Summer Veggie Fritatta - a light eggy dish that would be great as dinner or brunch

Frittata is a great way to use up leftovers. It’s a really flexible dish. I used some of the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses that were in the drawer; but you could use Swiss, pepper jack, or blue cheese. The green onions and zucchini were from the garden, and the yellow pepper was from the farmer’s market. You could switch the veggies around if you had other veggies to use up. Or, you could add some of last night’s rotisserie chicken if you had that as leftovers. And, as a special bonus for last night’s frittata, I got to use fresh eggs that my cousin gave me from her backyard chickens. Thanks Teri!

Eggs from my cousin's backyard chickens. Thanks Teri!

This recipe makes a really light dish, and I really like the flavors. It’s great warm from the oven, at room temperature or even cold from the ‘fridge (that was my lunch today). I suspect that you could even make it the night before, keep it in the refrigerator and bake it in the morning for a special breakfast or brunch.

We do a “use it or lose it week” every once in awhile around here. It helps me clean out the refrigerator, lets me take a week off from going to the grocery store, and actually helps me be a little creative with the food. We’ve had some really good meals come out of it. If you don’t do something like this in your house, I highly recommend that you try it- it’s a great way to keep your ‘fridge under control.

Summer Veggie Frittata

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

5 eggs
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup green onions, sliced
½ cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2/3 cup milk
½ cup (2 oz.) reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Dash cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups corn kernels
2 cups shredded zucchini
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a 2-quart shallow round with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat whites and salt until stiff peaks form; set aside.

Place yolks in small bowl, and lightly beat. Set aside. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat, and add onions and yellow pepper cooking 1 minute. Stir in flour. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir about half the milk mixture into yolks. Return all to saucepan and remove saucepan from heat. Stir in cheddar and cayenne until cheese melts.

Add about 1/2 cup of the egg whites to the sauce to lighten. Gently fold whites-sauce mixture into remaining whites. Fold in corn and zucchini. Spoon into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes.

Butternut squash from my garden that I'll be sharing

Some people don’t always believe this, but what you give comes back to you in spades. Give good things and great things come back. Give crud, and well, you’re just dirty.

If you take care of those around you, when you need help, those people come to your side. If you only take care of yourself, very few people are there to care for you when you need it. And, trust me, we all need a helping hand sometimes.

Butternut squash from the garden with lemons from Ursula

Sharing and neighborliness have become very important in my cooking and in my day-to-day dealings with people. My friends and neighbors grow tasty produce and they share it with me. I bake or cook something with the produce and give them something tasty in return. I’ll drop off lemon bars to the lady who gives me lemons. Or, zucchini bread to Monica, who gives me zucchini. I’m giving back, in my own small way.

Eat locally, that’s what we hear so much of lately. Well, what better way to eat locally than to share what you grow or what your neighbors grow? And, you’ll never see a tip like that on the Food Network.

Sharing, neighborliness, conserving and getting to know people make me feel in touch with the past as well. This is how my Grandma handled life. She shared and she ate locally grown seasonal produce, even stuff from her own garden. Our society had gotten too far away from our roots of sharing, neighborliness, and conserving. I see the pendulum swinging back to our roots.

A picture of Grandma & Grandpa next to some tomatoes that Monica shared with me

Maybe if we all try just a little to make take these ideals to heart we can fix some of the problems of obesity, heart disease, global warming, and maybe in the process we might get to know our neighbors a little and find people we like.

Spaghetti Squash in the garden- I know we'll need help eating this- the thing is huge

Traditional pesto made with simple natural ingredients

That’s it. Just simple, fresh, and quite amazing. Make sure you use good ingredients. If you don’t grow basil (and it’s really easy to grow it, even in a pot on your windowsill), head over to your Farmer’s Market- it’s in season and really fragrant right now. Get good Parmesan, not that dry stuff in a can (what is that anyway?). And, good quality olive oil.

Yummy Parmesan cheese

It doesn’t take much time to make, and it freezes really well, so it’s a great way to enjoy summer.

Traditionally, pesto is served over pasta, but you can serve it as a spread over sandwiches , make pesto pizza, serve on bruschetta, use as a garnish for soup, or serve it with grilled fish or chicken. You can also toss veggies like potatoes, green beans, or corn in pesto for a great side dish.

The ingredients in pesto can be really flexible as well. Try something different, like cilantro, spinach, sage, or parsley instead of basil. (mint anyone?) Or try almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds instead of pine nuts.

You’ve heard that pesto is high in calories because of all that oil? Well, keep in mind that these are all good fats, and natural foods. But, if you want to cut the calories a bit, trade half of the oil for water (the pasta cooking water will work very well).

And, I thought this was an interesting bit of knowledge that the pine nut bag provided, “Pine nuts cannot be grown under modern commercial conditions. The small scrubby trees grow on mountainsides at elevations of 5000-7000 feet. All operations are done by hand. The trees grow slowly and do not bear until 25 years old. At age 75 there is enough for commercial harvesting.”

pine nuts, or pinon nuts, pinons, or pignolias - all the same tasty nut

Please enjoy your pesto!

Traditional Pesto Sauce

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup pine nuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup olive oil (or more if needed)
Salt and pepper

Process the first four ingredients in a food processor to a rough paste. With the machine running, slowly pour the olive oil through the tube. If the sauce seems dry (it should be a thick paste) add a little more olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediately or store in a covered jar (press plastic wrap directly onto the pesto to prevent discoloration) in the refrigerator for up to one week. Pesto may be frozen up to 2 months.

The ingredients have been added into the food processor

The ingredients have started to be processed- a couple more pulses, and I'll be ready to add the olive oil

The olive oil is added while to food processor runs. This is the end result. I'll add a little pasta cooking water to thin it a little more.

Pesto Pasta. Really tasty and fresh. Yummy.

Peach Sorbet with little flecks of peach skin - very refreshing on a hot summer day

Ahhhh, summer. Sun, heat, breezes, long days. Well, it hasn’t been too hot in my little corner of SoCal, but, I’m sure that the heat will come back with a vengeance, and it’ll probably feel like 100 degrees for the rest of the year. Sometimes the only way to cool off is with a tasty frozen treat. And, in case you wanted to know what exactly sorbet is, as opposed to ice cream (or, even if you hadn’t wondered before), here’s a list of different treats and what they are.

(oh, and in case you didn’t know, ice cream is probably my favorite dessert! Yummy!)

vanilla ice cream swirled with a raspberry ribbon and crunchy cashews

Frozen Yogurt: made from yogurt and resembles soft-serve ice cream, has less cream and more milk than ice cream. The freezing process can kill off the live yogurt cultures, so be sure to read the label if you are looking for these health benefits.

Gelato: Italian ice cream that doesn’t contain as much butterfat or air as regular ice cream, so it has a denser texture.

Granita: Italian Ice (called granite in France) is a frozen mixture of water, sugar and liquid flavorings, and usually has a slightly granular texture.

Ice Cream: a mixture of cream, milk, sugar, and flavoring. May also contain eggs or egg yolks to make the custard base.  To be called ice cream, it must contain at least 10% butterfat (but many versions have more than 10%). Air is whipped into the mixture to make the texture creamy. Tip: If you seal your ice cream carton in an airtight plastic bag in the freezer it will result in fewer ice crystals and better flavor due to the ice cream not absorbing other food odors.

Eggnog Ice Cream

Ice Milk: similar to ice cream except that it contains less butterfat and milk solids. It has a lighter less creamy texture and fewer calories than ice cream.

Sherbet: frozen mixture of sweetened fruit juice (or wine), milk, water, and sugar. Sherbet may also contain egg whites or gelatin, so if you’re vegetarian, be sure to read the labels. Sherbet is lighter than ice cream but richer than granita.

Blackberry Pie with Buttermilk Sherbet

Sorbet: French word for sherbet (Italians call it sorbetto), and is made from fruit or fruit juice and sugar, should be dairy free, and has a softer consistency than sherbet.

Other types of ice creams you may see at the store:

Light ice cream: made with more milk than regular ice cream & has at least 50% less total fat, or 33% fewer calories than the original product.

Lowfat ice cream: a standard label, meaning the ice cream has a maximum of 3 grams total fat per serving.

Nonfat ice cream: also a standard label; this one means that it contains less than 0.5 grams of total fat per serving.

Premium ice cream: often has up to 20% butterfat.

Reduced fat ice cream: contains at least 25% less total fat than the “original product”.

