Orange Juice and Sprite Walk Into A Bar . . .

And they created a drink! I go in on Thursday for a colonoscopy and endoscopy to finally attempt to discover exactly what is wrong with my digestive system. I have suffered from stomach problems and illnesses since I was about six years old, but so far the only conclusive diagnosis I have been given is that I might have IBS.

Last December I went gluten and dairy free, and I noticed positive results within four days. I was tested for celiac disease, but my results came back negative. Since then I've visited urgent care after a week of digestive issues, and I've tried taking a few different medications to cure my stomach pains. On top of that, the outside of my stomach, liver, and gallbladder are all sensitive to the touch. Only Serrano can tell you how many times I've yelled at him for accidentally resting his arm on my stomach because it hurts that much.

I actually haven't blogged in a while because Serrano's health has also not been that great lately. He had two wisdom teeth pulled last week, but a nerve was irritated and he developed an infection, so his mother Habanera and I have been trying to take care of him for the past five days. He's been in a lot of pain and we spend five hours in the emergency room on Saturday, and his new dentist has told him to get through it the best he can, since there's nothing they can do to help him at this point. Needless to say, Habanera and I are worried and not too happy with his old dentist.

However, tonight is my last night before I begin to rid my body of all of its consumed contents, so I have a new recipe to share with you: my new favorite cocktail. I got the idea for this a few months ago when my pregnant friend Curry ordered a mix of Sprite, orange juice, and a dash of cranberry juice to have a creative but non-alcoholic drink. Since then, I have been drinking glasses of half Sprite, half orange juice. It's a good drink during the day time, but the alcoholic version is even better at night time, especially as the weather begins to get warmer. If you prefer 7Up to Sprite, I recommend to try it, but I personally prefer the taste of Sprite in this drink.

The Spritely Screwdriver
Gluten Free Vodka (my favorite is still Ciroc)
Orange Juice
Sprite
Ice Cubes

Fill a tall glass with a few ice cubes. Pour about 3/4 of an inch (or more, if you prefer) of your favorite gluten free vodka into the glass. Next, fill halfway with orange juice and continue to fill the glass with Sprite. Stir and mix further to your liking. Enjoy!

Bachelorette Cocktails

Last month, my friend Baloney and I threw a bachelorette party weekend for Curry, my best friend. It wasn't as crazy as it may sound; Curry is now seven months pregnant. I've already been named as an aunt, which is exciting for me since I'm an only child. 

Baloney's aunt-in-law owns a condo in Oceanside (in San Diego County) right by the ocean, and she let us stay there for the weekend. It was really nice to get away and spend some time with my friends, which is hard to do, since Baloney now lives in Upland (an hour away from me) and Curry just moved to Murietta (an hour and a half away). We also took this as a golden opportunity to recreate our favorite drink. 

Baloney, Curry, and I all went to high school together, but Curry and I lost touch with Baloney once we graduated. A few years later, Curry and Baloney were reunited when they both worked as servers at Olive Garden. Back then, we took advantage of their employee discounts a lot and enjoyed getting extra alcohol in our drinks since the bartenders knew us. 

The following recipe is one of the drinks that they served, but we've made it several times since then. Once you have the ingredients it's really easy to make, but the way we make it requires a fair amount of champagne, so be warned. If you're making this for a lot of people or think you may have more than two or three, you may need a couple bottles of champagne. Everything is combined according to taste, so the pictures are to help you get an idea of how much of each ingredient to add. Ultimately, it's up to you and what you like, so feel free to change the proportions if you like. 

Tahitian Sunset
Champagne (preferably an Asti)

Grenadine

Pineapple Juice

Ice Cubes

Highball glasses work best for this drink, but any tall glass will suffice. First, fill the bottom with ice cubes, then pour in the pineapple juice. 

Then add the champagne until the glasses are nearly full. 

Pour in a little bit of grenadine. 

Stir everything together so that the drink turns an orange color. Serve with a straw and strawberry (or other fruit) as a garnish if you wish. Enjoy.

Curry and Baloney wanted to give this drink its proper photo shoot, so we placed it with the fruit we used the next day for fruit salad, and then Baloney and Curry each posed with the drink. You can tell we'd already started drinking, since Baloney is petting the pineapple.

 

Gluten Free Vodka

There is some conflicting information in the gluten free world about the gluten content in distilled alcohol. Some say that it does not have gluten, while others say that it does. I say, why push it? I have made an effort to purge the elements from my diet that can leaving me groaning in the fetal position for an hour, and there is no good reason to consume something that can have that effect on me again.It may seem a little too meticulous, but when I avoid anything that has made contact with a grain, both my body and I are much happier.

Therefore, my quest for safe food has led to me to find safe drinks. Other liquors such as rum and tequila are naturally fine for us to consume, but I'm more of a vodka drinker. It's a family trait--my grandmother didn't let strokes keep her from enjoying a vodka gimlet. Most are made from grains, but not all. Sadly, not everyone carries gluten free vodkas, but you can always enjoy a cocktail at home. However, you can always request that your favorite watering hole start to include your new favorite vodka.

Here is a list of the vodkas that I could find, and each has the link to their own website.

Grape Based Vodka

Ciroc

Idol

Roth

Swan's Neck

Potato Based Vodka

Blue Ice

Chopin 

Cold River

Teton Glacier

Karlsson's Gold

Luksusowa

Monopolowa

Zodiac

Once you have found your favorites, then you just have to make your favorite drink. I have ADD when it comes to cocktails, so I will be adding cocktail recipes to my repertoire. My favorite drink of all time is vodka with Fanta lemon (or any lemon soda, not be confused with lemon-lime soda), but good luck finding it in this country. Apparently Americans don't like lemon soda, but the rest of the world does. But my second favorite drink is vodka and lemonade. Here is my recipe for it. 

Vodka Lemonade 

Newman's Own Lemonade

Ciroc Vodka (or any other gluten free vodka)

Frozen Cranberries

Mix desired amounts of lemonade and vodka together in a glass. Stir well, then add frozen cranberries. These are aesthetically pleasing, and they keep the drink cold without diluting it. Enjoy!