The Genuine Candy Cane Martini

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No flavor 'says' Christmas quite like peppermint.  The candy cane is the perfect celebration of this fabulous flavor.  Chad can't seem to get enough candy cane.  We have been enjoying candy canes in ice cream, cookies, cakes, hot cocoa...  Well you had to know a candy cane cocktail was just around the corner.


This candy cane martini is absolutely Santa certified!!!  It is THE SIGNATURE MARTINI of the NORTH POLE.  Developed by a long time candy cane lover (our very own cocktail artist: Chad) with the authentic candy cane experience kept in mind, this martini is like drinking a candy cane in liquid form.  It is sweet, creamy, and packs the perfect peppermint kiss!  Make 2, your going to want to share this one.

Kick 'em off and pour yourself one. I know you will love it.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook - where we have a virtual Ladies Night party every Thursday.  Come and link up your favorite cocktail or dish!  Fabulous cocktails, fantastic food and amazing company.  It is THE place to be!

Check out this incredible cocktail line up perfect for your Christmas or holiday party!  What are you drinking? Click on the photo or link to open in a new window.

Grandma's Sugar Cookies Martini is your favorite sugar cookie transformed into a fabulous cocktail.  Like nothing you have tried before!


Pecan Pie Martini, an incredibly sweet, creamy, and oh sooo nutty cocktail! Perfect for every holiday party.


With an incredible nutty flavor, this Nutcracker Cocktail is the perfect drink to enjoy as you bring in the season. A fabulous blend of DiSaronno, Baileys, Kahlua and vodka come together to create this incredible nutty cocktail.


The Genuine Candy Cane Martiniserves 1 large or 2 small martini's
2 ounces infused Candy Cane Vodka (recipe to follow)2 ounces DiSaronno Amaretto2 ounces French Vanilla International Delight candy caneCrushed candy canes for rimming the glassPeppermint stick or candy cane for garnish
Prepare a martini glass by dipping rim of glass in a shallowdish of candy cane vodka or other liquid of choice.  Transfer to a shallow dish of crushed candycanes, gently spin in dish until coated. **If you are rimming with large chunks, try brushing a thicker substancesuch as corn syrup on glass and then gently pressing candy canes ontoglass.  Set aside.
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake to combine, strain out ice and pourinto prepared martini glass and garnish with a candy cane.  Serve and enjoy!
Infused Candy Cane Vodka10 full size candy canes, broken in bite size pieces8 oz Pinnacle whipped vodka
In a medium size resealable glass jar combine candy canesand vodka.  Allow to sit for about 4hours until candy canes are most or completely dissolved.  Strain infusion through a fine mesh strainerto remove any lingering candy cane pieces. Use as desired.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com 

Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake in just 30 Minutes

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With Christmas quickly approaching, time is a very precious commodity.  Whether you are preparing a meal for your family or a dinner party for friends, you can put a gourmet meal on the table in only 30 minutes.

This Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake has everything your dinner guests could possibly desire, tender tubes of rigatoni are baked in a scrumptious, flavorful Italian cheese sauce. The pasta is tossed with...

~Read the article and get the recipe after the jump~

Check out these fantastic, quick and easy dishes from our Simple Kitchen: Creating delicious meals in a snap!   Click on the image or the link and it will open each one in a new tab.


30 Minute Ravioli and Sausage Skillet - tastes like fine Italian restaurant meal in one skillet and half and hour! Cheesy and oh so delish!  We have had this 3 times in the last 2 weeks and we are serving it for Christmas, its that good.



Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup - hearty, flavorful and delish!  Its chock full of chicken, veggies and noodles on your plate in 25 Minutes!!!

30-minute Cheesy Beef & Bean Enchiladas, perfect weeknight dinner, captures all my favorite flavors of the southwest on the table in no time


Chicken Cordon Bleu Soup ready in 30 minutes. This scrumptious soup is loaded with ham, chicken, cheesy soup and crispy garlic croutons! It's better than your favorite Chicken Cordon Bleu in a fabulous soup, made in half an hour!

Cheesy Chicken Pierogi Bake in 30 Minutes

To contact us Click HERE


We are taking a little break from cookie baking to help you get through the busy season with delicious meals in half an hour!  Today we bring you a twist on one of my favorite casseroles that is taken to a whole new level with the irresistible flavor of bacon. Smoky bacon infuses a creamy cheese sauce and combines with herbs and spices to create an incredibly decadent cheese sauce that is perfect for this dish...

~Read the article and get the recipe after the jump~

Check out these fantastic, quick and easy dishes from our Simple Kitchen: Creating delicious meals in a snap!   Click on the image or the link and it will open each one in a new tab.



Italian Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta Bake is loaded with ooey gooey cheese, sun-dried and fresh grape tomatoes. Ready in just 30 minutes!


30 Minute Ravioli and Sausage Skillet - tastes like fine Italian restaurant meal in one skillet and half and hour! Cheesy and oh so delish!  We have had this 3 times in the last 2 weeks and we are serving it for Christmas, its that good.



Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup - hearty, flavorful and delish!  Its chock full of chicken, veggies and noodles on your plate in 25 Minutes!!!

30-minute Cheesy Beef & Bean Enchiladas, perfect weeknight dinner, captures all my favorite flavors of the southwest on the table in no time.

New Year's Party Appetizers

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There is no better food option on New Year's Eve than finger food and appetizers!  We have picked out our favorites to share with you.  These disappear like magic at our parties and I am sure they will be a huge hit at yours too!

Have a fabulous New Years and check out our New Year's Party Cocktail Shooters Roundup too! 



Bacon. Cheddar. Ranch.... Need I say more??? This is dangerously good. Bacon Cheddar Ranch Pull Apart Bread is insanely addictively delish!





Delicious 7 Layer Mexican Bean Dip - featuring, rice, beans, salsa verde, spicy ground chicken, enchilada sauce and cheese cheese cheese!!!


Fresh Pico de Gallo is loaded with all your favorite salsa flavors!  Fresh plum tomatoes, jalapenos, onions, garlic and so much flavor it will blow your mind!!!

Green Chile and Cheese Sausage Poppers are perfectly flavored and pop-able for EVERY occasion.

Fabulous 4 Layer Pizza Dip, perfect for any party, happy hour or an anytime snack! This dip is out of this world delicious!!!

Roasted Tomato and Serrano Salsa - Packed with HUGE flavor and perfect for EVERY occasion! Truly the BEST-SALSA-EVER.




Sweet and Sour Meatball Poppers - perfect for every party or any dinner. So good, you can't stop poppin' 'em! Simple and delicious.

Italian Potato Skins - Potato skins with an amazing Italian twist.  Packed with spices, sausage, cheese and sun-dried tomatoes they are undeniably delicious!

Skinny Chipotle Guacamole featuring all the flavors of your favorite Chipotle's guacamole, with half the calories and fat!  Aaaaamazing!!!

New Year's Party Shooters

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New Years Eve is the perfect occasion to serve cocktail shooters.  You can mix up a batch of a few of your favorites and serve them all night with plastic shot cups or shooter vials.  Both are available at your local party stores.

For a more laid back approach fill a couple of pitchers with your favorites and set the shot glasses/cups next to the pitchers for a self serve mini bar. 

Have a very Happy New Years! 


Chocolate Caramel Cookie Cocktail Shooters perfect for any party or any day. Serve with or without the cookie!





B-52 Layered Cocktail Shooters all around!!! This is a classic, built with coffee liqueur, Irish cream and one special flavor on top. There are a ton of variations, which is your favorite???




Candy Cane Shooters are like a candy cane in a glass!




Stars and Stripes - Red, White & Blue Layered Shot, like magic the layers separate. Want to know the secret???

Bubble Gum Cocktail Shooters are so creamy and taste so much like your favorite bubble gum you may be tempted to chew it!




The suns eclipse captured The Vampire's Eclipse.  With 3 magical layers this shot is sure to impress!!

White Chocolate Ghost Cocktail Shooters have all the BOO's you need! With white chocolate and marshmallow flavor you may need to make 2!

Candy Cane Shooters

To contact us Click HERE

Continuing our Cookies and Cocktails party this week with this fantabulous Candy Cane Shooter, loaded with peppermint flavor, amaretto to wake up your taste buds and the creme de cacao makes this cocktail smooth, creamy and incredible!


Kick 'em off and pour yourself one. I know you will love it.

Don't forget to check us out on Facebook - where we have a virtual Ladies Night party every Thursday.  Come and link up your favorite cocktail or dish!  Fabulous cocktails, fantastic food and amazing company.  It is THE place to be!

Check out this incredible cocktail line up perfect for your Christmas or holiday party!  What are you drinking? Click on the photo or link to open in a new window.


