STRAWBERRY RHUBARB COCKTAIL

If you were wondering what I did with the strawberries we got from strawberry picking, I went with a strawberry pie. Specifically, it was a strawberry balsamic pie from the The Four and Twenty Blackbirds Pie book and it was delicious. I had it for several breakfasts, straight out of the fridge and the pan with a fork... naturally. I also made a cocktail.

Once I decided I wanted to try to get strawberries and bourbon together and make strawberry bourbon babies, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I settled on the classic combination of strawberry and rhubarb. This rhubarb simple syrup is sooo good, I kept dipping my finger into it to lick off.  Oh there are so many possibilities with this rhubarb syrup - Mix it with club soda for rhubarb soda! Put it into some champagne for a rhubarb bellini! Drizzle it over some plain Greek yogurt! Yes, yes and yes. 

I thought the cocktail might be too sweet, but the lemon and mint give it the lift it needs and the rhubarb stands up nicely to the bourbon. It is refreshing and the kind of drink I would sip on all night long at a backyard party.

Strawberry & Rhubarb Cocktail
adapted from SAVEUR

Ingredients (for one drink): 1 lemon, 3-4 strawberries, 3-4 mint leaves, bourbon & rhubarb simple syrup.

1. Make rhubarb simple syrup: Wash and then cut up one rhubarb stalk into 1/2 inch pieces.  Put the pieces in a pot with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of simple syrup. When the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.  Drain the mixture and you will have a pink rhubarb simple syrup. You will only use 1 ounce of this for one drink, so bottle it up and save the rest for later.

2. Muddle 3 lemon wedges, 3 mint leaves, 2 strawberries and 1 ounce of rhubarb simple syrup in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add 1-1.5 ounces of bourbon and ice. Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice. Garnish with mint and strawberries if you wish.
 

GRAPEFRUIT ROSEMARY COCKTAIL

first things first. watermelon oreos, don't do it.

i regretted it the moment i took my first bite, but it provided an afternoon of entertainment at work with people coming by my desk to test taste and give their oreo rating and just like that, the whole package was finished. i'm glad that it didn't go to waste, but i feel a tinge guilty about helping people consume a sugary cookie that tasted like plastic.

secondly, the triple ginger snaps from trader joe's - DO it.
i've been doing this ginger snap + chai tea combo at work for breakfast dessert and all that spice is a a flavor explosion deeelight.  and yes, breakfast dessert, it's a thing.

 thirdly. the other day, i opened my fridge door, stared at the grapefruit flavored San Pellegrino inside and fantasized about a grapefruit and rosemary infusion. once i got my hands on some rosemary, i made a rosemary flavored simple syrup (heat and stir 1/2 cup of sugar + 1/2 cup of water + one spring of rosemary), added it to the San Pellegrino, topped it with some vodka, stirred it all around and voila! making my fantasies come true, one drink at a time.

fourth. i have other fantasies that i am going to make come true. some of them involve drinks and foods, others of them have to do with writing more.  the key words here are discipline and practice. another key word: confidence.

NON-ALCOHOLIC COCKTAILS

Happy Friday, blog world! And to celebrate the end of achy weekdays, maybe everyone should have themselves a refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail.  I'm a girl who really appreciates a good drank-infused cocktail, but these recent months without them have me appreciating complex drinks for different reasons. That's why I loved hearing the guys over at The Table Set discuss the glory of a well-balanced, thoughtfully put-together and refreshing cocktail that doesn't involve alcohol. They put these recipes up on their show notes and the concoctions are so creative and interesting that I had to share them here.

ginger tea

I've been afflicted with a sore throat the past few days and when my sisters were here, my sister, Eunice, suggested I try drinking ginger tea to help the recovery. She brew me up a strong batch and not only did it seem to help soothe my throat, it was pleasant to sip on a spicy hot tea. I've been drinking it every night ever since, and I love how easy and natural it is to put together. Apparently, ginger tea is often used as a home remedy for indigestion, nausea, and to ward off colds, flu, and sore throats.



You'll need:
4 cups of water
2 inch ginger root
honey
lemon

Peel the ginger root and slice it into thin slices. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Once it is boiling, add the ginger. Cover it and reduce to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Strain the tea. Add honey and lemon to taste.

my favorite pretend grown-up drink

Lorina's Pink Citrus Lemonade is one of my favorite things to drink these days. Pregnant and sad that you can't partake in the bubbly? Try this, it's better.

'good things about autumn' cocktail

It’s the second week of October, and it’s a tinier bit colder and noticeably darker, and it’s officially that much harder for me to feel happy about going through the motions of the week.

