HOLIDAY POMEGRANATE-CRANBERRY MOJITO

I know it’s only November but I am already so excited for the upcoming holidays! One thing that I’m really looking forward to is being reunited with close family again and although I know this COVID Christmas will probably look completely different than previous years, I’m still looking forward to celebrating all that we have to be grateful for. To help you get in the festive mood I thought I’d share a recipe for a welcome cocktail you can serve at your family gathering to help kick off the celebrations. This cocktail uses seasonal favorites like pomegranate and cranberry and can easily be made into a mocktail for kids simply by removing the rum!

Enjoy!

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INGREDIENTS:

- Cranberry Sauce -
3 TBSP of Sugar
1/4 CUP of Water
1/2 CUP of Fresh Cranberries

- Cocktail -
Sugar for Rim
1 Slice of Lime
8 Mint Leaves
2 TBSP of Lime Juice
2 Oz of Pomegranate
2 Oz of White Rum
Splash of Canada Dry or Soda Water if you like it less sweet
Ice - as needed

- Garnish -
Mint Sprigs
Fresh Cranberries
Pomegranate Seeds
Lime Wheels

CHECK OUT THESE OTHER FESTIVE RECIPES

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DIRECTIONS:

Add cranberries, sugar and water to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, reduce to low heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes until cranberries start to open and a thick sauce starts to form. Set aside to cool

Use a lime wedge to wet the rim of your glass and use the sugar to create a rim.

Add mint leaves and lime juice to the glass and muddle for a minute to release the mint flavors.

Add ice followed by a dollop of the cranberry reduction, rum, and pomegranate juice.

Add a splash of ginger ale or soda water, give it a stir, garnish with your fav garnishes and serve!

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I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I do. If you have any comments please leave them below and I'll be happy to answer them as soon as I can! Happy cooking!!!

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BOOZY MANGO ORANGE RUM POPS!

Made these boozy rum popsicles the other day while up at the cottage and I’m so glad I did because lately, we have been experiencing a big heatwave! The combination of mango, orange, and coconut go great together, and there no need to add more sugar because they are definitely sweet enough. If you are looking for a tasty vegan treat to have on those sweltering hot summer days, I highly recommend making this recipe!

INGREDIENTS:

- Makes 8 Popsicles -

- Popsical Filling -
1 Large Ripe Mangos - remove skin and pit
3/4 CUP Coconut Water
1/4 CUP of Orange Juice
2 Oz of Rum

- Molds -

NorPro Frozen Ice Pop Maker - I ordered this one off Amazon and highly recommend it!

DIRECTIONS:

In a blender add in your fresh mango and coconut water. Belnd until liquified.

Next, add in your orange juice and rum, pulse for 2 sec to mix.

Pour mixture into popsical moulds and palce in freezer for a minimum of 12 hours before you serve!

Enjoy!

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If you like this recipe or have any comments/questions, feel free to leave them in the comment section below!

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YES WAY ROSE! WHAT YOU SHOULD BE DRINKING THIS SPRING!

Finally, it started to feel like spring had arrived this past weekend in Ontario, and with it came old familiar memories of enjoying refreshing rosé in the sun.

Last weekend and in preparation for National Rosé Day, which is less than a month away, I decided to use my background in market research to conduct a rosé tasting at home with my family to see if we can find our ideal rosé for spring!

I had six participants, none of which were given the price, region, or any notable characteristics of the wine (other than being able to see the shape of the bottle/packaging) and were required to each taste the 6 bottles chosen for the study in a different order as a way of removing further bias.

As for the tasting, I planned it outside in the midst of the late afternoon sun, first just us three girls, then the boys joined in. Things got silly fast but we were celebrating the long weekend so nobody was holding back. Adam and I were in charge of cooking dinner that night so the scent of Piri piri chicken sizzling on the bbq floated in the background. Everyone was in good spirits. Not only was it nice to host a wine tasting at home for my family but it also made for quite the perfect evening! Salut!!

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IN RANKING ORDER

Whispering Angel

From Provence, France
$28.95

Whispering Angel rose to the top as the house favorite with over half of the group picking it as their number 1 choice. It’s a delicious wine often described as refreshing and light, dry with a crisp, smooth finish that offers notes of both citrus and fruits. The fact that this rosé was a popular choice came as no surprise to me as the producer, Château d'Esclans is known for excellent rosé wines. Located in Provence, France, the château primarily grows Grenache and has vines as old as 90 years. Typically old Grenache vines produce grapes that offer a greater concentration of flavour than younger vines, so again it is no surprise that the majority picked Whispering Angel’s superior quality over the rest. Further, as it was the most expensive wine we included in the tasting, I would highly recommend purchasing this wine for a special occasion or as a host gift, as it is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Studio By Miraval

From France
$18.95

Studio By Miraval followed Whispering Angel with half putting it in their top first or second spot. The wine was described as semi-dry, super easy to drink, and silky on the tongue with a very clean finish. The little sister to the Perrin families more popular Miraval (Pitt/Jolie joint venture) Rosé Côtes de Provence, Studio Miraval comes in $5 cheaper than its older sister but still holds many of the same qualities associated with the brand. One person described the smell of the wine reminding them of running through a wildflower field in the heat of summer - quiet a picture it can paint if you ask me. Made with a combination of varietals including Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, and Tibouren, the wine features delicate citrus and floral aromas accompanied by fresh berry fruit flavors. Price point wise, Studio by Miraval sits at the second most expensive wine in our tasting which would personally make it a contender for any dinners or get togethers that I will be hosting during the summer where I may want to get a little bougie.

