Memorial Day Weekend!

It's Memorial Day weekend and summer has officially begun! Time to break out the bikini, gas up the boat, and fire up the grill. Try these delicious food and drink recipes for a relaxing day at the lake, pool, or beach.

Main Dish

Nothing says summer quite like hot dogs and hamburgers. Enjoy these twists on two American classics:

Hot Dogs with Mango Chutney and Red Onion Relish

This recipe is super quick and easy. The perfect topping for a hot summer day.

Ingredients

1 (9-ounce) jar mango chutney (such as Major Grey's), any large pieces chopped

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard plus additional for serving

8 beef hot dogs

8 hot dog buns, opened

Directions

MAKE AHEAD. Mix chutney, onion, cilantro, and 1 tablespoon mustard in bowl. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill hot dogs and buns until heated through and grill marks form, 2 to 3 minutes per side for hot dogs and about 1 minute per side for buns. Transfer buns to plate. Place 1 hot dog in each bun. Add mustard and relish; serve.

Recipe from www.epicurious.com

Deluxe Turkey Club Burger

This burger is a take on the traditional club sandwich...but with some not so traditional ranch dressing to kick it up a notch.

Ingredients

For the burgers:

• 12 slices bacon
• 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
• 2 pounds ground turkey, 93% or 85% lean
• 4 cloves garlic, pasted or minced
• 3-4 tablespoons grated onion
• 2 teaspoons cumin (2/3 palmful)
• 2 teaspoons coriander (2/3 palmful)
• Salt and pepper

For the ranch dressing:

• 1 1/2 cups regular or low fat sour cream
• About 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• About 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• About 1 tablespoon each finely chopped dill, parsley and chives (about 1/4 cup total)
• Salt and pepper
• 12 slider rolls, such as brioche dinner rolls, split, or 6 hamburger rolls

For the toppings:

• Shredded or chopped romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Sliced plum or vine-ripened tomatoes
• Thinly sliced radishes

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375ºF. Place the bacon on a rack arranged over a baking sheet or on a slotted broiler pan and bake until crisp; reserve.

Place the oil, about 2 tablespoons, in a bowl with the turkey, garlic, grated onion, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Form six large patties or 12 slider-size patties, making them a bit thinner at the center than the edges for even cooking and a flat, even appearance once cooked.

For the ranch dressing, combine the sour cream with lemon juice, hot sauce, herbs, salt and pepper. Taste to adjust the seasonings.
Heat a griddle, grill pan or cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Cook large patties for 5-6 minutes on each side, or slider patties for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Serve the burgers on buns topped with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, radishes and some dressing. Serve Tots with Chipotle Ketchup on the side.

Recipe from www.rachaelray.com

Side Dishes

Grilled Corn with Lime Cilantro Butter

A great pairing wih the mango chutney hot dogs.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

12 ears fresh corn, shucked

Directions

1. Combine the butter, lime juice, lime zest, sugar, salt, and cilantro in a medium bowl and mix well.

2. Grill the corn on a medium-hot grill for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Transfer the lime-cilantro butter to a serving bowl and serve with the corn.

Note: Before grilling the corn, soak the unshucked corn in water. The heat will dry the silk, which will come off when you peel off the husks. Use a paper towel to rub off any remaining corn silk.

Recipe from www.epicurious.com

Garlic and Herb Sweet Potato Fries

The popular and more nutritious alternative to french fries. It will go great with that turkey burger.

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-wide slices, then again into 1/2-inch-wide strips
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F. Spray large baking sheet with vegetable oil spray. Toss sweet potatoes with oil in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer sweet potatoes to platter.

Mix parsley, thyme and garlic in small bowl. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes.

Recipe from www.epicurious.com

Thrist Quenchers

Nothing is better than a delicious drink while lounging by the pool or lake, especially if it is in a Top Shelf glass. Add these delicious drinks to your repertoire:

Grape Summer Spritzer

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups grape juice
• 1 1/2 cups sparkling water
• 2 - 3 lime wedges
• 3 sprigs of mint
• Ice cubes

Directions

Combine grape juice and sparkling water in a glass with ice. Squeeze in lime juice. Stir. Add mint. Enjoy.


