The #MoviesandMunchies Practical Magic Round-Up + Dark of Night Margaritas
In honor of Halloween - and the recent release of the sequel - I invited the Movies & Munchies bloggers to watch Practical Magic, either the original or the new one. Here's what inspired us into the kitchen!
by Debra of Eliot's Eats
Debra was excited to watch the movie again, ahead of watching the sequel. She was inspired to make Midnight Margaritas and even gave us the aunts' recipe.
Midnight Margaritas
Eye of Newt and toe of frog,
Wool of bat and tongue of dog,
Adder’s fork and blindworm’s sting,
Barbados Lime is just the thing.
Cragged salt like a sailor’s stubble!
Flip the switch and let the cauldron bubble.
Debra's used more conventional ingredients and I am excited to try her version with honey, pomegranate juice, and garnished with a lavender or rosemary sprig. Cheers!
by Terri of Our Good Life
Terri writes that she loves the original movie and this was the perfect opportunity to for a movie night with a fun cocktail. Also, she shares: "But what I love most about this movie isn't really the magic. It's the relationship between the sisters. They have different personalities, different dreams, and different ways of navigating the world. Yet underneath all their disagreements and adventures is a bond that refuses to disappear. And then there's that magnificent house! The sprawling Victorian home, with its charming kitchen, gardens, and mysterious atmosphere, feels like a character in its own right. I could happily spend an afternoon exploring every room. Practical Magic has all the ingredients of a favorite autumn movie: romance, humor, a little darkness, memorable characters, and a reminder that love and friendship are powerful forces." I can't agree more, Terri. I can see why you watch this for the magic of Autumn every year. I might have to join you.
by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm
Wendy also whipped up a margarita and observed: "The first film has a lot of drinking and dancing. I haven't seen the sequel yet. Gillian finds herself involved in a relationship with a dastardly man who becomes very abusive. He kidnaps the sisters, and Sally spikes his bottle of tequila with belladonna, hoping to render him unconscious but accidentally killing him. If for no other reason, watch this film just to see Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock in their early years." Her cocktail includes blueberries and pomegranate juice. I would love to lift a glass with Wendy and dance around the kitchen. Ha!
by Amy's Cooking Adventures
Amy both read the book and watched the movie during this month. She gave them both a 3.5 out of five, writing: "Regardless, it was an enjoyable book/movie comparison. There wasn’t a ton of food mentioned in the movie (vegetarian lasagna showed up a lot in the book), but they did have to defeat ghost Jimmy in both, so I think ghost cookies fulfill the requirement!" Here's to a non-cocktail for this month's posts. Hooray!
I actually posted a non-cocktail offering with my...
I was inspired to do something with roses as they are the flower Sally uses to cast her true love spell and it's under a rose bush that Sally and Gilly bury the man they killed. And this post, linked in the title, includes my thoughts on the movie.
Dark of Night Margaritas
I had initially called these 'Midnight Margaritas' but Debra posted a cocktail with the same title, so I went with 'Dark of Night' instead. Still, I was inspired by the same scene of Gilly, Sally, and the aunts dancing around the kitchen drinking margaritas.
Quick note: I added a pinch of activated charcoal to achieve the color. I had used cuttlefish ink in previous black cocktails, but it imparted a flavor I just couldn't mask. And, truth be told, the bamboo-cased charcoal rendered these cocktails smelly. We couldn't figure out why, but these smelled like sulphur. It was off-putting to say the least. So I am going to share the recipe, as made; just know we actually dumped these down the sink and re-made them without the activated charcoal. But they look cool, right?!
Fun fact: I read that the actresses were, in fact, drinking tequila to make the scene more candid. So, yeah, they really were drunk dancing!
Ingredients
makes 2 cocktails
3-1/2 ounces tequila
2 ounces Grand Marnier (or Cointreau)
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
pinch of activated charcoal powder (optional! And I highly recommend skipping this. LOL!)
ice (I also used mini skull cubes for serving - Amazon affiliate link for skull molds)
black or silver rimming sugar (Amazon affiliate link for silver sugar)
more lime slices
Also needed: ice, cocktail shaker/strainer
Procedure
Run the lime slices around the rim of your glasses and roll them in the sanding sugar. Set aside the prepped glasses.
Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Add in the tequila, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and activated charcoal, if using. Cover and shake well.
Strain mixture into prepped serving glass. Drop in skull ice cubes. Serve immediately.
To make the "not sulphury" margaritas, skip the activated charcoal.
That's a wrap on our October #MoviesandMunchies event. We will be back next month as we honor Dolly Parton and watch Steel Magnolias. Stay tuned!
Comments