The Genuine Candy Cane Martini is like drinking a candy cane in liquid form. It is sweet, creamy, and packs the perfect peppermint kiss!

Grandma's Sugar Cookies Martini is your favorite sugar cookie transformed into a fabulous cocktail.  Like nothing you have tried before!


Pecan Pie Martini, an incredibly sweet, creamy, and oh sooo nutty cocktail! Perfect for every holiday party.


With an incredible nutty flavor, this Nutcracker Cocktail is the perfect drink to enjoy as you bring in the season. A fabulous blend of DiSaronno, Baileys, Kahlua and vodka come together to create this incredible nutty cocktail.

Candy Cane Shooter
1½ ounces Infused Candy Cane Vodka
½ ounce DiSaronno Amaretto
½ ounce Crème de Cacao (clear)
½ ounce French Vanilla International Delight
Ice

Fill shaker glass with all ingredients, shake to combine.  Strain ice and pour into 3 ounce shot glass.

Serve and enjoy!

Infused Candy Cane Vodka
10 full size candy canes, broken in bite size pieces
8 oz Pinnacle whipped vodka

In a medium size resealable glass jar combine candy canes and vodka.  Allow to sit for about 4 hours until candy canes are most or completely dissolved.  Strain infusion through a fine mesh strainer to remove any lingering candy cane pieces.  Use as desired.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com 

Cookie Party 2012 - Week 3

To contact us Click HERE

Are you busy baking your favorite Christmas cookies or looking for amazing cookie recipes for your holiday celebrations? Then you need to check out our fabulous cookie party.  It is a 4 week long celebration and it already has over Cookie 250 amazing cookie recipes shared!  Have you shared yours yet???

Dash to the Holidays!  Cookie Party 2012 is hosted by our blog The Simple Kitchen and Dash we are delighted bring you our very first party!  Everyone is invited! Tell your mom, your best friends, your grandma and your neighbors. Share your recipes with Dash, PARADE and millions of readers online. The more cookies the merrier!!! 


The cookie party has a new scrumptious theme each week. Here's the schedule:

Week of December 3 – Drop Cookies
Week of December 10 – Cut-Out Cookies, Slice & Bake
Week of December 17 – Bar Cookies
Week of December 24 – Special Diet Cookies (e.g.: gluten-free, diabetic-friendly, vegan, etc.)

PARADE Magazine (from your Sunday paper) will be inviting all their readers to join in this HUGE COOKIE PARTY this weekend so hop on over, post up your favorite cookie recipe and get seen by all their readers.

Click here to go to the party! 


Be sure to check out these scrumptious cookies perfect for the holidays:   Click on the image or the link and it will open each one in a new tab.


My Favorite Chocolate Chip recipe - crisp edges, chewy inside, perfectly chocolaty with a hint of salty sweet in every bite.


Candy Cane Crinkle Cookies are the best peppermint cookies you will ever eat!  Chewy inside, creamy texture, loaded w/ chunks of candy cane.


Spiced Eggnog Cookies are soft & chewy.  These cookies are also sweet, rich and packed with flavor. It tastes like you are drinking a glass of delish eggnog.


Caramel Butterscotch cookie! Like nothing you have ever tasted before. Moist on the inside and crisp around the edges loaded with caramel!


Soft and Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies with Brown Butter Drizzle taste like home.  With a special ingredient that makes these super soft and chewy, you are going to love them!

Butterscotch Pecan Cookies are out of this world delicious. Soft and chewy with the perfect crunch, you are going to love 'em!

Perfectly Chocolate Double Chocolate Chip Cookies - perfectly chocolaty and simply delicious. You are going to love these!

Best-Ever Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with a secret ingredient to make them extra puffy and chewy!


Fall wrapped up in a warm cozy Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie.  You are going to love it!

Lime Coconut Sugar Cookies. A tropical twist on the the traditional sugar cookie; soft, chewy and loaded with shredded coconut and lime.

Lemon Almond Crinkle Cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy on the insdie with the perfect amount of lemon and almond to wake up your cookie!

Not your Grandmother's Oatmeal cookie! These fantastic Butterscotch Oatmeal cookies are soft, chewy. sweet and comforting!

The true definition of decadence in this Double Chocolate Almond Cookie with 3 different types of chocolate.

Lemon Ricotta Cookies with Lemon Glaze fantastic lemon zing that is "ridiculously delicious"!