My favorite time to have a strong Bloody Mary is the morning after a big celebration like most people. When I may (or may not) have consumed too much wine the night before. Although, I enjoy it when I am on vacation as well, it makes me feel like a rebel, having a drink first thing in the morning! 🙂
Speaking of celebrations, March happens to be this blog’s anniversary! It has been 3 years since I decided to embark on this food blogging adventure. I have to say it has been great so far. As much as I still have projects buried in my “to-do-list” since the previous year, I try to take it one week at a time and not stress out about it much. Otherwise, it would lose the fun part of being a hobby. Coincidentally this month was my 15th work anniversary too, a milestone that is hard to believe. When I look back 15 years, I can see the growth and all the changes in both my personal and professional life throughout a decade and a half. I feel nothing but gratitude for all the great opportunities I have had; I have worked hard for every accomplishment, and it feels great!
I think it is time to move on to Bloody Mary, shall we?
The acidity from tomatoes and the spicy punch in a Bloody Mary seem to work well for me, even though many think it is a myth. I still think the best remedy for a hangover is avoiding it, but if I am serving brunch, I might make a batch of this homemade mix for my friends to enjoy whether they (we) need it or not. This recipe was born in my kitchen January 1st. I felt like I needed the boost and who starts the new year’s resolutions the first day of the year anyway? Not me! I searched many recipes, they all claimed to be “the best”; but none of them spoke to me. I ended up just searching my fridge and throwing together ingredients I already had in hand; the result was this mix that I have now made few times and enjoy until the last drop every time. I make a virgin mix as the alcohol can be added per glass if desired. I particularly like Tequila instead of Vodka, but that’s the beauty of having a virgin mix, you can choose whatever you like.
Ingredients:
4 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup pitted green olives
1/2 cup olive juice (from your olive jar)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons diced poblano pepper (no seeds)
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
2 peppadew peppers (optional)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
For garnish use some of the same ingredients in the drink, add anything else you would like, here are some suggestions.
Celery stalks
Olives
Grape tomatoes
Peppadew peppers
Cucumber
Lemon slices or quarters
Pickled vegetables
Cornichons
Place all the ingredients in a blender, mix on high for few minutes until everything is well blended.
To serve:
Fill a tall glass with ice, add 2 oz. of your favorite white liquor, Vodka is commonly used for this drink; I prefer Tequila Reposado. Pour the Bloody Mary mix on top insert a celery stalk, and add garnishes with a toothpick. Enjoy!
