Let's go Cuckoo !

You know... it's summer n all ?

It's super hot on the east coast... so, I had picked up lots of cucumbers and watermelons when I shopped 2 weeks ago.

I chopped up the first one, and sprinkled some salt, pepper and chilli powder and made an evening snack out of it. But then, I came across a cocktail recipe on Pottery Barn and decided to try a variant at the party we were hosting on July 3.

Presenting to you - Let's go Cuckoo ! :)

• Take 5-10 Cucumber slices and mash them up using a muddler to extract the juice.
• Toss them in the cocktail shaker
• Add 1 small measure of sugar syrup
• Add 2 measures of Tequila
• Add 1.5 measure of Soda or Water
• Stir them up a bit and keep aside
• Add in just a pinch of lemon pepper powder
• On a small side plate - Add some salt, lemon pepper, chilli powder 
• Take a nice cocktail glass and dip it rim first on the side plate so that the rim gets lined with the spice mix
• Then carefully pour the mixed drink into the glass, through a cocktail strainer that holds back the cucumbers and seeds (you can let the cucumbers fall through if you want)
• Decorate with a slice, and serve it like a pro!

I loved it, and so did a bunch of my friends :)

My Pink Lady

I found this amazing recipe on Pinterest recently. A recipe for a fresh fruit cocktail... with a strawberry and watermelon base. What better time that July 4 to experiment with it? Our friends gifted us a cocktail mixer kit for our first wedding anniversary... and it seemed like the stars had aligned and the time had arrived :)

I modified that recipe a lil bit and made my own first fresh fruit cocktail. I must admit, though the first glass tasted a lot more like watermelon juice than a cocktail... it got progressively better and became S's favorite before the night ended.

Here's what I mixed in together:

Use a standard measure, whatever you have on hand. Doesn't have to be something that comes with a cocktail shaker kit. The following makes 1 tall glass.

• Puree watermelon and strawberry in equal parts and then strain it through a colander to get a pure seedless puree. Add 2 spoonfuls to a cocktail shaker/glass where you will mix more.
• Drop 1-2 mint leaves into the container.
• 1/4 fresh lemon squeezed. Drop the lemon wedge as well into the shaker. You may use bottled lemon as an alternative.
• Give it a stir and add 1 measure of Vodka
• Keep stirring while adding 1.5 measure of Soda
• Finally add 1 measure of Simple Syrup (Sugar Syrup). I used a store bought bottle.
• I added a lil bit of the spice mix that I describe in 'Prepping the Glass' section below and that adds some kick!

Caution - if you add water instead of Soda, you may close the shaker lid and shake the cocktail container. It is believed to deliver a better taste. However, with Soda in the glass - shaking will only create fizz and consequently a messy bar table !

Prepping the Glass
In a shallow plate - add some salt, and lemon pepper powder and some red chili powder (or cayenne paper). Hold the semi wet glass upside down and dip into the plate with the powder so that the rim is evenly lined with the mix.

There you go, stir it all up and pour into a glass. Let the mint leaves fall through, but hold the lemon wedge. Decorate by adding tiny slices of Strawberries and Blueberries into the glass. I used a portion of a bamboo skewer to thread the fruits and served a pro-drink!

PS: I made a small cut on the strawberry in the skewer to balance it on the glass.

Sour Cream Blueberry Bread

Everybody's first choice when it comes to home baked bread defaults to the Banana Bread. I'd have done the same, but then it has been tried and tested and I've gotten bored of it already.

I love the flavor and texture that Sour Cream adds to breads/cakes. After slow-cooking several recipes that I found online in my head... I decided to try a Banana-Blueberry-SourCream bread this afternoon. The bread is baking and the house has this wonderful aroma. I cannot wait to slice them, drizzle butter on top and have them with some coffee! S is away for his Sunday cricket, and I hope the bread 'll last till he is back :)

Here's the recipe I followed:

Bowl 1

2 Cups All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 tbsp Baking Soda
1/4 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Cinnamon

Bowl 2

2 Eggs
2 Oz Butter
1 Cup Sour Cream
1 tbsp Vanilla Essence

Fruit Bowl

1 Banana Mashed up
3/4 Cup of Blueberries

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and grease a bread loaf pan with butter spray.
• Mix Bowl 1 together. Beat Bowl 2 together. Add in Bowl 1 to Bowl 2 and beat until smooth.
• Further, add Banana mash into the mix and top with Blueberries and fold into the batter
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 40-50 mins or until brown on sides and baked fully.