I’ve pulled together some of our family’s favorite menu items to share with you. And may your family’s 2023 be the best year yet!

Sparkling Raspberry Lemonade

We love this mocktail – it’s light and pretty and delicious!

Ingredients

1 ½ cups frozen raspberries
¾ cup sugar
Juice from 5 large lemons
4 COLD cans San Pellegrino Limonata (available at most grocery stores)
Lemon twists, fresh raspberries, and/or mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions

In a blender, purée the raspberries, sugar, and half the lemon juice. Run the purée through a fine-meshed sieve to remove the seeds.

Combine the purée with the remaining lemon juice in a pitcher. Chill for at least an hour. Before serving, stir in the cold San Pellegrino Limonata. Serve in champagne flutes or coupes with your choice of garnishes for that extra New Year’s Eve flair!

Mexibites

These little pinwheels are hands down favorites around here. The great thing about this is that you can make them to your family’s taste; in fact, they’re better if made the day before. The really great thing about them is that you can make them ahead of time. Well, that and they’re completely delicious!

Ingredients

8 ounces softened cream cheese (you can use the light stuff if you must, but don’t use the fat free nastiness)
¼ red onion, finely chopped
½ poblano or green bell pepper, finely chopped
10 kalamata or ripe olives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chili powder
10 (more or less) high-quality, soft-taco sized flour tortillas
Your favorite salsa to serve

Directions

Combine the softened cream cheese, onion, poblano or bell pepper, olives, cilantro, and spices in a bowl. Lay one tortilla flat and spread with enough of the cream cheese mixture to make a layer about ¼ of an inch thick. Roll the tortilla up relatively tightly. Set aside on a plate and continue with the rest of the cream cheese mixture and tortillas.

Cover the rolled-up tortillas loosely with a kitchen towel or some plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. I usually make these the day before.

To serve, slice the rolled-up tortillas into ½ inch rounds and serve with your favorite salsa. Or, if your kids are like my little monsters, just hand them a rolled-up tortilla and make sure your fingers are not near their mouths!

Orange Chicken Meatballs

These taste like the orange chicken you can get at most Chinese American restaurants and are really yummy. For an easy dinner, throw in some steamed broccoli and serve over rice!

Ingredients

For the meatballs

2 pounds ground chicken or turkey (we use the extra-lean stuff)
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 to 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce or tamari
¼ cup panko breadcrumbs soaked in 3 tablespoons milk
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon canola or grapeseed oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 2-inch knob of ginger, peeled and grated
2 to 3 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (depending on your family’s love of spicy)
1 to 2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 jar orange marmalade
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450°.

In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken or turkey, garlic, ginger, green onions, soy sauce or tamari, milk-soaked panko, and salt and pepper until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray or cover with foil or parchment paper. Using 2 tablespoons of the mixture a time, make the meatballs and line up on the baking sheet.

Bake the meatballs for about 15 minutes. While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce.

In a large saucepot over medium heat, sauté the garlic and ginger in sesame oil and canola or grapeseed oil for only 1 minute. Add in the pepper flakes, green onion, orange marmalade, and soy sauce or tamari and stir well to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes to allow the marmalade to melt and the sauce to come together. If it is too thick for your liking, stir in a little orange juice.

Once the meatballs have cooked, transfer them to the saucepot. Stir gently to make sure the meatballs are coated in the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve either with toothpicks for appetizers or with steamed broccoli and rice for dinner.

Happy 2023 from Tanglewood Moms and our families to you and yours!

The post Recipes for a Family New Year’s Eve Party first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Please note, not all of these places have mocktails on the menu; however, the bartenders at these establishments are happy to make you a delicious mocktail!

• The Usual
• The Shot Cellar
• Hotel Dryce
• Delucca Gaucho Pizza
• Tarantula Tiki Lounge
• The Amber Room
• Bonnell’s
• Blackland Distillery
• Game Theory
• Hotel Drover
• Del Frisco’s
• HG Sply
• Bearded Lady
• Pinstripes
• Branch & Bird
• Fixe
• Nickel City
• Blue Sushi Sake Grill
• Clay Pigeon
• Acre Distilling Co.
• Sidesaddle Saloon

Beth Hutson, the genius behind Elevated Elixer and guest author in the 2019 Food & Holiday issue of Madeworthy, says that she recommends asking the bartender wherever you are what they can do for you. As a former bartender myself, I enjoyed making new and delicious drinks, both with and without alcohol, for my patrons. Bartenders are inherently people pleasers, so don’t be afraid to ask!

The post As Determined by TWM: Best Places to Get Mocktails first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

A matured Brian Flanagan returns to Jamaica for some rest and relaxation after a very busy holiday season. He indulged in food and spirits (stars – they’re just like us!) and is inspired to get his health back on track, which involves a little detoxing. But the celebrated mixologist that he is, he can’t not be behind the bar. So, he opens a little cabana on the beach and serves the best zero-proof cocktails around. It’s a success and so is the movie – Mocktail.

This film may not be in the works (yet), but it’s an age-old story that we can all relate to – the desire to cleanse and to restart around the new year. And if you’re one of the many observing Dry January, we have two tempting, non-alcoholic recipes from Pam Moncrief, local bartending celebrity and owner of POP UP BAR, that will have you considering a longer hiatus from the hard stuff.

