Recipes Archives - Cupcakes and Cutlery

Best Old Fashioned Recipe

September 28, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow 2 Comments

Mmmmmmm, an Old Fashioned. This is a sipping drink, right here. And it’s not for everyone. Only the sexy people. Sorry, I slipped in to Prince. It happens. If you don’t usually order whiskey or bourbon when you’re out for drinks, I promise that once you find a brand that you really love, this will be your go-to cocktail. It’s the perfect drink as we transition to fall. The drink is lightly chilled but will warm you up very quickly. My husband’s family’s love of the whiskey sour at the holidays is how I learned that I enjoy a nice bourbon. Not all are created equal though. I literally used to think the Whiskey Sours they served were stripping the inside of my esophagus and stomach. I was sure I was flammable and would combust if I went near open flame. So when I decided to get my hubby some drink making supplies one Christmas, and spent a little money on some Bourbon, everything changed. It was Hudson Baby Bourbon and it was delicious! Today I partnered with Drizly to share the best Old Fashioned recipe with you. It’s a great classic cocktail to have in your drink arsenal. After that, I started ordering whiskey drinks out and started to really fall in love with the flavors. Another great way to test the whiskey waters is to try out a Kentucky Mule, which is a mule (which we all totally love, with ginger beer, lime, etc) but made with whiskey instead of vodka. So good. So now I’m an Old Fashioned kind of girl. And you can be too. They are super simple to make. You need whiskey or bourbon, I grabbed Knob Creek since we hadn’t tried it yet. My hubby and I like to try out different brands to see what we like best. I’ll be honest, I’m still partial to the Baby Bourbon. Angostura Bitters and a sugar cube. I only had a demarera sugar cube so I used that but to make it the classic way, use a white one.Place a sugar cube in your glass and add a few drops of bitters. Add a splash of whiskey, then muddle until the sugar cube has dissolved. Add a big old piece of ice. You want big ice when you are dealing with sipping liquor because it will chill it, without watering it down as it melts. And it looks freaking cool. Add the rest of your liquor, give it a stir if the huge ass ice-cube will allow and top with an orange peel garnish. There you have it. The best Old Fashioned recipe. Sip responsibly.

And now for some extra exciting news. I’m pleased to announce that I am a Top Shelf Blogger with Drizly. If you haven’t heard of Drizly, it’s kind of my favorite. They basically deliver your favorite wine, beer and liquor in under and hour. Such an awesome idea! I’ll be sharing some of their recipes, or creating my own, every few months. And in the meantime, if you need help with a recipe, head right to their recipe library. They have an amazing amount of delicious sounding drinks to try. See the original Old Fashioned Recipe on Drizly.

Yum

Best Old Fashioned Recipe

Ingredients

2 oz Bourbon or Rye Whiskey
1 Sugar Cube (white)
3 dashes of Angostura Bitter
Orange Peel Garnish

Instructions

In an Old Fashioned glass add sugar cube, bitters, and splash of whiskey muddle until blended.
Add one large ice cube and remaining whiskey, stir until sugar is mostly dissolved.
Garnish with orange twist.

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*I was compensated for the supplies used in this post by Drizly.

Images by Dez and Tam Photography

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Large-sized Bad Moms White Russian Recipe

How to rim a champagne glass with rose petals

Spiced Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail

Narcos on Netflix and Colombian Bunuelos

September 27, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard of bunuelos before? I hadn’t either. Until my friend Roni posted that she made some in honor of her favorite show, Narcos on Netflix. But here’s the thing. There are two kinds of bunuelos, the Mexican version which is sweeter, more like a donut, and the Colombian version which is basically 95% cheese. Since Narcos is all about the drug trade in Colombia, of course you have to make the Colombian version. So that powdered sugar that you see in the photo is merely there to represent the idea of cocaine, not as a topping for these little fried treats. I thought about taking it a step further and rolling up some bills and round mirror, but I thought, “nah”. Phew. Glad I could clear that up. Roni was going to make these for me but had to go out-of-town at the last-minute. So she sent me a boxed mix and I went to work making these delicious bit sized doughy cheese balls. And be “me” I really mean my mom because I’m afraid of frying oil and she came over and did it for me.

