Author Archives: tatumlorrainebarnes

Pear Mocktail

This is the mocktail of your dreams. I say that about all of them, I know. You won’t miss the vodka or bourbon, I promise. Sweet without being too sweet, thanks to the date syrup. Thanks, date syrup! This A-team brings it. Yes, pear and ginger, I’m looking at you. Don’t you just feel healthier looking at them? The thirst-quenching lemon sparkling water tops it off, bringing it all together. Oh, and the two dots of caffeine from Tazo ginger pear green tea provide a subtle jolt—just enough to leave the caffeine-sensitive unaffected. So, not to worry; you shouldn’t be climbing the walls. I wasn’t, and I haven’t had coffee in over two years. Besides all of the above, who can resist the extra botanicals and aromatics from nonalcoholic bitters for that final je ne sais quoi? Who can resist all the bitters and aromatics they bring? This mocktail certainly has a certain something, alright. I’d be surprised if you didn’t want to drink more than one. Cheers!

Pear Mocktail

2 different types of pears (Bosc, Comice, Anjou, Bartlett, Starkrimson—you choose) were given to me.

1 small knob of ginger for slicing ginger chards

1 oz Trader Joe’s date syrup

2 ounces of Tazo ginger green tea

1 oz of sparking lemon mineral water (I use Pellegrino)

3 drops of baking spice, ginger All the Bitter aromatics alcohol-free bitters

Method

Place bucket glass with ice into the freezer.

Wash all produce.

Boil water. Remove tea bag from packet. Add both to a glass or mug. Steep ginger green tea for 3 minutes. Refrigerate until cold. Best results overnight.

Add several slices of fresh ginger, equal to about 1/2 teaspoon. If you like it spicy, increase it to 1 teaspoon. Next, add 3/4 of a chopped medium-sized pear to a mixing glass. Muddle until the juices are extracted. Then, add 1 oz of date syrup and 2 oz of ginger green tea. Add ice and shake well. Strain into your chilled, ice-filled glass. Don’t forget the 3 drops of bitters. Top with lemon sparkling water. Garnish with a slice of pear or the whole pear—your choice! I prefer the whole pear.

The topper
The pour

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: whole pear

Bar Chef Notes: For an adult version, sneak in a little Grey Goose La Poire when no one is looking—if you must! The recipe may need to be modified as a result though.

Where to buy the goods, ok- glasses and stuffs? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

Please know I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!

The Sunshine Glass Smoothie

The Sunshine Glass Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup of fresh mango from Erewhon market or your local farmers market or favorite supermarket

1/2 cup of Whole Foods 365 brand frozen pineapples chunks

3/4 cups of Pitaya Foods frozen passion fruit chunks

2 tablespoons of hemp hearts shelled hemp seeds -the protein comes from these babies. The recommended serving size is 3 tablespoons

1 tablespoonful of Manukora MGO 200+ manuka (or any of your favorite manuka honey) Manuka honey that I use is from New Zealand

1 tablespoonful of a local honey (I use Topanga honey with honeycomb. Fun fact: taking a small dose of honey helps with some allergies)

1 scoop of Agent Nateur & Dr. Will Cole holi (mane) hair ski nails supplement

1-2 tablespoonful of La Tourangelle Avocado oil

3/4 cup of unsweetened almond milk

5-7 Whole Foods 365 brand mango passion fruit fruit bites for the garnish and eating while making the smoothie. Let’s be real. This will happen. At least for me it did.

Method

Add all ingredients to the Cuisinart To-Go blending cylinder. Blend on the smoothie setting until the mixture is smooth. If you don’t have a Cuisinart, any blending machine should work. Pour into a glass and garnish.

Bar Chef Notes: a pinch of saffron is great too. I tried both ways, with and without.

Glass: glass bucket glass

Garnish: several passion fruit mango balls

Passion Fruit Pineapple Mango Protein Smoothie
Protein Smoothie
Protein Smoothie

Where to buy the goods: Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.

Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie T#2

You know you want some..

Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie T#2

1/2 cup of Costco Signature brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/4 cup Whole Foods 365 frozen black cherries

1/2 frozen banana (peel and freeze your bananas)

1 1/2 cups of Whole Foods 365 brand chopped frozen kale

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 scoop Sakara Organic Protein + Greens Super Powder

1 scoop Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement

1 tablespoon Trader Joe’s agave (just enough to take the edge off the cacao nibs and greens)

12 fresh mint leaves and a sprig for garnish

1 1/2 tablespoons Navitas Organic cacao nibs and some to garnish

Handful of Pitaya Foods Aloe Vera pieces

Top with water for fluidity if consistency seems too thick as it should be l similar to a milkshake. The reason I needed water is because I ran out of almond milk and added the powders last. It worked out. This smoothie is a smooth creamy icy texture.

