5 Festive Cocktails

We've officially started celebrating in our house.  The kickoff with our Jack turning 10 this week!   We started his day with these birthday pancakes and ended it with pizza out with 10 boys.  It was a great day! We have another birthday next week for our Finn and then the holidays are knockin' and I'm ready!

Nothing says celebration like a festive holiday cocktail. These well-balanced cocktails are inspired by the best of the season’s ingredients, infused with fresh herbs and fruit.  What's not to love!  Try serving the drinks with these appetizers that I wrote about earlier this week.

All the recipes are courtesy of Williams-Sonoma, one of my favorite places to shop for kitchen essentials.  Check out this shaker-I love it!  

HARVESTED APPLE COCKTAIL

• 1/4 fl. oz. St. Germain

• 3/4 fl. oz. Calvados (apple brandy)

• Sparkling wine

• Apple slice for garnish

Pour the St. Germain into a coupe glass and fill halfway with sparkling wine. Top off with Calvados and garnish with an apple slice. Serves 1.

CRANBERRY MARTINI

• Ice cubes

• 1 cup vodka

• 1/4 cup dry vermouth

• 1/2 cup cranberry juice

• 8 cranberries, frozen

• 4 lemon zest twists

Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice. Pour in the vodka, vermouth and cranberry juice. Cover with the lid and shake vigorously up and down for about 10 seconds. Strain into the chilled glasses, dividing evenly. Garnish each glass with 2 frozen cranberries and a lemon twist. Serves 4.

POMEGRANATE CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL

• 1 fl. oz. pomegranate juice

• 1/2 fl. oz. Grand Marnier

• Sparkling wine

• Pomegranate seeds for garnish

Pour the pomegranate juice and Grand Marnier into a Champagne glass or flute. Top with sparkling wine and add a few pomegranate seeds. Serves 1.

APPLE-CRANBERRY HOT CIDER

• 32 ounces apple juice

• 3 cups of cranberry juice

• 2 cups of sugar

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1 cup rum

Pour all ingredients into saucepan except for rum. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in rum and serve. Serves 12 to 15.

THYME COCKTAIL

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 1/2 fl. oz.  gin
• 1/4 fl. oz. fresh lemon juice
• Riesling as needed
• Lemon-lime soda as neededFresh thyme sprig for garnishTo make the thyme-infused simple syrup, in a saucepan over low heat, combine the water and sugar and heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the thyme sprigs. Let steep for 10 minutes, then cool to room temperature before using. You will need 1/2 fl. oz. (15 ml) thyme-infused simple syrup for this cocktail; refrigerate the rest for making more cocktails.Pour the gin, the 1/2 fl. oz. (15 ml) thyme-infused simple syrup and the lemon juice into an ice-filled highball glass. Top off with equal amounts of Riesling and lemon-lime soda. Garnish with a thyme sprig. Serves 1.

Hope you enjoy the weekend with one of these in hand! 

Cheers!

Take a look at my favorite cocktail must-haves:

images via

Thirsty Thursday-Refreshing White Wine Spritzer

This is it.  The last week of summer before the kids go back to school.  They aren't ready and neither am I. :( 

Don't get me wrong, we are prepared.  We have the supplies, the uniforms, the new shoes and hair cuts.   But…. the summer went way too fast and I felt almost rushed.  I could use a few more weeks of warm weather and pool time.  I could use a few extra late mornings and movie nights.  The kids will have a big adjustment. Early bed times and early mornings-yikes!!!  Well, whether we like it or not Monday is the day.  So today I am holding on to summer with both hands and in one hand is this cool, sparkling Spritzer.  

Refreshing White Wine Spritzer

1 bottle of favorite white wine

1 can of San Pellegrino lemon flavored sparkling water

Ice

Fresh summer fruits for garnish

Fill a wine or champagne glass with ice and pour about 4 ounces of wine and 2 ounces of sparkling water into the glass.  Add fruit for garnish and enjoy.  Refreshing and light.  

Perfect for a late summer night.  

I'd love to hear about your favorite summer drink concoctions.  

Summertime Drink Round Up

Summer calls for tall ice filled glasses with cool refreshing drinks.  Whether you choose a crisp green iced tea-my fave or a ice cold smoothie, it's fun to mix it up a bit.  Today's Thirsty Thursday is a round up of my favorite ice cold drinks for day and/or night.

Click below for links to all the recipes.

Grapefruit Margarita

Detox Water

Watermelon Cocktail

Fruity Ice Water

Cucumber Lemonade

Lavender Lemonade

Bloody Mary

Strawberry Smoothies

Hope you are having a great week!  Loving that tomorrow is Friday!

Classic Brunch Beverage

Tuesday was the last day of school and I hosted a brunch here for my ladies in the morning before the kids were out.  I wanted it to be simple, fun and celebratory.  A true kick-off to summer!  What better way to get the summer started than with Mimosas and Bloody Marys.  I set up a DIY Bloody Mary bar with my favorite fixins'.  

Now, I love a Bloody Mary almost any time of day and often opt for the Virgin Mary as well-especially if I have a busy day planned.  I love to load mine up with tons of veggies and make it super spicy!!!  

It's fun to have an excuse to get friends together and it doesn't always have to be in the evening for cocktails and dinner.  Hope this inspires you to get together with friends this summer any time of day!

My faves for the perfect drink bar:

Happy Thirsty Thursday!!!

Grapefruit Margaritas

Happy May Day!!!  Being it is Thursday and all, I thought I would get a kick start to the weekend with this unbelievably refreshing grapefruit margarita.  Monday is Cinco De Mayo as well as my birthday-YIPPEE!!! so there is something to celebrate and we are getting the party started today!!!  Think I may have to call a friend to come right over!!!

Pink Grapefruit Margaritas

1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice from 2 grapefruits

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice from 4 limes

1 cup of your favorite white tequila-I like Patron

1 cup orange liqueur-I like Triple Sec

Splash of simple syrup or Sprite if you like a touch of fizz

2 cups of crushed ice

1 grapefruit sliced and cut in wedges (optional)

sugar (optional)

Instructions for the perfect margarita:

1. Rub a lime wedge on the edge of 4 empty glasses and rim with sugar. Fill each glass with crushed ice.  

2. Combine juices and alcohols in a small pitcher and stir.  Add simple syrup or a splash of sprite to taste if you desire extra sweetness. 

3. Pour into sugar rimmed glasses and serve immediately with grapefruit wedge.

Cheers to Thirsty Thursday!!!

Strawberry Smoothies

It's beginning to look a lot like Valentine's Day around here.  Candy hearts and strawberry smoothies-that's how we roll.  I love making fruit smoothies for the kids.  They think it's a treat and I know that it's healthy-win/win!  Simple ingredients make for the perfect snack and I always make sure to make enough for me.

Strawberry Valentine Smoothies

1 cup skim milk

2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

1 Chobani vanilla blended Greek yogurt 

Combine ingredients in blender and pulse until think and creamy. 

Garnish with candy hearts for Valentine's Day.

If you love this smoothie then try this one and this one.

There are so many other healthy versions of pink smoothies that taste just as yummy.

Try substituting the strawberries with red raspberries or pomegranates.