Homemade Sports Drink – Because Greaterade > Gatorade

Michele was listening to sports radio a while back, and heard a story about how the Golden State Warriors, also known as the greatest basketball team in history, had banned Gatorade, and other similar drinks from their gym. 

Knowing that the latest science shows drinking large quantities of sugar water is a terrible idea for your body and brain, they started making their own “sports drink,” featuring Himalayan pink salt.

My first thought was, “That’s soooo Northern California,” but the more I thought about it, the more I realized what a great idea that was, and it inspired this video for what we’re calling, “Greaterade.” All the ingredients in this are easy to find, and the whole procedure only takes minutes. Really, the only “work” involved is coming up with the perfect formula for your own personal tastes.

The amounts given here will get you very close to the commercial stuff, although it will not be as sweet, so feel free to experiment. With apologies to the big drink companies for all those lost sales, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 9 cups of Greaterade:

8 cups fresh cold water

3 tablespoons honey, or other sweetener to taste

1/2 teaspoon fine *Himalayan pink salt (mine was coarsely ground, so I used a rounded 1/2 teaspoon), or sea salt (or any pure salt)

3/4 teaspoon calcium magnesium powder (this is the one I used)

pinch cayenne

3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

2 lemons, juiced

2 limes, juiced

* Note: this is NOT the pink salt we used for the ham video

Homemade Instant Hot Chocolate Mix – Special Last Minute Edible Christmas Gift Idea!

So, you didn’t exactly get your Christmas shopping done early this year. In fact, it’s Christmas Eve, and you haven’t started yet. Well, you’re in luck, because there’s such a thing as this homemade instant hot chocolate mix. We really shouldn’t be rewarding you for procrastinating, but that’s exactly what we are doing here. 

Not only is this stuff way better tasting, and contains no “how do you pronounce that?” ingredients, but it also takes just seconds to make, and you may already have everything you need in the pantry. Just make sure one of those things is a very high quality cocoa powder.

I’m linking to the same exact Dutch-processed “cocoa rouge" that I used here, so that you can get all the particulars, and hopefully find something very similar. The better the cocoa, the better the hot chocolate. Or is it hot cocoa? Either way.

By the way, this will be the last video of the year, and we’ll be taking a little break until the New Year. Whether it includes homemade hot chocolate or not, I want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year! And, as always, enjoy!

Makes enough for about 20 cups of hot chocolate:

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon fine salt

pinch of cayenne

- Use 2 tablespoons per cup of hot milk

Christmas Eggnog – Maybe I Do Like It

I’ve never been a big eggnog person, and that’s putting it kindly. It’s too thick, too sweet, and way too artificially nutmegy. I even did an anti-nog tweet recently, just for a few cheap, seasonal laughs, but then I realized I was being unfair to this iconic Christmas drink.

I was basing most of my hating on the stuff in the carton from the supermarket, which features no booze, and a nutrition label you seriously don’t want to read. The homemade stuff I’ve had was significantly better, and so I decided to film this rather easy process, since I get so many requests this time of year.

This recipe does feature raw egg whites, so there’s a very, very tiny chance of a foodborne illness. If you’re concerned, please feel free to use pasteurized eggs, or Google, “how to safely use raw eggs,” or just make something else.

Freshness is the key here. The freshest eggs, milk, and cream you can get, and don’t even think about using pre-ground nutmeg. Maybe this recipe will be the one that finally has you going out to buy that jar of whole nutmeg and grater, but it really is the key. I hope you give this luscious liquid custard a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 servings:

(recipe based on Alton Brown’s famous version)

For the custard base:

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup white sugar

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

cook to 170-180 F. , then add;

2 to 3 ounces bourbon whiskey

3/4 teaspoon freshly and very finely grated nutmeg

For the meringue:

4 egg whites

1 tablespoon white sugar

- Add meringue to cold custard base, mix, and chill until very cold. Whisk thoroughly before pouring.

Chef John’s "Sunset" Michelada – I Only Refer to Myself in the 3rd Person When I Drink

About halfway through this video production for how to make a Michelada, I realized I was getting paid to drink beer, which made the experience that much more enjoyable, and that’s saying a lot.

This spicy, savory, tangy, amazingly refreshing beer-based cocktail is considered one of the best hot-weather, adult beverages ever. I’ve heard it described as “Bloody Mary meets Mimosa,” which makes me never want to go to brunch again, but it’s also kind of accurate.

While that may not sound like something you would enjoy, most people do, and very much so. And the hotter it is, the more they enjoy, both literally and figuratively.  There’s something about how that slightly bitter, effervescent beer works with the sweet-sour-spicy profile of the other ingredients.

Even though they may seem like odd additions, things like the soy and Worcestershire are very important here, since they bring savoriness, or “umami” as the foodies would call it, to the drink.

I would never wish a horrendous heat wave on anybody, but, if one were to come your way, I hope you give this delicious, and restorative, Michelada “beertail” a try soon. Enjoy!

