10 Easy Champagne Cocktails

...to thrill your guests and help you survive the holidays.

Champagne tends to be the beverage of choice for my families' gatherings. At least for the womenfolk. But bubbly can go to one's head awfully quick if you're not careful, and since I'm often the one organizing the festitvites, I must keep my head so I don't burn dinner or let my lips get too loose. Many Champagne drinks add additional liqueurs, packing the punch. Not what I needed. So, for years I've tested out various Champagne cocktails—mixers to cut the potency a bit and make everything tasty and festive. Below are ten of my favorites.

You can pour all into a punch bowl if you have an elegant family heirloom you'd like to show off (something I must remember to do) or mix them individually if everyone wants something different.

Generally, one bottle of Champagne (or sparkling wine or Prosecco) serves 4 to 6, depending on the size of your champagne flutes or glasses.

 
 
Tangerine Mimosa
Serves 4 to 6

1 1/8 cups freshly squeezed or frozen tangerine juice
1 750-ml bottles Champagne, chilled

Pour 3 tablespoons juice in each Champagne flute. Fill flutes with Champagne, and serve.




Cranberry Pear Bellini
 Serves 8

1 cup pear nectar
1 cup cranberry juice cocktail
1 750-ml bottle Prosecco or other dry sparkling white win, chilled

In a small pitcher or large liquid measuring cup, combine pear nectar and cranberry juice cocktail. Pour 1/4 cup juice mixture into each of eight champagne glasses. Dividing evenly, top with Prosecco or other dry sparkling white wine.





Pomegranate Cocktail
 serves 1

1 fl. oz. pomegranate juice
1/2 fl. oz. Grand Marnier
Sparkling wine as needed 

Pour juice and Grand Marnier into flute. Fill to top with sparkling wine or champagne. *(Optional) Garnish with pomegranate seeds.





Seabreeze Champagne Cocktail
 
cranberry juice
Champagne or sparkling wine, chilled, as needed
lime twist (optional)

Fill flute 1/4 with cranberry juice. Fill to top with champagne.  Garnish with lime twist.



Kir Royal
 Serves 6

3 ounces (6 tablespoons) creme de cassis
1 750-ml bottle Champagne or other sparkling white wine
6 strips tangerine or orange zest, for garnish

Just before serving, pour 1 tablespoon creme de cassis into each glass. Fill with Champagne, and garnish with zest.





Peach, Pear, or Mango Bellini
 serves 1

Peach, pear, or mango nectar (Kern's) 
Prosecco or sparkling wine, chilled, as needed

 Fill flutes or glasses 1/4 with nectar. Fill to top with Prosecco.





Strawberry Champagne Punch

serves 12

1 750-ml bottle Champagne or sparking wine
1 2-liter ginger ale
2 boxes frozen strawberries

Mix all in punch bowl and ladle into glasses.



Or if you do want to go stronger:


Lemoncello Fizz
serves2

1 cup Champagne or sparkling wine
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
Crushed ice
(optional) fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, thawed

In a small pitcher, combine the Champagne and limoncello. Place a spoonful of crushed ice into each of 2 Champagne glasses and top with raspberries. Pour the Champagne mixture over the ice and raspberries. 

Cheers!

Les Misérables: A {Parent} Review

This brief review of Les Misérables is  provided by a completely novice movie reviewer, but a Les Mis lover and a parent. I had a tough time deciding if the movie was appropriate for my 9-year-old, and I imagine there are others out there wondering the same thing.

I'll start by admitting I'm a Les Mis junkie. I saw the musical on my seventeenth birthday in Chicago, and I've known all the lyrics by heart since. I've caught the touring Broadway show a couple time, and I wasn't going to miss this celebrity studded tour de force for anything.


A quick movie summary (provided by the official  Les Miserables Film website):

Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, Les Misérables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Hugh Jackman plays ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert (Russell Crowe) after he breaks parole. When Valjean agrees to care for factory worker Fantine's (Anne Hathaway) young daughter, Cosette, their lives change forever.