Meyer Lemon Mascarpone Sherbet

I’m still perplexed by what to do with all that zucchini. So, I thought I’d try Zucchini Jam. Part savory spread part pickle. You know, if you like pickles, this is the jam for you. And, it has a little kick of Anaheim Chili Peppers.

I’m going to experiment with it a little more, but like I said, if you are a fan of pickles, this rocks!

Zucchini Jam served over herb cream cheese and wheat crackers

Zucchini Jam

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (I took about 1/2 cup and chopped it into thin strips to give different textures)
1 Anaheim Chili, chopped into thin strips
3 cups sugar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 package pectin

Place a large pot over medium heat and combine zucchini, pepper, sugar, and vinegar. Boil until thermometer reaches 220 degrees. Take off heat and stir in pectin. Allow to cool for 2 minutes and stir jam for 1 minute. Place jam into containers and store in the refrigerator.

Serve over crackers and cream cheese.

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Cherry Plum Jam- great over vanilla ice cream

Cherry Plum Jam

I’d share the recipe, except that I didn’t really follow one, and I didn’t really measure; but, here’s a pretty close estimation of what I did… I used 5 black plums and a whole mess of cherries. I chopped 3 of the plums into small cubes to give the jam texture and color. The cherries, I pitted (and, let me say that if I ever make anything with a lot of cherries again, I will buy myself a cherry pitter. My hands were stained with cherry juice for days!)

Cherry pits and cherry juice

I pureed the cherries and the peeled plums in the blender. I cooked the fruit with 3 cups of sugar and one packet of pectin until they reached 220° on the candy thermometer.

That’s it. Pretty easy, and really tasty. Though, the jam is a little soft. But, that’s ok- we’ve been eating it over Greek yogurt and vanilla ice cream, so it works as a sauce.

I also took the last of the raspberries and turned them into raspberry lime syrup. These flavored syrups are so easy to make, and so versatile. I’ve used them in club soda to make a homemade soda. Pour them over ice cream or pound cake to flavor a dessert. Add them to a glass of vodka rocks for a special beverage.

Use what you have in your ‘fridge- fruit, herbs, veggies, spices. And, you can make them savory or sweet.

Raspberries and lime zest steeping

Here’s a list of the syrups I’ve experimented with…

Thyme black pepper syrup
Rosemary lemon
Raspberry lime
Cherry lime
Rosemary Peach

Some ideas that I might try in the future…

Almond & cocoa nib
Basil
Cinnamon sticks

Here’s how to make the syrup….

Take equal parts sugar and water (I usually use 1 cup of each) and add in the hardier flavorings like citrus rind, rosemary, black pepper, cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil, let the sugar dissolve, and boil for one minute. Take off of the heat, and add in the softer fruits, like raspberries, peaches, cherries. I usually add about ½ cup of fruit, though more or less will not be that big of a deal. Let steep for 20 minutes and strain out the solids. The syrup will keep in the fridge for a few weeks (if it lasts that long).

As an added bonus, the cherries were delicious after steeping in the lime syrup, and I got to have a little snack out of them.

Raspberry Lime syrup- can be added to club soda to make tasty and pretty drinks

Here’s the biggest thing I’ve learned from my adventures in the kitchen lately. Have fun with it & be experimental. This is stuff that’s been around for years and years, and, I cook, preserve, jam, can, make because it’s fun and because it’s yummy. It doesn’t take long, and it doesn’t take special equipment. It’s so much healthier and tastier too. And, like I’ve said before, I don’t seal my jars to preserve the fruit for years and years, I usually eat it too soon. So, don’t even worry about that- just have fun with it. Here’s a great article on canning if you’re interested in knowing more.

My next experiment will be zucchini pepper marmalade… something to be served over cream cheese with wheat crackers. Wish me luck!

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Candied Lemon Peel ready to be nibbled on

I use lots of lemons. Lemon Bars. Lemon Ice Cream. Lemon cookies. Lemon water. Lemonade Ice Cream Pie with Gingerbread Crust. Lemon Cloud Tart with Salted Caramel Sauce. And, it occurs to me as I juice the lemons that something could be done with all those peels rather than just throwing them in the green waste.

Candied Lemon Peel and Roasted Lemon Peel Powder. I thought I would try these and see if it really is better to use all those peels.

