Day 273: Vodka Soda

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1 shot vodka
coconut water
sprite zero
1 slice pineapple

Directions:
1. Mix altogether with just a splash of the sprite to add bubbly
2. Enjoy on a beach, somewhere hot, or after a run

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: So coconut water is one of the most hydrating things you can drink, so this is actually healthy…kind of! This is actually my favorite drink of the whole trip it is refreshing, light, and just really quenching. I am for sure going to make this one at home. We have one more day here, tonight is the night to go out, so ill see you guys tomorrow, enjoy this! It will wake you right up!

Day 272: Pineapple Sammy with Dipping Sauce

Yield: 1 serving
Time (Start to Finish): 10 min

Ingredients:
4 slices pineapple
cream cheese
1 sweet roll, like brioche

pina colada mix
coconut milk
sugar pack

Directions:
1. Put the cream cheese in the sweet roll and then place the slices of pineapple
2. Make the dipping sauce with coconut milk, which is thick, pina colada mix and sugar
3. Dip the sammy in the sauce as you eat

Rating: 2 strawberries
Notes: So I spent all day traveling, was tired, and this is what I had. I thought the roll was a cream cheese Danish which I thought was perfect, so use one of those if you have it, but I had to add the cream cheese. The dipping sauce is things I found in the ABC store, and is ok when dipping, but I would suggest toasting the bread or Danish a little bit before dipping. The flavor is good, the texture is not good, so it needs a little fixing. Sorry for being tired, I should have just made a cocktail, but I made this. Try a similar thing but alter it. It could make a nice dessert.

Day 271: Annie’s Pina Colada

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
Pineapple juice
Coconut water
Malibu Rum, pineapple flavored 1 oz
Pina colada mix
Slice of kiwi
Slice of pineapple
Sugar pack

Directions:
1. Mix all together, starting with the rum, juice, and colada mix.
2. Add the kiwi to the mix when shaking, or just the juice from it
3. Enjoy!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Who doesn’t like a pina colada! I added the kiwi as something special, and ate it before I could shoot the photo, but it adds a bit of tartness. If you can get fresh ingredients, all the better. Hawaii is hot, this will refresh you! Sorry I don’t have much to say, getting up early tomorrow! Pineapple is from the farmers market though!

Day 270: Hawaiian Vodka Sour

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1-2 shots vodka
1 packet sugar
pineapple juice
pineapple slices
splash coconut water

1 strawberry
1 plastic sword

Directions:
1. Put all the ingredients in a glass
2. Adjust the seasoning to your liking, and put the strawberry on the sword on top, enjoy on a beach

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: So a normal vodka sour has lemon juice, so I thought a nice Hawaiian twist would involve pineapple juice, and here it is! This was Meghan and mine’s first drink together, so it was special. Another one on the balcony of our hotel before going out, and it was nice and tasty. Vodka and pineapple go great together! The sugar can be left out if the pineapple is sweet enough, but enjoy this nonetheless!

Day 269: Grilled Pineapple

Yield: 3 pieces
Time (Start to Finish): 20 min

Ingredients:
3 pieces pineapple
chocolate shavings
crushed macadamia nuts
touch sugar

Directions:
1. Take the macadamia nuts and crush them into the plate
2. Take the pineapple and sprinkle with a little sugar if you like, or if it is not sweet enough
3. Take a lighter (I was in a hotel) and a fork and grill the pineapple with the lighter until it caramelizes on the outside. Should take a few minutes, and repeat with the other pieces
4. Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top and enjoy

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I give this props because of my quick thinking to make a hot dish with no stove. I used chocolate shavings from the bottom of a box of chocolate covered macadamia nuts that I had already finished, nuts from a new can, and pineapple I bought down at the ABC store. I used a tiki lighter, which I may give to someone as a present, and sat out on the balcony to enjoy. The sugar came from a sugar pack in the coffee kit that came with the room. Pretty sneaky huh? When it comes to cocktail week, I thought I might take it a tad easy and make some food. I hope you like this. Grill it at home on a grill or a pan on the stove. It will taste just as good.

Day 268: Maker’s Mango Cocktail

Yield: 1 drink
Time (Start to Finish): 5 min

Ingredients:
1 shot makers mark
1 slices pineapple
mango juice
ice
pineapple juice

Directions:
1. Mix all together to taste
2. Shake with ice, and adjust flavors to your liking

Rating: 2 strawberries
Notes: I don’t know if I added too much bourbon (which I don’t think is possible) or if it just doesn’t work with mango, but this wasn’t the tastiest of drinks. Maybe it was because it wasn’t cold enough (I drank it before the ice took affect) but if I were you, I would only use this cocktail as something to marinate pork in…mmm..that is not so bad an idea! This is also my first day in Hawaii, woohoo!!! Beautiful hotel, I splurged with a good bottle of bourbon…no better thing than warm air and bourbon. Enjoy!

