Spicy Tomato Juice

A few weeks ago, I was walking down the isles at the grocery store, talking with my best friend on the phone.  Best friend, I just had a fleeting moment where I felt like I was in high school again.  Anyhow, i saw a Bloody Mary mix on the shelf and thought that it sounded so good.  I started reminiscing about the best bloody mary that I have ever had.  It was at some country restaurant on Vashon Island.  It was spicy and rich.  Never again, have I had one quite like it. At the time I contemplated purchasing this drink mix, due to nostalgia overtaking my thoughts.  Then she says to me, "Why don't you make some yourself and post it on your blog!", what a marvelous idea!  So, over the course of the last few mornings, I've taken to making a spicy concoction for my mornings, sans the vodka.  Although, I believe with the vodka, would be just as tasty, if not a smidge better.

What you'll need:

4 1/2 Cups tomato juice (I've got Low Sodium V8 on hand all the time)

4 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 tsp hot sauce

2 cloves pickled garlic minced (originally posted here at the bottom of the site)

2 Tbsp of the pickled garlic liquid

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp dried dill

1 tsp lemon juice

Celery Stalks, Olives, or any other fun condiment to add

Add all ingredients, except the condiments into a pitcher or large measuring cup (it would have to be 4+ cups big), mix.  Rim your glasses with salt and ice if desired.  Add your condiments and serve.  Makes 4 servings.

My family loved this.  I have to share.  When I first started experimenting with this earlier this week, it was in the morning when my son and I get ready for our day.  I made some to go along with our breakfast.  He asked me what I was making, I told him it was bloody mary mix without the alcohol.  Not that he really knows what is in it but he knows that I enjoy Bloody Mary's once in awhile when we go out for breakfast.  Anyhow, I poured him regular tomato juice to have with breakfast, asked him if he wanted to try some of mine.  His eyes got real wide, he got this huge smile on his face and you could see the excitement he was trying to contain.  He caught himself and got real serious and said "Yes, please".  Well, he complimented my drink and said he really liked it.  I found out from my husband later that night that he came home and was talking with him about it, saying that he got to have "Bloody Mary's" with breakfast this morning.  Now, we have since established with him that he needs to refer to them as "Spicy tomato juice", since we know that he maybe going around to his friends and such wanting to talk about how he got to have a Bloody Mary.  Should an adult hear this, we may get some interesting questions about our parenting skills.