Method

Add all ingredients to your smoothie blending machine of choice. Hey Cuisinart, hey. Blend blend blend and maybe a pulse or two until smoothie. Pour into your glass and garnish.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: mint sprig and cacao nibs

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you.

Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie #1T

If you like a mint and chocolate flavor profile, this is the smoothie for you. Packed full of antioxidants and does a body good goodness. Hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds.. you don’t need to worry about adding all that FYI. Sakara Protein + Greens has you covered; All in one scoop in fact. And since our largest organ, our skin, radiates starting from the inside out, why wouldn’t use want to add the Agent Nateur pearl collagen calcium hair skin and nails powder supplement? Mint is for freshness. Kale because we need our greens. Cocoa nibs adds a bitter chocolate flavoring and which plays off the sweetness of the banana and pineapple’s acidity. Not to mention crunch. No added sugar with the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Duh. There is a skosh of blue agave syrup though. Think if it as a balancing ingredient rather than sweet. Cinnamon a warming spice and blood sugar friendly.

Mint Cacao Nibs Smoothie #1T

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups of Whole Foods 365 brand frozen kale

1 small chopped frozen banana (or half if it’s larger size)

1/2 cup Whole Foods 365 brand frozen pineapple chunks

1 cup of Signature unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 scoop of Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement

1 scoop of Sakara Protein + Greens protein powder

1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon of Trader Joe’s blue agave

Pink of pink Himalayan salt

10 fresh mint leaves or about three mint springs and a sprig for the garnish

3 tablespoons of Navitas cacao nibs and some for the garnish

Method

Add all ingredients to the blending machine. I recommend adding powders after the almond milk as they have a tendency to sink to the bottom and/or clump. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bucket glass. Garnish with the cacao nibs and mint sprig.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: cacao nibs and mint sprig

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Strorefront

* I may receive commission from eligible purchases

Sunday Morning Smoothie

An earthy, nutty, creamy green glass of goodness. Yup, that’s what this one is. Drinking a smoothie like this one can’t help but make you feel good. A simple and easy blend of all ingredients together, pour into a glass (or not? I see you drinking from the blender) and you’re done type of easy. Easy like Sunday morning, as they say. If nothing else, it will be something to satisfy your hunger until you make it to that champagne brunch later.

Sunday Morning Smoothie

Ingredients

1 cup 365 Whole Foods brand chopped frozen spinach

1/2 cup Pitaya Foods aloe vera chunks

1 teaspoon of Naoki Matcha powder

1 cup Signature Costco brand unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 scoop of Agent Nateur Holi (mane) Hair, Skin, Nails Supplement

1 scoop of Sakara Greens+Protein Protein powder

2 tablespoons of Manitoba Harvest hemp seeds

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons of Trader Joe’s brand blue agave

Pinch of Natierra Himalayan pink salt

Method

Add almond milk to the blender. The add all other ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Glass: bucket glass

Garnish: none-elegance in simplicity and the flavors make up for no garnish

Where to buy the goods? Many can be found on Blonde Behind the Bucket storefront.

*I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.

Cabbage Rosemary Cooler Mocktail

Cabbage Rosemary Cooler Mocktail
Cheers!

This green goodness is inspired by St. Patrick’s Day and leftover produce; definitely worth trying. Juicing cabbage may seem odd, but it’s a great hydrating option after a night out. Packed with vitamins C and K, cabbage eases inflammation. Rosemary simple syrup adds a fresh, sweet touch, balancing the cabbage’s bitterness. Sparkling water, akin to champagne bubbles, is refreshing and hydrating. A pinch of Himalayan pink salt enhances flavors and adds good luck. This drink is a supercharger, boosting all flavors. While I’m no medical expert, personally, this concoction has worked wonders for me. Drink it regularly, and you may start glowing from within.

This juice can be batched if using a cold-pressed juicer and will last for a couple of days in the refrigerator. If using other juicers, I recommend drinking it immediately, ideally on the same day.

Cabbage Cooler

Ingredients

1/2 head of green cabbage

1/4 oz rosemary simple syrup

1 medium knob of ginger

1 dash of Himalayan pink salt

Top with S. Pellegrino Sparkling water

Rosemary stirring sprig (it is a garnish and a stirring stick)

Method

For the Rosemary Simple Syrup

Add equal parts of white granulated sugar and water to a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil and add the rosemary. Boil for about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat. Let the rosemary cool and steep in the sugar water. Strain out the rosemary. Allow the syrup to cool before refrigerating. It’s best to use the syrup when cool in this drink. Store any unused syrup in the refrigerator. The shelf life for the rosemary simple syrup is about a week, if it lasts that long, being a multi-functional syrup and all.

For the cabbage juice

Use your juicer to juice fresh, clean, washed cabbage and ginger. Pour the juice into a wine glass. Add the rosemary syrup. Use a rosemary sprig garnish to stir. Top it off with sparkling water.

