The Origial Caribbean Killer SkinnyTini

Can you see it??  Crystal blue skies, warm turquoise waters and palm fronds swaying gently in the onshore breeze.... it's the Caribbean!  And I've been living the tropical life for the last 14 days.  Celebrating our 20th Anniversary, my husband and I enjoyed a rare two weeks alone as we sailed the Caribbean waters on the Seabourn Sojourn and enjoyed ports including San Juan, St. John, Antigua, St. Barts and the fabulous Isla Catalina in the Dominican Republic. 

As I embark on the travel posts of the trip, I owe a great deal of thanks to my newfound friend and local San Diego girl, Teresa Howes.  You see, thanks to Teresa, I'm heading to the Caribbean, new bikini packed in my carry on bag along with a new confidence to don the costume that I've not had in years.

Stumbling across Teresa's 30-Day Juicing Challenge just over a month ago, she gave me the kick I needed to drop those few pounds that have been hanging around my middle for the last few years.  Beginning the challenge, my husband and I began our mornings with a plethora of juice concoctions (his favorite continues to be the Coconut Lime Detox Drink) and added servings of fruits and veggies to replace plates of pancakes while also increasing our exercise.  Some six weeks later, we're ready for the beach, and I'm ever so thankful to Teresa for the inspiration to get moving down a healthier path.

Chatting with Teresa we agreed to swap guest posts, and she suggested a bringing us a SkinnyTini.  Hmmm... SkinnyTini?  The phrase sounded so familiar.  And then it hit me, she was that Teresa, the one who wrote the book sitting on my girlfriends bookshelf and the one that we've used ever so often.  SkinnyTinis: :All the Fun for Half the Calories, is a skinny cocktail makers dream and one that suits my lifestyle.  Frequently I try to mix my beverages with non-caloric mixers, or will simply drink a premium tequila over ice with a squeeze of lime in place of a margarita with the sugary mixings... all in the name of saving those calories which have been tending to reside on my hips more often the older I get.

Today, to kick off our vacation to the Caribbean, Teresa brings us the Original Caribbean Killer SkinnyTini, the one that actually inspired her to write the book that we love so much.  Teresa, thank you for this celebration post, and thank you for inspiring me to drop those pounds.  I'm heading to those blue waters and won't be hiding under my coverup as I hit the beach.  Cheers!!

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The Original Caribbean Killer SkinnyTini

Well while Kim is off in paradise perusing the Caribbean, I’m more than happy to fill some of her airtime with the story of the original SkinnyTini.  It’s so fitting, as I made my very first recipe ever on the beach in Antigua in the winter of 2006.  Well, not physically on the beach, but you get the picture.  It was actually the winter body, on the beach that inspired the skinny cocktail concept!  If you flash back 7 years, you may recall a time when there was no such thing.

I had headed out on a voyage for some fun in the sun to ring in the New Year with a girlfriend on the remote south side of the island.  I was coming off a few months of too much fun, but since it was seasonally chilly, I don’t think I really noticed how the alcohol residue had collected on my tummy, hips and thighs.  But strip that tan-less, chubby body down into a bikini and put in on the beach and the dilemma was all too clear.  But we were on vacation!  Not a time to start a diet. So I vowed to find a compromise, we would only drink our sun-kissed cocktails with zero calorie mixers.  As I read nutrition labels on the local juices and of course sodas, I realized we could easily cut our calories in half!

But it was 2006, and we were on the remote side of the island, where there wasn’t much to offer by way of zero calorie mixers beyond soda water or diet coke – which is not very clever or all that interesting.  We had just traveled clear across the country and then some, and I noticed in my toiletry bag a bottle of pink grapefruit Airborne.  I checked the nutrition label and what luck!  Not only could we color our cocktails with something interesting and boost our health, it had only 5 calories per tablet! Viola, the original SkinnyTini, the Caribbean Killer was born!

This is a true story!

So when I got home, in early 2007 I got a little obsessed with finding fun, creative zero or ultra low calorie mixers and created concoctions that were literally “All the Fun for Half the Calories.”  After a year of playing mixologist in my kitchen, my friends and coworkers encouraged me to “write a book.”  And so I did. And to my surprise, Wiley bought it and published it! In the spring on 2009, “SkinnyTinis – All the Fun for Half the Calories” was published, and will always stand proudly as the original low calorie cocktail book.

So let’s cheers to Kim and her fantasist and well-deserved vacation!