Initially, I planned on taking my 9-year-old son and husband to keep me company. I've been listening to the fabulous "Dream Cast" 10th Anniversary  and 25th Anniversary  concerts for weeks. I didn't hear anything in there too offensive, and after introducing my son to musical theater last Spring with the amazing touring Lion King production, I thought it was time to broaden his horizons. Let him see just how hard life could be for those less fortunate, expose him to some poverty, some strife, some fighting for what is good and honest and true in this world. You know, let him appreciate how far society, at least here in the American suburbs, has come and just how darn lucky he is. Let him be moved by the music.

I had a hard time finding any actual parent's reviews of the movie, and those few I did said it was appropriate for 15-and-up. But it's PG-13? My kid watched his first PG-13 movie years ago (NOT my idea) and he is allowed to watch certain movies (usually involving superheroes, hobbits, or sinking ships) on a case by case basis. How rough could a movie musical really be?

The running theme implied Les Mis showed as much sex as a PG-13 movie allowed. Since that is the one thing I absolutely shelter him from, I decided to see the movie before I ended up having an exceptionally awkward conversation about the birds and the bees on the drive home.

I'm glad I did.

Les Miserables earned its PG-13 rating, and this parent thinks it should stick. Here's why:

Sexual content: 

Prostitutes. They play up the whole "Lovely Ladies" scene, making it gritty and rough, causing the original Broadway version to look clean and Disneyfied. No saucy singing ladies of the night—these are gutter whores—there's not much doubt what these raunchy, miserable women are selling and the hell their lives have turned into. Poor Fantine (the amazing Anne Hathaway) is abused, groped, and molested before she allows a man to throw up her skirt and have her way with him for a few coins. No nudity, but far too explicit for kids.

Tons of bawdy humor, sexual innuendo kids/tweens may or may not understand, and cleavage shoved up high and spilling from corsets.

And a man dressed as Santa gets it on with a prostitute. No nudity, but she's on top of him and thrusting. (I can only imagine the gasp from my kid—don't know if "they're just wrestling" would explain it away.)

Language:

Some swearing, usually sung. Not enough to alarm me, but my Mother-in-Law would probably faint. My kid could tolerate it (as he knows not to repeat it).

Again, some "vulgar" and bawdy humor the kids probably wouldn't get. (At least I hope.)

Drug and Alcohol Use:

It IS France. They drink wine. A lot of it. And of course, the perfectly cast Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen portray the Thénardiers, scoundrels who keep their patrons sloppy drunk so they can fleece them for every sou or two.

Violence:

Prison is bad. Prisoners are treated harshly.

Various people are slapped and beaten.

Lots of guns, swords, and knives.

A woman's teeth are ripped out (for money).

Women (mostly prostitutes) are handled roughly by men. 

During the battle scene, many men and women (some we are rooting for) are shot and killed. More realistic than stylized (as in, say, comic book flicks). Not super graphic, but they bleed. Later, blood flows through the gutters and women must scrub it from the cobblestones.

**SPOILER** A child is shot and killed. (Much of the audience cried.)

**SPOILER** A man commits suicide (not graphic or violent, though may be disturbing).

Several characters we come to care about die. Yes, this happens in Disney movies, so I can't say it's inappropriate, but the whole audience clutched tissues and sniffled. Or flat out bawled.


If you made it all the way down here, I'm surprised you didn't stop after the first mention of "prostitute." They are hard to explain away to kids. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVED this movie. It should be nominated for Best Picture. I already bought the soundtrack. Hugh Jackman shines as Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway...phenomenal. Perfect. I dare anyone not to tear up during her amazing "I Dreamed a Dream."

Rating:
Drag your husbands and a box of tissues to this film, but leave the kids under 13 at home.

Once this comes out on DVD I will probably let my kid watch parts of it, so long as I can edit out some content I'm just not ready to explain. When he's a teen, he'll be forced to watch it. Maybe even learn the songs.




And next time I watch it,  I'll remember to wear my 20-year-old T shirt, as well.

