Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Easter Cocktails: Egg-celent Drinks For Adults


Throwing an Easter party? While the kids are away (hunting eggs perhaps?) the adults will play.

Here are some great Easter themed cocktails:
  1. The Blue Cottontail:
Here’s a bright and springy drink that will leave your guests begging for the recipe.
Ingredients Per Cocktail:
1-1/2 ounces vodka
½ ounce triple sec
¼ ounce blue Curacao
Flamed orange peel (for garnish)
Preparation:
Shake all ingredients well, serve chilled with the flamed orange peel over the glass.




                                           

  1. Pink Bonnet:
This drink not only includes an egg white in honor of the Easter spirit but also is pastel pink and perfect.
Ingredients Per Cocktail:
1-1/2 ounces gin
½ ounce simple syrup
¾ ounce lemon juice
2 dashes of crème de framboise or grenadine (this give it the beautiful color)
White of a small egg (you can use a pasteurized egg or two tablespoons of egg white substitute- the egg attributes to the cloudy coloring)
Preparation:
Shake all ingredients before adding ice to break up the egg white and create the cloudy color of the drink. Add ice and shake again. Serve with mint leaves if desired.

                                              
  1. The White Chocolate Easter-tini:
Ingredients Per Cocktail:
1 ounce vanilla vodka
1 ounce cream
1 ounce white chocolate liqueur
Jellybeans 
2 ounces eggnog
Preparation:
Shake well, serve chilled. To add the illusion of Easter eggs in your drink thrown in a few jellybeans!

  1. The Easter Egg: One egg you won’t want to hide!
Ingredients Per Cocktail:
2 ounce blue Curacao
2 ounce white crème de cacao
A splash of half and half
Preparation:
Fill a glass half full with ice and pour the Curacao and crème de cacao on top. Last add the splash of half and half.

                                                   
  1. The Easter Bunny: The Myth becomes a reality with this festive drink!

Ingredients Per Cocktail:
1-1/2 ounces crème de cacao
½ ounce vodka
1 teaspoon chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon cherry brandy
Preparation:
Shake the crème de cacao and vodka with ice. Layer the top with chocolate syrup and cherry brandy.

                                 


Easter Basket Inspiration


Trying to save a little money this Easter but want to still give quality gifts? For children and adults alike, get a little creative and use a themed multipurpose basket! Here's how:

General Tips for Saving Money on Easter:
1)    Assemble your own themed basket instead of buying a pre-made one.
2)    Buy general things such as baskets, fake grass, or plastic eggs right after Easter to save for next year. They are more likely to be on sale!
3)    Reuse old Easter baskets or buy a “multipurpose” basket such as a lunchbox or beach bucket.
4)    Shop at thrift shops, $1 stores and the beloved Ebay.
5)    Make your own treats instead of buying candy. *This can also be a healthier option*
6)    Buy one thing they really want instead of a bunch of little, cheap toys that will break or soon be forgotten.

Themed Basket Ideas for Younger Children:
For Fun in the Sun: If you live by the beach, try using a beach bag or wrap everything in a beach towel. If you want to prep for summer, you can buy a blow up wading pool and fill it with shared things for all your children and have buckets or pails with goodies for each child. Items could include beach toys (shovels, buckets, beach balls, etc), flip-flops, swimsuit and sunscreen. If you have older children or teens, a nice pair of sunglasses or a gift certificate to buy a new swimsuit are great suggestions. All these gifts are fun yet practical and will last a lot longer than candy and treats.
                         

For the Gardener: You can easily create a fun garden themed basket using a watering can or flower pot and including various tools from the $1 dollar store and seeds. Turn this into a fun family project by starting a garden!

                                    
For the Girls: For a little girl, put together a doll themed basket. You can get a doll playhouse from a thrift store or garage sale and fill it with things for the doll and child. You can even sew your own clothes for the doll. Another great idea is getting a dress-up box and filling it with dress-up clothes and/or make-up. Spark the imagination with the typical princess costume but also search around garage sales and thrift stores for fun and inexpensive items.

For the Active Child: For a basket tailored to an active child or to promote activity, theme it around sports. No matter what your child is involved in (swimming, baseball, football, dance) fill it with things they’d need to practice with anyways. You can even substitute all the Easter candy with power bars and Gatorade. Other healthy snacks could include: goldfish, granola, fruit and nuts.

                                             

Themed Basket Ideas for Teens and Adults:
For the Chef or Baker: Use a giant mixing bowl as your Easter basket and put in a cook book! To make it really special, personalize it and scrapbook your own family recipes. You can also include an apron, ingredients for your child’s favorite thing to bake, or a gift certificate to a grocery store. This is perfect for anyone who loves cooking or baking, or even that child that just moved out and is learning to be on his or her own. Again, practical and fun!!

For the Photographer: Create a fun and unique gift basket themed around photography. Get a disposable camera and give your child a coupon to develop it on you. Include a photo frame or photo album. If you really want them to get creative, include scrapbooking materials such as construction paper, tape, glitter glue, and fancy edged scissors.

For a Date Night Out: Treat your Teen to a date night out! Use a popcorn tub as your basket and fill it with candy, popcorn, soda, and movie tickets. You can also include a gift certificate for dinner before hand or coupons to cook his or her favorite meal.

                                            


In any themed basket, throwing in a chocolate bunny will keep the Easter spirit alive.