Candied Lemon Peel

Candied Citrus Peel has been around for a long time. And, after making it I would say that it is the original gummy bear. It was fun to make something so old fashioned and homey. The process of making the candy was long and time consuming- not difficult, but it took two days to complete. The candy can be nibbled on its own, dipped in chocolate for a pretty presentation, or added to something else, like scones, cheesecake, ice cream, or gingerbread.

Here’s how I made the Candied Lemon Peel. There are other ways to make candied citrus peel, and some are easier, but I thought I would go with the trusted source of Irma Rombauer. 

The peels of 6 lemons

Lemons ready to be juiced for something tasty

Peel 6 lemons (don’t worry about taking the pith off, that will be done later) and place the peel in a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Drain, and cover with fresh water, and simmer again until tender. Drain. Refresh the peel under cold water. Scrape away any remaining pith using a spoon. Cut the peel into strips.

The peel has been boiled and cut into strips and placed in the sugar water to be boiled again

Combine 1 cup sugar and ¾ cup water in a large saucepan. Stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves, and add the peel and cook gently over low heat until most of the syrup is absorbed. Cover and let stand overnight.

The syrup has been absorbed and the peel is ready to sit overnight

Heat over low heat, and simmer again, then let cool slightly.

Spread several layers of paper towels on a counter and spread 1 cup sugar over the towels. Roll the peel in the sugar until well coated. Transfer the peel to a sheet of waxed paper and let air dry for at least 1 hour. Candied peel can be stored between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months.

Roasted Lemon Peel Powder

Roasted lemon peel after being ground to a fine powder in the spice grinder

And, for the Roasted Lemon Peel, I can just say that the fragrance is so wonderful and heady that it may just be something that I have to make on a regular basis. The flavor is a bit more mellow than fresh lemon peel, but the powder has a toasty quality that gives it depth. This idea came from the wonderful Zucchini and Chocolate Blog.

I used three lemons, and ended up with about a tablespoon of powder, so it doesn’t make a lot of powder. But, making it didn’t take much time or much work.

Lemon Peeled with a vegetable peeler trying to get only the yellow and leaving the bitter white part behind

Peel the lemon with a vegetable peeler making ribbons with as little pith (the bitter white part of the peel) on them as possible. Leave the peel out to air dry on the counter for a day or two.

The lemon Peel has begun to dry after sitting out for a day

Then, roast the peel in a low oven for about 15 minutes, or until they start to turn golden. (I left mine in the oven while the oven cooled after I had baked something else.)

The peel turns golden brown after being roasted in the oven

Allow the peel to cool, and grind the peel in a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle. Store the powder in an airtight container.

The Roasted Lemon Peel Powder can be added to almost anything that you would add lemon zest to: scones, gelato, granola, cookies, lemon syrup for beverages, my neighbor even thought it would taste lovely over roasted corn.

The fragrance of the roasted lemon peel is fabulous

Stone Levitation Ale

The great thing about serving dinner to a bunch of guys is that they’re so happy to be getting food. Doesn’t really matter what the food is, or how it looks, they’re happy. I think guys just like being taken care of.

I cooked for seven guys for my brother-in-law’s bachelor party. It was a great group of guys who just like having fun. Thanks for letting a girl into the mix! Here’s the menu and a few notes about the food.

(BTW, I can’t believe how busy I’ve been and how many ideas I have for posts but haven’t had the time to write.)

Menu:

Stone Levitation Beer
Peanuts Roasted in the shell
Nacho Cheese
Salsa
Chili
Chips
Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Cocktail Ribs
Soft Pretzel Bites
Carmel Corn

No, there wasn’t much “good for you “ food at this event. I like to think of this as guy food. And, guys don’t generally like veggies. But, the salsa is veggies, and I snuck that one in there!

