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About me
Howdy! Hej! Bon Jour! I am the Wild West Viking!
My name is Sara Line! Wild West Viking is all about my passions in life, including travel, real estate, food, drinks, and my deep-rooted Danish traditions. Join me in my journey!
It’s a brat summer while sipping this Midori Margarita! Just three simple ingredients to get your brat on: Midori Liqueur, your favorite tequila (I used Lalo) and fresh lime juice. Shake it all up in a cocktail shaker with some ice, strain, garnish and serve with a little bit of bratitude! Skål and cheers!
Boozy Grilled Brats with Apples, Jalapeños and Onions
These brats were grilled to perfection over red-hot Jealous Devil Charcoal on the Big Green Egg. Chopped onions, fresh jalapeños, and apples sizzled in a white wine bath, letting the brats soak up all that flavor. Then, a quick sear over direct heat for those perfect grill marks. Serve them up in a bun, piled high with the wine-soaked onions, jalapeños, apples, and a generous dollop of Herbst’s Spicy Pub Mustard. These are next-level brats!
Add onions and apples to skillet, and cook for about 10 minutes.
Add jalapenos, brats and wine. Braise brats in skillet for about 10 minutes, turning halfway.
Remove brats, and place directly on the grill, sear on both sides. Allow the onion, jalapeño and apple mixture to continue simmering.
Remove brats, and onion/jalapeño/apple mixture from grill. Toast buns slightly, then add brats, top with onion/jalapeño/apple mixture, Garnish with fresh jalapeño slices, and your favorite dijon/pub mustard.
Enjoy summer's sweetest fruit with this Watermelon French 75! This refreshing cocktail blends the sweetness of watermelon with the sparkle of Champagne, making it the perfect sipper for hot summer days! I chose Empress Elderflower Rose Gin for its delicate floral notes that perfectly complement the fresh watermelon juice. It's light, bubbly, and just as delightful as the class French 75. Cheers to summer in a glass! Skål and cheers!
Place cubed watermelon in a blender and blend until smooth (30 seconds)
Strain watermelon mixture in a fine mesh strainer, discard solids
Place watermelon mixture in a pitcher.
Make Cocktail
Add ice to a cocktail shaker, then add ingredients. Add 1 ½ oz of the fresh watermelon juice, gin, lemon juice, simple syrup, and shake for 10-15 seconds.
Assemble Cocktail
Strain mixture from cocktail shaker into a chilled champagne flute. Fill about halfway with watermelon mixture.
Top off with Champagne/Prosecco.
Add watermelon garnish, and serve!
Keyword Cocktail recipes, Cocktails, Summer Cocktails, Watermelon French 75
Pair your next grilled salmon with this boozy Meyer Lemon Sauce – they were made for each other! Using Jealous Devil Charcoal and a cedar plank from Whole Foods ensures a perfect cook every time! Seasoned the salmon with my favorite Citrus & Herbs seasoning from Big Green Egg. For the sauce, just a couple of simple ingredients like shallots, garlic, Meyer lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper and of course white wine. Ladling this silky smooth sauce over a perfectly grilled salmon is almost as satisfying as eating it! Plus it’s fun to say “Beurre Blanc”!
Embarking on a cold and windy, yet incredible hike up to Lake Isabelle and Long Lake was an adventure to remember. Covering over 7 miles and reaching elevations of 11,000 feet, we experienced a mix of sun, snow, and the lingering beauty of fall colors. This trail is one of my favorites, offering breathtaking views of majestic mountains at every turn.
Despite encountering icy rain and light snowflakes as we neared the lake, we braved the elements to take in the stunning scenery. This hike truly has it all: serene lakes, cascading waterfalls, enchanting meadows, lush forests, and awe-inspiring mountain views. While we had hoped to spot moose, we were delighted by the presence of chipper birds and a couple of mule deer.
The trail conditions were excellent and well-marked. As always, it’s essential to come prepared with various layers to handle unpredictable weather, along with a hat, water, and snacks. In summer, don’t forget bug spray and sunscreen. Trekking poles can be very helpful, and depending on the season, snowshoes and/or spikes might be necessary. The elevation gain is just over 650 feet, but remember, you’re starting at an elevation of 10,300 feet.
Consider packing a picnic lunch to enjoy by the lake—the views are absolutely mesmerizing. Happy hiking!
In the fall/winter, the upper parking lots are closed, so this will add another mile or so before you get to the trailhead. In the spring/summer, you’ll need to make a reservation to get into the park, as there are timed entries. Click here for more information!
Mouthwatering ribs grilled to perfection over Red Hot Jealous Devil Charcoal, accompanied with a Blackberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce and creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes. The secret weapon? Fire & Smoke’s Windy City BBQ rub, packing a flavorful punch with its spice blend – and impressively, zero sugar! The sauce was a standout, blending Blackberry jam, bourbon, honey, lime juice, and spices into a tangy masterpiece. The ribs? Juicy and irresistibly delicious. Just a kiss of smoke from Jealous Devil Smoke wood blocks. Topped off with fresh blackberries, parsley, and lime slices, this rib recipe is a definite keeper!
Prepare grill (I use the Big Green Egg) for indirect cooking, and use Jealous Devil Charcoal for even, clean grilling. Heat grill up to 225 degrees, add a smoke block (from Jealous Devil) to give a little kiss of smoke while the ribs are grilling
Remove membrane (silver skin) on ribs
use olive oil as binder and rub all over the ribs
generously use your favorite rib rub (I used Fire & Smoke's Windy City BBQ rub), and rub all over the ribs.
