Month: January 2014

Swag Stag Toddy

categories: COCKTAILS

What I love best about Winter is the warm and comforting cocktails.   One of my favorite and possibly the most common hot cocktail is the Hot Toddy.   

The Hot Toddy is an easier drink to make because the main ingredients are Tea, Whiskey, and Lemon.  There are other variations of this drink that include cinnamon, honey, nutmeg and many other spices and fruit.   Some people also swap out the Whiskey and use Brandy instead.

StagSwagTea

For my recipe I used Red Stag Whiskey by Jim Beam. I picked this particular whisky because the flavor was “Honey Tea” – perfect combination for a Hot Toddy.

What you need:

1 1/2 oz Whiskey

3 oz Cup of hot Tea

1 tbs sugar

1 tsp honey

Lemon Wedge for Garnish

Add Teabag to glass

Top with boiling water and steep for 5 minutes

Add sugar and honey

Add a splash of lemon

Stir and ENJOY!

*Serves 1

 

Beauty Bars: Of Love And Regret

categories: BEAUTY BARS

Of Love And Regret (1028 S. Conkling St, Baltimore, MD)

BB4

Karen’s Kitchen featured at “The Good Life” Party

categories: EVENTS

Over the weekend I attended a formal party at The Woods Estate in the Lake Ashburton Reservoir area in Baltimore, Maryland.   The open bar was an added bonus, but I of course was more concerned with the food options.

The event was catered by Karen’s Kitchen culinary team in Maryland and guests were served a variety of hors d’oeuvres by the wait staff.  The menu featured three no-fuss items that were simple and delicious – Check out the pics below and I know you’ll agree.

KKSkewers

Tomato, Mozzarella Skewers with Basil Pesto

KKMeatballs

Chicken Meatballs with Marinara Dipping Sauce

Bruschetta

Shrimp Bruchetta

All Photos By: Shaun Anthony Photography

Cap’n Crunch French Toast

categories: RESTAURANTS

Two all-star breakfast favorites join forces to make one awesome meal and leaves you wondering … Why didn’t I think of that?

My recent visit to Blue Moon Café (1621 Aliceanna St. Baltimore, MD ) was my second trip there.  The first time I visited was a few years ago with a few co-workers, back in my “late-night/early-morning” bartending days.  The restaurant is open 24 hours on the weekend, so that makes for a great grub after the club.   I don’t remember the food I ate, but I do remember the place being a very small and kitschy restaurant in Fells Point.  My second time around I was on a mission to taste their famous Cap’n Crunch French Toast.  I have many mention it on social media and I know a few people who’ve visited and raved about it.

CapnCrunchToast

I am officially one of the ravers because this French Toast is awesome!  The Cap’n Crunch isn’t added in the batter mixture because that would be a little nasty, instead The Cap’n Crunch is encrusted on the outside of the French Toast giving it a savory crunchy topping.  The bread is soft on the inside and gives the firm outside a nice balance.  It’s not as sweet as I originally thought it would be, but I could still taste the flavor of the Cap’n Crunch cereal.

If I can remember correctly, the cost of the French Toast is $7.99 and it comes with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and powdered sugar…not bad for two heavenly pieces of delicious carbohydrates.  The only downfall with this breakfast is Blue Moon Café doesn’t serve hot syrup 🙁 forgive me but I like my breakfast breads dripping in hot syrup. I asked the waitress why and she said something about “safety…hazard…hot liquids”  –  O.K. I get it.  Surprisingly without the hot syrup, I enjoyed my French Toast very much.  I’m starting to think that’s the idea…serve the toast with little distractions and lots of flavor.

 

 

Cheesecake Wine by Birthday Cake Vineyards

categories: Liquor Reviews

Over the weekend I celebrated the birthday of a really good friend. While pre-gaming at her crib I had the opportunity to taste the new Birthday Cake Vineyards Cheesecake Wine.

CakeWine

The creators of this wine also make Hpnotiq and Nuvo.  If you’re not familiar with those brands,  they are both sweet liqueurs that can be mixed with liquor or chilled and served alone.  I’ve seen the four flavors of Birthday Cake Wine in my local liquor store but never had the guts to buy it, so naturally I was excited when my friend offered it up to sample.

I sampled the Cheesecake flavor and as I expected it was sweet.  It does not have a subtle sweetness like Moscato, but just like the bottle says it “taste like real cheesecake”.  This wine of course would be considered a dessert wine and in my opinion should be served with dessert, after a meal, or on special occasions such as a birthday.  I suggest sharing it with friends at a party or giving it to the party hostess as a gift.  I’m looking forward to buying a bottle of my own and mixing it with other ingredients and creating a specialty cocktail.

Birthday Cake Vineyards wine is priced at $12.99 and is available in four flavors: Cheesecake,  Coffee Cake, Cake Batter, and Black Forest Cake. Birthday-Cake-Collage

 

 

Baltimore County Restaurant Week: Winter 2014

categories: FYI, Uncategorized

BCRW2014Not to be outdone by Baltimore [City] Restaurant Week, Baltimore County begins their Restaurant Week January 10th – 26th 2014.  Maybe you’ve always wanted to visit the restaurant that you drive by everyday on your way to work or maybe you want to try that restaurant your friend is always talking about, well now is the perfect time to sample 3-courses of deliciousness while sticking to your budget and not breaking the bank.

For two weeks to be exact, Baltimore County features over 50 restaurants offering 3-course lunch for $20.14 and 3-course dinner for $35.14.

The participating restaurant list can be overwhelming, so here are a few things to consider before venturing out.

1.  Make Reservations – You are not the only one who wants a crab cake this weekend from Ruth Chris’s Steakhouse.  Everybody has the same date-night ideas during Restaurant Week, so it’s better to be safe and make a reservation than to be sorry and turned away because of limited space and availability.

2. Check The Menu –  The link above has access to the menu at each participating restaurant so take a gander, look at your options beforehand and decide exactly where and what you would like to eat.

3.  Read Reviews –  I have been to most of the restaurants on the list, but sadly I haven’t written any reviews on them…yet.  While you’re waiting for my fabulous reviews, be sure to Google search or check YELP for reviews on atmosphere, location, service, and quality, this will help you manage your time and money more efficiently during restaurant week.

Happy Restaurant Week!!!

 

%d bloggers like this: