happy hour Archives - Dine and Dish

Fireball Cider Recipe Served Hot or Cold

Kristen — Sat, 16 Oct 2021 17:51:15 +0000

This Fireball Cider Recipe featuring Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey is a delicious cocktail served hot or cold for the fall season.

I had my first taste of Fireball whiskey a couple of years ago. No, I wasn’t at some crazy college party or throwing it down with a group of young party people. I was getting ready for an adult league tennis match of all things! One of my teammates offered everyone on our team a shot of fireball to take the nerves off before our match. And it worked.

I can’t claim that Fireball improved my tennis game, but I will say I won the match AND haven’t missed a pre-match Fireball shot since!…

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So, You Want to Be a Morning Person? 3 Ways I Make Mornings Rock

Kristen — Sat, 21 Nov 2015 14:08:43 +0000

I used to hate mornings…then I discovered some simple ways to make mornings my favorite! Here are 3 of my favorite ways to “Take Back Morning” and make them rock!

An alternate title for this post could easily be “I Hated Mornings But Now I Love Them”.

I love mornings… in fact, the early morning hours are easily my favorite time of day. It didn’t used to be this way…even as a child I never really slept in, but I was definitely not a rise and shine and have a smile on my face kind of kid. As an adult I would get up when my alarm went off, but grumble through my morning routine, wishing I could just crawl back under the covers.

Don’t get me wrong… I’m still not a happy, cheerful morning person (I prefer to speak to no one during the first couple hours of the day) but I love the quiet and stillness of the morning so much, it is worth it to me to get up and get my day started.

Have you wished you were a morning person? Here are 3 key things I’ve done to become a morning person… maybe they’ll help you too!…

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The High Roller Martini for National Vodka Day

Kristen — Sat, 03 Oct 2015 15:14:28 +0000

Celebrate National Vodka Day on October 4th with The High Roller Martini recipe featuring Pinnacle® Vodka.

Friends, did you know that National Vodka Day is October 4th? It’s a fun holiday worth celebrating, and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate this Sunday than with Pinnacle® Vodka. They have over 40 flavors, which means there’s something for everyone!

Each fall, my cocktail flavor profiles tend to mellow out a little bit. Gone are the girly pink martinis or the fruity drinks of summer. In exchange come the more subtle and sophisticated flavors of fall. I always think of more Mad Men-esque cocktails when summer fades away. Whether I’m sitting down with a good book, or enjoying a night cap and a movie with my husband, a simple cocktail hits the spot.

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If You Like Piña Coladas {Perfect Piña Colada Recipe}

Kristen — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 15:23:34 +0000

Let me start by apologizing because I imagine right about now you are singing along with me in your head…

“If you like Piña Coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
If you’re not into yoga, if you have half a brain.
If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes of the cape.
I’m the love that you’ve looked for, write to me, and escape.”

And now that song is going to be stuck in your head all the live long day. Again, I’m sorry. Actually not really, because doesn’t that song make you happy? It makes me feel like I’m back on the Regal Princess Cruise where I enjoyed fun, sun and plenty of frozen Piña Coladas. Here is just a sampling of photographic evidence of my new found Piña Colada love……

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Kansas City Royals Cocktail and Giveaway

Kristen — Mon, 20 Oct 2014 21:40:32 +0000

It’s a great time to be a Kansas City Royals fan! Celebrate the World Series with this fun Royals Blue cocktail and a Kansas City Royals t-shirt and hat flash giveaway!

If you live in Kansas City, you can’t help but to have caught Royals Fever. The Kansas City Royals post season games have been unbelievable! And here we are, in the World Series, which hasn’t happened for this team since 1985.

In fact, I was in 6th grade and I remember I liked a boy who was hugely excited that the Kansas City Royals were facing the St Louis Cardinals in the World Series. I had no clue what any of it meant, because well, I was a 6th grade girl and couldn’t be bothered by that kind of stuff. But, in order to get the attention of said boy, I pretended to be the BIGGEST Kansas City Royals super fan! I have vivid memories of talking to him in the hallway before class started about the games and being all twitter-pated that he was talking to me. Needless to say, the “relationship” didn’t really last much past the world series… I mean a girl can only fain interest in something she is clueless about for so long. I’m sure he eventually caught on.

Flash forward to 2014, and the Kansas City Royals are in the World Series again…and it’s a BIG deal! And again, I’m trying to get the attention of a boy, but this time it’s my 12 year old son. You see, it’s pretty cool when your mom knows a thing or two about sports. And when you can have common interests with your almost teenage son (which means conversations that get him saying more than a yes or no grunt answer), that’s a good thing!

Kansas City Royals T-Shirt and Cleanup Hat GIVEAWAY!

I’m excited today to share a fun Kansas City Royals inspired cocktail recipe with you from UV Vodka as well as a women’s Kansas City Royals Scrum Tee and Cleanup Hat from 47 Brand. As much as I wish cap sleeves would die a quick death, I actually really love this shirt! I think you will too!

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A New York Kind of Cocktail {Recipe: Meringue Margaritas}

Kristen — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:59:39 +0000

Last weekend, I spent a few days in New York City hanging out with other bloggers and Sandra Lee. We were all brought together to celebrate the launch of Sandra’s beautiful and functional new housewares and small appliance lines with Sears and K-Mart. Make sure to check out the beautiful products she has as a part of her new line. As a gift, they have provided a coupon to Dine & Dish readers for $5 off any $15 purchase of any of Sandra Lee’s new products at Sears.com.

I’ll write more about this trip and my favorite products from her line very soon… in short, Sandra was so kind and personable! I honestly didn’t know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised at how real and genuine she was… she treated us all like long time friends.