The only veggies for the day

I almost didn't get a shot of the cheese, the guys devoured quickly

The nacho cheese is tasty – just a traditional melty gooey nacho cheese so that they could make nachos with the chips, salsa, and chili if they wished to combine any of those.  I think the nacho cheese was gone before I even got back to serve some to myself, and the big bag of chips, well, let’s just say that I really should have purchased two.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

After everyone got some BBQ pork, I went out to check and see how they were doing. I didn’t hear much because they were too busy chomping down. I even saw one guy take four sandwiches. Here’s the simple BBQ pulled Pork procedure that I go by:

BBQ Pulled Pork

pork shoulder (I generally figure ½ to 1 pound per person depending on what else is being served)
BBQ sauce, about 1 bottle per 2 pounds of pork (I like KC Masterpiece)
Water
Canola oil
Small sesame seed buns

Pulled Pork ready to be made into sandwiches

Heat a large Dutch oven over high heat (I did mine on the fifth burner of the grill outside so that I wouldn’t heat up the house). Add enough oil to coat the bottom with a thin layer. Add the pork, allowing to brown. Turn to brown all sides. Once pork has browned, place it in a large crockpot. Add BBQ sauce and enough water to cover the pork. Heat on low heat for about 8 hours. Once the pork is done, it should basically shred itself as you pull it apart with forks.

Serve hot with toasted buns.

Cocktail Ribs ready for the eatin'

yum!

The cocktail ribs are something that my husband always requests. They are sticky and meaty.

Pretzel Bites

As for the pretzel bites, this was my first attempt at making them. I wouldn’t say that they were pretty, but they sure were tasty. I’ll definitely want to work on their appearance, but I’ll make them again. I was going to serve them with mustard for dipping, but no one even asked for mustard- they were devoured too quickly. I did, however, sneak one for myself and try it with the nacho cheese- oh, tasty snack heaven!

The only thing left was the caramel corn, and, well, I never really got around to that. By dessert time, the guys were so full, they didn’t need anything more to eat. If you’re interested in the caramel corn recipe, you’ll have to watch for my cookbook. I’ll be putting that recipe in the “Cupboard Cooking” book that I’m writing. I’m hoping to be done writing it in the next couple of months.

I had a great time cooking and hanging out with those guys. Next up, the rehearsal dinner & then the wedding!!! Yippie!

Summer Garden Soup using the bounty of what's fresh and tasty. This velvety soup has no cream, and is vegan!

Someone asked me the other day where I come up with some of my ideas; where the creativity comes from. This got me to thinking that maybe I should post my response. I have to say that a lot of what I cook has to do with conservation- I don’t want to waste food or money. And, this gives me a chance to exercise my creativity.

Here are some of my core principles for how we eat: conservation, reducing waste, best use of the foods and our money, using locally grown seasonal foods, and sharing the abundance. And, of course, it has to be tasty and (hopefully) healthy. I’ll blog a little more about sharing in another post.

I’ll often buy seasonal locally grown foods. I grow some of my own fruits and veggies, and my neighbors & friends have been sharing produce. (And, I have to say that a home grown tomato is so much better than a store bought one). I like to make good use of the foods, preserving where needed. Sometimes a little creativity is all that’s needed to come up with something new. Food blogs are also a great resource. The Joy of Cooking is another of my favorites. I ask myself how I can use that ingredient in a tasty healthy way that’s a little different.

I’ve had lots of zucchini lately- both from my garden and from the neighbor’s garden. We’ve had our share of zucchini sautéed as a side dish or thrown into a pasta dish. But, I could hollow out the zucchini, stuff it with bread crumbs, onions, some veggies, and herbs, and bake it in the oven. Yum. Can it be dessert? Can it be preserved? I came across a recipe for zucchini martinis the other day, but I haven’t summoned up the courage to try it yet. Maybe, but until then, there are lots of other things to do with the zuccs.

Produce that’s on sale is a great indicator that it’s fresh and in season. Lately, all the stores have had berries on sale. These have been a great bargain! And, since they’re in season, they’re so much tastier! Don’t buy strawberries when they aren’t in season- there’s just no flavor in them, so why bother?

Here are some of the things I think about when faced with seasonal produce…

Can I bake with it? Chocolate zucchini cake. Zucchini date bread. Lemon bars. Banana nut bread.

Grill it? Grilled butternut squash. Grilled zucchini.

Preserve it? Raspberry-lime syrup. Rosemary syrup. Raspberry jam. Lemon marmalade. Peach infused vodka. Sangria. Make a soup stock with all those veggies in the drawer of your ‘fridge, then even freeze the stock in ice cube trays to use later in pasta or rice dishes.