I’m super happy about crunchy apples and apple cider making an appearance in the grocery stores, totally interested in cooking with all different kinds of squash, glad for the return of mulled wine, and content wearing my chambray shirt everywhere, but waking up cold in bed because Ken’s already left, and leaving work knowing there is only 30 minutes of daylight left, is really cramping my can-do-attitude. Also, just to show how emotionally tied to warm weather my constitution is: When I think about all the errands I must run, I feel 10 times more burdened about the fact that I have to run errands wearing boots or cold weather-appropriate shoes, than I would thinking about running my errands in flip flops or sandals. It’s true. My sigh of ‘so many things to do today!’ is made heavier by the knowledge that I am going to be wearing a jacket and my toes are going to be suffocated for the entire duration of said event.

I obviously like autumn, but here is my perfect idea of the season. I’d keep fall fashion, apples, hot cider, mulled wine, pumpkins, squash, crispy weather, spices, rust-colored things, and foliage, but the weather should remain between 78 and 88 degrees, and the sun should stay on its summer schedule of coming and going. Thank you very much.

Now to get to the point. To show how much I do appreciate the positive fall-related things listed above, I hunted down some apple cider and concocted a “good-things-about-autumn” cocktail.

So delicious




First of all, I should say, I got it in my head to infuse some gin with apples and pears, and so I did! For the record, apple and pear infused gin is delicious.



How to make the cocktail:
1) Mix 1 oz apple+pear infused gin, 1 oz apple cider (or more, i am liberal with the apple cider), 1/2 oz apple or pear brandy, 1/2 of bitters, and lemon juice together. Shake it up in ice, but if you don't have a shaker, just give it all an enthusiastic stir.
2) Top the mix with ginger beer
3) Add lemon garnish, or even better, a cinnamon stick
4) Enjoy.



The gin is a nice compliment to the apple cider surprisingly, the small amount of brandy gives it a little weight, and the bitters makes the drink complex with all of its herbs. The kick of ginger adds depth and spice and the bubbles at the end is a nice touch. Best of all, it truly tastes like autumn!

It should also be noted that I cooked with spaghetti squash the first time, and made a spaghetti squash with turkey meatball dish, hoorah! I ate this with my “good-things-about-autumn” cocktail, and saw that it was good.

Last, but not least, another good thing about autumn: combining grey and gold nail polish.

Inhaling a gust of autumn wind

With the first of October came the crispiest weather. Crispy+ delicious shocks to the skin. And along with the weather came my sister into town for a visit!

Saturday, we slept in, played with Rusty, shopped for our boys at Rumors, studied at a coffee shop with all their windows flung wide open, whilst I listened to Tom Waits' Blue Valentine album. A throwback in order to get ready for his upcoming new one. Does Tom Waits move your underbelly like it moves my underbelly?

Their selection and set-up keeps getting better and better. They now also have an online store, as well as a fun tumblr.


For boys. Baja hoodie? Lacoste jacket?



Val is going to be a fan, whether he likes it or not.



coffee, omelet, and books at harrison cafe.


red roasted pepper coconut soup


SOOP



Then we stopped by the new burger joint downtown called Station 2. Gourmet burgers, craft beers, good space, and the whole place is firehouse themed. The burger was pricey, but delicious, and the atmosphere was nice.



Fireman


For a starter we got deep fried green beans with WASABI aioli sauce. SO good.



The classic burger on a ciabatta-like bread


I like burgers



Sister


Are we taking pictures together in the bathroom? No! (yes)


Later that night, at home with Rusty:


Rusty with a baby pumpkin.

I could do with another Saturday....It was so nice to have seester in Richmond and be to and fro together. Come over more, sisters!

strawberry, lemon, and basil soda

I just tried THIS RECIPE from Bon Apetit, and it was mighty fine!

The strawberries were looking really good at the market the other day, so I got a bunch and then saw this recipe for a drink that will make sure you remember summer is coming. Also, I love basil and especially love it when a recipe calls for a basil and fruit combo, so here it is.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar (I used 2 tablespooons)
• 6 fresh basil leaves
• 5 small strawberries (or 3 large strawberries, quartered) plus 1 thin slice for garnish
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 3/4 cup club soda

Preparation

Combine fresh lemon juice, raw sugar, basil, whole strawberries, and salt in a pint glass. Muddle ingredients with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon until sugar dissolves. Add ice cubes and soda water and stir until chilled. Strain into a 12-oz. glass filled with ice cubes and garnish with a strawberry slice.

Ta-da!!!

It's spritzy and bright and really refreshing.

And then I had the brilliant idea that Pimm's (or gin) might go perfect with this drink to make it into a special aperitif. I was right.



Let's see what else I can make with strawberries!