Day 267: Wasabi Mayo

Yield: 1 cup
Time (Start to Finish): 15 min

Ingredients:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbsp wasabi powder
1 lemon, zested
salt and pepper
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
1. In a bowl, place the mayo with wasabi powder and lemon zest
2. Add the juice, and add more if you need it
3. Salt and pepper to taste

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: Wonderful is this stuff! You can add more wasabi powder if you like something more spicy, or less if you like. The lemon adds a lot of flavor. I think it brightens things up a bit. Don’t add too much lemon juice. You don’t want a runny sauce. You can dip this in chicken wings, add it to a sushi dish, or a sandwich. Oh, and I am under 100 days left on my project! Isn’t that awesome! I am off to Hawaii tomorrow, and thus begins cocktail week! There may be a few dishes in there, but I will be without a kitchen, so I will do what I can. Enjoy this mayo!

Day 266: Garlic Soup

Yield: 2-3 servings
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
40 gloves garlic
1 small yellow onion
chicken stock
heavy cream
2 branches fresh thyme
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375F
2. Place the garlic cloves, peeled, in tin foil with a little olive oil and salt
3. Cook garlic until soft and beginning to brown. You may need to check on it and toss the cloves around a little bit
4. In the meantime, in a pan in med heat with a little olive oil, caramelize the onion until a dark golden brown. It should take about 30 min
5. When both are done, place them into a blender with a little chicken stock and blend until smooth
6. Keep adding chicken stock until the thickness you like. I like mine a tad on the thicker end
7. Return to a pot and taste. Add salt and pepper as needed
8. Add a little cream, about ¼ cup to add creaminess. Add as much or as little as you like. You can leave it out too!
9. Take the thyme, lightly chop, and sprinkle in
10. Serve with toasted bread for dipping

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: This soup is incredible!!! I serve it at lunchtime, which Mac thought was a little…old..who eats garlic soup for lunch?! But I do think it makes a great first course!! You wont go kissing anyone after this, but hopefully you are eating it around people who will be ok with it, and they will be in the same boat. You can add different spices, like basil, but I really suggest being patient with the onion. Making it dark is the best. Same with the garlic. The more roasted it is, the sweeter less bitter the flavor will be. I hope you like it!

Day 265: Apricot Rugelach

Yield: 12 pieces
Time (Start to Finish): 2 hours

Ingredients:
4 tsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla
4 oz cream cheese
½ cup toasted pecans, chopped
1/8 cup sugar
1 cup flour
salt
¼ cup apricot jam
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp milk
1 stick soft butter

Directions:
1. Cream the butter and cream cheese in a bowl until smooth
2. Add 1/8 cup of sugar
3. Add the salt and vanilla
4. Add the flour and mix until it comes together
5. Roll into a ball and cover with plastic and chill for an hour
6. Preheat oven to 350F
7. Mix the 4 tsp of sugar with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nuts to make a filling
8. Take the ball of dough and roll out round to until ¼ inch thick
9. Spread the apricot jam on top evenly
10. Sprinkle the filling on top going all the way out to the edges
11. Roll a little or press with your hand to make sure the filling stays
12. Cut with a sharp knife into 12 pieces (so 12 triangles)
13. Take the triangle, and roll from the thick end to the point to make a croissant shape
14. Place on a greased cookie sheet with the tip on the bottom so it doesn’t pop up
15. Beat the egg yolk with the milk and brush each cookie with the egg wash
16. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and bake for 15-20 min
17. Cool and serve!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: ok, this is a pretty basic recipe. I know it seems complicated, but jus follow the steps and you have something that impresses a lot of people. I would get these all the time when I lived in New York. You can use different flavors of jam, different nuts, chocolate pieces, all kinds of things! You can even add some flavoring to the dough, almond instead of vanilla, something like that. It reminds me of my time there, so I hope you enjoy them. Oh, and I think I ate almost all of them myself.

Day 264: Nutella Brownies

Yield: 1 rectangle pan
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
½ cup flour
pinch salt
2 eggs
1 cup nutella
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup softened butter
¼ tsp baking powder


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F
2. Mix the butter with the brown sugar until smooth
3. Add the egg and vanilla
4. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder together and add to the mixture
5. Add the nutella and stir until smooth
6. Pour into your pan, greased of course, and bake for about 25-30 min or until a knife comes out clean

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: YUM! Who doesn’t like nutella! These come out a little more cakelike than a dense brownie, so if you like something thicker, don’t out in the baking powder. You can also add chocolate chips if you like. I was going to make a fudge topping, but I ran out of time. They are best out of the oven with vanilla ice cream. Try them out! You can sub peanut butter if you don’t like nutella.

