Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Posts Tagged ‘maple syrup’

A Dozen Kiwis? Make A Drink

Posted by terrepruitt on September 9, 2020

My husband is the plant man at the office. He takes care of the plants. People bring him dead plants (to which he says, “It’s not dead.”) and he brings them back to life. Well, the shelter-in-place started somewhat abruptly and while there was someone there to water the plants, he is not the “Plantman” so my husband wanted to bring home any that have survived this long. So he went into the office the other day and somehow ended up with a dozen kiwis. I know they were from someone in the office, but I didn’t get the story as to how my husband got them. Since no one is supposed to be in the office I believe when someone is going to go in for something they notify the boss or office manager so that everyone else can stay clear, so perhaps they were left there for him as his visit was somewhat scheduled. ANYWAY . . . . a dozen kiwis. My husband LOVES kiwis. I guess I like them but I don’t like to deal with them. The fuzz . . .no thanks. These were non-fuzzy as I ended up eating the skin (just on the very thin slice that was my drink’s garnish).

Anyway . . . I cannot tell you how it came up . . . but it did and now I have a new favorite drink. My husband is a very good bartender as he does a lot of research and “figuring” before he makes a drink. Of course, when one is creating a drink with ingredients on hand and recipes pieced together the first one isn’t always great. But he works to perfect. These ones . . . the very first ones . . . were great!

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Photo courtesy of John Pruitt

Here is my husbands’ Kiwi-Tini recipe. He thinks of it as a kiwi-martini-daiquiri and wants to call it a KMD. The fruit isn’t frozen and it is not slushy, so . . . I don’t know. I’m posting it as a:

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Kiwi-Tini

Two martini glasses
Muddler and something to muddle in
Drink shaker
Additional strainer
2 kiwis
2 teaspoons of maple syrup
4 ounces of vodka
Ice
Sugar
spoon

Skin the kiwis. Slice the kiwis – save two slices (for garnish) . . . then chop the remaining kiwi slices. Muddle the kiwis. Use some of the kiwi juice to wet the rims of the glasses. Dip the rims in sugar. Put the vodka, maple syrup, muddle kiwis, and a few cubes of ice in drink shaker. Shake the shaker mixing up all the ingredients.

Then using the strainer that is in the shaker (ours has a strainer) pour equal amount of liquid in each glass.  As all the muddled kiwi will clog this strainer use an additional strainer to strain as you pour the rest of the liquid (equally) into each glass. You are using strainers to keep the kiwi from plopping in the glass. Also not letting the kiwi just plop will allow you to distribute it evenly between the two glasses. Use a spoon to fish out the ice cubes and then to evenly distribute the muddled kiwi into each glass. Garnish with the slices you saved early.

Enjoy.

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This is a very refreshing drink. The day he made them we had record breaking heat so it was soooooo perfect. The kiwis are a bit tart and pair perfectly with the syrup and sugar. I think if I were using simple syrup I would start out with less as it will just add sweet and not any rich flavor.  But, that is just my sense, I don’t know because we have just been using maple syrup when things call for simple syrup.

As I mentioned, these kiwis were not fuzzy.  I thought my husband had washed the fuzz off, but he did not.  He also did not peel the kiwis we used as garnish (can you see?) . . . that is how I ended up eating the skin.  It was so thin, I thought I would try it.

So, doesn’t this sound delicious?  Let me know what you think after you try it!

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , , | 6 Comments »

Sweet And Spicy Mixed Nuts

Posted by terrepruitt on September 14, 2016

So, this is kind of a “cheat” because it is so close to the Sweet and Savory Mixed Nuts, ha, in fact it is, but with minor changes.  But there were enough for me to have to make note of it and I thought I might as well put it online since having recipes online helps me a lot.  Plus I thought someone else might want to make the sweet and savory nuts sweet and spicy nuts.  I actually did not try them because I knew they would be too hot for me.  The last time I made them I put one packet of crushed red peppers in them and my hubby said that it was not really that hot.  So this time I upped a few things.

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Sweet and Spicy Mixed NutsDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

–1 cup raw unsalted almonds
–1 cup walnuts
–1 cup raw unsalted pepitas
–1 cup raw unsalted pecans
–2 tablespoons olive oil
–1 tablespoon and 2.5 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
–1 teaspoon thyme
–1 teaspoon crushed rosemary leaves
–1 HEAPING teaspoon rosemary leaves
–1 teaspoon cumin
–1 teaspoon salt
–1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
–1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
–3 packets of crushed red peppers / flakes
–sea salt
–brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350° F.