Sparkeling Sweet Cherry Lemonade

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen pitted sweet cherries (2 cups), thawed
• 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 cups chilled seltzer water, plus more to taste

Directions

Add the cherries, lemon juice, and sugar to a blender and puree. Pour the mixture into a large pitcher. Add the seltzer and stir gently. Pour into glasses filled with ice and top with additional seltzer, if desired.

Recipe from www.pauladeen.com


Have a fun and safe Memorial Day weekend!

Cinco de Mayo!

Contrary to popular American belief, Drinko Cinco de Mayo is not just a day to celebrate margaritas and Mexican beer. To make a long story short, the date is observed to commemorate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. That being said, we have provided you with an original Top Shelf margarita recipe in honor of the real reason we Americans celebrate this regional Mexican holiday...to drink margaritas and Mexican beer.

The Original Top Shelf Margarita

Ingredients:

First and most importantly: Tequila (preferably the good stuff)

Frozen limeade

Ice...obviously

Sprite (probably didn't see that coming)

 Salt

Limes

In blender combine 2 cans frozen limeade, 2 to 3 handfuls ice, tequila (depending on how exciting you would like your Cinco de Mayo to be, it can vary from none to however strong you would like to make it. We recommend starting out with 2 to 3 shots, you can always add more. ), and 2 to 3 cups Sprite.

Blend.

Add salt and limes for garnish.

Enjoy.

Quick, simple, and delicious!

Have a great and safe Drinko Cinco de Mayo!

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is only 4 days away! Are you prepared to celebrate the most important women in your life? If not, don't worry. Our list of gift ideas will help ease your Mother's Day woes.

For the mom who loves to shop:

Of course first we are going to suggest Top Shelf, it is our blog, but these glasses are just too cute! You can find them at a store near you by visiting www.topshelfglasses.com and click on "Where to Buy".

For the mom who loves her boys:



This fun line offers t-shirts, totes, sweatpants, stationary, etc. This is the perfect gift for any mom with sons! For more information visit www.boymomdesigns.com.

For the mom on the go:

   

These patterned acrylic tumbers with straws are great for your mom's or wife's hectic life! These tumblers retail for $14.95 and can be found at Swoozies. These are a hot item this season so if you don't have a Swoozies near you try Macy's of Lifeway Christian Stores.

For the mom who loves to cook:

These Pier 1 aprons are more like fashion statments than  a way to protect your clothes. Show your appreciation for all the time they have spend in the kitchen (or encourage them to spend more time in the kitchen) with these super cute aprons!

For the mom who loves to remember:

Last but not least, Top Shelf's "Live, Laugh, Love". Just slip in an old or recent photo of you and your mom or wife and she is sure to love it!

Here's hoping everyone has a great Mother's Day!

St. Patrick's Day Beer Cocktails

Happy St. Patrick's Day! In case green beer isn't enough to get you in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, try these beer cocktails to mix things up a bit. 

Black and Tan

This is becoming a popular drink for more than just St. Patrick's Day. If poured correctly, these two beers make a perfect "black and tan" layer in the glass.

- 8 oz. Guiness stout beer
- 8 oz. Pale ale beer

Pour the pale ale into a pint glass. Float the Guinness on top to fill the glass, by pouring it over a bar spoon over the pale ale.

Black Velvet
This drink was supposedly created and served in London while the country was in mourning over the death of Queen Victoria's husband. It is a strange combination but it is actually quite good, and feel free to share the story of its origin to impress your friends.

- 4 oz. Champagne

- 4 oz. Chilled stout

Pour the chilled stout into a champagne flute, add champagne.

Irish Car Bomb (Not for the faint of heart)

Have you been looking for an excuse to chant "CHUG, CHUG, CHUG, CHUG" at a bar? Now is your chance with this festive and delicious beer cocktail.

- 3/4 pint Guinness

- 1/2 shot Irish cream liqueur (ex. Bailey's Irish Cream)

- 1/2 shot Irish wiskey ( ex. Jameson)

Pour the Irish cream into a shot glass, and pour the Irish whiskey on top. Pour the Guinness into a pint glass 3/4 of the way full and let settle. Drop the shot glass into the Guinness...and CHUG! 