Gérard Bertrand Côte des Roses Rosé

From Midi, France
$16.95 (typically $18.95 but currently it is $2.00 off at LCBO)

Cote des Roses 2019 definitely yielded the most interesting results of our taste test because it seemed to be very polarizing. Those who loved it, really loved it (3 people put it as their 2nd place choice), while those who didn’t, gave it a very low ranking. A classic blend of Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah, Cote Des Roses also seemed to yield a mix of flavour profiles and was described as dry by some and semi-sweet by others. A few mentioned that it had notes of citrus while others described it as light and freshing. One thing for sure is that the bottle is eye-catching with a glass cork and many commented on its beautiful packaging. Personally, I have bought this wine and enjoyed it in the past but when compared next to the other wines in this taste test, even I was surprised to see how it dropped in the rankings to its peers.

La Vieille Ferme Rose

From Rhône, France
$12.45

La Vieille Ferme, one of my go-to purchases for both price point and taste, performed well and the best out of the three wines under $15. It received a solid 3rd place score from half with an additional person actually ranking it as their number one choice. Also part of the Perrin family’s portfolio of wines, La Vieille Ferme is a blend of Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah varietals, grown on the slopes of France's Mont Ventoux in Rhone, France. This strategic positioning of the vineyards provides cooler temperatures for their grapes to grow to allow them to ripen slowly which in turn produces stronger fruit flavours and wines with crisp notes of acidity. Pale pink in colour, this wine was described as dry, but sweeter than the more expensive wines we tried, with aromas of raspberry and strawberry. I would 100% purchase this wine again for the price point, and would be happy to serve it at a party if I had to supply a few bottles for guests.

Astica Malbec Rosé

From Mendoza, Argentina
$8.95

A new wine on my radar, Astica performed quiet well amongst the group, however it did not rank as well when compared to the other wines in the tasting. It’s not too often that I am drawn to a Malbec rosé but considering this one comes out of Mendoza, Argentina, where Malbec is king, I was quite taken aback by how much I liked it. Astica was described by many as semi-sweet with buttery fruit-forward flavours followed by a slight bite at the end. Produced by Grupo Peñaflor/Trapiche, one of the leading wine producers in Argentina, I would say Astica is quite delightful and worth a shot especially if you are price conscious.

Sandbanks Rosé VQA

From Ontario, Canada
$13.95

Sandbanks Rosé from Ontario unfortunately fell to the bottom of the ranking and was not favored by anybody. This was so sad for me being from Ontario, I would love to support more local wineries but this one just seemed to miss the mark. Although it did not rank well when compared to the others, a few people did have some nice things to say about it like that it was fruit-forward in flavour and had notes of granny smith apples. I likely would not purchase this wine again nor would I recommend it to anyone else but it did, however, inspire me to go on a mission to find some good VQA Rosés I can recommend, so stay tuned for those!

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SUNRYPE SLIM BOOZY POPSICLE RECIPES #SPONSORED

It may only be spring, but my heart is already yearning for summer. I love longer days, warmer nights, and being able to gather with friends. Summer entertaining is one of my favourite things to do on weekends, and I always look for any excuse to host a get together. It’s also a great way to just relax and take 10 for yourself and to actually enjoy the moment, instead of being wrapped up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

One thing I typically do in the summer is keep some fun popsicles in my freezer. Not only because they make a great after work treat and are a great party ‘wow’ factor, but because they help me take 10 for myself and cool down on those hot and sweaty summer nights when there isn’t a breeze for miles. I can still picture myself last summer, happy as a clam licking my popsicle as it dripped down my hand like I was twelve - so perfectly refreshing. Who is to say popsicles have to be just for kids anyways? As a matter of fact, MY popsicles are just for Adults.

To add a little extra fun to my popsicles, I booze them up in a multitude of ways. There are obviously so many variations you can make, but I always like to make sure that the ingredients I use taste great and aren’t filled with sugar and artificial elements. That is why I love to use SunRype Slim beverages as the perfect popsicle base, as they don’t have any artificial colouring, flavours or contain any aspartame, plus they only contain 10 calories per serving (250ml), how great is that!.

Using SunRype Slim makes it easy for me to adjust the amount of sweetness I want so my popsicles fit my palette (and calorie intake) and still maintain natural flavours and ingredients. The best part - they are so easy to make to your liking and easy to find. You can try this recipe out using a variety of different flavors including SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst, Cranberry Twist, Lemon Drop Lemonade, Long Island Iced Tea and Tropical Mango– all found in the non-refrigerated juice aisle of your grocery store.

Not into popsicles? SunRype Slim 10 low calorie beverages are also perfect without alcohol as a refreshing glass over ice on a warm summer day!

Tips before we get started
*   Soaking your popsicle sticks before making your popsicles will help with any buoyancy issues and prevent them from popping out of the molds completely.
*   Soaking your fruit in alcohol before hand adds for an extra punch!
*   SunRype Slim contains only 10 calories per serving (250ml). To keep calories per popsicle even lower, you can always leave out the simple syrup and replace with more SunRype Slim!

What are you waiting for? Take 10 – whether you have just 10 seconds or 10 minutes - for yourself and relax with a delicious SunRype Slim popsicle now!

Blueberry Mojito Pops!

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Water
Mint
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst
3/4 Cup of Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 oz Shot of Rum Per Popsicle
Blueberries

DIRECTIONS:

-    Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. Bring water to a boil and add in your sugar. You can also add in some mint to give your simple syrup extra flavour! Once sugar has completely dissolved, strain the mint from your simple syrup and let cool to room temperature. 

-    Fill 1/4 of each popsicle mold with SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst, then fill 1/4 of each popsicle mold with equal amounts of Lime Juice and Simple Syrup. Next add 1/2 Oz of Rum and some blueberries (maybe like 10 per mold). You can also add in some fresh mint leaves to each if you want. If there is still room in your molds, top it off with more SunRype Slim Blueberry Burst.

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!

Spiked Peace Raspberry Ice Tea!

INGREDIENTS:

2 Peaches - sliced thin
1 Pint of Raspberries
1/2 Cup of Tequila
1/2 Cup of Vodka
1/2 Cup of White Rum
1/2 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Water
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Long Island Ice Tea

DIRECTIONS:

-    Mix tequila, vodka, and white rum together in a bowl and add in your thin slices of peaches. Allow peaches and raspberries to soak up the alcohol overnight in the fridge.

-    Make a simple syrup using equal parts sugar and water. Bring water to a boil and add in your sugar. Once sugar has completely dissolved, let cool to room temperature. 

-    Place a couple of your alcohol soaked peaches and raspberries in each of the molds. Fill 1/2 of each mold with SunRype Slim Long Island Ice Tea. Fill the remainder with equal parts simple syrup and left over alcohol mix.

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!

Watermelon Lemonade Prosecco Pops

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 a Seedless Watermelon (Cubed)
1 Bottle of SunRype Slim Lemon Drop Lemonade
1 Bottle of Prosecco
1 Lemon - to make thin lemon slices with

DIRECTIONS

-    Placed cubed watermelon in blender and liquefy.

-    Add 2-4 thin slices of lemon to each mold.

-    Fill 1/3 of each mold with watermelon juice, 1/3 with SunRype Lemon Drop Lemonade and 1/3 with Prosecco (pour Prosecco slowly as to not have the bubbles overflow).

-    Add in your popsicle sticks and place popsicle molds in the freezer overnight for best results!

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Disclaimer: This post has been generously sponsored by Sun-Rype, the opinions and language are my own and in no way do they reflect Sun-Rype

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#SCOTCHCAMP - LAST GREAT MALTS OF SCOTLAND

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The only thing I really know about Scotch is that it comes from Scotland and on occasion when I do drink it, it makes my face turn redder then a tomato! Nevertheless when I was invited to Scotch Camp last week neither my ignorance nor my red face was going to keep me away.

So off I went last Wednesday to the Pomp and Circumstance office to settle in with the group before departing on a bus to Scotch Camp. With no real idea of what the afternoon would entail I wholeheartedly embraced the unknown, grabbed a single malt and made myself comfortable.

Once arriving at Scotch Camp we were greeted with welcoming libations and told that our hike would start shortly. Leading the hike was John Dewar & Sons North American Ambassador Gabe Cardarella and he was going to teach us the history behind 5 of Dewar's great malt's!

If you are interested in learning more about the Scotch Whisky's we tasted I have included some information about each Scotch below, including tasting notes and price points at the LCBO. I also made a short highlights video from my day at Scotch Camp so you can come along for the journey too.

Video music provided by Running Red Lights - Mulberry Love
Check out their Soundcloud

I have to say that this was one of the best and most interactive tastings I have ever gone to. The event location and setup was so well executed.  Although I went in there with very little knowledge about Scotch I definitely left with a new appreciation for Scotch that made getting all red in the face so worth it. If you are ever in Scotland and want to visit the Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery you can book a tour and tasting -> HERE

ABERFELDY 12 - $59.95

CRAIGELLACHIE 13 - $79.95

ROYAL BRACKLA 12- $99.95

AULTMORE 12- $79.95

THE DEVERON 12 - $64.95

If you have any questions or comments about the Dewar Scotch Whisky's or Scotch Camp feel free to leave them below and I will try my best to answer them!