Coquito ~ A Puerto Rican Favorite To Celebrate Navidad

The holiday season is here and for us, Puerto Ricans, that means one thing— Coquito season!

Coquito is a traditional Puerto Rican holiday drink that will put the jingle in your step. This coconut-based drink immediately puts me in a festive mode, and immediately takes me back to my younger years when I enjoyed the non-alcoholic version. There are many varieties across the Caribbean, but ours is the original. Many versions include egg, and I am here to clarify this point—

Coquito does not have eggs and it is NOT EGGNOG. (I am very sensitive about this… LOL).

This beverage is very simple to make, and it also makes for a good and festive gift. Every year I get some decorative bottles (hello, Target $3 bin), and gift them to friends and family. And I have never heard anybody complain. :) I ncluded the recipe below.

Coquito de Puerto Rico (Makes 1 Liter of Coquito)

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (12 oz each) evaporated milk

  • 1 can (15 oz.) cream of coconut

  • 1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk

  • ½ cup sweetened condensed milk

  • ½ cup white rum (optional)

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon, plus more for garnish

  • Cinnamon sticks

  • A small pinch of salt

Steps

1. In a blender, combine evaporated milk, cream of coconut, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, rum and the spices. Blend until all ingredients are well combined, 1-2 minutes.

2. Pour coconut mixture into glass bottles; cover and refrigerate.

3. To serve, shake bottle well to combine, because it will thicken. Pour into small serving glasses. Garnish with cinnamon. And that’s it!

This is a great gift during the holiday. Simply find some pretty glass bottles, add a tag and voilá! Enjoy!

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Lone Survivor: Dahlia 'Wizard of Oz'

If you have visited my blog, you know that this summer was awful for my garden. Everything that could go wrong, did. Everything that could attack it, did. It left me feeling dejected. So much that I gave up. And while I thought nothing survived, to my surprise, one plant did— a dahlia.

Oh, dahlias… they can singlehandedly break my heart and restore my faith in gardening. And this one really did bring a smile to my face. She was a warrior and showed it. And how gorgeousl is this pompom beauty?

Here are some details about this beauty—

  • Name: Wizard of Oz

  • Color: Pink

  • Seed Type: Tuber

  • Style: Pompom

  • Bloom Season: Summer into Late Fall

  • Bloom Size: Up to 3”

  • Growth Habit: Upright with long stems. Can grow up to 32”

I hope you consider this dahlia when you are planning next year’s garden because it sure is a beauty.

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