“Cocktail Hour Buzz,” Feb 25-March 3, 2022

®

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz 

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

{any links under these items take you right to Amazon unless otherwise indicated}

♦♦♦   So, last week {02.18.22 Salon, recipe included} we referred to a cocktail called Izzy Bizzy that was featured in both Food & Wine and Food Network Magazine , and both gave a nod to its creator Tom Bullock, active in the “spirits” world in the early 1900s. As bartender at the St. Louis Country Club, a fave of local notables, he created other drinks as well, eventually gathered into the 1917 book, “The Ideal Bartender,” available in reprint in hardcover, paperback and Kindle, 4+ stars, Prime eligible.  Amazon

Other books of vintage cocktails on Amazon

♦♦♦  How cool is this. Wine  classes you can attend from the comfort of home. You’ll even find some that  guide you through a virtual tasting party. Some are free, some have a fee, some require memberships, and you’ll find choices for different aspects of this juicy subject. Online wine classes. Google

Or go directly to . . .

Top Ten Free Online Wine Classes

♦♦♦  When brunch is on the agenda, cocktail hour moves up the clock. The food offerings span the gap between the traditional first and and second meals of the day, and also likely evolve into something a little hardier. Just imagine how a nice icy glass of Champagne would pair with this sweet treat with a breakfast-y vibe. Nutella®-Filled Donut Muffins! Donut texture, baked in a muffin tin, with a nutty surprise inside.  AllRecipes

So, quite sure I’ll make these sometime, but meanwhile I had a package of jumbo biscuits loitering in the fridge and used these to make a version of those ^. Baked according to directions, sliced off most of the top, cut out the center of the top as you see here. Then sliced off most of the bottom of the removed piece, leaving just a thin piece of the golden top. Placed the ring back on the bottom, filled the center with Nutella, and then replaced the cap. You could also just leave the caps off and use them separately as mini biscuits. Really good lightly warmed.

Also, I used chocolate Nutella®, in your market, or here on Amazon, singles & packs

♦♦♦  Everybody party! Sure you can offer your non-drinking friends water, soda, iced tea, etc etc etc. But why not let them also enjoy the flavors and aromas and nuances of vino with 2022’s “10 Best Non-Alcoholic Wines.” You’ll find in this list all the usual suspects, Rose, Cabarnet, Chardonnay and more. Cheers!  Liquor.com

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CS Marketplace Directory

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Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS  ♦  Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

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New “Cocktail Hour Buzz,” CooksSalon, Feb 18-Feb 24, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

♦♦♦  Does it make you kind of want to head for the kitchen just hearing about a recipe for Pizza Tots??? This one starts with 3 1/2 cups hash browns, seasoned, and eggy-ed up to create a moldable consistency. Small handfuls are then shaped around mozzarella and pepperoni, briefly frozen, then fried and served with marinara of your choice. Yum. Demo too.  Tasty

I found online that 3 1/2 c = 1 lb hash browns, but all the packages I saw were larger than that. No worries about leftover taters though . . .

Recipes using hash browns as an ingredient on AllRecipes

♦♦♦  Here’s another dessert bar that’s sturdy enough to be cut to candy-size, especially if right out of the fridge. These Apple & Brown Butter Blondies can add a nice, sweet touch to the Happy Hour table. The mixer does most of the work, with the apple cutting being the only part that needs a bit of time – may experiment next time with apple pie filling or something else I found called fried apples. Meanwhile, may I add, these are really good.  AllRecipes

So, the recipe I used was is the AR magazine, but the link shown on their page {and now above} went to a slightly different title, and slightly different prep, with the most notable changes being the handling of the butter & the number of apples. I’ve posted the mag version on our Recipe Page.

