drinks

Margarita Monday

mildlygranolaLeave a comment

I would like to propose a toast to surviving Monday. I’m not sure how your day went, but if it was anything like mine you probably want a drink.

My day? Not the best. Naps were awful. I had to clean poop off of a rug. The good rug, no less.

I decided it should be a margarita Monday. I texted my friend to see if she was up for a patio margarita while our kids played. Thankfully she was game.

I’ve been working on perfecting my margarita for a few years, and I think I have it down now.

Step one: Gather the ingredients.

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Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Please note: I have no idea where my good cocktail shaker is. I’ve been using a cheap plastic one for years. I assume in my basement in a box somewhere I still have a fancy, grown up shaker.

For two margaritas add 4 oz tequila, 2 oz Cointreau, and 1 1/2 oz lime juice.  Shake it up. Pour over ice. Go outside and watch the children play.

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A couple of tips:

  • This is a really strong drink. As you pour it in your glass you may think you should make more. Sip your drink awhile before you make that decision. Trust me, I speak from experience.
  • When sqeezing a hand held citrus juicer turn the fruit the opposite direction you think it should go. You’ll end up getting more juice.20180507_1538191331449566.jpg
  • If you are drinking around toddlers make sure to watch your drink. Elliot spilled mine, so I was only able to enjoy half of it. He can be a little jerk.

Other than the spilled drink, it was lovely to kick off the week with a margarita. I think I’ll be making Margarita Mondays a thing this summer.

Cheers to Monday!

Hot Chocolate Hack – Nutella Cocoa

mildlygranola, , , Leave a comment

I am a big fan of hot cocoa. I like rich, decadent, coffee shop cocoa – the fancy pants stuff that is a special treat. The kind of drink that says “Hello winter! Let’s get cozy!”

It has suddenly gotten really cold in Des Moines. When it starts go get cold and I’m pulling out my winter gear I start craving cocoa. With two little kids it is hard to get out, so I am not able to pop out and get cocoa when the craving hits.  Last week I tried Nutella cocoa at Gateway Market and I decided I needed to recreate it at home. It turns out that decadent coffee shop cocoa is remarkably simple to make at home. It is so simple I took several photos just so it would seem more complicated.

This is a great recipe to break out when you have friends over and you want to impress them with your very special chocolate hazelnut cocoa that is super duper hard to make (yup, I’m advocating lying to your friends so you look like a culinary visionary). The best part is, you probably already have the 2 ingredients in your house. The only two things you need are nutella and milk.

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Step 1: Choose your mug. How big is it? I picked a 10 oz mug.

Step 2: Measure out your milk. You will want a few ounces less of milk than will fit into the mug. I measured out 8 oz for my 10 oz mug.

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Step 3: Pour your milk into a saucepan and start to heat it on medium low.dsc_0210

Step 4: Scoop out 2-3 tablespoons of Nutella. Try not flinch at the large amount of Nutella on your spoon. dsc_0216

Step 5: Stir the Nutella into the warming milk. Get so excited about the impending yummy you forget how gross your stove is (mental note: clean stove).dsc_0218

Step 6: Whisk the Nutella into the milk until it is smooth and the cocoa is hot. dsc_0224

Step 7: Pour it into a mug. Spill a little bit on your counter (optional).dsc_0227

Step 8: Drink it up. Marshmallows would be a great addition.dsc_0229

It is so delicious I almost wish it wasn’t so easy to make. With cold weather hitting most of the country this week it is probably a great time to try it. I would love to hear what you think of it.