This post is in partnership with Netflix. As part of their #StreamTeam I get to share with you all of my favorite shows on the platform. All opinions are always mine. Netflix is the best partner ever. They let me share creative posts, including those with fake cocaine. It’s a match made in heaven. But I digress. So, as I mentioned, these bunuelos are usually served with coffee. I’m not sure how many is considered a serving but once you have one you’ll probably need a few (hundred) more. They’re pretty good. The mix has simple instructions to follow on the back of the box. What isn’t in the box, however, is four cups of a hard cheese like cotija which I have there in the bowl. I picked up two packages at my local store and crumbled it. Roni also instructed me to add 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mix. Roni is a baker and decorator (a crazy talented one at that) so I did as she said.To get the right consistency, add a little bit of water or milk at a time. My mom ended up adding 12 tablespoons or 3/4 of a cup. The box said you would add about 1 tablespoon so I’m not sure what really happened there… The instructions say you want the dough to stay together but not be sticky. She rolled them in to golf ball sized balls prior to frying. When frying, make sure to not have the oil too hot or else they will brown on the outside and not cook all the way through. When you drop the balls in to the oil, they sink, then rise and then start spinning. It’s pretty fun to watch. Almost as much fun to watch as Narcos on Netflix. I’ve only seen half of the first season so far. I really need to get all caught up! Sometimes when I post about Netflix, I get a sense of who the super fans are. After posting something about Narcos, Roni reached out and asked if I knew when the second season was starting. I didn’t know but as soon as I found out, I made sure to let her know. Then she sent me a photo of a batch of bunuelos that she made in honor and that is how this post came to be. You should have seen my mom’s face when I asked her if this looked like the bunuelos were sitting on a mountain of cocaine…my job is so fun. When you remove the bunuelos from the oil, just let them drain on a paper towel lined plate and cool. These mo fo’s are HOT. The consistency is creamy and salty and vaguely cake like. If you aren’t a fan of smelly cheeses, you won’t like these. You can always substitute other cheeses to see what you like better. I’m wondering if you could use the shaker parmesan cheese? I think that would be totally tasty. But not at all Colombian. And in the perfect awkward segue, get excited because tons of Disney movies are making their way on to Netflix! It’s not everyday that Disney and cocaine are found in the same post, but today is that day.

Starting in September and beyond, Netflix will be allowed to stream all Disney films — including Marvel, Pixar, and Lucasfilm titles. All films released in theaters in 2016 are included in this deal. Which means, by the time you read this post, Zootopia is already available to watch. This is HUGE! Netflix is the only place you can find all these Disney movies, so now is your chance to get all caught up on any you may have missed!

My husband and I are currently OBSESSED with The Get Down. Like, the other day when we were at Disneyland, I was like, man I wish we were getting home earlier so I could watch another episode. That’s good. If you like old school hip hop beats, you’ll love it. I totally cried at the end of the 3rd episode. The storytelling is AMAZING! OH! and Fuller House has been renewed and new episodes will start airing December 9th!

Are you watching Narcos on Netflix? Will you watch ALL the Disney?

This post is sponsored by Netflix. Thank you for supporting the brands that let me create fun content for you and watch a lot of TV!

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How to Plan a Binge Watching Party

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Chocolate Bark Recipe with Crickets

September 9, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

You guys. If you read my post about our family camping adventure, inspired by the movie, THE WILD LIFE, you’ll know that our family got to eat crickets. I can’t say that I am an adventurous eater. My youngest son, however, is. He didn’t hesitate when the zoologist offered him one. My oldest son wanted to be as far from the edible bugs as possible. So what is a good boy mom to do? Well, she clearly has to eat a cricket to try to encourage her scaredy cat son. And I was pleasantly surprised. It tasted like a sunflower seed! So I knew that I needed to make a dessert with them to see if THAT would help my other son give these crispy critters a try. With Halloween coming up, I figured this bark recipe with chocolate, crickets, dried cherries and roasted almonds would be a fun, creepy dessert to serve. But I’m going to be really honest here. Eating a cricket by a campfire, with low light, is much easier than eating them in your bright kitchen. Creepy. When we got home from camping, I jumped on Amazon and {affiliate link} ordered these roasted crickets. I’m a terrible estimator so I had no idea how big the bag would be or how many would be inside. There is nothing in this photo that can really give it scale but the package that arrived was roughly the size of a package of OREOs. So pretty big. Especially when filled with bugs.
And then I opened the bag. I may have shrieked. The amount of bugs that were currently in my kitchen was a little overwhelming. For someone who tries her hardest to keep any and all bugs out of the house, this was a crazy thing for me to have purchased. Like I mentioned before, eating these at night was different. In the light of day, you can see all the legs and wings and heads and (pause for shudder)…but I powered through. I had a bark recipe to create! I grabbed some melting chocolate I had in the freezer. My kids like to create their own “candy bars” so I thought this would be right up their alley. I thought the roasted almonds would compliment the roasted crickets nicely and added the dried cherries for some sweetness. This really is a classic bark recipe with the melted chocolate spread out on a prepared pan and topped with a sprinkling of each topping. Including crickets. Man. What was I thinking?
I put it in the fridge to set and then delighted my boys with it when they got home from school. Again, my youngest didn’t hesitate at all to not only try the bark but jump right in to the bag and eat a few of the crickets on their own. I could see in his eyes, that he wasn’t keen on seeing all the detail of the crickets either…My oldest, as you may have guessed, said “peace out” and left the kitchen as fast as he could.

