Cooper's Cravings

Sunday, January 9, 2011

M.I.A.

Sorry I have been M.I.A. this week! It was a hectic week getting back into the swing of things at work and I am preparing for my trip to Georgia.

Cooper's Cravings will be back in full swing by the end of next week. I have 2011 goals to share, wedding inspiration and I have joined a blogger Cookbook club, so lots of yummy recipes, book reviews and photos to come!

Until then..........

Friday, December 31, 2010

Currently Craving: Bubbles

Champagne is one of my favorite drinks! I love the *POP* when you open the bottle, the effervescence in the first pour and that giddy feeling from your first glass! The Holiday's always promise the consumption of bubbly but for me I love to celebrate with sparkling beverages year round! Why not right?

For those who do not have as much...lets say...experience with champagne or sparkling wine, (It's only truly champagne if it comes from the region of Champagne, France!) it can be a bit intimidating. Here is a simple guide for choosing your bubbly:

{image from}

Cava: "The Spanish Champagne" Serve with hors d'oeuvres, particularity cheese and crackers.

Cuvée de Prestige: a proprietary blended wine (usually a Champagne) that is considered to be the top of a producer's range. Serve with Asian cuisine, sushi, etc.

Rosé: Bubbly with the addition of small amounts of Red wine during blending. Serve with shellfish.

Prosecco: A dry Italian sparkling wine. Serve with chocolate and strawberries.

The sweetness of a sparkling wine or Champagne ranges from:

Extra Brut (Brut Sauvage) - Totally dry
Brut - Dry
Extra Dry - Medium dry
Sec - Slightly sweet
Demi - Sec: Fairly sweet
Doux - Sweet

Illustration by Julia Rothman

**There is a great post about the Past and Present of Champagne over on Design*Sponge. I saw this illustration by Julia Rothman there and just fell in love with it!**

Another festive way to enjoy your bubbly is a Champagne Cocktail! Here are three of my all time favorites:

{from here}

Black Velvet
4 parts Champagne or sparkling wine to 1 part Guinness beer... Heavenly!!

Cattivo
(This cocktail comes from one of my favorite water holes in PDX, North 45. I want to incorporate this into my wedding and they were kind enough to send me the recipe!)
1.0 oz Lemoncello (depending on how sweet the cello you may have to adjust)
0.5 oz fresh lemon juice
7.0 oz Prosecco (or bubbles of any sort would probably work)
Garnish with lemon twist or lemon wheel.

The Pink Fizzy

(From Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook)
Handful of Pomegranate seeds
1.0 oz Pomegranate Juice
1.0 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
2.0 oz Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Happy New Year!
Cheers!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Santa-paws Oatmeal Balls

Gary, being the Southern Gentleman that he is, requested we make a Christmas treat for all of his new friends here in Albuquerque. With all of the chaos, known as December, I needed something quick, easy and delicious! I am pretty sure he has won the hearts of several pups with these Doggie Oaties!

What you will need:

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup applesauce

1 cup peanut butter

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes. Roll into bite sized balls and bake on parchment lined baking sheets in a 325℉ for 10 minutes.

{I tried to get festive using Holiday cookie cutters--FAIL--Balls work best!}

After the oaties had cooled we packaged them in individual treat bags for easy Secret Santa (paws) delivery!

And, of course, someone had to test the batch before we set out to spread good cheer!

Yes, Mom, I'll take one more!

Recipe from HEAB!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

We were not planning to have a Christmas tree this year. Being in a little apartment, saving money for the wedding, and having a very curious puppy were all good enough reasons. But A was out of town last week for work and I got bored...so I set out with a $20 limit and little inspiration.