Thirsty Thursday - All American Blue

I thought I'd stay with the theme for the week and introduce a patriotic drink to celebrate Independence Day! 

All American Blue

2 oz. of Skyy Vodka (or your choice of vodka)

1 oz blue curacao

2 oz white grape juice

Splash of soda

Pour all ingredients except soda in a shaker and shake hard. Pour into a high ball glass with ice and garnish with a lime or green apple slice.  Sip and enjoy!

Have a happy and safe 4th of July weekend!

4th of July Celebration

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! Who doesn't love Independence Day?

I don't know if I'm more excited that it's the 4th of July, that there is a three day weekend or a four day work week following!  Either way I plan on celebrating.  A few things always come to mind when I think of Independence Day: BBQ, hot weather, fireworks and time with friends and family.  Anders Ruff has these gorgeous July 4th printables available in her Etsy shop.  I love the patriotic theme!

Your celebration can be simple or extravagant, small or large.  I think the point is to enjoy yourself and remember the reason for our freedom.  Thank you to the men and women, sons and daughters and fathers & mothers whose sacrifices make it all possible!

Thirsty Thursday - Pear Martini

Martinis are by far one of my favorite drinks to make.  With so many flavored vodkas on the market, your options of a good martini are endless.  One that is just as delicious as it looks is the Pear Martini.

This martini is a real delight. It's both flavorful & refreshing and will quickly become one of your favorite cocktails to enjoy.  Take 2 oz. of a good quality pear vodka (Swedish Pear Absolut is a good one), a splash of fresh grapefruit juice, and a squeeze of lime juice. Mix all the ingredients with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strain into a cocktail glass.  Garnish your Pear Martini with lime peel and a slice of dried pear. Enjoy!

Here are a few tips I use with almost every martini I make:

1.  I usually add about a teaspoon of simple syrup to my martini as I enjoy a slightly sweeter cocktail. Add this as an extra ingredient before shaking.  (Simple syrup is a water and sugar mix (1/2 cup water, 1 cup sugar) that is heated until all the sugar is dissolved.  Make sure to let it cool before using. It can be stored in a container in your fridge for about a month.)
2.  Shake your cocktail for about 30 seconds. The shaker will frost over and become very cold in your hands. This a sign that your martini is ice cold and also well mixed.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

TGIF

One of my favorite things about summer is the time spent with my loved ones - more specifically, the time spent with my honey.  I enjoy our one on one time - that time that is intentionally set aside for us to re-connect. 

We love to spend time together, especially during the summer. There's just something about lazy days, warm nights, light breezes and the chance to simply catch up.

Today is Friday and I think you are probably happy to utter the words, "TGIF".  The perfect ending to any week is to carve out a little time just for the two of you, just you and your honey. 

Anything can be a celebration, even a small one. How does a small intimate dinner for two sound?

Or how about putting the kids to bed early, grabbing a bottle of your favorite wine and settling into a good spot for some cuddling and relaxing?

Whichever you choose, sit back and enjoy your own little slice of paradise that you've carved out for yourself.   

And might I add that I hope it is a good night afterall.

Thirsty Thursday - Peachy White Wine Sangria

Today I'm featuring something that is tried and true.  I recently just served this during my (very large) family visit this past weekend.  I made about 2 gallons worth and not a drop was left when Sunday afternoon rolled around.  I think it's safe to say that everyone enjoyed it. It went well with dinner on Saturday night and even better with brunch on Sunday.

This isn't the exact picture of what mine looked like after I added tons of fresh fruit but I do have a shot of all it's inner deliciousness. 

Want a closer look?

Yeah, that was kind of my (and my family's) reaction too.  I guess that's why it went so fast.

I can honestly say, it tasted even better than it looked.  Be as creative as you want in tossing in all your favorite fruits - you can't ruin this recipe.

Ingredients:

•1 Bottle of white wine (Riesling, Albarino, Chablis, Gewurztraminer, Rioja, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc)
•1/2 cup Peach Schnapps
•1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you prefer your Sangria)
•2 sliced peaches (frozen peach slices work well)
•1 sliced orange
•1/2 mango peeled and sliced
•1/2 liter of ginger ale

Preparation:

Pour wine and Schnapps in the pitcher and add fresh or frozen fruit. Next add sugar and stir gently. Chill mixture for at least one hour. Add ginger ale or club soda just before serving.

(I used a bag of frozen fruit with mango, pineapple, strawberries, berries and peaches.  I added sliced oranges just before I served everyone.)

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! 

Cheers!

Orange & Blue

I've been really busy this past week with having family in town so I've been away from the post for a few days.  I'm happy to say that I'm back!  Already I've been brainstorming for upcoming events this summer.  I was looking at ideas using the colors orange and blue and was inspired by this color scheme.

Don't they just scream "summer" to you? These colors remind me of the beach - cool blue water and fiery orange skies.  I'm just itching to use this inspiration board!

Photos from Ceremony Magazines.

FLIRTINI

This martini truly looks scrumptious! 

It's Thirsty Thursday and this weekend promises to be a scorcher for those of us who live in the South.  Good thing I found the perfect drink for you (and me) to try this weekend.  It's the Flirtini and I found a tangy version as well as a sweet. So the question now becomes: Are you tart or sweet?

Tart & Tangy folks look here:
Ingredients

• 1-1/2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz triple sec or orange liqueur
• 1/2 oz cranberry juice
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 oz champagne

Mix vodka, liqueur, juices and sugar in shaker with ice. Shake, strain into martini glass, top with champagne, stir gently.

If you are more of a Sweetie, try this version instead:

• 2 pieces of fresh pineapple
• 1/2 oz vodka
• 1/2 oz triple sec or orange liqueur
• 1 oz pineapple juice
• 3 oz champagne
• cherry for garnish

Muddle pineapple in glass, add vodka, liqueur and juice in shaker with ice. Shake, strain into a cocktail glass, top with champagne, stir gently and enjoy!