Captain Greg’s Ghirardelli Mocha Chip Gelato

Living in my little neighborhood close to the sea comes with more benefits than the beach.  I have neighbors who get the mail when I'm gone, friends who walk with me in the mornings and dads who lend helping hands with leaking pipes when my husband is out of town.  Most importantly though, I have neighbors who bring treats.

You may remember my gelato-making neighbor and good friend, Captain Greg (he tirelessly coaches for Team in Training), of Plum Perfect Gelato fame?  Or perhaps it's his Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk version that caught your eye?  Well, in my opinion, today's Ghirardelli Mocha Chip Gelato takes the cake.

Bringing us his fifth Liv Life Guest Post (and my personal favorite!), I hereby give you... Captain Greg!

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When I was just 4 years old, my Granddad would sneak my brothers and me into his kitchen for a treat that drove my Mom nuts.  He would pour us each a cup of coffee, then add lots of cream and sugar until it was a crazy delight that little resembled the “cup of Joe” that got me through college. Mom was not happy… “Oh Dad”, she’d say, “Coffee is terrible for the kids!”  And he’d chuckle and ask “Who wants a refill?”  So my love affair with coffee got off to an early start, and when it collided with a passion for chocolate there was no looking back. 

Mocha, that magical blend of coffee and cocoa, owned me from the first time I tried it.  Growing up, Wednesday was Baskin Robbins night, and one of my two scoops was always Jamoca Almond Fudge.  And at 16 my first job was a soda jerk at the Carnation Ice Cream Restaurant.  My first day, the Manager handed me a 2-gallon tub of Mocha Chip -- and a spoon.  Big mistake.  2 hours later, what wasn’t inside me had melted into a delicious drink that made milkshakes for a week!

So fast forward to now.  I’ve fallen in love with gelato.  Crisp, sharp flavors that far surpass their heavier confectionery cousin -- ice cream.  And it’s a passion that takes little more than patience, great ingredients and a trusted ice cream churn.  And like I needed an excuse!  My Team in Training runners preparing for a marathon in San Francisco challenged me to whip up something with a taste of the City by the Bay.  Too easy… for a guy that pounded 2 gallons of Mocha Chip as a teen?  What says San Francisco more than Fisherman’s Wharf, Ghirardelli Square and that silky blend of cocoa and sugar that draped many a sundae at Ghirardelli’s?  Way too easy.

So today’s recipe is a flavor sensation that’s straightforward and simple.  Start with a sweetened custard base, combine it with the essentials of any fine mocha, and amp it up to another level with Ghirardelli chocolate chips and slivered almonds.  Then join me back in Grandpa Rathel’s kitchen for a celebration of coffee and chocolate!  Give it up Mom…  I’ll take another scoop please!

Captain Greg's Plum Perfect Gelato

Arriving home from our long week in Las Vegas for Liv's Nationals (pics on our Liv Life Facebook page), my cupboards were absolutely bare.  Leaving a teenaged son home with his dad for a week totally depleted our stores of frozen burritos, marinated salmon and chips and salsa along with anything even remotely sweet.  Please note that they did indeed have access to a car and a grocery store, but have instead kindly left me with a list of needed items prominently on the kitchen table.

Having wonderful neighbors, however, frequently brings good things to me just in my times of need.  That's where Captain Greg comes in.  Perhaps you remember Captain Greg, our gelato expert and guest poster, from his sweet/tart Lemon Lime Gelato post or his plentiful  Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Chunk Gelato?

Captain Greg is one of those people who always seems to know what you need.  One of the kindest and most giving people I know, Captain Greg is the Captain of our local Team in Training Chapter for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  Mentoring new members as they begin their marathon training, Captain Greg provides the positive support that keeps these runners moving, and a love of life that makes everyone love him.

In any case, arriving home tired, hungry and just a little grumpy, Captain Greg was at our door in mere minutes delivering his latest creation, Captain Greg's Plum Perfect Gelato, as a congratulations to our dancing girl.  Taking a quick look, Liv simply smiled, gave a heartfelt thanks and headed for a spoon.

Captain Greg, thanks for welcoming us home and thanks for bringing another fabulous Guest Post to Liv Life.

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Every April, my wonderful neighbor’s children – Jack and Maggie – knock on my door with one all-consuming question, “Mr. Greg!  Are the ‘prums’ ready yet?”  Each week as spring tumbles into summer, Jack insistently drills me with the same question, as though asking will somehow hurry the plums to harvest.  It doesn’t matter whether my tree is just barely bristling with delicate, fragrant white blossoms, the question is always the same.

