How Walter Chell (the inventor of Canada's iconic cocktail) EVER came up with the Caesar is beyond me. Clam juice? Really?
Turns out Chell was a visionary because more than 350 million Caesars are made with Mott’s Clamato every year. The combination of sweet tomato juice, salty clam nectar, sour lime, spicy Worcestershire and bitter celery salt make Canada’s most popular cocktail truly unique.
1 oz. vodka (but rum or gin will!)
2 dashes Hot sauce (Frank's Redhot or tabasco)
¼ tsp horseradish
2 tsp pickle juice (optional...but so good!)
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 oz. Mott’s Clamato cocktail
Rim the glass with lime and your rimmer of choice (celery salt, lemon pepper, etc.). Fill glass with ice, add all the ingredients and mix. Garnish with a lemon or lime twist, a celery stick and a smile.
Pair with these Red and White BBQ Nachos and you've got yourself quite the Canada Day party, eh?
My summertime drink of choice has always been a crisp white, since I was under the impression that chilling red wine was trashy. Turns out I was wrong. All the cool kids are doing it. Last summer I chilled out with a fruity red and liked it. A lot.
Here's how to get your summer chill on:
Avoid robust, heavily oaked reds high in tannins e.g., Cabernet Sauvignons. Chilling these varietals enhances their tannins and they end up tasting bitter.
Choose light, acidic, low tannic reds like Gamay/Beaujolais, Lambrusco, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Barbera.
I put this white wine in the freezer and forgot about it. A few hours later...wine-sicle. That's what you call, an over-kill chill.
Chill red wine in the fridge for about 1.5 hours before serving or 30 minutes in the freezer.
Or chill in an ice bucket filled with ice and water for about 20 minutes.
Though as tempting as it may be for the thirsty and the lazy, do not put ice cubes directly into your glass. It will dilute the wine (though, I've totally done it).
Red wine can be "Spritzed" just like white wine and by the way, Spritzers are NOT just for old ladies! They’re lower in calories and alcohol content (some days I care, some days I don't), they’re refreshing and also stretch a bottle of wine further. Add soda, sparkling water or 7-up to a glass of red and voila—a Red Wine Spritzer or...a Tinto de Verano (Spain) which sounds rather exotic, no?
Here's to a summer of chillin' and hopefully, no spillin' (especially while wearing white).
Still thirsty? Here are some more super summer sipper suggestions (say THAT three times fast after a chilled Pinot Noir!)
CHEERS!
What's the wedding anniversary gift for three years? Dog biscuits?
My dog got hitched to my brother's bitch (technical term, she's actually very sweet) in a garden wedding. There were guests and (bow wow) vows, gifts and dinner and dancing—the humans danced, the dogs just sniffed each other.
When I told my husband that Roger and Maya were engaged, he thought the idea of a dog wedding was barking mad. I reminded him that this was for the kids. My children and their cousins helped plan the wedding, make the decorations and participated in the ceremony. They thought it was the best wedding ever. So yes, a dog wedding may be silly, but kids adore silly. Plus, the dogs got some pretty nice swag.
If you're planning on hosting a canine wedding (Do it! It's a howl. Pun intended) here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Construction paper, tape and an elastic band is all you need to make a dapper doggie top hat. You can also easily make a custom doggie veil. FYI when you ask the lady at "Joanne's Fabrics" for 1/2 a foot of tulle she'll tell you that's not nearly enough and when you explain that the bride is a Chihuahua with a very small head, she WILL laugh at you.
2. Chances are good the bride and groom have already consummated their relationship...in front of the kids...during dinner.
3. Fireworks, though a fun and festive touch, have no place at a dog wedding.
4. What to serve? Dogs: anything really. People: Hot dogs or perhaps these grilled Merguez Sandwiches!
5. Matching 'His and Hers Dog Sweaters' make a lovely dog wedding gift.
Here's the footage from the ceremony (get a load of my daughter—the feisty one in the purple tutu—throwing her bridemaid's bouquet at the beginning of the video).
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