{A Writer's} Christmas Wishes

{Sub in Benadryl, and this nails it.}

Thanks to Debbie Ohi, creator of the best writing related comics in the world. 

Check out more at INKYGIRL.COM.

Happy Holidays to all, and to all a good night!

Holiday Recipes: Lemon Ginger Truffles

The holidays are the best time of year to revel in family traditions, and to make some new ones. I like to switch things around a bit, put my own twist on the classics, add some local flavors to my holiday recipes.

Tradition: My family's Rum Ball recipe has been passed down for generations (once we hit legal age) and I love making them each year. (It doesn't hurt that they are by far the easiest cookie/treat recipe in my mom's repertoire.)

Semi-tradition: After we moved into our home over a decade ago (OMG) we found a way to use up the bounty of citrus in our yard. If our lemon trees have a good year, hubby and I brew a big vat of Limoncello as soon as our lemons turn bright yellow. Some years we mix it up and make Tangerinecello. Some years we go crazy and make both. Our friends and family especially love us those years. (Check out the easy recipes here and here.)

New tradition: I love all things ginger. Hmmm...lets switch up the rum ball recipe...maybe gingersnaps instead of vanilla wafers...some Limoncello instead of rum...it's worth a try.

One taste, and these babies were declared a grand slam winner.

Lemon Ginger{Snap} Truffle Balls

Time: roughly 30 minutes
Yield: about 3 dozen


1 cup crushed ginger snaps (the hard ones)*
1 cup crushed vanilla wafers*
1 cup crushed pecans*
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. honey (or white corn syrup)
1/3 cup Limoncello (available at most liquor stores or recipe HERE)
optional: 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
extra ginger snap crumbs, sugar, or chopped pecans for coating/dusting

*I recommend crushing cookies and pecans in a food processor. 20 seconds and done.

• Mix dry ingredients. Add wet and mix until combined.
• Add desired dusting materials to a shallow dish. 
• Scoop out about a tablespoon of mixture (use a cookie scoop for speed and consistent size) and roll into balls. (This is easier if you keep your hands damp.)
• Roll each ball in the dusting sugar or crumbs to coat evenly.
• Set each ball onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator.

Keep refrigerated. Since they don't contain any cream, they can stay at room temperature {while you bestow them upon your appreciative friends & family} but if you want them to last for weeks, keep them in the fridge. They're better to eat chilled, too. And the longer they sit, the tastier they will be.

Place each ball in a mini cupcake wrapper for an impressive display.

Do you have a favorite holiday recipe? You can submit your favorite holiday recipes to the Winn-Dixie Recipes to Impress E-cookbook for a chance to be featured in the final e-cookbook. Need some recipe ideas?  Browse through the submitted recipes in the gallery to see how others are celebrating local flavor.

You can also join Winn-Dixie for a Twitter party on December 18, 9 p.m., EST. RSVP here http://twtvite.com/WDLocalHoliday

Thank you to Winn-Dixie for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity by the Niche Mommy Network & Conference. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Great Gifting: Homemade Limoncello

"Pure sunshine in a bottle." 

That's my favorite description of Limoncello, the refreshing and iconic drink of the Italian Coast. Hubby and I fell in love with the lemon liquor during our honeymoon in Italy. After each dinner (and occasionally even lunch) our cameriere (waiter) would deliver the delightful chilled shot glass of brilliant yellow liquid. Whether sipped or shot, a glass of this elixir leaves you with a slight afterglow, as if you have been kissed by the sun.

Since we couldn't stay in Italy forever (oh, how I wish we could have) we had to hunt down our new favorite after-dinner digestivo stateside.  Ten years ago, that wasn't so easy.  Luckily, a co-worker's Italian Mama graced us with her family recipe. Making limoncello became Hubby's passion, nearly an obsession, as he tried to duplicate the taste he so fondly remembered from our lazy days in Italian cafes.

Don't worry, we shared. Limoncello became a holiday tradition. Friends and relatives threatened to withhold our gifts if we didn't give them another years supply under the tree. Yeah, it was that good.

