cocktail hour rewards

The promise of a relaxing cocktail hour with a classic drink and a favorite nibble snack makes getting through weekend projects infinitely easier.

When the weekend project is something that has been put off until it begins to mock you every time you pass by, you may need to amp up your cocktail favorites to get you over the finish line.  So, this Saturday we finally got the bedroom television wall mount installed, the mattress rotated and flipped, AND the kitchen sink plumbing problem solved!

That certainly got us to a well deserved drink and some down time before dinner.  One of my all-time favorites is a Cuba Libre…but so much more than just Bacardi & Coke.  Don’t get me wrong…B&C will do in a pinch, but I do like to elevate the basics to another tier, especially after working so hard on the to-do list!

I had a couple of bottles of Fentimans Curiosity Cola in the fridge just for the occasion.  We first tried Fentimans botanically brewed sodas at a gourmet food store here in town and really liked them…all the flavors are good in my opinion.  The Curiosity Cola is not too sweet, with a true cola flavor and has a bit less carbonation than the usual stuff.  Add a mellow rum like Cruzan gold with a lime squeeze and the result is the definition of refreshment.

I also had baked up a batch of our family favorite cheese wafers.  I call them Susan’s Favorite Cheese Bites, as we have to ration them out if my sister is around.  She has been known to polish off an entire batch in one evening if no one is keeping tabs.  They are a bit addictive…a little crunchy with a slight peppery burn that is nicely quenched by the rum and cola…hard to resist once you start!

I think if I can keep up the cocktail hour rewards, we may yet make headway on the home front projects.  At least until spring gets here, and we can add nice weather into the cocktail hour equation.  After that the indoors project list will go on hold and everything moves outside.  Hmmmm….next up, Cuba Libres on the patio…let’s go!

Hope your next cocktail hour includes family and favorites…enjoy!  Bluwatergal

Susan’s Favorite Cheese Bites

2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 stick of butter
1.5 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1.5 cups finely chopped pecans

Allow grated cheese and stick of butter to soften to room temperature.  Add softened cheese, butter, flour, salt, sugar, and cayenne pepper to food processor work bowl and pulse/whirl approximately 1 minute to form a coarse mixture.  Open and scrape bowl to even out the mixture, add nuts and pulse a few times to blend into dough until a soft ball forms in the work bowl. 

Alternately, combine all ingredients except nuts by hand using a pastry cutter to form a coarse mixture. Then add nuts and blend mixture by hand to form a soft dough.

Divide dough into thirds, and roll into logs.  Wrap in wax paper & chill until ready to bake – at least overnight.  After dough is chilled, slice into 1/4″ rounds, arrange on baking sheet, and bake @ 375 for 15-18 minutes…time varies depending on type of pan.  I use a dark baking sheet with parchment paper.  Check baking progress during the first batch until you see the edges begin to brown up, then continue baking 1-2 minutes to finish browning.

Warning – you can’t eat just one 🙂