The chugging that takes place is not just for show this time, the drink will actually curdle if you let it sit long enough, so drink up.

Next Stop Frankfurt

10 days after Vegas we boarded a plane and headed to Frankfurt, Germany. We arrived in the morning and headed straight to the Messe Frankfurt to set up the booth...in no time at all Top Shelf was international!

The overall concensus was that this was our favorite booth out of all of the shows. It was chic but fun, clean but colorful, attention getting but not over the top...it was Top Shelf. 

The most obvious difference between this show and shows in the US was the booths. They were massive! We had a lot of fun walking around the show, and with 11 buildings there was a lot of walking.

The show was cool, but the best part about Germany was the food and drinks!

Some of the best beer we have ever had from a restaurant called Ginheimer Wirtshaus, they make it themselves. It was smooth and delicious!

You can't go to Germany and not have sausage. It sounds weird but some of the best sausage there is at the train station. We had to make a pit stop at the main train station before heading back to the airport for one last German sausage.

Messe Frankfurt had the BEST ice cream! Some of us ate it everyday.

Top Shelf had a great show at Ambiante in Frankfurt and we can't wait until Tendence in July!



Fabulous Las Vegas!

It's been, well...awhile since we last posted and for that we apologize. January and February has been a whirlwind of traveling to trade shows. It's been tiring, fun, and everything in between...but we love every minute of it because we are excited for people to see Top Shelf!!

After snowy   icy Atlanta, we headed to sunny and warm Las Vegas! Each show is completely different from the next, and Las Vegas was no exception. Unlike Dallas and Atlanta, we aren't in a permanent showroom in Vegas, meaning everything is set up by the Top Shelf crew.

Before we worked our trade show booth magic

After!

Our booth wasn't the only impressive thing at Las Vegas Market...the buildings themselves were awesome! We wish all of you could see them in person but a few pictures will have to do for now.

Now, it wasn't all work and no play while we were in Vegas. Here are the places we recommend visiting the next time you make a trip to Sin City:
- Cosmopolitan Hotel - it's brand new and the inside is very chic
- Holstein's - unique burgers and it's inside the Cosmopolitan so you kill two birds with one stone
- Earl of Sandwich - perfect for a quick lunch or late night snack, located in Planet Hollywood and it's open   24 hours
- Beatle's Love - this Cirque de Soleil show does not disappoint. So amazing some of us got chills!



The Super Bowl...Texas Style

This year the Super Bowl is being held in the great state of Texas! In honor of that, below are ingredients and directions for some Texas inspired snacks for the big day:

Texas Caviar (does not include actual caviar...don't worry)
This popular Texas food can be used as a dip (a healthy alternative to queso) or as a side dish.

2 (15 to 16 oz.) cans black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
1 (15 to 16 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 large red onion chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Cumin vinaigrette (recipe below)

Mix all ingredients and let marinate in the refrigerator for several hours. May be prepared a day before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.
Cumin vinaigrette: Combine 2/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk in 1/2 cup olive oil.

Queso (my personal favorite)
This queso recipe is easy and delicious!

16 oz. cubed velveeta
16 oz. Monterey Jack cheese
2 (10 oz.) cans of RO-TEL diced tomatoes and green chiles

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot.

Texas Sheet Cake (aka Whacky Cake)
This is not your average chocolate cake. It is incredibly moist and glazed with an amazing chocolate icing.

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter
4 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup water
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Freshly made chocolate icing, still warm (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a jellyroll pan measuring about 10x15 inches.
Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl
In a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in cocoa and water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add to the dry ingredients. Mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cake from oven and spread with the chocolate icing while both the cake and the icing are still warm and hot.

Chocolate Icing: While cake is still baking, heat 1 stick of butter, 4 tablespoons cocoa and 6 tablespoons of buttermilk in a saucepan. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and combine with one box (3 3/4 cups of sifted powdererd sugar, beating until smooth. Use icing before it cools, so that it will distribute evenly without tearing the surface of the cake.

These iconic Texas recipes are sure to be a hit at any Super Bowl party. Remember: Texas food is always a winner.


All recipes courtesy of the Dallas Morning News