It’s been enjoyable having a bag of roasted crickets in the house. We’ve challenged many of our guests to see if they will eat one and it’s always surprising who will and who won’t. So if you’re in the area and want to try one, let me know! I’m rich in crickets!

Yum

Chocolate Bark Recipe with Crickets

Ingredients

2 cups melting chocolate
1/4 roasted almonds
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup roasted edible crickets

Instructions

Prepare your cookie sheet by placing waxed paper with cooking spray in the pan.
Melt the chocolate in the microwave starting with 45 seconds, stirring and then adding 15 seconds longer until melted through.
Don't over heat the chocolate.
Pour chocolate on to your prepared pan and spread to your desired thickness.
Top with the toppings of your choice.
Don't be a sissy! Try the crickets!
Using the back of a spoon, tap down the toppings so they will stick in the chocolate better.
Place the pan in the fridge to set, approximately 2 hours.
Break apart and enjoy!

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This recipe was inspired by THE WILD LIFE and our camping trip to the San Diego Zoo.

I think this bark recipe is perfect for Halloween so be sure to let me know if you make it!!

Back to School Ideas on Inspired Gathering

September 2, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

This summer was crazy chaotic trying to work from home AND give the kids a summer to remember. It left me wanting to “nest” and clean out cupboards and drawers. And in preparation for all the stuff that comes home with the kids throughout the first few months of school, I knew I needed to create a centralized hub to keep it all organized. I’m sharing my tips for how to make this work for your family over on Kroger’s Inspired Gathering site. I recently started contributing over there and it’s a great site full of content to make your life easier. Which is totally my jam. Whether it’s delicious recipes or helpful tips, their posts will surely help you navigate motherhood.

Check out These Great Back to School Ideas

• Back to School Hub

• Lunch Assembly Area

And you know I love to share recipes so I’m sharing some really yummy ones over there too!

Simple Recipes for You to Try

• Arnold Palmer Popsicles

• Butterscotch Pudding OREO Parfaits

Plus I’m sharing a few other helpful posts that you should pin for later!

Keep the Kids Busy and Cool

• Water War Card Game for Kids

Planning a Baby Shower?

• Corral the Clutter During the Shower

Browse around the Inspired Gathering site to see all of the other back to school ideas, great tips and hacks and recipes that will help make life easier. I’ll be sharing my newest posts on the site in a few weeks. I’m already working on some fun Halloween ideas and the fall holidays are right around the corner! Now go make those Butterscotch parfaits. Your kids will thank you and they couldn’t be a more simple recipe!

Tea Cocktail Recipe with Gin

August 29, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

I LOVE iced tea! It’s one of the things that makes me super happy on a hot day. You know, aside from wine. But sometimes you just want a bit of a change. A few weeks ago, I decided to create a tea cocktail recipe and add a little gin. It was just what the doctor ordered. I love the herbal notes in gin which, of course, went perfectly with the black tea. I really think you’re going to love this refreshing cocktail idea. Years and years ago I started a personal blog. I didn’t really know what I was going to share on there but just thought I’d see where it would go. Turns out, I had a mild obsession with the black tea served at my local coffee place. The blog chronicled how I tried to get the brew down so I could save money and make it at home. I never was able to copy it exactly. But it made me realize just how much I enjoy black tea and all the different flavor profiles that can come with it. I was turned on to the Loose Leaf Club and loved the idea that you could try out different teas that are delivered right to your door each month. I chose the Dibrugarh Orthodox Assam for this cocktail. The tea samples came with a silicone tea infuser as well as directions for brewing the tea for maximum flavor. I can’t wait to try out a few of these other teas once our temperatures start to dip a little. (I love a good cup of tea on a cool afternoon!).

This black tea was fragrant with notes of citrus and rose. It was a bit sharp which I don’t mind at all. I don’t use sugar in my tea and have learned that I enjoy things that fall on the bitter side, although this was more balanced than bitter. I simply brewed this tea, following the directions, then allowed it to cool before making the cocktail.
Fresh grapefruit is super refreshing in cocktails so I decided to see how it played with the tea and gin.
I added my ingredients to a cocktail shaker, added ice, then shook away. As sometimes happens in creating cocktails, there was something missing. The grapefruit added to the bitterness but didn’t add the acid that I had hoped. This left the flavor a little bit dull. I grabbed my ginger syrup and some lemon and added them to the cocktail. And it worked like a charm. The ginger added a little body to the drink and the lemon rounded everything out really nicely. I’ll be making this again! And if you are in the habit of making a large batch of iced tea at one time, this tea cocktail recipe will be even faster to make.

