The Grape experiment

Experiment? What could I do with grapes that has never been done before? That's simple, nothing. But my friend Gina said she wanted to try to use grapes in one of my cordial recipes and it occurred to me that I have yet to try this myself. I then proceeded to dork stamp myself for this silly mistake and ran to the store to pick up grapes. I was in luck, both green and red grapes were on sale so I bought both. I only did 1 green grape sample jar and 2 red grape samples. I had plenty of grapes to do at least 3 jars of each but, i got the munchies while slicing the grapes and in the end only had enough for what I made. My bad. But here is the recipe that I used:

1 pint mason jar of grapes
Vodka

I tried to keep it simple this time. As you notice I did not add any sugar to this. the reason? no room in the jar. lol. But I closed the jar and put them next to all the rest of the ones I did.

I think this will be a 2 part experiment in that in 3 months or so when I go to bottle the alcohol i will press the grapes, put them in the same jar, add sugar, and fill it up wit vodka for a "second pressing". But I will post about that when it happens.

Green Grape day 1
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Grapes After about 2 weeks
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Raspberry Cordial

I got myself some raspberries at the store today. We all know what that means... Cordial time! I only had enough to make 2 jars, but that's ok. So here is my sample recipe:

6 ounces raspberries
1 cup sugar
Vodka

I put the raspberries into the pint mason jar and kind of chopped them or crushed them in the jar. I made a bit of a Raspberry mush. Then I added 1 cup of sugar and enough vodka to fill the jar to fill it to the line, closed the lid and shook it up until blended. Now it is sitting in my basement so that I am not tempted by it every time I look at it.

Raspberry day 1
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Raspberry about week 3
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Blueberry Cordial

I got a good deal on blueberries at the store today and went to work making some test jars of my cordial. I made 4 jars, and each jar had the exact same recipe.

1/2 pint of blueberries
1 cup sugar
Vodka

I cut each blueberry in half and stuck them in a pint mason jar. Then I added the sugar and filled up the jar to the first line with vodka. After I got the lid good and tight, I shook the hell out of it. Then I set them in the basement so that I don't have the urge to open one and taste test it.

Blueberry Day 1
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Blueberry about week 3
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Cherry Cordial

By request of the Queen of Colwod NoVas I have put together a cherry flavored cordial

5 Pounds Fresh Cherries (sliced and De-pitted)
5 Liters Vodka
4 Pounds Granulated Sugar

We will see how it goes.

(this is a picture of the small version)
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In healing

Quick and simple.
  • I had my tongue pierced last week and it is doing great. Swelling gone, pain gone, I am eating and drinking normally.
  • I had another session on my tattoo. It is itchy and healing
  • I am an idiot and was working outside yesterday and got a little bit of a sunburn right across the top of my new work. Ouch.

Easter

My family is apparently crazy about Easter. I take the kids down to visit and get a first hand glimpse of the extremes they go. We started the day before Easter with some egg coloring(5 dozen eggs). They say the kids are going to have an egg hunt in the morning. But as soon as the kids go to bed I get volunteered to help set up. While my Aunt Kathy sets the decorations and boundaries for the "bunny trail", my cousin and I are stuffing around 100 plastic eggs with candy and my Aunt Kelly stuffs not 1 but 2 pinatas! Ok so, when we get finished I was thinking that 160 eggs and 2 pinatas was really not so much for 4 kids. THEN she pulls out a TRASHBAG full of toys for EACH kid!!!! Then she asked us to hide them along the Bunny Trail, at 11pm...... ya..... My dad showed up bright and earily the next morning with 3 white bunnys for the egg hunt.

It went great. Talon and Riley ran all over picking up the candy and toys. Juniper did for a while but quickly lost intrest. Wyatt, well, he liked the bunnys and the sparkely windmills. If fact, the only egg he picked up he gave to one of the bunnys. lol. But all in all, we have enough candy to last until October.

Strawberry cordial

10 pounds of strawberries
5 1/2 quarts vodka
5 pounds sugar
3 quarts water

Closed lid, will let it sit for 1 month before checking/stirring.