Berry Good Cosmic Cocktails: Dark Side of the Moontini

October 25, 2017 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

Whether you just want a tasty mysteriously dark cocktail to impress your guests at a Halloween party or something fun to spice up a space themed party, this cocktail packs a punch. Dubbed the ‘Dark Side of the Moontini’ this drink utilizes a ice ball created out of a triple-berry syrup that then melts into a mixture of bourbon and splash of berry soda water.

This post is in partnership with Oregon Berries. All opinions are my own. See my other collaborations with Oregon Berries: Triple Berry Smoothie with Miso & Marionberry Champagne Cocktail.

The star of this cocktail is the slowly melting ice ball created with a triple-berry syrup. The syrup is SO easy to create. I used Stahlbush Island Farms frozen black raspberries, raspberries, and Marion blackberries. I kept to the darker berries for a rich flavor that would pair well with the bourbon, but also to make sure my drink had a very dark color to it (naturally).

Triple Berry Simple Syrup

This triple berry simple syrup can be made to mix with cocktails or non-alcoholic drinks. I love this syrup in Italian Creme Sodas or mixed with lemonade. YUM.

Use the below portions to create a batch of syrup in any amount that you need:

1 part each type of berry
2 part water
2 part granulated sugar

Or, to make approximately 2.5 cups of syrup:

1 cup black raspberries
1 cup raspberries
1 cup Marion blackberries
2 cups water
2 cups sugar

Directions:

Put the frozen berries and water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat (stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick) until the berries soften. Approximately 5 minutes.
Add the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Approximately 5 minutes.
Strain the liquid from the berries. Squish the berries as you go to get all the lovely juices.
Refrigerate the berry syrup for up to two weeks

Create the Berry Ice Ball:

I use the individual ice spheres (affiliate link) to create my ice balls. I literally have these in my freezer at all times with at least two ice balls ready to go for when I want a bourbon on ice. I love the way they look, but even more, I love the way that they melt. To create the berry ice ball I didn’t want it to be TOO sweet, so I first filled the ice sphere mold a third of the way with water. I then complete the sphere with my berry syrup. I do freeze my ice balls overnight so that they are pretty hard. To release from the mold I put under running water for about 30 seconds.

The berry ice ball would be great with a delicious lemonade or even a plopped into a lemon drop cocktail. However, I wanted the cocktail to be both dark in color and in flavor. I wanted something complex. So, bourbon was my go to liquor.

Dark Side of the Moontini

(A Bourbon and Berry Cocktail)

Ingredients:

1 Berry Ice Ball
2 oz of your favorite bourbon
1 oz of berry flavored soda water

Directions:

Put berry ice ball in a martini glass
Add 2 ounces of your favorite bourbon
Top with 1 ounce (or to taste) of your favorite berry flavored soda water

This drink starts of strong and as the ice melts gets sweeter. It is a sipper for sure!

A Well Crafted Pantry

Portobello Caprese Burgers + Free Printables

July 3, 2017 No Comments A Well Crafted Pantry

I’m a meat eater. I love, love, love me a good beef burger. However, for a variety of reasons, my family and I do try our best to NOT eat meat one day a week at least. As much as we enjoy meat, we enjoy vegetables just as much. I really thrive on creating meatless menu options for our weekly dinners. This Portobello Caprese Burger is a great substitute if you’re wanting to cut back on the meat a bit but still want something hearty and flavorful. It is also a fantastic for a vegetarian burger option at your next cookout! (Just remember to cook BEFORE cooking your meat on the grill so that you’re not giving your vegetarian friend meat drippings on their vegetarian burger!)

Portobello Caprese Burgers

Portobello mushrooms are rich and earthy. They are also fairly affordable. I substitute portobello mushrooms for beef often because it creates that bold flavor and bit of chew that beef typically gives a dish. We chose to serve the burgers with a side of grilled zucchini spears. This made for a really tasty and fairly healthy meal!

Serves 6

Ingredients for Balsamic Marinade:

Olive Oil (approximately 3 tablespoons)
Balsamic Vinegar (approximately 3 tablespoons)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
salt & pepper

Ingredients for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Hamburger Buns
6 Portobello Mushroom Caps whole with stem removed
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
6-12 slices of tomato (I did roma tomatoes so the burgers had two slices each, but if you use a bigger tomato then 1 slice would work.)
Fresh Basil leaves (you’ll want enough to top each burger)
Balsamic Marinade

For Grilled Zucchini Side:

5 medium sized zucchini cut into spears
Balsamic Marinade

How to Make Portobello Caprese Burgers with Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Directions for Balsamic Marinade:

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl

Directions for Portobello Caprese Burgers:

Brush the Balsamic Marinade onto each side of the clean, de-stemmed portobello mushrooms
Put on a grill, smooth side down over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until tender
While the portobello mushrooms are cooking add mozzarella to your top bun and place your buns on a toasting tray on your grill or above a cooler side of the grill to toast the buns and melt the cheese. Be careful to not burn the buns.
OPTIONAL: I chose not to use any condiments on my burger because the mushroom with the balsamic marinade was plenty moist and flavorful and I’m currently watching extra calories. However, if you’d like I’d suggest using a nice garlic aioli or a really good quality mayo on the bottom bun. Topping the burger with a balsamic glaze would also be delish!
Top your bottom bun with a few basil leaves, the portobello mushroom, slices of tomato, and a few more basil leaves. Top with the mozzarella covered bun. ENJOY!

Directions for Grilled Zucchini Spears:

Toss your raw zucchini spears in the leftover balsamic marinade. If you use all of your marinade up brushing them on the mushrooms then go ahead and make some more marinade. Also, you’re going to have some seriously tasty mushrooms! 😉
Put in a grilling basket or on top of a foil lined grill. Grill until tender, approximately 6-8 minutes. (We grilled our mushrooms and zucchini at the same time and everything was ready to go around the same time.)
Serve alongside the burger. Add an optional dipping sauce of garlic aioli for a nice flavor punch.

We served these tasty little burgers with some of the Julian Hard Cider that I shared yesterday. The portobello was especially nice with the Cherry Bomb cider!

4th of July Free Printable Food Tray

I of course had to serve up my Portobello Caprese Burgers in something fun for the holiday. I created these fun stars and striped food trays to make serving these burgers a little more festive.

Directions for Use:

Click on file and save to computer
Print on white cardstock in full color
Cut around the outside of the food tray and on the dotted lines
Fold where there are white solid lines.
Glue the tabs into the panel directly to the right of the tab you are gluing.
Once complete, line your food tray with wax paper and top with food. The heavier the weight of your card stock the more sturdy these food trays will be.

Download your Free Printable 4th of July Food Tray

Have a fantastic 4th of July holiday tomorrow! Stay safe and have fun.

A Well Crafted Pantry

4th of July Drinks with Julian Hard Cider

July 2, 2017 1 Comment A Well Crafted Pantry

To me there is an art to pairing drinks with meals. However, I’m pretty easy when it comes to drinks too. I enjoy a lot of different items and a lot of different pairings. Some of my favorite types of beverages to serve happen to be beverages that pair well with many different foods and are pretty friendly. Hard Cider is one of those types of beverages. Every year I head out to the Portland Apple Festival mainly for the opportunity to taste a bunch of local and delicious ciders. I tend to think of Hard Cider in the fall, but was pleasantly surprised at how summer-friendly they can be when Julian Hard Cider sent me an array of ciders to try out for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

This post is in partnership with Julian Hard Ciders. All opinions are my own. For more information about sponsorships on this blog visit my policies page.

4th of July Drink Ideas

With names like “Cherry Bomb” and “Apple Pie” these hard ciders were pretty much made for an Independence Day celebration, don’t you think? But, even if the names weren’t perfect for a 4th of July party then the sweet and tart flavors make for a refreshing and easy to pair beverage solution. The ciders are made without added sugar and are sweetened with 100% juice.

The Julian Hard Cider flavors include: Cherry Bomb, Apple Pie, Harvest Apple, Black and Blue, Pearanormal, and Razzmatazz.

My three favorites for 4th of July pairings include the Cherry Bomb, Apple Pie, and Black and Blue for refreshingly sweet pairs to some of my favorite foods to eat at an outdoor BBQ.

Julian Hard Cider: Cherry Bomb

The Cherry Bomb was sweet and tart both with BIG notes of cherries. This was my favorite of the ciders mostly because I’m obsessed with cherries this time of year. It is made with the traditional apple cider and Montmorency Cherry juice. I think this cider would pair nicely with some BBQ ribs or brisket. It could even be paired well with a juicy burger topped with a roasted red pepper and garlic aioli.

Julian Hard Cider: Apple Pie

The Apple Pie hard cider tastes just like fall to me. The crisp bite of a juicy apple with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Why do I like it for 4th of July if it tastes like fall you ask? Well, easy… is there anything more American than apple pie!? This would pair well with a hot dog piled high with sauerkraut or grilled onions. I’m personally going to serve the apple cider with our yearly Crab Boil. I think it will be great with the flavors of crab, sausage, and corn on the cob!

Julian Hard Cider: Black and Blue

Blackberries and blueberries make this cider fruity and bold. Maybe it is the name of this cider… but, I’d pair this with a big burger topped high with bacon and blue cheese. Blueberries and blue cheese just belong together. I’d also pair this one with steak. Mmmm… grilled steak.