A (Lemon) Twist on the NCAA Tournament

Yes, I realize I am a few days and a couple rounds late to the Big Dance.  In all honesty, I've been watching, and reading, and listening about the brackets, the missed calls and crazy upsets. And all the while, I've been wondering -- what kind of drink should I make to watch these games?  Maybe it was the mention of "rounds" so many times, but, inevitably the NCAA tournament makes me thirsty.

 

So would my drink choice be ranked above someone else's choice?  And then I thought some more... brackets!

 

What would the Final Four of Cocktails be?
Well, on first thought, it's easy to break them down into mixed drink, wine, beer and spirit.  Or maybe we could pit vodka, gin, rum and tequila against each other and see which is the last one is standing.  And, I probably need to recruit some opinion givers.  Yeah, that should be hard...

 

Who knows- maybe an underdog like Florida State would win out (to me, the equivalent would be a Tequila Sunset - not one that surfaces much, but when it does, to a very specific fan frenzy) over the usually popular choice (like the Margarita? Am I saying Texas A&M’s drink of choice is a margarita? Hmm. I wonder how they would react to that). 

 

Or maybe a last-minute surge of votes would push a drink to claim the title (just like when Morehead State’s Demonte Harper buried a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left for an upset win over 4^th seeded Louisville).

 

We'll see.  The mechanics are yet to be worked out.  Kind of like Kansas in the first half against Boston University in the first round.  Yet, to my dismay (alma mater), they picked it up and handily won against the Terriers.  But just because that 16th seed couldn't unseat a number-1, doesn't mean that a Cinderella Cocktail can't win out over a Past Champion.

 

Next up: the brackets  and the rules of this Tournament of Tastes. Be sure to check back once the rankings are up, and start your voting.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of www.schneiderdowns.com

Day 1 - 10 pounds UP

I woke up this morning feeling lighter already. So I checked the scale, and HUH! I had actually lost 2 pounds since yesterday. I WAS pretty good yesterday - worked out to the Biggest Loser Kinnect Game, shoveled about a million square feet of snow, danced to Dance Central with friends.. PLUS I avoided the snacky snacks that were put out at our friends' house, and instead stuck to clear, low calorie VODKA. On to something? Of course! Lesson of pre-30 day Challenge day: Leave the snacks on the table and you CAN have those (light) cocktails. Isn't that more the point anyway?

So here's what I started my DAY 1 with: Let's see if I can continue the mysterious weight loss for the rest of the 30 days:

Breakfast

Healthy Breakfast Burrito: 2 egg whites, 1 whole egg, mushrooms, splash of shredded low fat cheese in a whole wheat wrap
Skinny Latte - 2 shots espresso, 1/4 cup skim milk, splash Blue Agave Nectar for sweetness, dash vanilla extract

Lunch (we ate late!)

Hummus Plate - red peppers. olives, artichokes, housemade hummus, whole wheat pita triangles
Cup Vegetarian Chili
2 Beers (oops!! I really tried to say wine, or even vodka -- BUT, we were at Hingham Beer Works so I did what any health-conscious diner would do... I ordered the Stout. Twice.)

Dinner

Slice of Veggie "Quiche" - 6 egg whites, 2 whole eggs, frozen summer vegetables, dash Panko crumbs, dash taco cheese. Baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
Carrots, celery & low-fat veggie dip
2 Light Vodka Drinks

Workout

50 minute OUTDOOR run (in 23 degree weather). This, I think, counts as double because of the frigid temps, acrobatics I did around snowbanks and oncoming cars, and DID I MENTION IT WAS 23 DEGREES???!!) Just don't ask me how far I ran, or my awesomeness will go down a few notches in your eyes... Plus, I will simply respond: "I ran 50 minutes." As an aside, my thighs were so frozen that I couldn't tell if my spandex pants were falling down [they usually do, so I erred on the side of "Yes" and pulled at them every once in a while with my stone cold, Halloween glove-clad fingers. (kids have North Face, I have iParty...)]