Day 263: Espresso Black Beans

Yield: 2-3 cups beans

Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:

1 16 oz can black beans

1-2 shots espresso

1 small onion

salt and pepper

1 Tbsp cilantro

Directions:

• In a saucepan, cook the onion, chopped, and the garlic until soft
• Add the can of black beans, salt and pepper, and espresso and cook until boiling
• Take off the heat and add chopped cilantro

Rating: 4 strawberries

Notes: I don’t know how I thought of this, I guess cleaning out the fridge, but this is pretty tasty. I suggest cooking it down, and only adding one shot, but it is quite flavorful! The coffee is bitter, so if you need to sweeten it, add a touch of sugar, just a touch! The onion you can feel free to caramelize to always add more flavor. Serve these at a picnic, I think is best! Makes me excited for 4^th of July! (even though it is months away…)

Day 262: Chunky Beef Sauce

Yield: 3 cups
Time (Start to Finish): 1 hour

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 jar tomato sauce, your favorite flavor
½ cup red wine
1 yellow onion
1 small green apple
2-4 cloves garlic
1 handful basil
2 cup mushrooms
1 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper (you can add more)
olive oil

Directions:
1. In a sauce pan, cook the onion until it is caramelized, with a little oil, salt and pepper. It should take about 30 min on med heat
2. Add the garlic, apple, skinned and chopped and cook until begins to soften
3. Add the beef and cook until brown. You can drain the juice if you like
4. Add the tomato sauce, cheese, cayenne pepper, and salt and pepper to taste
5. Add the red wine at this time as well
6. When it is cooked to the thickness you like, chop up or tear up and throw in the basil
7. Serve over pasta if you like, or in a lasagna, or however you want to serve a red sauce!

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: I have made similar sauces before, which is why I didn’t give it a high rating, but it as always has twists. I added cayenne pepper, red wine, and the combo is pretty awesome. I put this is a lasagna, and saved some for lunch the next couple days. It is perfect for things like that, and very thick and filling. The cheese also is a pretty great touch. Try to be light on the salt so compensate for that. I hope you like it!

Day 261: Brown Sugar Cookies

Yield: 12 cookies
Time (Start to Finish): 45 min

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
¼ cup shortening
1 cup rounded brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. In a bowl, cream the butter and the sugar until smooth and fluffy
3. Add the egg yolk and the vanilla
4. Mix the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together. Add to the mixture and stir until combined
5. Add the chocolate chips
6. You can roll the dough or place balls of it on a cookie sheet. Flatten with your hand and bake for 10-12 min until they begin to turn brown

Rating: 4 strawberries
Notes: These can be nice, thick and chewy. I love thick cookies, sometimes, so try these out. Brown sugar cookies taste best with chocolate chips, and the touch of cinnamon, which I am noticing to be my trademark, seems to add a lot of flavor. You can leave the chocolate chips out and use the dough as a roll and cut out, and you can decorate them if you like. They are pretty tasty. We used to make a cookie like this when I worked at Magnolia, and I remember how hard it was to get it from the kitchen to the glass case…so many staff members trying to grab them! I would have to make extra in order to get a dozen for sale!

Day 260: Birthday Cream Cheese Waffles

Yield: 3 waffles
Time (Start to Finish): 25 min

Ingredients:
¾ cup flour
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 Tbsp cream cheese
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 egg, separated

syrup, butter, bacon

Directions:
1. Preheat your waffle iron so it is ready to go!
2. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt
3. In a mixer, stir the cream cheese with the egg yolk until combined, then add the coconut milk and the oil
4. Add that mixture to the dry and mix
5. Beat the egg white until stiff peak in your mixer and fold it into the batter in 3 parts. Try not to over mix
6. Pour batter unto waffle maker and cook to your liking
7. Serve with fruit, syrup, bacon, anything you like!

Rating: 4.5 strawberries
Notes: These are the best waffle ever…well, they aren’t as crunchy as some that are made with butter, but they are great. The coconut milk adds a lot of flavor, and I am quite obsessed with it at the moment! These were made for the lovely Mac on his 28th birthday. A day of bonfires and waffles! They were nice and filling, and taste great. You can add regular milk, you can add flavored cream cheese, so try some variations! I hope you like them!