Capri Sun Vodka Cooler

If you're looking for the perfect summer drink this is it. The Capri Sun Vodka Cooler is refreshing, light and crisp. Most importantly though it taste like getting drunk off your childhood. Here's a tip for any soccer moms out there, these Capri Sun Coolers make the pain of losing the big game hurt, a little less. So I suggest handing these out after the next soccer match. 

Capri Sun Vodka Cooler

Yields two drinks or one double

• 1 Pouch of Capri Sun Pacific Cooler is my personal choice
• 2 shots of Vodka
• 1 squeeze of Grapefruit
• a splash of Club Soda
• Ice

1. Add the ice to a cocktail shaker. Pour in all the ingredients. Shake for 10 seconds. 
2. Pour into a champagne glass. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit rind. Serve with that little yellow Capri Sun straw.
3. Enjoy!

 Cooking with B.S. does not endorse childhood drinking.

Photos by Katy Weaver!

Light n' Breezy

I'm sure there's a name for this cocktail, but I like the name I came up with and I don't feel much like Googling the name of the drink. Long story short, I wanted to make a dark and stormy, but for some reason I couldn't find any ginger beer, so I went with ginger ale instead. It has less of bite, but the result was still blogworthy.

Pairs well with fish tacos! Especially these fish tacos!

Light n' Breezy

• 1/4 cup crushed Ice
• 1 shot Dark Spiced Rum (I use Kraken) 
• 1 Small Lime worth Juice
• Ginger Ale

1. Add the ice to a tumbler. 
2. Pour the rum over the ice.
3. Add the lime juice
4. Fill the rest of the cup with ginger ale. Stir. Garnish with a lime slice.
5. Enjoy!

These great photos by Katy Weaver

Thai Chicken and Waffle Sandwich

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Thai Chicken and Waffles

One of the greatest pieces of advice I've ever heard was from

Alton Brown

who said, "Never take advice." I am open to criticism and feedback though, because without them you can't get better. But advice is more one sided than a HP Laserjet P3005ch printer (it doesn't have duplex printing). When it comes down to it, you're the only one who knows what you really want and what you have to do to make it happen, so start being selfish and start working towards something awesome. 

For some reason in today's culture, selfishness is portrayed as a negative trait, although people forget is that this is what made this country great in the first place (that's right I'm making this a cultural thing). We broke away from the British Empire because we wanted to do things OUR way. We didn't get involved with WWII until we were attacked and it affected us. 

Knowing that your crazy idea is a great one, and actually having the guts to go out there and make it happen doesn't make you insane or eccentric; it makes you successful and a goddamn American. Frankly I'm tired of having artificial roadblocks being put up, especially for people of my generation.  Just get out there and create something, whatever it may be. 

chicken and waffle sandwich

What do those old-man style ramblings have to do with Thai chicken and waffles? Almost nothing. But let's be honest, "Thai chicken and waffles" sounds like a weird, crazy idea, until you actually make it happen and try it. Remember an idea is only as good as its end product, so ignore that advice and prove those nay-sayers wrong.

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produce

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Before I get into the recipes, I want to make a couple shout outs! First, thanks to

Flavour Gallery

for sending me

an awesome apron

(I was wearing it the entire time I was cooking all this). They also have a bunch of cool food t-shirts you should check out. The second shout out is to

Kraken rum

because I love the stuff and would love a free bottle or two. The great thing about Kraken rum is that you get to yell, "RELEASE THE KRAKEN!" Everytime you open the bottle.

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dirty colada

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Dirty Coladas

I know it's not a direct translation, but dark rum produces a "dirtier" look than white rum

• 1 part Kraken Dark Rum
• 1 part Coconut Cream
• 2 parts Pineapple Juice
• 2 parts Ice

1. Add all ingredients into a blender and blend until the ice forms a smooth texture. 
2. Pour into a glass and garnish with a lime slice.

carrots

cabbage

coleslaw

Rice Vinegar Slaw 

• 1 Carrot grated
• 1 Zucchini grated
• 1/2 Red Cabbage chopped
• 1/2 Red Onion chopped
• 1 clove Garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Rice Vinegar
• Juice from 1 Lime
• 1 pinch Salt
• 2 tablespoons Sugar

1. Add the cut up vegetables to a large mixing bowl toss with the vinegars, lime juice, sugar, and salt. The best way to mix everything up is to use your hands.
2. Once your salad is tossed, let the slaw sit in the fridge for about 15 min before serving. 

rice flour waffles

Ginger-Lime-Coconut Waffles

• 1 1/4 cups Rice Flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 1 can Coconut Milk
• 1 heaping tablespoon shredded Coconut
• 1 Egg
• 3 Tablespoons soft butter
• 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
• 1 pinch of Five-Spice
• 1 Lime juiced and zested

