Kumquat Drink Recipe (Orangina)

Our kumquat trees have been so prolific this season that I thought it was time for me to experiment and re-create my favorite soda, Orangina, from scratch. In France, Orangina is a very popular sparkling beverage made from tangerine and oranges. I've tried making this with oranges in the past, but the citrus flavors weren't strong enough to resemble the famous drink. Since kumquats have a unique, strong, lemony flavor, I gave the fruit a try.

I've made homemade soda drink in the past, using dry active yeast (I'll post the recipe this summer) but unfortunately because of the cold weather (I assume), after 3-4 days, the fizz didn't happen. So I re-made it using carbonated water. Because the process is immediate, you'll be able to enjoy a delicious soft drink right away. The soda is very flavorful and has a striking orange color -not the radioactive hue of artificial orange drinks-. If you can find kumquats at your local market, give this a try. Your taste buds will thank you!

Virgin Pina Colada

Piña colada is a sweet cocktail made with coconut and pineapple juice. I made it kid-friendly, but the authentic version requires a few shots of rum.

Les beaux jours sont de retour! "Sunny days are back" and I thought it would be a well-deserved drink to bring to my husband after a long day at work. When Lulu came home, I told him to lie down in a long chair outside on the deck and wait for me. I whipped up the cocktail for him (and for the girls as well) and brought a tray full of the piña colada drinks. His reaction was: "Oh, you read my mind, sweetie. This drink reminds me so much of our anniversary trip to Cancun!"

Sweet Lassi (Indian Yogurt Drink)

Lassi is an Indian yogurt drink. I often make it at home, but I've never quite been able to recreate the subtle tanginess of the drink. That is, until now. On our last trip to the local Indian restaurant, I asked the waitress about their preparation techniques, and she told me that they always add Bulgarian cultured buttermilk when making plain lassi. After that lunch, I stopped at the local Middle Eastern store, picked up a carton of buttermilk, and adjusted my recipe to her specifications. I've been making it this way ever since.

I use traditional Indian flavorings in my lassi, specifically elaichi ("cardamom" in Urdu) and rose water. My mother-in-law isn't a huge fan of rose flavoring, so I only added ¼ teaspoon of rose extract. You can add as much or as little as you'd like.

Hot Chocolate

Every once in a while, the girls enjoy making their own hot chocolate. They usually top it with whipped cream and marshmallows. But with Valentine's Day coming soon, I wanted to make a special version of chocolat chaud for my husband. I used cocoa powder, real chocolate, cream, milk and a few spices such as nutmeg, clove and cinnamon. I added espresso coffee because it enhances the flavor of chocolate in the drink. This ingredient in particular is an easy way to give a new twist to an old classic. As another option, you could also give the drink additional heat for Valentine's Day by using red chiles.

I personally don't think you have to wait until Valentine's Day to make a cup hot chocolate for your special someone.  They'll appreciate it just as much if you make it tonight!

Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Salted caramel is a wonderfully complex flavor. When combined with hot chocolate, it provides plenty of stimulation for your taste buds. All of this is wrapped in a velvety blanket of milk and heavy cream that is perfect for relaxing away an evening.

Lya received three boxes of cocoa mix from her secret Santa at school. Everyone was so crazy about the salted cocoa mix that we ran out very fast. The girls asked if we could make our own from scratch. The result: a lot of fun and a delicious new recipe to ring in the New Year!