Raspberry Lime syrup- can be added to club soda to make tasty and pretty drinks

Freeze it? Lemon ice cream. Freeze berries for later use in smoothies. Sorbet. I take the heels of bread loaves and pulse them in the blender to make bread crumbs. I store the crumbs in the freezer until needed for zucchini fries, stuffing, or frittata.

Make it into a sauce? Green tomato and tomatillo salsa. Basil Pesto or parsley pesto. Maybe a zucchini pesto?

I’ve been reading about how much food we waste, and here are some facts of waste. It’s a sobering thought. According to an article on Change.org, “reports have estimated food waste in the U.S. to be anywhere from 25 to 50 percent of all the food produced for domestic use and consumption. The average family tosses out 14 percent of food purchased, or an estimated $600 per year.” In addition, when we throw food in the trashcan, the food goes into landfills, and it rots, emitting tons of methane, a greenhouse gas about 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide. The resources that went into producing, shipping, and storing that food are also wasted, including water and fossil fuels. Here’s a link to 10 great tips to reduce your waste.

So, there’s the story on some of where my ideas come from. I try to get creative while doing the best I can to conserve. This week I made Summer Garden Soup (I used zucchini, onions, and basil from the garden). It’s really quite an amazingly smooth soup – velvety and creamy without any cream! I love that it’s vegan too. Here’s the recipe:

I garnished the soup with basil flowers- pretty and edible

Summer Garden Soup

Adapted from Gourmet
Makes 4 to 6 servings

¼ cup olive oil
2 pounds (or one 10-inch) zucchini, coarsely chopped
¾ cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 cups water
1/3 cup packed basil leaves

Heat oil in 3 to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.  Add salt and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Season soup with salt and pepper, and serve hot. Garnish with basil leaves or basil flowers.

I served the soup with Parmesan breadsticks

Refreshing on a warm summer day

Peach Infused Vodka

A friend of mine posted this link on Facebook, and it inspired me to try fruit infused vodka. Also, this is a great way to use up some of those over-ripe fruits or veggies that you may have.

Vodka and fruit – that’s it! Any fruit (or herbs or veggies) or combination will work. As for the vodka, I would recommend going with a good quality tasty vodka- don’t skimp here.

Some of the peachy color comes from the peach skins that were infused in the vodka

Vodka (I used Grey Goose)
2 yellow peaches, skins and pits removed, and chopped
2 white peaches, pits removed, chopped (I left the skins of for the pretty pink color they would impart)

Expose the flesh (where the flavor is) of whatever fruit you are using. Slice the fruit into medium sized chunks. Get rid of any pits. And, if you’re using citrus fruit, the white part (the pith) is bitter, so you don’t want that in your infusion, but the rind has lots of citrus oils, so keep as much of the colored part as possible.

Place the chopped fruit in the glass or plastic jar and cover with vodka. The amount of vodka you’ll use is directly proportional to the amount of fruit you have. Place the jar in the refrigerator, or in a cool, dark place.

Allow the flavors to combine. Stronger flavors like citrus can be infused as quickly as couple days, while mellow flavors like watermelon and apple can take a week. Really light flavors like cucumber and lavender can take as long as two weeks. Periodically taste the mixture to see how it’s coming along.

Strain the vodka and fruit through a fine mesh strainer. Push on the pulp as necessary, just be cautious, the fruit will start to puree and make its way into the liquor- though this will make for more flavor and color, and some may be desirable.

You can discard the pulp or, eat the vodka-flavored fruit instead of throwing it away.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Homemade onion dip- rich and creamy. And, I know what all the ingredients are (unlike those packets of dry mix).

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serve with hearty crackers or slices of bread.
Makes: 12 servings (serving size: 3 tablespoons)

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups (about 2 large onions) onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup light (not fat free) sour cream
1/3 cup (about 1 ½ ounces) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1/3 cup (3 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon soy sauce

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat pan. Add chopped onion to pan and sauté 10 minutes or until golden brown. Reduce heat to low, and add thyme and salt to pan; cook 20 minutes or until onions are deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.

Remove onion mixture from heat. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring until blended and cheese melts.

I also served homemade salsa, chips, raspberry jam, crackers, and hummus and pita. A very tasty evening indeed. And, what better way than to spend an evening with good food, good beverages, and great people. I love having Happy Hour at my house.

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