spicy Ghanaian Black-Eyed Peas) and Plantain   

The Dana Renee Way | Sweet Potato Cornbread   

The Hangry Woman | Jamaican Jerk Wings   

The Hungry Hutch | Southern-Style Sweet Tea   

The Kitchenista Diaries | Grilled Lemon Pepper Wings   

The Vgn Way | Juneteenth Hibiscus Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream    

This Worthey Life | Strawberry Soda   

This African Cooks | Ghanaian kebabs Whole30 style    

Vegan With Curves | Slow Cooker Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Soup   

Whisk it Real Gud | Southern Sweet Potato Pie   

The Holidays! {A Playlist}

Did anyone ever dare to celebrate the holiday season and make merry without music (errr, a playlist)? Well in case there's the remote chance that you haven't given the slightest thought to festive tunes, or would prefer a little help on this front, allow me to share a few of my favorites.

From classic, nostalgia-inducing songs, to soul-stirring renditions, to a hint of pop and old school hip-hop (no rhyme intended), this playlist has something for everyone's musical delight and is equally perfect for entertaining.

So here's to more merry, merry and happy, happy in your holiday season.

Happy Holidays!

Mint Ice Cubes: {Spring in a Glass}

If you're celebrating the recent arrival of Spring, then you'll want to add this to your list: mint ice cubes.  And if you have to ask why, it's because nothing says Spring (in a glass, at least) like gorgeous, herbal ice cubes.  The bright pop of color, coupled with the extra flair, will take your favorite sips to the next level of toast-worthiness faster than you can say "cheers".

So the next time the occasion calls for it, go ahead and pour. chill. sip. and repeat--with Spring-infused ice cubes!  

Happy Sipping!

Mint Ice Cubes
Ingredients:
Fresh Mint Leaves
Water
Equipment: Ice Trays

Method:
Place a mint leaf in each tray compartment.  Fill with water and freeze.  Enjoy!      

Link Love: St. Patrick's Day Fare

Festive holidays have a way of getting us to think about good food and drink.  St. Patrick's Day, usually marked by its own unique fare that's centered around Irish tradition, is especially festive.  Known for classic dishes like corned beef and cabbage (my mom's is quite delicious), as well as eats accented with green goodness in keeping with the green-themed holiday, there's surely something for even the most fickle taste buds to relish.  

In today's linkery, I'm sharing the St. Patrick's Day love with a few delicious recipes from around the web for your enjoyment during the holiday--and beyond.

Happy Eating! 

Corned beef remixed with Grilled Corned Beef and Fontina Sandwiches (Bon Appetit)

Luscious, melt in your mouth goodness ala Zucchini Carpacio Salad and Green Tea Ice Cream (Epicurious)

And to wash it all down, Refreshing Lime Soda (Saveur) 
Image 

Toast With This!: Clementine-Mint Sparkler

I love clementines, as well as the refreshment that mint always brings to the table.  This recipe for Clementine-Mint Sparkler brings the two together in a festive, delicious way that's worthy of any celebration.  Enjoy!

Clementine-Mint Sparkler
From Williams-Sonoma Holiday Entertaining 

Serves 2 
Ingredients:
Ice cubes
12 mint leaves, finely shredded, plus
2 whole leaves for garnish
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60ml) fresh lemon juice
1 cup (8 fl oz/250 ml) fresh clementine juice
1 bottle (24 fl oz/750 ml) sparkling water
Clementine tops or slices for garnish


Instructions:
Fill 2 highball or other tall glasses with ice.  Divide the shredded mint between the glasses.  Pour half of the lemon juice and half of the clementine juice into each glass.  Top with sparkling water and stir well.  Garnish each glass with a clementine top and a whole mint leaf and serve at once.
*Increase recipe for more servings.

Afternoon Tea

I'd been planning to get to it for a while -- like at least all of last year and this.  But calendar conflicts, busy schedules and other more 'top of mind' activities somehow kept me from it until recently.  Finally, the date was set, the reservations secured, and I would be enjoying Afternoon Tea with a long-time friend in a few, short days.

A first for us both, we were excited to do our catching up on such special terms.  And so, we braved the blustering wind chill and met for Afternoon Tea at the Four Seasons Hotel, Atlanta, for delicious mini bites of such favorites as buttermilk scones (served with lemon curd, jam and devonshire cream), chocolate-dipped strawberries, tea sandwiches, chocolate truffles--and more.  (Mouthwatering, I know.) 

And oh yeah, there was the tea.  We were presented with a case of several varieties of loose teas from which to choose for our sipping pleasure.  I landed on a tangerine tea that was bright and mellow all-in-one.  Quite refreshing.  My friend opted for a "fruit medley" of sorts as her choice.  I don't think there were any bad choices to be had, honestly.

Tea Service

With the holidays on our heels, it was a perfect way to take a breather and enjoy this festive time of year.  And the beautiful dining room of the Four Seasons provided the perfect backdrop.  What began as a new indulgence is now sure to become a standing tradition; a time for enjoying simple--yet special--pleasures.  I hope you're now inspired to consider doing the same. 

Happy Eating!