When we bought our home years ago, one of the first garden purchases we made was our own little lemon tree. Kept in a huge pot by the pool, our little tree produces a healthy crop each year. As soon as they are ripe and ready, it's time to make the cello. Hubby zests and I save all the juice and freeze it for later use. A few years later, we added another tree (which finally produced fruit for the first time this year!)

I'm going to share our TOP SECRET recipe with you. This recipe makes quite a big batch -- enough to last you a year (unless you have a wicked drinking problem) and to share. Make it. Put it in a cute bottle. Heck, you could put it in a plastic water bottle. Your friends will LOVE you...

Italian Limoncello

1 kilo lemons - 2.2 lbs (about 10)
1 liter grain alcohol*
1.25 liters water
700 grams (3 1/2 cups) sugar

Step 1

• Using a zester or a fine grater, remove only the colored part of the lemon rind. Avoid the white pith just below — it is bitter and will change the flavor. (This part is messy, but your whole house will smell like a citrus grove.)
• Pour the grain alcohol into a large glass jug or jar (must have a lid to seal). Add the zested rind. Let it sit for four days to two weeks at room temperature. (Yes, it must be glass. Large mason jars or recycled gallon sized wine bottles work well. The citric acids will corrode plastic.)

Step 2 (four days to two weeks later)

• In a large pot, bring the water and sugar to a boil. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool. 
• Layer some cheesecloth over a mesh strainer and set over a large bowl.  Pour the grain/rind carefully into the strainer, filtering out all of the rind. Pour the (now vibrant yellow) alcohol back into the glass jar. 
• Add in cooled sugar water.
• Store in glass or distribute into smaller, decorative bottles. Keep servings in the freezer —it is best ice cold.

*Many recipes call for vodka, but we prefer grain. Higher alcohol content = no chance of it freezing when you store it in the freezer. But if you can 't find grain (I'm told some states won't sell it?) you can use vodka.

*We don't waste the lemons after they've been zested. We freeze the juice in ice cube trays and save it for cooking and lemonade.

*Don't worry about letting it sit. The longer you wait to drink it, the better it tastes. But make sure to drink it ice cold. 

As I stated before, this makes a fabulous gift. You can find decorative bottle many places such as Ross, World Market, Pier 1, TJ Maxx, etc. You can also recycle glass beverage bottles for a simple and inexpensive presentation—the Sweetleaf Tea bottles are the perfect size and the caps even state "Homemade Goodness"

I've made many lables over the years, but this is a scan of my original Limoncello tag I've used for over ten years. Maybe it's time to update, but I'll always love it.

 front                                       back

Now, make go some Limoncello. Take two shots and email me in the morning.

If you do any more I don't want to hear from you (and don't blame your hangover on me).

Salute! 

{that's "cheers" in Italian, you know...}

In Case You Missed It

Friday, I received this dreaded message:

Panic. Sheer panic. I couldn't upload any photos to the blog, which was rather important for the FOOD post I was working on. So I raced to Google what the hell was going on. I found this link to talk me off my cliff and get me past the initial roadblock. I think I have days of meaningless work ahead. ***Note: If you are using Blogger, you are using Picassa photo storage. READ THIS.  Yet another reason it may be time for me to switch to Wordpress.


In other, less dramatic news, below are some of the most helpful links of the week.


A method through the madness: 5 tips for writing scenes via Jody Hedlund

As always, Jane Friedmand offers 10 Ways to Build Long-Lasting Traffic to Your Author Website or Blog.

Sarah McCoy (along with snippets from a dozen other authors) explains how finding your literary agent is like finding true love via the Millions.

Since I'm at this stage now (again) Melanie Conklin's How to Rock Beta Reads was particulary helpful. Beta readers everywhere, please read!

 Victoria Mixon shared an excerpt from her soon-to-be-released book for writers, The Art & Craft of Prose: 3rd Practitioner’s Manual. She’s provided this excerpt on Making Tension Tense via Writer Unboxed.