Bar Chef Notes: If you don’t have a juicer you can blend in a blender and strain with a clothe milk bag, cheese cloth, or coffee filter.

Glass: wine glass

Garnish: fresh Rosemary sprig/stir stick

Bar Chef Notes: Ice or chilling juice before serving, optional

The first drink spilled and I had to make it again…

Where to but the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases. Thank you!

PickleBack Shot

PickleBack Shot

Pickle juice adds tang and soothes the bite of the whiskey. Whiskey first pickle juice second.

Shoot or sip separate or combine, your choice. The “proper way” to partake is up for debate amongst many. All goes down the same way if you ask me. Cheers!

PickleBack Shot

Ingredients

2 oz of whiskey

2 ounces of pickle juice of choice

One (or several) pickles

Method

Using a jigger pour 2 ounces of room temperature whiskey into a bucket glass. Using the same jigger pour 2 ounces of of chilled pickle juice into a shot glass. Shoot one after the other. Sip one after the other or combine and shoot or sip combined liquids. Eat pickle after all the shot consumed.

Pickle juice adds magic to the whiskey
Back it up..

Where to buy the goods? Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront

Bye for now.

Easy Bake Heart

Do you remember the kids easy bake ovens? Inspired by childhood nostalgia, meet my easy bake heart garnish for my « clear intentions » cocktail. Or any cocktail really. I had a recipe in mind when preparing this garnish. Clearly, not really. You can make any shape you want to make though. The heart cookie cutter is what I have and was the inspiration here. You don’t need a cookie cutter either. In pastry school I did some free form stuffs on the silpat. Have fun. Be creative. Cheers to making a successful sugar garnish for your drinks!

Ingredients and Tools

Caullet Glucose Syrup – 2.2 lbs by Banshee

Heart shaped Wilton cookie cutter

Pam cooking spray

Kitchen scissors

Baking tray and silpat silicone mat

Method

Add syrup inside
a free form and inside cookie cutter/mold

Preheat the oven.

Place a silpat in a baking sheet. Oh and a silpat is a silicone baking mat used to line a baking tray making the stickiest of the stickiest sugary treats easy to remove.

Spray the inside of your heart cookie cutter with a non stick baking spray. Set on top of the silicone mat. Pour glucose syrup into the mold. If using a spoon or spatula, spray that too so the glucose syrup doesn’t stick. Some may ooze outside. Don’t worry, this is normal. I didn’t measure. I eyeballed. Not too thick not too thin. How is that for professional measuring. Bake 356 degrees Fahrenheit until bubbles. About 25-35 minutes.

Let it cool slightly. Not too much as the shape will break. Use scissors to trim the excess hardened baked sugar. Carefully.

Side note: dash of vanilla and food coloring flavorful and fun ways to elevate your easy bake garnish

Carefully remove the cookie cutter and trim around the edges using kitchen scissors

Where to buy some of the goods seen in this post? Uhm, Blonde Behind the Bucket Storefront of course.

* I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.

Wash sil Pat and leave to dry..

The Vera

This bottle of Ritual Zero Proof was gifted to me. Introducing the first of many recipes to come with this alcohol alternative. You won’t miss the alcohol. In case you were wondering. The flavors are specific and pronounced without being overpowering. Most certainly comparable to the spirit intended to mimic when mixed.

This summer slushy will be a go-to for sure for those I don’t feel like drinking for whatever reason days.

Cheers! The Vera!

The Vera

Ingredients

2 oz Ritual Zero Proof Tequila alternative

1 1/2 cups of Pitaya Foods frozen aloe vera chunks

1/2 cup of fresh organic cucumber and a ribbon to garnish

1/2 oz agave (I used a Whole Foods brand 365)

1 whole fresh washed green lime (only need half for this recipe)

Salt for the rim of the glass

Taste testing .. it’s good. It’s good.
Some behind the scenes before the method..

Method

Wash cucumber. Using a vegetable peeler, carefully slide vertically from top to bottom of the cucumber with light pressure to create two or three ribbons. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut a lime in half. Use a lime to moisten the rim the glass. Add salt to a saucer and roll the glass in salt and set aside. Refrigerating your salt rimmed glass a superior choice. Put a cold thing in a cold thing keeps the original cold thing cold. Besides you know you love a frosted glass. Save the half for the finishing squeeze once the drink is in the glass.

Rough slice the cucumber. Skin on is my vote. Add to blending machine with all other ingredients. Blend until smooth slushy consistency. No ice needed as the frozen aloe vera chunks the « ice ».

Remove the glass and cucumber garnishes from refrigerator. Pour slushy mixture into the glass. Top with garnish. Squeeze the juice from the fresh lime used to rim the glass pre salt for brightness, over the drink.

Glass: Glass bucket glass. Melamine if pool side.

Garnish: Cucumber ribbons

Where to buy some of the goods in this post? Blonde Behind the Bucket

I may receive compensation for eligible purchases.