Photo courtesy of Pamela Moncrief

We Got the Beet

2 oz. water

.75 oz. lime juice *

.5 oz. simple syrup (2:1)

.25 oz. orange juice

1 dropper full saline (1:4) **

2 healthy dashes of Angostura bitters

1 bar spoon (tsp.) red beet juice

Shake hard (use lots of ice) and serve on ice. Garnish with a candied beet or lime wheel.

* For best results, all juices should be freshly squeezed.

**Equivalent to a pinch of salt

New Year, New You                                          

4 oz. sparkling mineral water

.75 oz. lemon juice *

.5 oz. cranberry syrup **

Build in a tall, narrow glass (a Collins glass or flute will work) for a crisper experience. Pack with ice. Garnish with sprig of sage.

*For best results, juice should be freshly squeezed.

**2 parts demerara sugar, 1 part Knudsen Cranberry Juice (or another 100% raw cranberry juice)

The post Mocktails & Dreams first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

photo credit: Brian Hutson

“I’m never drinking again,” I said to a guy friend. 
“Sure,” he said.  

“I think I’m going to stop drinking,” I said to my colleague.  
“No, then you can’t drink bubbles with me, anymore,” she said. 

“I’m never drinking again,” I said on June 19th of this year.  

This time, I really meant it. I had a new mindset.  

Over the past few years, I’ve toyed with the idea of “breaking-up” with alcohol, but I didn’t have the courage to do it. Drinking in almost any capacity is a social norm, and unfortunately, abstaining from alcohol is not part of that norm. It’s kind of like glorifying busy-ness. There’s some type of unspoken “achievement badge” you get for throwing back some drinks. But it’s not right for everyone. And that’s okay. 

Although wine has been part of a lot of great memories in my life, including a stint as a wine writer earlier in my career and getting engaged in Napa Valley, it just didn’t have the same appeal to a working mother of two.  

photo credit: Brian Hutson

In all fairness, my bestie was right. I didn’t drink that much. I kept no alcohol in my home, and I didn’t drink around my family, but I was drinking socially. Although social drinking is perfectly fine for many, I didn’t feel that I was safe or that I put my best foot forward when I was drinking. So I put it out there on social media: “I’m breaking up with alcohol.”  

After turning 40 earlier in the year, I finally felt confident in the woman I was becoming, imperfections, quirks, and all. I became clear on my own personal “brand standards” in life and realized that drinking didn’t align with them. For me, alcohol was a false security blanket in social situations.  

I gave not drinking a chance, and I found that I could socialize just fine without my blankie. In fact, removing alcohol from social situations created opportunities to connect in a more meaningful way because I could be more authentic and present. Even more surprisingly, I found that I could still dance without liquid courage and that I still had plenty of jokes to share over a #TopoTuesday happy hour.  

Less than a week after removing alcohol from my life, the vision of a blog that celebrates an alcohol-free lifestyle with recipes and videos came to me like a gift from above. It felt purposeful. I knew that I wanted to advocate for alcohol-free options and to do it in a fun, delicious, and visual manner! It felt like a culmination of my unique experiences coming together in a meaningful way. As the CEO/Executive Producer of a branded content agency, Elevated Content, and with my background in the food & beverage industry, everything aligned. It’s like God took all my experience – a publicist to chefs, a wine writer, and a recipe video producer – and put me to work on a new mission.  

photo credit: Brian Hutson

It also aligned in my marriage. My husband’s a professional photographer with a focus on culinary content. He’s a former wine buyer and was my wine-writing partner. He has also been sober for nearly 7 years. Our constant search for alternative drinks for him served as a huge inspiration for the next step in our journey.  

Thanks to these blessings and challenges, The Elevated Elixir was born. The Elevated Elixir is a lifestyle brand and IGTV show that includes culinary-focused beverages and experiences that are also alcohol-free. We share recipes, produce and release video episodes, and feature other fun pieces of content like personal profiles, stop-motion photography, and more. The Elevated Elixer is really about celebrating the experience of sharing well-thought out beverages, just without the added alcohol. 

We also want to be sure to encourage a judgment-free zone. We believe that cocktails and mocktails can co-exist. Our goal is to inspire drinkers and non-drinkers alike with delicious flavor profiles and creative ingredients. We love showcasing the restaurants mixing up mocktails, as well as amazing brands offering fabulous products, from tonics to simple syrups, shrubs, and other ingredients. 

The response has been incredibly positive and encouraging. People are opening up with their own experiences with alcohol and saying that an alcohol-free lifestyle is relatable. I think people are still wanting to be social but are craving fresh alternatives on the beverage side. We’re here for that, and we hope you’ll follow along with and contribute to our journey.  

photo credit: Brian Hutson

The Spiced Apple Ginger

Ingredients

Bundaberg Spiced Ginger Beer
Spiced apple cider
Ice

Directions

Combine apple cider and ice in a shaker and shake vigorously. Pour over fresh ice in a glass. Top with spiced ginger beer and enjoy.

photo credit: Brian Hutson

Pomegranate Pear Fizz

Ingredients

Looza Pear Juice
Pear-cardamom sparkling soda
Pomegranate Italian soda
Ice

Directions

Combine Looza, pomegranate Italian soda and ice in a shaker and shake gently. Strain into glass. Top with pear-cardamom sparkling soda and enjoy.

The post Celebrating Non-Alcoholic Options With the Elevated Elixir first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.