The Will Power Moment of My Day

When a leftover large cheese pizza was brought in by a friend who drove my 6-year old home from a birthday party. I watched as four kids gnoshed at the slices, wanting one, and thankfully did not give in. Besides, I reasoned -- the drink will taste better than the pizza, so I poured a new one. And it did.
~~~~

I Always Knew Christina And I Were Connected Somehow

So we all either saw, or read about, or watched over and over again, the National Anthem flubbing by Christina Aguilera.  And I say, to that -- who the HELL cares?? Well, actually, I care - but not in a "wow she's unpatriotic, a traitor, a disrespecting bad BAD girl" kind of way.  No, I care, because – hey, if SHE can mess up a song, than I don't feel so bad messing up my things once in a while either.

So, thanks, Christina.  Thanks to you, I can fully admit that I got way into the moment (wasn’t that your “excuse”?) of the ski get-away weekend I was planning for, and then on, this past week, that I lost my place [in my 30 day Challenge] myself.  Boy do I feel better knowing I have company the likes of you! I always knew we had a lot in common...

Now, can both us chicks just MOVE ON, PEOPLE??  Back to the Challenge. I am picking up on the day I left off on, even though it was about 6 days ago.  For those of you that actually, noticed – thanks for not tweeting, blogging and exposing me on all the gossip sites…I owe you a drink.

 

I mean -- check out the resemblance.  Uncanny.

Homemade All Natural Cranberry Juice -- For Mixers Of Course!

It really does pay to be married to me. Well, okay - only if you like your drinks. But I think it's a pretty nice surprise when your lucky spouse comes home after a long day, and finds that you've made him a nice, home-made....dinner? Nope, not in this kitchen. ...cranberry juice! I can just see his excitement now.

Why would I make it when it is so readily available, you may ask. Well, I have turned over a new leaf to be healthy, not just in what I eat and how often I exercise -- that's easy, and I've always been good about those things. But, now I have added "healthy drinking" to my repertoire of interests. Yes, the drinking interest has always been there, but why can't we find healthy alternatives to our favorite mixed drinks? Well, one mixer at a time, you can. Right here.

So here's the recipe for the all-natural cranberry juice. While it was simmering, I also juiced a few oranges, limes and lemons. Think all-natural Cosmo when the weary husband comes home. And hey, if it just ends up being for me, then that's ok too. We both win. I'll have to think of something manly for all those fresh squeezed ingredients for you men. Scotch recipes to follow, perhaps.

Anyway, back to the cranberry juice recipe:

2 bags fresh cranberries - look for bright red, firm berries.
6 cups water
1/2 cup Blue Agave Nectar (most recipes call for a cup of sugar. Blue Agave Nectar is an organic, all-natural sugar substitute that has a nice smooth, sweet flavor. I use it instead of sugar now everywhere.)

Bring cranberries and water to a boil. Loosely cover and simmer for 15 minutes, until all berries have exploded. Strain through cheesecloth, being careful not to press to hard on the berries. Put liquid back onto stove, stir in the Blue Agave Nectar and return to a boil. Then reduce heat and let simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before placing in refrigerator.

Drink and enjoy. Well, actually, mix and enjoy. I've been infusing some vodka with oranges for a few days. My cosmopolitan will use this instead of sugary Cointreau, along with fresh cranberry juice and fresh lime juice. Oh, and of course the regular vodka too. Is it really only Tuesday? Oh well, I am sure you can find a reason to enjoy one of these with me. Antioxidants, vitamins, mixologist's pride. You'll think of something.

For more recipes, reviews and all things booze, please visit my website.

Putting Low Carb Drink Mixers to the Liquor Chick Taste-Test, Part I

I have been checking out the low calorie mixed drinks scene for quite some time now. As a bartender I often make (as well am was asked to make) lighter margaritas, cosmopolitans and other flavored martinis. These are one-off's, made on the fly -- yet usually to ravishing reviews. It wasn't hard when I had a top shelf and upscale selection of booze, fresh fruit and my imagination. But I've wondered, could I replicate these in my own home? Better yet, were there any already made low calorie mixers that I could employ both at home, and even at the bar, that would satisfy this obvious hole in the market?

Cue the testing (and by that i mean 'tasting') lab.... I set out to the liquor store with the plan to buy low carb mixers. I was not alone on this very important journey. Yet I am not ashamed to admit that my four year old, Nintendo DS in hand, accompanied me on this trip, because I did not purchase any alcohol. Had she ever been there before, you may ask, on other missions? Well, not to incriminate myself, but she did exclaim when we entered "Oh mommy- we are in the colorful store again!" I don't know, I think she may be confusing Curtis Liquors with the local nail salon, but, irregardless, I met her observation with a casual "Yes I suppose there ARE a lot of colors in here." Never one to admit anything character-flawing.

And when lovey daughter made her way to the checkout counter 10 minutes later with me and knowingly asked where the lollipop basket had gone, I clarified the issue just as knowingly by refuting, more for the staff than my daughter "Why, yessss, this does look just like the bank. You must be confusing this place with that one."