So in that beautiful moment in mid-June, when Carlsbad’s morning fog gives way to hot, brilliant sunshine, my one over-achieving plum tree begins dropping a crop that could feed the county.  Plump, unspeakably sweet, and the deepest of red-purples, the fruit arrives all at once.  And Jack and Maggie (who I affectionately call “my Farmworkers”) slip into the backyard at dawn to harvest what’s fallen almost magically into fruit nets.  My tree is relentless!

So I took on a challenge.  What to do with the hundreds of plums that in just a few days would move from ultimate sweetness to “not-so-wonderful”?  Catch them at their peak, and the “Oh my God” sweetness can be folded into dozens of recipes!

But how could I freeze the moment when these firm, succulent plums packed their ultimate punch?   Jack and Maggie’s Mom wondered aloud, “If only you could just capture that uniquely incredible moment of sweetness, shocking plum tartness and the fresh taste of your plum tree…”  Captain Greg, you were served!

Well, gelato’s my passion.  But the flavor signature of this early-Summer fruit is difficult to feature.  The culinary world just hasn’t served up a recipe that tapped plum’s seasonal punch.  Until now.  I re-crafted the delicate balance of sweet-and-pungent of my Blood Orange gelato recipe to exploit the tart delivery of ripe plums.  Modestly, I must admit, this recipe nails it!  The fruity sugars, the sharp wallop of a crisp tart plum, and the mellow consistency of gelato will leave you begging for “Seconds”, “Thirds” and “What the hell, let’s finish this off…!”

Enjoy the “prums”.

Strawberry Corn Cakes with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream - Guest Post featuring Bellabits!

Spring is most definitely spreading her wings and bringing gorgeous, sunny skies to Southern California.  With spring, comes two of my favorite things... strawberries and spring break.

As we eased back into real life today, the kids reflected on our fairly inactive and much needed restful break, wishing themselves back into dreamland with no schedule.  Alas... the break is over and it's back to school and the regularly scheduled schedule.

Not everyone was spending their break kicking back and relaxing though.  I'd like to introduce you to my favorite almost-teen blogger, Bella, of Bellabits, who spent her spring break in the kitchen and at the computer writing a Guest Post for us.  A 2011 Young Writer's Program winner, Bella brings a fresh voice to her blog and shows off her talent in the kitchen.

Who can resist a girl who in 2010 wrote about a Christmas shopping spree proclaiming her favorite stop William's Sonoma?  Coming home with a Vanilla Bean Paste she was eager to get back into the kitchen, just like she did on Spring Break 2012.

I can't thank Bella enough for sharing her sweet Strawberry Corn Cakes with Brown Sugar Whipped Cream with all of us.  You can find her on Bellabits and the Bellabits Facebook page.  She's also on twitter at @IamBellabits.

While I've never actually met Bella in person, I've enjoyed watching her blog grow over the last few years and I'm eager to see where she takes us next.  But for now I give you Bella and her sweet Strawberry Cakes...

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Oh my goodneshhh!!  Hello everyone, its Bella!!!

OK so I was doodling what might become Bellabits' new logo, and looking for blogging inspiration, flipping through some of my favorite Food Network Magazines.  These are always packed with SCRUMDIDDLYUMPTIOUS recipes, and I happened to stumble upon a delicious looking one of them: Strawberry Corn Cakes! Yummy right?

I've got to tell you that I have been on a cornbread kick lately.  My Mom never made cornbread much, but this last winter, we started making it instead of rolls with dinner, as breakfast (cornbread pancakes) and dessert (buttered brown sugar cornbread).  So, right then and there, I decided that we absolutely needed to make them.

We followed the oh-so-easy recipe making a few tweaks here and there.  Instead of lemon zest, we added orange zest, instead of vanilla extract, we used (my favorite) vanilla bean paste, and for an extra special topper, we made a fresh brown sugar whipped cream instead of the plain whipped cream in the original recipe. Using a cornbread mix really made this quick and easy too.

  

Here I am spooning the corn cake mix into the muffin pan after preparing it using the directions.  I pop them into the oven and make my strawberry filling/topping.

With about 5 min left to bake, take out the corn cakes, make an indention in them with the back of a spoon, and put some of the strawberry filling into each one.  Stick the cakes back into the oven for the remaining time. They will be golden.

Once cool, add the remaining berry mixture and a giant dollop of the brown sugar whipped cream on the side. The end result: A delectable, fruity dessert!!!

When I first bit into one of the cakes, a sensational sweet-tart, warmness put a smile on my face. The cornbread muffin is substantial and quite filling. Make sure to add some of the whipped cream to your spoonful, to make it cool and sweet and moist. My mouth is watering just writing about it!!! This is a recipe that all of you guys NEED to try!!!