Month: March 2014

Cucumber Basil Gin Martini

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Last weekend, we had to make an emergency run to the liquor store to replenish our gin stash! I can’t believe we actually allowed ourselves to run out completely and I have to admit, I was a little panicked about it! Off we went to the store with the intent to replace our old standbys–Hayman’s Old Tom Gin, Hendricks and Plymouth; but, what we left with was a new discovery: Citadelle Gin. Citadelle is a French Gin and like my favorite Hendrick’s, it is both floral and herbal and very smooth! The inspiration for this drink came from a sake-based cucumber-basil martini that I enjoyed just recently at a sushi restaurant. I didn’t have any sake at home, but I knew that the flavors would be perfect with the botanical notes in the Citadelle gin!  The weather is getting warmer, so you must put this drink in your spring and summer cocktail arsenal!  It is light, refreshing, herbaceous and so delicious! Perfect for a garden party!       Happy Weekend!

“Dark and Stormy Cocktail” and taking time to “Look at the Flowers”

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Last week, I had a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad week. I won’t elaborate on the details in order to protect the innocent, but trust me, it sucked.  The husband was out of town for the week on a business trip and as luck would have it, everything that could go wrong did go wrong.  The icing on the cake was the morning (3:50 last Thursday, to be exact) I was trying to catch a few precious moments of sleep, when I heard the distant, plaintive chirp of the smoke alarm.  Have you ever noticed that smoke alarm batteries only die in the wee hours of the morning? Of course, the dying smoke alarm was located on the highest ceiling of the house, which meant that I had to go out to the garage in my pajamas and get the Giant Ladder.  Normally, I never even touch the Giant Ladder–the shiny, clean 5-footer is more my speed, but there I was, in my robe and slippers, precariously perched about 15 feet off the ground …

Arugula and Golden Beet Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette

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When I was a kid, beets were the one vegetable that I would not touch with a ten-foot pole! It was the 1970s and the only beets we had came in a can and I thought they were awful! But the moment I had fresh, roasted beets served with goat cheese, I was hooked. Now I can’t get enough of them! Earthy, sweet, gnarly-beautiful beets are made even sweeter by slowly roasting them in the oven with cinnamon sticks and bay leaves and marinated in a gingery-grapefruit vinaigrette.  If ever there was a salad that makes you feel warm inside, then this is it!   The weather is finally starting to warm up a bit, but it’s technically winter, so we can still take advantage of ripe, winter citrus, leafy greens and root vegetables.  This salad beautifully bridges the gap between the long, cold winter and the warm sun of spring that’s just waiting around the corner! Golden beets are not always available, so when I see them at the market, I grab them.  Milder …

A New Succulent Garden and Blistered Shishito Peppers

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I kill succulents.  I kill them so often and so quickly that the garden center should probably have my picture on their wall with a notice saying “Do Not Sell Succulents To This Woman”.  But so far I’ve been able to elude them or they’ve just decided that they make a lot of money from me and my succulent exploits.  With that in mind, please know that this is not a tutorial on keeping succulents alive!  I wanted to rehab this terrarium from a couple of years ago that has been dormant for…18 months.  That means I was able to keep the succulents that were originally in it alive for 6 whole months.  This also means that I’ve had a big bowl of dirt sitting in my bathroom for a year and a half.  I saw this tutorial on West Elm’s website a while ago that showed how to make a succulent garden and suggested leaving the plants in their original pots–which seemed perfect for me!  At least this way, when I kill them, they …

Maple, Ginger and Thyme Glazed Carrots and Sweet Potatoes

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A good friend of mine asked me the other day whether I’d ever made carrots with ginger before.  I thought about that question and my short answer was that I had, but then I couldn’t remember the last time I’d made them. I started to realize that I rarely make carrots as their own side dish, mainly because The Husband doesn’t really like carrots.  He’ll eat them, but he doesn’t enjoy them and that’s really saying something because he is the least picky eater on the planet!  So as my friend and I were talking, I started thinking the sweet potatoes that I recently roasted in coconut oil.  This, in turn had me daydreaming about how amazing carrots would taste alongside those sweet potatoes, roasted in coconut oil and glazed with maple syrup and ginger!  I was instantly obsessed with the thought and went straight to the grocery store after work for carrots and ginger!  I came home and within minutes I was enjoying possibly the easiest and best recipe I’d made in a long …

Oscar-worthy Cocktails and Nosh!

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The 86th Annual Academy Awards are this evening and this year, I’ve actually seen quite a few of the nominated films! I feel like I have some skin in this game now!  I won’t be having an Oscar party, but you can be sure that I’ll be watching the show with a cocktail in hand along with some great snacks!  So, whether you are having a party or just looking for a few ideas for what to snack on tonight while you’re watching the show, might I offer a few suggestions? I’ve been to enough parties to know that people love deviled eggs!  Try these smokey, spicy  deviled eggs along with the frothy Lusty Lady topped with some Cognac-soaked cherries!  It just speaks Hollywood Glamour! This homage to Oscar Winner, Ginger Rogers is one of my favorites!  The Ginger Rogers is a double dose of ginger flavor, combining spicy ginger beer with ginger simple syrup. Or perhaps this fruity Blood Orange Margarita?  Awesome for a Mexican food-themed party! This Framboise 75  is a perfect choice if you’re feeling particularly fancy-schmancy! Who doesn’t love champagne? …