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Then stir the nuts and spread them out again, making at thin layer.  Sprinkle with another packet of crushed red peppers / flakes, some sea salt,  AND brown sugar (not a lot, just a sprinkle over all of the nuts) bake for 10 more minutes.

Then stir the nuts one more time and let bake for 10 more minutes.

Then take them out of the oven to cool.  You have a choice while cooling, you can stir them to break them up or you can let them cool in one big chunk or chunks.  It depends on how you like to eat your nuts.

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Basically, let nuts and more of everything else, and the addition of the crushed red peppers / flakes.  That is what the original recipe, the one my friend made for us for Christmas, had in it.  But I don’t like spicy hot so I adjusted the recipe.  I was originally making the nuts for me, since my hubby doesn’t normally like nuts.  But when I make them he liked them so I make more – as I said with one packet of crushed red peppers / flakes, but that wasn’t enough, so I added more.  I think it might be enough.

I mean I could just continue adding more until they are just hot nuts, but the sweet needs to come through, too.  I wish I could taste them.  I just can’t/won’t because a burning mouth is just not comfortable for me.

I think next time I will experiment with adding another flavor, like GARLIC!

So, do you like spicy food?  Would these work for you, ya think?

Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Sweet and Savory Mixed Nuts

Posted by terrepruitt on August 22, 2016

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitEvery year at Christmastime my three friends and I gather for what I call “Christmas with the Girls.”  We have been doing it since were 18, so I’ll just say decades!  Well, when one of us four moved away it was sad.  We couldn’t have the four of us meet for Christmas.  Three of us still meet.  There is usually eating, drinking, opening of gifts, laughing and visiting.  Well, last year our distant friend sent us some mixed nuts.  She had made Sweet-and-Spicy Mixed Nuts from a Bon Appétit recipe.  They were pretty good.  A little spicy for me as they had crushed red pepper flakes in them, but they were good.  I thought I could just leave the peppers out when I made them.  The recipe also calls for maple syrup.  We didn’t have maple syrup.  When I would go to the store I would forget to buy some.  Plus I was thinking I needed a couple of tablespoons and I didn’t want to buy a whole bottle for just that.  So I kept putting off making the recipe.  Eventually I did buy the nuts (from Amazon).  But when I went to the store I kept forgetting the syrup.  Finally one day I remembered to buy the syrup and it was sitting on the counter and my husband says, “What did you buy maple syrup for?”  And I explained the whole thing to him.  He says, “We have maple syrup.”  He explained to me that someone went to Vermont and had asked him if he wanted anything and he said, “Maple syrup.”  So she had brought a little bottle back.  It probably would have been the perfect amount.  Oh well, I am sure I will make these nuts again.  Although I did not use the recipe my friend used.  I ended up making something up.  I am not too big on the spicy so I didn’t use any crushed pepper flakes.

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Sweet and Savory Mixed NutsDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFit

–1 1/2 cup raw unsalted almonds
–1 cup walnuts
–1 cup raw unsalted pepitas
–1 cup raw unsalted pecans
–2 tablespoons of olive oil
–1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon of worcestershire sauce
–1/2 teaspoon thyme
–1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary leaves
–1/2 teaspoon cumin
–1 teaspoon salt
–1/3 cup and 1 teaspoon maple syrup
–tiny sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Put all the nuts on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Put the pan in the oven, letting the nuts roast, for 10 minutes.  In a big bowl mix the olive oil, worcestershire sauce, thyme, rosemary, cumin, salt, maple syrup, and sprinkle of pepper all together.  Then put the nuts in the bowl and mix.  Coat the nuts with the mixture.  Then transfer all the nuts back onto the parchment lined baking sheet.  Let the nuts toast/bake for 20 minutes, but toss them occasionally.

Allow nuts to cool before storing.

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This makes a flavor snack.  And, of course, you can use whatever type of nuts you like.  And perhaps futz with the amount of spices and herbs.

Now I need recipes that call for maple syrup.

Do you like mixed nuts?  Do you have any recipes that call for maple syrup?

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Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: , , , , , | 4 Comments »