CS Recipe Page

♦♦♦  The good news – cocktail kits abound. The bad news – cocktail kits abound. There are soooooo many of them available, but good news checks in again because you can filter the results by price, rating, discounts and more. Btw, the link above takes you to just the 4-star and up selections. Meanwhile, the kits variously include prep items, glasses, recipe books, mixes, plus some designed for drinks on the go, and two things new to me, whiskey stones and smoking tools.  Amazon

See all the their cocktail kits

♦♦♦  Lots of folks want their bourbon straight, some possibly inviting in a few ice cubes. But it can also be neat {sorry} to mix that spirit into tasty cocktails. Let’s not though take seriously “26 Bourbon Cocktails to Make Tonight” starting instead perhaps with one or two. Maybe the Maple bourbon smash, Banana Rum Old Fashioned {interloper!}, or the fun-named one with ginger oil & baking spices, Hello Friday.  Food & Wine

What a co-ink-a-dink, one of those bourbon cocktails is the Bizzy Izzy {new to me}

. . . and the current issue of Food Network Magazine features it too with this recipe

More on this next week, interesting stuff

The 9 Best Bourbons to Start Your Collection, also from F&W

♦♦♦   What a nice surprise this would be at Happy Hour for folks that need to avoid gluten. Not just snacks they can have, but ones that sound every bit as tasty as their gluten-y cousins. Among the recipes in this listing of Gluten Free Snacks – Caramel & carrot snack cake, Spicy cheese crackers, No-bake honey peanut butter bars, Blooming onion with bacon chipotle dip {shown}, Cinnamon twists with vanilla glaze, and Italian Chex mix, and in fact a number of them offer the flavorful head start of g/f Chex Mix. Even, btw, stuff for puppyBetty Crocker

{Pic from Betty Crocker site}

Rather buy them? – Check out these tasty g/f treats on Amazon

Are you a doggie mom or dad? – might like to see our special tees & mugs

Want to join the Buzz? Enter “Buzz” in the Subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items, cookbooks    CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

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This week’s Cocktail Hour Buzz in CooksSalon, Feb 11-Feb 17, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

♦♦♦  Will you be clinking glasses this Valentine’s Day? How about something extra special in those glasses. Say, like one of these Champagne Cocktails. Fresh fruit, citrus, bitters, spices, syrups, liquors & liqueurs bring their own special enchantments to this bubbly party.  Food & Wine

All About Champagne from Whole Foods

And then along came this one . . .

Ina Garten’s strawberry/raspberry champagne cocktail

♦♦♦   For the chocolate component of that special day, we’re bringing back into the spotlight a CS favorite – Chocolate-Filled Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars. Depending on how much is on the Happy Hour table, you can leave them normal size as shown here, or cut them into candy-size pieces. These are really, really, good.  Food & Wine

More information in the original o4.26.19 Salon

♦♦♦  Prepping a game day table? Here’s an idea  – how about letting the crockpot take over some of the work. If you have more than one, even better. Because may we present for your tasting pleasure, 40 Big Game Crockpot Appetizers. Get ready to scoop out, e.g., Peach & whiskey wings, Cheesy pizza fondue, Peppered meatballs, Hot crab or ham & cheese dip, Party mix or party nuts, Buffalo chicken dip, sliders or egg rolls.  Taste of Home

Are slow cookers safe? Yes if . . . says Univ of Minn Ext

Top rated slow cooker cookbooks on Amazon

♦♦♦  Planning to start the party early? How about Bloody Marys. Or better, a Bloody Mary Bar. Whichever, the beverage can turn into a conversation piece with this Bloody Mary Backstory about its origins in Paris, theories about the name with one involving Hemingway and also why he wanted tomato juice, and the essential ingredients.  Food & Wine

Google page of “best bloody mary” recipes    Top rated bloody mary mixes on Amazon    Bloody Mary Bar in our 08.06.19 Salon

♦♦♦  Woohoo for Iowa State University for giving us all this – “a first-of-its-kind large scale analysis that connects specific foods to later-in-life cognitive acuity.” But the thank you is in the results. Cheese best by a long shot – and alcohol {specifically red wine} was related to actual improvements. You can find all the details here in this story on the U site, that also btw mentions a couple of other findings. We also have to thank a top tier food read for pointing us to the study.  Food Network Magazine

Top rated Wine & Cheese pairing books

{The Swatchbook one is particularly clever}

Want to join the Buzz? Enter “Buzz” in the Subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items including cookbooks    CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

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This week’s Cocktail Hour Buzz in CooksSalon, Feb 4-Feb 10, 2022