For Each Michelada:

lots of ice

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tsp hot sauce or to taste

1/8 tsp soy sauce

juice from half a lime (use other half to rim glasses with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and chili pepper)

1/4 to 1/3 cup tomato juice or homemade vegetable juice (see below)

1/2 bottle ice-cold Mexican lager (6 oz)

lime slices to garnish

For the vegetable juice (makes about 3 cups):

2 pints sweet cherry tomatoes, washed, drained

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper

salt and pepper to taste (unless you use a ton on the rim like I did)

Watermelon Mojitos Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 30 large fresh mint leaves, coarsely torn by hand
• 3 to 4 thick slices fresh watermelon
• 12 ounces light rum, such as Bacardi
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (3 limes)
• Sprigs of mint and spears of watermelon, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Use a mortar and pestle to mash the mint leaves. Remove and discard the rind and seeds of the watermelon. Put the fruit into a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. Put the mashed mint into a large pitcher with 2 cups of pureed watermelon, the rum, simple syrup, and lime juice and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a pitcher for serving.
2. Place ice cubes in 6 glasses and pour the mojito mixture into the glasses. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint and spears of watermelon. Serve ice cold.

Source:Vintage Mixers

Gin And Ginger Cocktail Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

8-10 mint leaves
1/2 oz ginger syrup (recipe follows)
2 oz gin of choice
1/2 fresh lime juice
2 oz ginger beer
3-4 dashes lime bitters (optional)

Ginger Syrup:

1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
2 inch ginger, peeled, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a tall glass, muddle mint leaves with ginger syrup.  
2. Add gin, lime juice, ginger beer, and a couple dashes of lime bitters.  
3. Stir together.  
4. Add ice.  
5. Garnish with lime wedges and additional mint leaves.

Source : Little Picurean

Blackberry Mojito Recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp granulated sugar
4 oz rum
1/2 lime, quartered
2 tbsp fresh blackberry juice (I pressed the blackberries through a strainer to get the juice)
Club soda
2 mojito glasses or 2 tall glasses


DIRECTIONS

1. Place 1 tbsp mint leaves into each mojito glass.
2. Pour 1 tbsp of the blackberry juice into each glass.
3. Squeeze a little of 2 lime quarters into each glass. Then drop the lime quarters into the glasses.
4. Pour 1 tbsp sugar into each glass. Press with a muddler.
5. Add 2 oz of rum to each glass.
6. Add ice to each glass until it is 3/4 full.
7. Top off with club soda, shake (I used the glass and a cup since I don't have a fancy mixer) and then add the mixture back to the glasses.

Source : Recipe File 23

Butchertown Cocktail Recipe

INGREDIENTS

Ice
2 ounces high-proof rye whiskey
3/4 ounce amontillado sherry
1/4 ounce Cointreau
2 vigorous dashes orange bitters
Lemon peel, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place a coupe or cocktail glass in the freezer until chilled, at least 5 minutes.
2. Fill a pint glass or cocktail mixer two-thirds of the way with ice. Add the rye, sherry, Cointreau, and bitters and stir vigorously with a cocktail spoon until chilled, about 30 seconds. Remove the coupe from the freezer and strain the drink into the glass.
3. Twist the lemon peel over the drink to release the oils, then drop it in.

Source : Chow

Blood Orange Smoothie Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• juice of 1 blood orange
• 1 frozen banana
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (or vanilla ice cream for a dessert smoothie)
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon blood orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 2 teaspoons honey or agave
• handful of ice

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until creamy and smooth.

Source: The Recipe File

Banana Split Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients

    2 large bananas
    1 cup strawberries, hulled
    1 cup cherries
    1 cup almond milk

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in the blender and whizz up until smooth.
2. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Source: Cakeyboi

Instant Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

Sam is sensitive to corn and I haven't been able to find an instant hot cocoa mix without corn syrup in the ingredients in my local grocery store.  So I decided to make my own.  It took a lot of attempts to combine the perfect mix, but it was well worth the effort.  This cocoa is really, really good.  The two kinds of cocoa powder and the two kinds of sugar work very well together.  It's great to have a jar of instant cocoa mix on hand because you can tailor the amount of cocoa mix in the cup depending on the size mug and how much water you are using.  We really love this hot cocoa! 

Instant Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

2 cups instant dry nonfat milk powder
1/2 cup Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tbsp Hershey's Special Dark cocoa powder
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 cup Sugar in the Raw
1/4 tsp salt

Mix all of the ingredients together and store it in an airtight container (I use a large peanut butter jar).  For best results, before storing in a jar, sift the mixture through a fine mesh collander (this will eliminate any dry milk lumps).  Makes over 3-1/2 cups of cocoa mix.  Shake the jar and/or stir the contents with a spoon before each use to make sure everything is well combined.  Use 3 or more heaping tbsp of instant cocoa mix per cup of boiling water.