1. Sift together all dry ingredients. 
2. Add the lime zest and shredded Coconut to the dry mixture.
3. Whisk in the rest of the ingredients. Once the batter is mixed together add to your waffle iron. [These are really good by themselves too, don't think you need to make a Thai chicken and waffle sandwich when you make these.]

chicken

sweet and spicy chicken

Sweet and Spicy Chicken

• 1 lbs. Chicken Breasts cut into thick strips
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
• a dash of Garlic Salt

1. Heat the oil over high in a wok or large skillet. 
2. Add the pepper flakes to the oil and let their flavors seep into the oil.
3. Toss the chicken into the cooking vessel. Move the chicken around a bit so it doesn't clump together in the pan. 
4. Add the fish sauce, garlic salt, and brown sugar to the pan. Keep stirring to avoid burning the sugar. The chicken should finish cooking within a couple minutes, depending on what type of stove you have. 
5. Serve with the sauce that is created when cooking the chicken. 

Assemble your sandwich by placing a waffle on a plate, add the chicken and some of the sauce then the slaw and a bit of cilantro and top with another waffle.

Once again my partner in crime, 

Katy Weaver

, is responsible for these mind-blowing photos. She's right in the middle of her busy season and still finds time to help me out with this little project, she's sort of the best you guys.

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chicken and waffles

Carne Asada Tacos & Sangria

Sometimes in life you have to strip down, whether it's going skinny dipping, refinishing hardwood furniture or simplifying a dish. Instead of doing an infusion or adding some interesting ingredient I decided simplicity would be the best route to take.

Even if it's slightly cold and cloudy, eat this meal outside the comfort of your dining room that's cooled with centralized air and set up the picnic table. Oh you live in an apartment? Open a window while you eat, it's summer, enjoy the nice weather while it's here.

Sangria

Yields almost enough to forget your troubles

• 1 bottle Red Wine opened (I went with the cheapest merlot I could find)
• 2 liters of Ginger Ale
• 1 Orange sliced
• 1 Lemon sliced
• 2 Limes sliced
• 1 Apple sliced
• 1 Peach sliced
• 1 shot Triple Sec 
• 2 shots of White whiskey

1. Cut up the fruit and add everything to whatever samovar you have laying around.
2. Quick note: I used white whiskey, because it was laying around. Bourbon works just as well.
3. Stir it up a bit and serve.

Homemade Chips & Salsa

Chips

• 6 Corn Tortillas
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Salsa

• 4 Tomatoes diced
• 3/4 medium sized Onion diced
• 2 tablespoons of minced Garlic
• 2 Jalapeños diced  
• 1 Lime juiced
• 2 small sprigs of Fresh Parsley finely chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

1. Pour enough olive oil into a skillet to make a shallow pool, heat over medium. Cook the pieces of tortilla until golden brown on each side. Flip as necessary. This is a very fast process, so keep an eye on them. To drain, place the chips on a cooling rack over paper towels. 
2. Make the salsa by adding all the cut-up vegetables in a medium-sized bowl along with the spices, stir until well mixed.

Carne Asada Taco

Serves two very hungry people

• 1 lbs. Skirt Steak
• 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
• a pinch of Salt
• 2 Jalapeños
• 4 Green Onions
• 6 Corn Tortilla
• Hot sauce

1. Rev up your grill. 
2. To get the most out of your meat, pound it. Pounding your meat will make it flatter and therefor it will have more surface area, which will allow it cook faster, resulting in a more tender piece of steak. Lay some plastic wrap on the kitchen counter, enough to span the length of the steak strips. Lay another layer of wrap over top. You can use anything heavy to pound the meat, even a triple sec bottle.
3. Once the steak is flattened, but not pulverized, throw it in a mixing bowl and drizzle the olive oil over top and add the salt. Massage the oil and salt into the steak with your hands. Yes your hands, it won't kill you, unless your allergic to beef. And if you are allergic to beef, why the hell are you making these tacos?
4. Add the steak, onions and jalapeños to the grill. Flip the onions and the peppers as needed to make sure they don't burn. Only cook the steak a few minutes on each side, keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
5. Once the vegetables are grilled and the steak is done (and yes that means it's still a little pink on the inside), let the steak sit for 10 minutes. Cut into strips and place on warm corn tortillas with the salsa and hot sauce. Serve with chips & salsa, sour cream and sangria.

Summer is all about simplicity isn't it? It's the season of taking some time off and spending time in the wilderness away from everything that's complex and stressful. Food should be simple too, especially summer fare. Be sure to read next week's post, I'm making something crazy and elaborate.

All these wonderfully colorful photos by Katy Weaver