Pioneer Woman's Iced Coffee

I have a problem.  I love iced coffee like woah.

I've made it at home tons of times, and we made it twice daily when I worked in a restaurant but I've never made it like The Pioneer Woman does.  I always made it from a hot pot.  After hearing tons of raves about this version I decided to give it a shot.

I'm glad I did.  It tastes awesome and the entire pitcher cost me about $2.50.

Perfect Iced Coffee:
(Pioneer Woman)

Ingredients:

1 pound Ground Coffee (good, Rich Roast)
8 quarts Cold Water
Half-and-half (healthy Splash Per Serving)
Sweetened Condensed Milk (2-3 Tablespoons Per Serving)

Directions:

In a large container, mix ground coffee with water. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature eight hours or overnight.

Line a fine mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all liquid to run through. Discard grounds.

Place coffee liquid in the fridge and allow to cool. Use as needed.

To make iced coffee, pack a glass full of ice cubes. Fill glass 2/3 full with coffee liquid. Add healthy splash of half-and-half. Add 2-3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk (can use plain sugar instead) and stir to combine. Taste and adjust half-and-half and/or sweetened condensed milk as needed.

Jamaican Cabdriver Cocktail

I love fruity drinks.  I look for a drink that can be served on a beach or by the pool and would work well with a tiny umbrella or a plastic sword.  I'm easy to please.

Jamaican Cabdriver:
(Webtender)

Ingredients:
4 oz Orange juice
4 oz Coconut rum
1 - 2 oz Cranberry juice

Mixing instructions:

Put ice in glass. Add orange juice and coconut rum. Add 1 to 2 oz. of cranberry juice, depending on your taste. Stir well.

Fruity Fiesta Cocktail

Here is a cocktail that I made the other night.  It's a small list of ingredients and they're easy ones to find.

Fruity Fiesta:
(inspired by Webtender)

Ingredients:
3 oz Orange juice
3 oz Cranberry juice
3 oz Sprite
2 oz Spiced rum
2 oz Pineapple rum

Mixing instructions:

Pour the cranberry juice, orange juice and rums in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake until cold, pour into glasses then add the sprite.

Hot Cocoa

I love hot cocoa.  It makes me feel warm and fuzzy.  I grew up drinking it out of a packet because it's easy.  Little did I know it's just as easy to make it from scratch with cocoa powder.

Hot Cocoa:
(Toll house)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
4 cups milk, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Combine sugar and cocoa in medium saucepan; stir. Gradually stir in 1/3 cup milk to make a smooth paste; stir in remaining milk.

Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly, until hot (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in vanilla extract. Top with whipped cream or marshmallows, if desired, before serving.


If you wanted to change this around a little bit feel free to add some peppermint extract to the mix. 

Blueberry Spritzer

My sister made this drink for our 4th of July party this year.  It was really pretty good.

Blueberry Spritzer:
(My sister, Sara)

Blueberry juice
Lemon-Lime Soda

Seltzer Water

In a glass filled with ice pour enough blueberry juice to fill the glass up half way.

This was a really refreshing drink and did taste like syrup, the way soda can sometimes.  You could even add champagne if you wanted to make it an "adult beverage".