If there is one thing Sandra is known for it is her love of a great cocktail. The drinks we were served at this event were pretty awesome, but the one cocktail that stood out to me was this Meringue Margarita. I knew I needed to share it with you before Cinco de Mayo as it might just be the perfect cocktail for your weekend festivities! Who knew that crushing a simple meringue cookie and adding it to the rim of your glass could make such a difference in a simple margarita!

(And although there is nothing wrong with using pre-made margarita mix, if you want to whip some up on your own, try this killer habanero margarita recipe from my friend Jeffrey Saad or this Blue Margarita Recipe from Dinners Dishes and Desserts).

Thanks to the Sandra Lee and her photographers for the photos!

Sandra Lee

The simple addition of a crushed meringue cookie makes this margarita a memorable one!

Ingredients

1 1/2 ounces margarita mix
4 ounces crushed ice
1 teaspoon meringue cookie crumbs
1 fresh lime wedge

Instructions

Combine margarita mix and ice in a blender.
Rub the rim of a cocktail glass with lime and dip into crushed meringue cookies.
Pour blended margarita into cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wedge.

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Happy Hour {Recipe: Whipped Root Beer Float Cocktails}

Kristen — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 01:10:57 +0000

Fresh out of school and at my first job, happy hour was a regular occurrence. My colleagues and I would leave the stressful day at the office behind and head to the local posh restaurant or bar to unwind and put on our social hats. If we were lucky, our boss and owner of the company would join us and would pick up the tab.

Most often, the evening would end much later than an “hour” from when it started. Laughter, karaoke and getting to know each other past what we saw in a typical office day. In those times, my co-workers were who I spent the majority of my time with and because of that were the people I considered my greatest friends.

Happy hour has changed so much since I was a young twenty something. Working from home and being a mom means other stay at home mom’s are my colleagues. Happy hours no longer happen in posh bars and establishments… instead we greet the end of a long week surrounded by our kids laughing and playing, in lawn chairs under the big tree in our yard. There are no corporate cards, no fancy hors d’oeuvres… just me, my good friends and our kids spilling over with joy into our yard. Pizza and goldfish, juice boxes and cocktails… nothing fancy but in this life of mine, it is perfection.

Choosing my signature drink of the season is a big deal. Last year I often shared an Arnold Palmer with friends. This year, with the discovery of the selection of flavors of Pinnacle Vodka, I can guarantee you my happy hour cocktail of the season will include a concoction made with a Pinnacle Vodka flavor.

After trying the Creme Cake Cocktail last week I couldn’t help but wonder how awesome the Whipped Pinnacle Vodka would be with root beer. It took me a few days, and some seriously difficult recipe testing (insert sarcasm) to figure out what combination would work best for a creamy, cold, root beer float inspired cocktail. Friends, I think I found it… and I’m sharing the recipe below.

Here’s to the many more happy hours to come. Gathering with friends, connecting with others and celebrating together the end of another week “on the right side of the grass”. Enjoy.

Whipped Root Beer Float Cocktails

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

2 ounces chilled Whipped flavored Pinnacle Vodka
1 ounce chilled Bailey's Irish Cream or heavy whipping cream
1 cup cold root beer
3 large scoops vanilla ice cream divided
Maraschino cherries and whipped cream for garnish if desired
For a non-alcholic version, replace the amount of vodka and Bailey's Irish Cream with heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Place all ingredients but 2 scoops of ice cream and garnish into a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour blended ingredients into 2 tall milkshake glasses. Add 1 scoop of ice cream into each glass. Garnish with maraschino cherries and whipped cream, if desired. Serve cold.

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Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka – Valentine’s Day Cocktails

Kristen — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 23:49:24 +0000

Quick post here tonight, to let you know that I’ll be participating in a Girls Night Out Twitter party this evening. For more information about the Twitter party, you can visit the Mom It Forward blog. Join in from 8-10pm CST to find out how Godiva Chocolate and Valentine’s Day can go hand in hand! Plus, you can win a great Godiva Chocolate Giveaway – so head over to Mom it Forward and check it out!

This blogging job is rough, I tell ya’. Sometimes you’ve just got to do things that you just don’t want to do. Like create and taste test Godiva Chocolate truffles and cocktail recipes. I mean, I’ve been cooped up in my house with my four children bouncing off the walls as the snow storm of the century hits our region, and the last thing I would possibly want to do is drink a delicious cocktail. Right? Right? Right….

{A splash of Godiva Chocolate Raspberry Infused Vodka into a Coke or Diet Coke makes a delicious and simply sweet cocktail.}

But, duty calls and as the faithful blogger that I am, I wanted to at least taste the Godiva chocolate vodka before I shared it with you all at Girls Night Out tonight. I’ve had the Godiva Chocolate Liquor before and shared the recipe for Godiva Chocolate Martinis then, but this Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka and Godiva Raspberry Chocolate Infused Vodka is quite all right. If you want to make the perfect cocktail to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your love (if I were Carrie Bradshaw I’d say “lovah”, but it just doesn’t sound right coming from me) or with your girlfriends to just complain about love, this is the liquor for you!

Whatever your stance on Valentine’s Day, celebrate responsibly (aka please don’t drink and drive and don’t go overboard on the alcohol) and bring some Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka to your celebration… paired with some rich Godiva chocolate, it is the perfect Valentine’s Day beverage!

Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka

Godiva Chocolate a l'Orange (from TheBar.com)

Author Dine & Dish

Ingredients

0.75 oz. Godiva Chocolate Infused Vodka
0.25 oz. Grand Marnier
0.75 oz. Godiva Chocolate Liqueur

Instructions

Pour in a cocktail shaker and shake until well combined. Serve over ice and garnish with an orange peel.

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