Pick Your Poison #3, plus a bonus

ahh Summertime, a time of pools, beaches, sun and Rum. Plus, I tried to take care of a request for Rhia for one of the drinks. I hope it fits the bill. One other note, even if you are not a drinker, slide past drinks to see another spectacular meal presented by Dragon's Kitchen.

Remember, 2 ounces equals one shot glass

Columbia Cocktail

0.5 oz lemon juice
0.75 Raspberry Syrup
2 oz light rum

Fill a mixing glass with ice and add all ingredients. Shake and strain the mixture into a martini or margarita glass and enjoy.

The Jack Sparrow

2 oz Spiced Rum
2 oz Tennesee Whiskey (like Jack Daniels, though I used bourbon)
2 oz vodka

combine all ingredients in a highball glass with a few ice cubes and enjoy.

I gotta give credit to recipezaar, where you can get this recipe set up in the form of a shot.

And now on the food front, thanks to a suggestion from Hyperion, Dragon posted her Dragon's Sausage and Potato Gnocchi. This meal was absolutely, positively fantastic. It was very easy to make and it was a big hit not only with Mrs Duck, but also with her co-workers when they got to sample some of the left overs the next day. Stop by Dragon's site, she has some fantastic things besides the two I have talked about already.

Sausage and Potato Gnocchi

1 18 0z package of Potato Gnocchi
3 smoked pork sausages (turkey sausage works great too), sliced
1/4 cup of chopped onions (Hyperion, you can skip this part)
1 clove of garlic, minced
3 tablespoons of butter
pinch of hot pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 tablespoon of fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon of fresh oregano, chopped
1 cup of frozen peas, run under water to thaw
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste

1. Prepare the gnocchi according to package instructions.

2. While the gnocchi is cooking, heat up a skillet with 2 tablespoons of butter and add the sausage and onions. Cook until sausage is browned and onions are soft.

3. On medium heat, add the garlic, hot pepper flakes (optional), thyme and oregano. Cook for 1 minute or until the garlic is softened.

4. Drain the gnocchi, reserving a little of the cooking water. Add the gnocchi to the sausage mixture. Shake the skillet so the gnocchi doesn't stick. Its ok if the gnocchi browns a bit on the bottom.

5. Add the peas and remaining tablespoon of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. If needed, add a little of the cooking water to thin out the sauce.

6. Top with parmesam cheese. Let the cheese melt slightly before serving.

Trust me, it is fantastic!!