New Salon every Friday – and you’re invited

C’mon in and help yourself to tasty resources

Hosted by Barbara J Nosek

 Cocktail Hour Buzz

sundowner snacks, drinks, chat, and . . .

whenever I can, related resources & goodies on Amazon

whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

{links below items take you right to Amazon unless otherwise indicated}

♦♦♦  Hooray for this complete blueprint for your game day get-together. It’s from “Giada Entertains,” and though a re-run it’s timeless in terms of the festive suggestions for decorations, pompoms, mini take-home pix, serving tricks, and a Beer Bar. And of course – recipes! For bacon & blue cheese truffles, margarita wings, individual snack mixes, and football-shaped walnut cookies. Here’s “Giada’s Kickoff Party” episode in its entirety.  Food Network

There may be a tiny ad banner in the lower right corner of the screen – can just ignore it, as you’ll still see the full show

Giada’s Cookbooks    Giada’s Videos    Beer 101 on Vinepair {shows SSL}

♦♦♦  Have you seen the bags of mini bell peppers in your market? That is an easy, colorful appetizer just waiting to happen. Here we stuffed the cleaned, halved peppers with a mix of 4 oz softened block cream cheese, garlic salt, dried parsley and just enough avocado ranch to make a nice consistency, still thick enough to survive a bite without depositing the rest of the filling on the floor. Toppings were, clockwise from rightmost, smoked paprika, chopped pimento olives, green onions, chopped pepperoni, dill weed, and for a sweet touch, diced dates. The CS Kitchen

Bell Pepper Cookbooks, stuffed & more

How to grow your own bell peppers on The Gardener’s Path {shows SSL}

♦♦♦  Pink Champagne or . . . one of these “15 Best Pink Valentine’s Day Cocktails”? A nice range of flavors and true to the title, pretty creations ranging from delicate petal hues to a rosy blush. Here are some sips that will have me checking for ingredients. Blueberry mint cocktail, White hot chocolate with pink frosting, Honeyed cherry daiquiri.  Country Living

♦♦♦  Take your pick from these 50 Easy Snacks for the Big Game. Wowsie, dips, salsas, wings, nachos, poppers, bacon-wrapped tenders & smokies, cheese or veggie meatballs, bite-size pizzas & corn dogs, garlic knots, tasty veggies too. Below are some that sounded especially good. We made the crackers linked below and shown here, and it’s almost magic how the humble cracker can become a first class snack.  AllRecipes

Alabama Fire Crackers    Chicken Nachos w/Refried Beans

Greek-Inspired Snack Board

♦♦♦  Bad weather before the game? Ran out during the game? Don’t want to get out of your pjs? If you have an Amazon Echo Show, you can ask Alexa, “Which liquor stores deliver?” and then just watch the screen for the results.  Alexa

Echo Styles on Amazon

Want to join the Buzz? Enter “Buzz” in the Subject line – sign whatever way you want to be identified

Click here to email your comments, questions, links to fave recipes, or?

STUFF FOR COOKS

Find t-shirts, mugs, dvds, gift collections, plus top chef items including cookbooks    CS Marketplace Directory

♦  ♦  ♦

Appreciate anytime you can visit affiliate partners, linked below or in features above

Amazon

Click link above for Amazon homepage, Below for Echo Show, Echo Dots, Echo Studio, Especially for Kids – 

Browse Amazon Echo styles right here – all a foodster’s dream resource 

Zazzle

Click link above for Zazzle homepage, Below for CS-Designed, Zazzle-Crafted Items {direct Zazzle links on these pages}

Food Lovers T-Shirts page here on CS    Food Lover Mug page here on CS

ETC

Want to be among the first to know about new Salons?

Easy! Just put “Preview List”  in the Subject line, and email me at the link shown above for comments & questions

Looking for something in CS?

Use Search, Archives, Categories OR email me at the same link above with “CooksSalon” in the Subject line

Note

All transactions are solely between the buyer and linked supplier

Cook with passion and a party spirit, whether for a crew, or for two, or just for you

All pages ©2022 CooksSalon.com

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