Smarter-than-a-fifth-grader lovey daughter didn't buy it and immediately shot back at me with a know-it-all, correct-your-dumb-mother attitude in her voice that I can only assume she'll continue to perfect well into her adolescence, and scoffed, "Noooowa (I love how one word syllables become three when you're a 'tude strutting female)! We were just AT the BANK - remember?? You said you needed to get money for the WINE store?! THIS wine store!?" Love to be called out by the little princess. But I was righteous today. There was no wine in my carriage. Just a pre-schooler, her stuffed penguin, dirty security blanket and about 15 'Bahama Bob' NONALCOHOLIC mixers. Ha! Take a lollipop, and put it in your lovey mouth, princess.. So we drove off, each of us looking forward to something when we got home. Lovey daughter, a jelly and fluff sandwich for her and her penguins to enjoy. And about eight different varieties of low-carb no-guilt mixed drinks for Mom. But how would they taste? And on marshmallow-tipped fingers, no less? We'd have to wait 'till later into Thirsty Thursday to find that out. And I hoped I could wrestle up some tasting buddies....

Caffeine and Alcohol Together? A Bartender Would NEVER do That, Right??

I know this is probably a stretch, but has anyone ever had Rum & Coke? (That would be Diet Coke for the sake of Liquor Chick living -- always keep it low calorie when you can!) A few of you? Hmmm. How about Baileys (light Baileys recipe, right?) with coffee? Anyone? After-dinner wine, alongside of your skinny cappuccino? I know - unheard of. Oh, and what about this combination ....Red Bull & Vodka? I know these drinks are probably vastly unheard of. And you must also know that the sarcasm is dripping as thick as the Low Calorie Baileys that you would never add to that coffee.

Oh, you would? Me too! And when we make the mixture ourselves, I will bet that your bartender, much like my own, adds more than the one-shot serving, to lighten it up to your liking? And your Red Bull probably contains more than one shot of vodka -- I am just guessing. So when you control your own pour, you may in fact add more than the suggested serving. And does anyone open up a beer and pour anything else in there? Not likely.

What's the point these questions? Well, if you side with authorities that want to ban caffeinated malt liquor products, you may argue that these types of drinks make our young people drink more and faster. My side of the argument goes something like this: Products don't make us drink more, faster, harder -- the stupid quotient that is present in all of us, to varying degrees, does that just fine. You can't ban a certain modus operandi of our stupid -- you need to educate the stupid out of us in the first place.

And isn't that what society, our parents, school, public service announcements, books, friends, and studies all aim to do? What? You say the college student population will still drink too much, perform keg stands, throw up, and end up with stomachs pumped? Most likely. But Four Loko (the product-of-the-hour at the heart of this controversy) is not more to blame than we ourselves are.

Remember Purple Passion? It came in 2-liter soda-like bottles, was purple and fizzy, and was appealing as hell to teenagers (so I've heard). Did its packaging and pleasing branding make me try it then? No. Just as Four Loko's "eye-catching" colors and "fun flavors" aren't going to make college students try this, even though many insist just that. This product is merely something new in the arsenal of the "let's get drunk and party tonight" mentality.

Okay, so the colors and the "young appeal" don't affect us. What about the caffeine? That's nothing new to drinkers, as I've said before - Rum & Coke, Red Bull & Vodka, Baileys & Coffee -- all have firm footing in our weekend repertoire. So just because the caffeine AND the alcohol come together, we are supposed to reject it? As I've alluded before, if you simply pop open the can and consume, there's far less alcohol (between 6% and 12% per 23 ounces) than if you poured your own drink -- at least at my house, bar, friend's house, poolhouse, etc... You get the picture.

Oh, so the caffeine gives you the illusion that you're not getting as drunk? That's what officials are afraid we are going to think - and that we can get behind the wheel sooner than if we didn't have that handy caffeine at all. Give us a little credit - everyone knows that is a total wives' tale, propagated by old sit coms and misinformed story-tellers. You want us to be responsible and make the best decisions? Give us a little leeway to do so- (is what I would say were I still a fledgling college student, who did, as I am sure all the Big Brotheresqe types did too, drink somewhat to excess a few times).

Is Four Loko the new Power Hour of the campuses? The new shotgunning of a beer? The new keg stand? If the malt liquor is anything like the Purple Passion of the '90's, you won't be able to drink THAT much of it without getting that malt-liquor-stomach. I picture this as a start-the-night-off kind of drink, you know, like the before dinner fruity martini, that soon gets switched out after one good one. For those that do drink it all night long and end up in the health center after falling down in the bushes-- you would have done that with another type of alcohol anyway. You can't blame the can -- you CAN blame the can carrier. It's just too easy to blame a company, or a product, for the sadness and depravity that pervades the young drink-til-you-throw-up drinkers. They are always going to be around, whether or not you ban what they are jonesin' for.

