Sunday, February 26, 2012

Rum Tropical Punch & A Wild Giveaway

One of the many treasured vintage cookbooks my mom has sent over the years is San Francisco à la Cart, by the Junior League of San Francisco (New York: Doubleday, 1979).


Chapter II, Beverages, is so fun! My favorite recipe is for Rum Tropical. The original recipe description warns, “Watch out for this! It is deliciously lethal.” I made some minor changes to the recipe and the drink is at least as delicious and lethal, if not more so! It’s so easy and can be made well ahead of a party. I like to garnish each drink with an all-natural maraschino cherry or two because they’re nostalgic and adorable and they taste even better after they’ve soaked in the punch. If you like, you can purchase all-natural maraschino cherries here, but check your local grocery store first. And I've made this for my kids without the booze - I'm pretty sure we called it Pirate Punch. Ahoy!


Rum Tropical Punch


My March giveaway is for this wild leopard print wine purse that showed up in my newsfeed on Facebook a few weeks ago. What a super fun and stylish way to transport a bottle of wine just about anywhere - to your fav BYOW restaurant or a picnic at the beach. It's on my wish list but it can be yours by entering the giveaway!


To enter, leave a comment in the comment section below telling me if you have a punch tradition in your family - wine, champagne or liquor based? - and what the punch means to your family. For example, my grandmother had a "fancy" alcohol-free punch she made for weddings and now I wonder if it was ever spiked on the sly. Had to have been, right? I also love eggnog "punch" around the holidays. Picture a pretty punch bowl with a block of vanilla ice cream bathing in egg nog, a dash of nutmeg and an optional splash of rum, for adults only. Holy heart stopper - small servings for that egg nog!


By commenting you confirm that you are 21 (because it is alcohol related) and, if you win, that you will claim the prize within 72 hours by contacting me at info@sweetandsimple.com. If not, you forfeit the prize and I will select another winner. The contest ends on Saturday, March 3rd and the winner will be announced on Facebook and in the comments section below. Sorry to be firm, but I don't want anyone to be disappointed!


Jenni's Wine Jell-O!
(Photo Courtesy of Jenni Field, Online Pastry Chef)
Wait, wait! There's more!!


Additionally, you can visit my friend, Jenni Field, the one-and-only Online Pastry Chef, on her blog, comment there, and be eligible for another boozy giveaway! Coincidence? Nah. We definitely planned this. Jenni made a fab Wine Jell-O Recipe for the occasion. I know you're going to LOVE it. 


Jenni's also on Facebook and Twitter.


Rum Tropical Punch
10-12 generous servings


In a large pitcher combine and whisk:
4 cups of rum (preferably a lighter rum)
3 cups pineapple juice
1 cup mango juice
1/2 cup lime syrup, cooled (recipe follows)


Lime Syrup:
In a small saucepan combine:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice, strained
1/4 cup extra fine sugar
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and cool thoroughly


Refrigerate the punch for at least 48 hours.
Serve in pre-chilled, small glasses over crushed ice.


Maraschino cherries, petite lime wedges and/or fresh pineapple wedges for garnish (optional, but why not?)



25 comments:

  1. Can't wait to try this Rum Punch!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am in love with those crazy toothpick, peacocky things!! I might need them... 8D Best giveaway ever. We rock! ;) 8D

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looking forward to trying this rum punch. I made up my own punch which is a version of sangria, but I add sparkling wine to the basic sangria recipe and some fruit sorbet to make it "punchie"

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh I love this giveaway and the rum punch! Can't wait to try it! Hope I win. Just came from Jenni's site and here I am, too. Thanks for the fun post, Michelle!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Our traditional family punch is basically fruit punch (in a coordinating color for the Holiday/Theme) mixed with ginger ale and scoops of sherbet!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My wife would absolutely adore this purse! Nice to meet you! The Pastry Chef online sent us over, and what a great giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Oh, I forgot to add that we do have a punch recipe that is a Halloween tradition! It is presented over hot ice for the smoking effect! The kids also enjoy a lemonade punch that my wife makes them every summer; although I wouldn't call that a tradition. lol

    ReplyDelete
  8. Such a fun giveaway, and I just entered Jenni's too! My family doesn't really have a punch tradition, but I do recall a warm holiday cranberry punch my mom used to make when I was little. I think I might even have a recipe card somewhere too....

    ReplyDelete
  9. No punch really, but at Christmas we make Wassail, football season it's Bloody Marys with celery and three olives, lemon and lime wedge, and salted rim glasses. Spring/summer it's mimosas for brunch, and I have been known to made my own homemade Irish cream liquer.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That bag is absolutely cute. And thanks Jenni for letting me know about your site. I am a new follower :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. This looks so good Michelle. Can you believe I've never had it? I'm going to add it to my list of things to make for our housewarming party!
    The bag is seriously cute too.

    ReplyDelete
  12. punch with champagne....yummm.....this purse is to die for, great with a kickass dress or your favorite pair of jeans!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Just made a divine Moscato Berry Punch with my daughter last weekend. Sure to become our new family favorite! Moscato Wine, Sparkling Water, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blueberries. Easy breezy and simply delightful! The Wine Purse is so snazzy I can hardly stand it!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Rum Punch sounds delicious, I think I'll try it with juice made from my juicer!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I think the only punch I can remember was at my wedding reception. My grandmother made it. I do like Sunday morning brunch at my friends house, mimosas are the norm. Not really a punch, but mighty tasty!

    ReplyDelete
  16. The rum punch looks amazing! Perfect for a March dinner party!

    ReplyDelete
  17. My extended family stays away from alcohol so we always had sherbet punch at family gatherings.

    ReplyDelete
  18. yummy yummy in my tummy

    ReplyDelete
  19. Going to make the rum punch tomorrow for a party

    ReplyDelete
  20. Looks delicious!! And LOVE the purse! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I wonder how this rum punch would taste with some sherbet added to it. I bet it is yummy with almost anything added to it!!

    ReplyDelete
  22. This so reminds me of my granny she loved to wear lepord print. And she would let us play "bar and make fun sparkly punch and hang little plastic monkeys on the rims of our glasses. She catered for a living and liked things fancy.

    ReplyDelete
  23. In my family my mother had a few punch recipes that she used for showers and weddings but none had alcohol in them. But, I Love a good spiked punch or a sangria for parties and special holidays.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Never thought to add ice cream to spiked egg nog. Will remember this in December!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Mr. Pete @ http://www.mrpetescajunspices.com/ - You are the lucky winner! How sweet of you to think of your wife! Please contact me at info@sweetandsimple.com with your mailing address info. Best, Michelle

    ReplyDelete