Monday, October 18, 2010

Vodka Lemonade with Basil Syrup

Putting basil in a vodka lemonade made me a little wary, but after reading the recipe, I decided to give it the ‘ole college try! I’m so glad I did! I went light on the basil…and the flavor was plenty strong for me!

Let’s get started with the basil syrup.

IMG_7089 copy

You’ll need:

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2-3 sprigs basil

IMG_7090 copy

Pour the sugar and water into a pot.

IMG_7092 copy

Throw in a couple of sprigs of basil, turn on the heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.

IMG_7093 copy

Simmer for a few minutes to really infuse the basil flavor.

IMG_7095 copy

Cool slightly and then stash in the fridge until completely cool.

IMG_7097 copy

Meanwhile, start squeezing some lemons! I didn’t have quite enough lemon juice, so I added water to get 1 1/2 cups. To boost the lemon flavor, I zested one of the lemons and added the zest the the juice to sit for awhile.

IMG_7099 copy

Now for the good stuff! You’ll need the basil syrup, 2 cups vodka, 1 1/2 cups lemon juice, a couple more sprigs of fresh basil.

IMG_7100 copy

Use a strainer when you pour the liquids into the pitcher. I don’t like to have “pulp” in my drinks!

IMG_7101 copy

Pour in the basil sugar syrup.

IMG_7102 copy

And the lemon juice.

IMG_7104 copy

Measure out 2 cups of vodka…

IMG_7105 copy

And add vodka to your shopping list!

IMG_7106 copy

Ooo, looking tasty!

IMG_7107 copy

Add the vodka.

IMG_7109 copy

Stir in the sprigs of basil.

IMG_7110 copy

And serve over ice, garnished with another small sprig of basil. This may seem like a lot of basil, but it’s really not. It’s a pretty mild flavor.

Make this drink while it’s still warm outside…and before your basil freezes!

Friday, October 15, 2010

Egg Salad with Bacon & Basil

One of our favorite light lunches is egg salad with bacon and basil. Yummy! I saw this recipe last summer in Better Homes & Gardens magazine and decided to try it out.

IMG_7057 copy

You’ll need eggs, bacon, basil, bread (any will do, I had Kaiser rolls on hand, but we’ve used regular ole sandwich bread, too), and your favorite fixings for egg salad. I use salt, pepper, dill relish, mayo or miracle whip, and mustard.

You can adjust the amounts of everything to make as much salad as you’d like.

IMG_7058

Hard boil the eggs. I’m good at the boiling, the peeling…not so much! Luckily they’re not being deviled!

IMG_7059 copy

Fry up some bacon! Fry it however you like, but I cut mine into about 1” pieces. I’m not very good at frying an entire slice of bacon at once, so this works for me. I have perfect bacon nearly every time.

IMG_7061 copy

Mmm…smells good!

IMG_7062 copy

When the bacon has cooked, take it out and let it drain on a paper towel.

IMG_7067 copy

Peel the eggs and chop them up. I like to use a fork for this and it works really well.

IMG_7071 copy

Add whatever you like to make your egg salad yummy.

IMG_7075 copy

Slice your rolls and toast them. (We tried one roll not toasted, but it “squishes” too much and all of the salad falls out. You really need the bread hold up.

IMG_7077 copy

After your rolls have toasted, load them up with egg salad.

IMG_7080 copy

And a healthy portion of bacon.

IMG_7083 copy

Last, add some fresh basil. I like the basil to completely cover my egg salad and bacon.

IMG_7084 copy

Travis likes to go light on the basil.

IMG_7087 copy

Serve it up! This is great with some salty chips!

Every time we eat this sandwich, we both say how good it is and that it just “hits the spot”. A nice light lunch for when you don’t want to be too miserable after you eat!