Yum

Tea Cocktail Recipe with Gin

Ingredients

6 oz tea (fresh brewed black tea, then cooled completely)
1 oz Gin
1 oz. fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
1 tsp. ginger syrup
1 quarter lemon, squeezed

Instructions

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker.
Add ice and shake well!
Pour over fresh ice and garnish with lemon.

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If you are a tea lover, I encourage you to check out the Loose Leaf Club! Each tea comes with tasting notes! I’ll be winding down with a glass of Chill-Ax tonight (tart hibiscus petals with a touch of licorice root and peppermint. It’s caffeine free and is great hot or iced!)

Loose Leaf Club . Facebook . Twitter

I was sent some samples of Loose Leaf Club Tea to create this blog post!

Are you a tea lover? You may also like these posts:

Sangria with Iced Tea

Iced Tea Vodka Cocktail

Beat Bugs Inspired Grasshopper Milkshake

August 25, 2016 By Sharon Garofalow Leave a Comment

I think I have to call this the summer of sugar. Because my kids were all about it. School starts this week and we’ll be getting back in to a better routine of eating things that are green and come from the ground. But as a last little summer celebration, we made grasshopper milkshakes. There’s a little bit of green in those, right? We were inspired to make them after watching a new original Netflix series called Beat Bugs. As a family of music lovers, we think this show is pretty awesome. The show uses 50 songs from the Lennon/McCartney ‘Northern Songs’ catalog to tell uplifting stories filled with melody. The cute bug characters explore and learn in an overgrown suburban backyard and each have a distinctive personality. So we decided to turn one of our favorite pies in to a milkshake and share the recipe with you!

*This post is created in partnership with the Netflix #StreamTeam. Every month I share what my family is watching on Netflix because we love it and are addicted. Hot on the heels of making this fig and ice cream dessert recipe, we started with one of my favorite ice cream brands as the base of the shake. This Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream is DELICIOUS and makes this recipe very easy. Then we put a spin on the traditional cookies and cream flavor by using mint flavored OREO thins. OMG. I’d never had a thin OREO before and they are amazing. Like, hide from the children so you don’t have to share, amazing.
I had my 10-year-old make the shakes for us. He added the ice cream and milk to the Ninja… You guys, 10 year olds are awesome. He can reach the cabinets, now, to put clean dishes away from the dishwasher. He can accompany his little bro to the bathroom when we are out and about. The future is bright!!! Then we broke up the cookies a little to help them blend well. With the Ninja we didn’t really need to do that. It pulverizes like a beast. We were left with this Beat Bugs inspired Grasshopper Milkshake recipe to drink before family band practice. And by family band practice I mean 5 long minutes of very loud, out of sync tambourine and harmonica playing…I much prefer the quieter rendition of ‘Hot Line Bling’ my son played along with in the car in the video below… Those instruments might go missing or regifted to another family…

My kids asked for a YouTube channel and they are slowly creating content for it. They LOVE when Netflix sends special packages!

My kids love to make this chocolate mint grasshopper milkshake recipe! It makes a great after school treat idea.

Don’t forget to check out the Beat Bugs and sip on a Grasshopper Milkshake. Gummy worm garnish is totally optional.

Yum

Beat Bugs Inspired Grasshopper Milkshake

Ingredients

3 cups Breyers Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
1/2 cup milk (+ more to achieve your desired thickness)
8 OREO mint thins cookies
gummy worm garnish, optional

Instructions

Add ice cream and milk to a high powered blender.
Roughly crumble the OREOS in to the blender.
Blend that baby up!
(I like chunks of cookies and chocolate in mine, but my son blended his longer and made it more smooth - do what you feel is best!)
Enjoy!

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Beat Bugs is now available for streaming on Netflix. Want to check out other music focused shows? Try these:

Music Focused Netflix shows or documentaries

The Get Down (I’ve been waiting for this one ALL summer! It’s about how hip hop emerged out of the disco era. It looks awesome and I’ve been hearing GREAT things!)

Crescendo: The Power of Music

Shrek: The Musical

Alive Inside: The Story of Music and Memory (I started watching this and it’s AMAZING!)

This Ain’t no Mouse Music (about discovering the roots of rock and roll)

I’ll Sleep when I’m Dead (about DJ Steve Aoki)

Keith Richards: Under the Influence

The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir

For the Kids

High School Musical (Also #2)

Shrek: The Musical

Lost and Found Music Studios

Check out more great Netflix posts on Cupcakes and Cutlery!