Once grill is at temperature and ribs have been rubbed, set the ribs on the grill and let the Big Green Egg do its work.
Cook ribs, low and slow for 2-3 hours
Wrap ribs in butcher paper, and return to grill for another hour
Unwrap, and toss butcher paper. Return ribs to grill, and brush with the Blackberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce. Grill for another 30 minutes.
Make Blackberry Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Add all ingredients in a sauce pot, mix well, and heat to a slow boil. Let it simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to use.
Spicy Red Wine Pork Belly Bites served with Roasted Honeynut Squash purée grilled over red hot Jealous Devil Charcoal.These smoked pork belly bites were marinated overnight in a spicy and sweet concoction. Place on the grill, low and slow. After they have grilled for 1-2 hours, then turn them in a spicy, caramelized red wine sauce. What can be better than Boozy bites? Serve and enjoy immediately.
Prepare pork belly by score the fat side with a knife in a crosshatch pattern.
Mix the salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika and cayenne together in a small bowl. Then rub all over the pork belly. Wrap the pork belly tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Instructions
Prepare and heat grill to 225℉.
Unwrap the pork belly. Cut into 2" squares and place on indirect heat. Grill for 1½-2 hours until the bites start to form a nice bark.
Transfer the pork belly bites to a disposable aluminum pan and add orange juice, and honey. Stir to evenly coat the cubes of pork belly bites.
Cover with foil, and return aluminum pan to the grill for another 30-60 minutes until the meat reaches 200℉.
While the pork belly is grilling back on the grill, begin preparing the red wine caramel sauce.
Add the red wine to a saucepan and reduce by half over medium heat. About 10 minutes.
Add ¾ sugar in an even layer in a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Heat sugar, watch it, but don't stir. When the sugar begins to melt, use a spatula to slowly stir the sugar into the melted sugar until all of the sugar has melted and is golden brown.
Slowly, very slowly, add the hot reduced wine, stirring until the sauce turns into a rich caramel.
Add the pork belly bites into the caramel sauce, turning them until all sides have been fully coated.
Grilled over red hot Jealous Devil Charcoal featuring W Sauce! Mango, goat cheese and mint wrapped up in a beautiful seasoned flank steak. This delicious, elegant and stunning appetizer needs to be on your appetizer rotation for your next gathering. One of the benefits is that you an make it in advance! Marinated in W Sauce for at least one hour, then grilled to perfection over clean burning Jealous Devil Charcoal. Combine creamy goat cheese with W Sauce and finely chopped mint. A smooth layer of the goat cheese mixture on a thinly cut strip of flank steak rolled up with a thinly cut piece of mango, then topped off with a sprig of mint.
Trim flank steak. Pat dry, rub with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in ziplock bag and add the W Sauce. Marinate for at least one hour.
Prepare grill, heat to 450℉
Remove the steak from the bag and remove excess marinade. Oil the grates, place the steak on the grill. Grill until internal temperature reaches 125℉ (for rare). Let it rest for at least 30 minutes. Then slice thinly against the grain.
Combine goat cheese, milk and W Sauce in a small bowl, and mix until creamy. Add chopped mint, and mix in.
Spread thin layer on one of the thin strips of grilled steak, lay 1 piece of julienned mango, and roll up the steak into a tight roll. Add 1 piece of mint to garnish on the steak roll.
The flavors in this margarita are like a fiesta in your mouth! This Margarita is such a beautiful and festive cocktail! The shocking pink color in this recipe are all natural from the sweet prickly pear syrup. Combined with your favorite silver tequila, Cointreau, fresh lime juice and serve in a salt rimmed margarita glass! Now you are all ready to celebrate with this amazing margarita!
Blueberries and lemon are such a classic combination! These elegant desserts are light, super flavorful and easy to make! Cut them into heart shapes and share with your sweeties for Valentine's Day!
1pintfresh blueberries, or 1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed
1tbsphoney
1tspvanilla
Lemon Vanilla Cream
2ouncescream cheese, room temperature
2tbsppowdered sugar
½cupheavy whipping cream
¼cupstore bought lemon curd
1tspvanilla extract
Garnish
¼cupsliced almonds, lightly toasted
Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F
Place thawed puff pasty sheet on cutting board, and roll out slightly. You can cut them into rectangles, circles or hearts. Place cut shapes on a silpat/baking sheet. Then score each of your shapes about ½" from the outer edge, and pierce the center of each shape with a fork. Whisk together beaten egg and milk and brush the edges with the egg wash.
Bake puff pastry until golden brown – around 12-15 minutes (watch carefully). You may need to cut around the inner scoring and press center down slightly to make room for lemon cream. Place on wire rack to let cool to room temperature
Assemble Blueberry Sauce
Combine blueberries, honey and vanilla into a small bowl. Gently turn blueberries into sauce to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Strain liquid and discard.
Assemble Lemon Vanilla Cream
Using a hand held mixer, mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a small bowl. While mixing on low, slowly add the heavy whipping cream until it starts to thicken. Increase the speed and beat until medium soft peaks form.
Gently fold lemon curd and vanilla extract into cream mixture. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
Assemble
Place tarts on a serving plate, and divide lemon cream evenly among the tarts. Top with blueberry sauce, and toasted almonds. Dust with powdered sugar, serve and enjoy!