One must give acclaim to Phusion Projects, Four Loko’s producer, for seeking to educate and give back to the community. They are quick and often to remind us that their products are meant for those of age, and that they do not condone underage drinking. When there has been a campus incident involving their beverage, they comment on it, admonish the partygoers and wholly support the school administration in rectifying it -- even if it means banning their product. When is the last time Budweiser released a statement apologizing for its product's role in a destructive party or riot? I don’t think blame get misplaced on Budweiser as often as it does on Phusion Projects.

So caffeine and alcohol -- is that REALLY the point? The debate doesn't hold much water, especially with the longstanding prevalence of other stronger caffeine-alcohol combinations (Four Loco has about the same amount of caffeine as a Tall Starbucks coffee). No, to me, the debate seems to focus on the uneducated, overzealous "kids" that are going to hurt themselves on this new, intriguing type of product. And the answers are the same tried and true as ever -- EDUCATE them, and trust that they will also educate themselves. Sometimes a hangover truly is the best medicine.

Bottom line for Four Loko - While I don't agree that caffeine and alcohol combined products should be banned, I do not consider this a Liquor Chick Approved Drink. Too much sugar and calories - 600 calories and 60 grams sugar per 23 ounce can. But it does give me new ideas for the Liquor Chick Lab... And I promise NOT to have college students taste test my lightened up version

Bartender's Secrets to Lighten Up the Calories

After years of working as a bartender -- and even more years of pouring for myself --I have learned how to make not only delicious and fun drinks, but low-calorie alternatives to these drinks as well. Sometimes we decide to follow a recipe to the letter, but more often than not, I ammend it just a touch in order to keep the calories down -- and the numbers on my scale. I drink often enough -- I don't need my jeans size to betray that fact!

I have found that the lighter versions are sometimes even tastier, and the feeling of doing something better for our health -- well, that's nice too. Here are a few of my old standby recommendations on how to drink smarter:

1. Substitute seltzer water and a splash of a light juice for full-calorie juice ingredients. Two of my favorites are Ocean Spray Light Cranberry Pomegranate and V-8 Diet Splash. These two juices are so flavorful, that if you simply mix them with vodka and soda, you will have tasty, juice-inspired cocktail. An added bonus – the cranberry helps your body flush the alcohol through your system faster. If you want to go for the lowest of all sparkling mixers, switch out fizzy water for 2-calorie Fresca.

2. Sometimes you need more than "just a splash" to make the recipe the right way. So in these cases, always use fresh squeezed fruits rather than juices when they are specifically called for. If you squeeze your own at least you'll be reducing the amount of sugar and additives that things like Sweetened Lime Juice and premade orange juice have. It takes a little longer, but the nutrients in whole fruit juices are worth the extra aggravation.

3. Stick to clear colored spirits over darker ones. Vodka and Gin have fewer calories than Dark Rum and Whiskeys. Light Rum is better than dark, but both are still more sugar-laden than vodka and gin.

4. Better yet, eliminate mixers altogether and drink infused vodka instead. Vodka that has been infused with flavors (a fall favorite of mine is Apple Cinnamon Infused Vodka!) is not only better tasting, but you can actually sip it on the rocks since the burn of the alcohol is mellowed out by the smooth flavor of whatever’s been tossed in there. It is so easy – and not at all limiting – to make your own Infused Vodka. Jalapeño and Garlic; or Orange Vanilla; even herb-infused vodkas. Drink less, get buzzed, and at virtually no calories (60 calories per ounce of vodka)?!?! Count me in.

5. Dry white wine and dry champagne are good to consume, both by themselves, or mixed in with something. Not that I am fan of diluted wine, but there is something to be said for the lasting power of a White Wine Spritzer – grandmas and twenty-somethings alike are always drinking these. And look at the celebrities we see downing champagne at swanky clubs. It’s more than a status statement – those skinny girls know what’s what.

Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Champagne is one of the lowest-calorie champagnes on the market, clocking in at only 60 calories per glass. No surprise – models like Kate Moss know what they are doing. Cheaper sparkling wine alternatives (Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut runs around $60 a bottle) that are also dry and belly-friendly include Domaine Chandon Blanc de Noirs ($15 a bottle) and Westport Rivers Blanc de Noirs ($23 a bottle). With these prices and benefits, there will always be a reason to celebrate with some bubbly!

These few suggestions will keep your drinks flowing – without overflowing your love handles. I am willing to bet that you won't miss the extra sugar -- and around Halloween time, you know you are going to steal, I mean, eat some of your kids' candy. Save the calories for that -- and you'll feel entitled to that yummy drink.