The Happiest Hour {Strawberry Mojito}

Happy Tuesday friends! I hope everyone had a very relaxing and safe holiday weekend. We spent it hanging out with Rob's family and celebrating his mom's birthday. It was such a great relaxing weekend that I'm kinda sad is over. I want to continue the party today though by sharing a cocktail recipe that surely makes me wish today was Friday once again! Through the summer months, I'm a sucker for a fruity cocktail that is full of fresh fruits and light on the artificial juices. I've had a hankering for a mojito for a while now and with a pint of fresh strawberries hanging out in my fridge, I figured what better way to enjoy both! The combo creates a light and easy drinking summer cocktail full of flavor and freshness. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
3 Strawberries, halved
5 Mint Leaves
1/4 Lime, juiced
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 oz White Rum
Club Soda

:: Directions ::
In a cocktail shaker, combine strawberries, mint leaves, and lime juice. Muddle until strawberries are juiced and mint leaves are bruised. Add simple syrup and rum. Shake vigorously to combine. Pour over ice and top with club soda.

Indulge In {Chipotle Cream Corn}

During the summer, one of my favorite side dishes to make is always corn on the cob. It's easy, delicious, and super fresh. Whether you grill it or boil it, you can't go wrong. Typically I just season it nicely with a bit of salt, pepper, and butter. But, this past weekend I kicked it up a notch. It was still quick and easy but they flavors provided such a bigger impact. I adapted this recipe from Rachael Ray's latest cookbook, My Year in Meals. It's grilled corn on the cob topped with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, a bit of spicy chipotle cream, some crumbled queso fresco, and a garnish of cilantro. It really has it all...spice from the chipotle, freshness from the lime and cilantro, and creaminess from the queso fresco. Even with it's fiesta flair, I know this corn dish will be a staple at all my summer BBQs. Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::

4 Ears Corn on the Cob

1 Pint Heavy Cream

1 Lime, juiced

1 Tablespoon Pureed Chipotle in Adobo

Queso Fresco

Fresh Cilantro, chopped

:: Directions ::

1. Grill (or boil) corn until cooked. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In a small sauce pan, heat cream until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2. Add in the pureed chipotle. 

3. On a serving plate, place ears of corn. Squeeze lime juice over each ear. Drizzle with chipotle cream. Top with crumbled queso fresco and chopped cilantro. Serve and enjoy. 

The Happiest Hour {Dancing Flamingo...Round 1}

So there's this tradition in the Bahamas that I've been dying to bring back to the states for years. Every place you go has a signature house rum drink. Armed with names like The Blaster and The Guana Grabber, these cocktails can't be beat. It has been my mission lately to create our signature recipe. Something that we can whip up in big batches and serve by the pitcher at all gatherings. Creating the perfect recipe isn't something that happens in a single try though. I know the base, coconut rum, and some flavors I'd like to include, strawberry and orange. Everything else though is up in the air. Join us on the journey to creating the perfect house rum cocktail and whip up this first attempt. I'd love to hear your feedback! Here's the recipe...

:: Ingredients ::
1.5 Parts Strawberry Juice
1.5 Parts Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Lime Wedges
1 Part Coconut Rum
1/2 Part Grand Marnier

:: Directions ::
1. Combine strawberry juice, orange juice, coconut rum, and grand marnier in a shaker and shake to combine.
2. Squeeze lime wedge over ice and strain cocktail into glass. Garnish with an additional lime wedge and serve.

The Happiest Hour {Mint Paloma}

Before my trip to the Bahamas last summer, I was completely satisfied with making cocktails from the bottle. Then, I has the most amazing fresh squeezed cocktails at this little bar on Lubbers. It changed my cocktail theory for life. Spring is the perfect time to indulge in fresh fruits and squeeze out some amazing libations. I took a trip to the farmer's market last weekend and picked up an array of seasonal fruits for beverage making. First on the list, a twist on the classic Paloma. I added a bit of fresh muddled mint to add another dimension of flavor to the favorite tequila cocktail. It's a light, refreshing sipper for those warm afternoons ahead. Here's the recipe!

:: Ingredients ::
Juice of 1/2 Grapefruit
6 Mint Leaves
1/4 Cup Tequila
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Club Soda

:: Directions ::
1. Place mint leaves in the bottom of a glass and muddle.
2. Add grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila, and shake to combine.
3. Pour over ice and top with club soda.
4. Sip and enjoy!

