You can party Mardi Gras-style without traveling to New Orleans, though.  Get yourself a few strands of colorful beads and a mask, and make yourself a cocktail or two to celebrate the season.  Have you ever attended the festivities in New Orleans?  Or have you made your own party somewhere else?  Try out one of these French Quarter-inspired libations, and let us know how you like to celebrate…

Hurricane

2 ounces light rum

2 ounces dark rum

2 ounces passion fruit syrup

1 ounce orange juice

1 ounce lime juice

1 ounce dark rum

½ ounce simple syrup

½ ounce grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker, strain into a large Hurricane glass filled with ice.  Garnish with an orange wheel and a cherry.

French 75

1 ½ ounces gin

¾ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ ounce simple syrup

¼ cup chilled dry sparkling wine or Champagne

Combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake for 20 seconds.  Strain into a Champagne flute, then top with chilled sparkling wine.  Garnish with a lemon twist.

Blue Bayou Cocktail

1 ½ ounces vodka

½ ounce blue curacao

½ cup fresh pineapple

2 ounces grapefruit juice

For a frozen treat, blend ingredients in a blender with 1 cup crushed ice until smooth.  Pour into a cocktail glass.  Or combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake for 20 seconds, then pour into a cocktail glass.  Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

The post Feeling Festive? The Season of Mardi Gras is Upon Us! appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Ingredients:

• 1 scoop, crushed ice
• ½ banana
• 1-2 ounces of cream
• 1 ounce of Tropicana® 100% Juice
• ½ ounce of simple syrup
• 1 ounce rum (optional)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until thoroughly blended together.
3. Enjoy!

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Start the evening off right by serving up tropical smoothies, with the summer taste of fresh strawberry and banana, combined with the tropical favorite pineapple and coconut.

TROPICAL SMOOTHIE

Photo courtesy of Coco Lopez.

Makes about 2 ¾ cups

Ingredients:

• 1 (15-ounce) can Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
• ¾ cup pineapple juice, chilled
• ½ cup fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries
• 1 small banana, sliced
• ¼ cup light rum
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 cup ice cubes

Instructions:

1. In blender container, combine all ingredients except ice; blend until smooth.
2. Garnish as desired, Serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.

After buttering up your friends with a tasty cocktail, it’s time to move on to some snacks to ward off impending hunger.  Keep the theme going with some tasty sausage with Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut.

TROPICAL SAUSAGE BITES

Makes about 40 appetizers

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds smoked link sausage, sliced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (20-ounce) can juice-pack pineapple chunks, drained, reserving juice
• ½ cup of Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
• 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 green or red bell pepper, cut into chunks
• 1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and halved

Instructions:

1. In large skillet, brown sausage. In small bowl, stir together cornstarch, reserved pineapple juice,
2. cream of coconut, mustard and garlic powder; mix well. Add to sausage in skillet. Cook and
3. stir until thickened. Add pineapple, bell pepper and water chestnuts; heat through.
4. Refrigerate leftovers.

What’s better than a cookout on a hot summer day?  Fire up your grill and entice your friends with a taste of the tropics, all on a convenient kabob.

GRILLED CHICKEN KABOBS

Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• ½ cup of Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
• ½ cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons chicken instant bouillon
• 1 teaspoon marjoram leaves
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 pound skinned boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• Red or green bell pepper chunks
• Fresh pineapple chunks

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, combine cream of coconut, lemon juice, bouillon, marjoram,
2. garlic powder and crushed red pepper. In plastic bag or shallow dish, pour
3. over chicken and peppers; cover. Marinate in refrigerator 4 to 6 hours.
4. Remove chicken, pineapple and peppers from marinade; arrange on skewers.
5. Heat marinade thoroughly.  Grill or broil as desired until chicken is done, basting
6. frequently with marinade. Serve with hot cooked rice if desired. Refrigerate
7. leftovers.

And for the grand finale, how about a favorite with a twist?  Tempt your guests’ taste buds with an ice cream version of a piña colada before you send them packing.

PIÑA COLADA ICE CREAM

Makes about 1 ½ quarts

Ingredients:

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• ¾ cup Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut
• 3 tablespoons of light rum
• 3 cups (1 ½ pints) whipping cream unwhipped
• 1 (15 ¼ ounce) can juice-pack crushed pineapple, well drained
• ½ flaked coconut, lightly toasted

Instructions:

1. In large bowl, beat sweetened condensed milk, cream of coconut and rum. Stir in remaining ingredients.
2. Pour into ice cream freezer container.  Freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Freeze leftovers.

And so there you have it.  A coco-nutty, fun day filled with good friends, good food, and Coco Lopez® Cream of Coconut.  For these recipes and more, pop over to the Coco Lopez® website, and when you are ready to place your order, be sure to contact us at http://houstons-inc.com.

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