The Happiest Hour {Salty Breeze}

Hi and happy Tuesday! If there is something I love more than special events, it's got to be mixing up tasty, seasonal cocktails. Sun shiny days are on there way and it's time to store the bourbon and break out the juicer. Fresh squeezed cocktails always seem to taste better, and using summer citrus will make the perfect seasonal sipper. This one is a combo of lemon and lime juice with a touch of honey, a bit of vanilla, a splash of gin and a sprinkle of sea salt. The subtle salty flavor give a nice balance to the sweet and tart. This very well may be my new spring cocktail. Here's the recipe.

:: Ingredients ::
2 oz Simple Syrup
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 Tablespoon Honey
1 Lime, juiced
1/2 Lemon, juiced
3 oz Gin
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

:: Directions ::
1. In a small saucepan, combine simple syrup, vanilla extract and honey. Heat and stir till honey is melted.
2. Combine the simple syrup mixture with remaining ingredients and shake to combine. Strain over ice, garnish with lime, and enjoy!

The Happiest Hour {Vodka Limeade}

I'm happy as happy can be. The groundhogs told me last week that spring is quickly approaching and I'm preparing already. Trying to think of fun cocktails, spring parties, bright decor, and more has consumed my thoughts for the past couple days. I'm full of ideas and can't wait to share them as the warmer weather gets closer. I want to start the spring season off right with one of my favorite warm weather cocktails, limeade. When mixed with a shot of vodka, it's wonderful to serve at afternoon garden parties or sip on the beach. Light and refreshing, it won't make you feel to full on a hot afternoon. Here's the recipe.

:: Ingredients ::
1.5 Limes, Juiced
1/4 Cup Simple Syrup
2 oz Vodka
2/3 Cup Water

:: Directions ::
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Strain over ice and serve with a lime wedge garnish.

The Happiest Hour {Lime Margarita}

Welcome to Margaritaville! I told you to beware of Jimmy Buffet themed posts this week. Tomorrow we are off to Jacksonville for the Buffet concert and I can barely contain my excitement. All night long I'll be sure to be sipping on my favorite Buffet themed beverage, the margarita. While I consider myself to be a margarita aficionado, I've been struggling to find the perfect fresh squeezed margarita since our trip to the Bahamas this past June. However, with a bit of trial and error, I think I may have perfected it. Here's my recipe for the perfect fresh squeezed lime margarita.

:: Ingredients ::
12 Limes, juiced
4.5 Cups Tequila
1.5 Cups Simple Syrup
1/4 Cup Triple Sec
1.5 Cups Orange Juice

:: Directions ::
Combine ingredients in a pitcher. Stir to mix and pour over ice to serve.

Indulge In {Homemade Guacamole}

For Christmas this year, I got an amazing lava stone pestal and mortal set. It's perfect for muddling fruit for cocktails, herbs for cooking, and most importantly making fresh guacamole! Guacamole is one of my favorite snacks especially for large gatherings. It's simple to make and makes a big impact. It doesn't really require a lot of work and is almost impossible to mess up. Here's my recipe for party perfect guacamole.

:: Ingredients ::
3 Ripe Haas Avocados
1 Small Slicing Tomato, diced
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 Lime, juiced
1 Teaspoon Hot Sauce
Salt & Pepper

:: Directions ::
1. Slice and pit the avocados into a large bowl.
2. Add the tomato, garlic, lime juice, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Muddle or mash with a fork to combine.
3. Serve with tortilla chips and enjoy!

The Happiest Hour {Vintage Daquiri}

One of the other amazing gifts I got for my birthday was from my friend Colae. It was a book of vintage cocktails that I had fun putting my own spin on this past weekend. My new favorite cocktail has a bit of a tropical flair with plenty of sweet lime flavor. While its not what I would have traditionally called a daiquiri, it's all I think of now when I hear the name. Here's the recipe!

:: Ingredients ::
2 oz Key Lime Rum
3/4 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1 oz Simple Syrup

:: Directions ::
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Mix and pour over ice. Garnish with a lime wedge and enjoy!

*Image courtesy of The Black Dress Traveler