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the list: {12} must-make margaritas.

May 4, 2012 — 9 Comments

So … I had this plan. This plan entailed me sharing with you what might just be my favorite margarita recipe EVER.

Kind of a big deal, right?

Well, I’ve got something bigger on the brain.

What could be bigger than sharing one of my all-time favorite margarita recipes, you ask?

Jackpot, babies! Cinco de Mayo. It’s so happening. Like, tomorrow.

These two things are related in that the recipe I wanted to share with you was for … wait for it … prickly pear margaritas.

If you’ve ever had one, then you’re probably wondering why on earth I would torture you with such a thought. Well, if I had shared the recipe, that would have been the evil thing to do – reason being that you need a special prickly pear syrup to make one of those bad boys happen. I say, go ahead and order a bottle now … let me know when it arrives, and then I’ll post the recipe so that we can drink together in peace and tequila-filled harmony.

Lucky for ~~you~~ us, there’s no shortage of fabulous {non-prickly pear} margarita recipes to choose from in the meantime.

In Cocktails celebrate, cinqo de mayo, link round-up, margarita, mexican recipes, spring recipes, summer recipes

good things come in {two}’s.

February 17, 2012 — 6 Comments

Two years ago, my life took a very monumental turn.

{celebrating my 27th birthday last weekend with two of my bestest}

I started this blog. Two years ago…today.

And then a bunch of other stuff started happening. Really, really good stuff.

I started to figure out what it is that I’m truly passionate about. And everyday since, that passion has grown into something that blows my mind. I’m more sure about a lot of things. Who I am. What I want out of life. Important things. I even got a job out of it. A job involving me getting paid to play in recipe-land all day. NBD.

I can’t begin to express my gratitude for all of this. Most of all, I want to thank you for reading. If it weren’t for you, this would be a rather lonely party, wouldn’t it?

Last year, I thanked you on my blog’s first birthday over a cocktail. Appropriate, yes – but let’s face it: I cocktail more often than not. Ordinary wasn’t going to cut it. And I certainly wouldn’t think of putting you through the torture of another one of these self-indulgent situations anytime soon. I thought about sharing my absolute favorite recipes, as that’s a question I get a lot (this is usually my answer) but there were too, too many. What can I say? I like the food I cook.

Instead, I want to know more about you. And I would love to know more about what you want to see on this blog.

Long-time readers know that I used to post about a lot of things – things other than food. (And yes, other than cocktails, too.) I used to post about fashion…and workouts…and silly things like my latest CVS obsessions. There were tiny bits of travel; there were curling iron tutorials. I thought about doing restaurant reviews, because I did a few while freelancing for a local publication – and I liked it.

I wish I had the time to write about all of these things, but the fact of it is, I like to cook. So much so that I constantly have a small army of recipes backed up in the depths of my draft folder, many of which I am fighting the seasons to get the dang things to you before it’s too late. You don’t want to hear about roasted butternut squash in the heat of summer, and I don’t want to talk about it then. Because at that point, I’ll be onto the next – i.e. the 239 tomato recipes bookmarked in my precious Google Doc spreadsheet categorized as “summer”, all ready-and-waiting to be tried and fiddled with and posted, if they’re worthy.

Just kidding. Kind of.

In All We Need Is Love blog-iversary, celebrate

{homemade} confetti cake pops.

January 2, 2012 — 14 Comments

January 2nd – it’s totes the new January 1st, don’t you think?

Let’s be real: I was an alien yesterday. Today marks the official start of my 2012. In fact, it should be mandatory that everyone receive this day off in addition to the 1st. Doesn’t matter what day of the week the holiday falls on. Aliens need rest.

{Also: Copious amounts of water. Breakfast casseroles made of bacon, cheese, bread, and eggs. Grape soda. And, chili dog nachos. True story. Look away…I’m hideous}

My intention was to share these cake pops with you yesterday. You know, confetti on New Year’s Day – it made sense. But yesterday, nothing made sense. So today I bring you these ridiculously adorable confetti cake pops. My guess is that today, you’re probably feeling more human too, and let’s face it – yesterday you were not about to consider embarking upon a three-day project to make cake pops.

In Sweets + Treats cake pops, cakes, celebrate, confetti, perfect for a birthday, sprinkles, white chocolate

pomegranate-champagne punch.

December 26, 2011 — 8 Comments

This is just about the prettiest punch you can make this holiday season.

Don’t you think?

It makes use of everything wintry and wonderful and worth celebrating: pomegranate (both the juice and the arils), mint leaves for a pop of festive color, Meyer lemons – which are seasonal and just.the.best, and champagne – a celebration in itself. Plus, it’s served in a punch bowl. Guys, this is pretty much a guaranteed good time.

In Cocktails celebrate, champagne, christmas recipes, lemons, mint, new year's recipes, pomegranate, punch, rum

festive cranberry-mint cubes.

December 24, 2011 — 1 Comment

Merry Christmas Eve!

I’ve got a rad little last-minute idea for you. It’s super, super-simple. You’ll need fresh cranberries, mint, and an ice cube tray.

I bet you’re smart enough to figure out what’s happening here.

Yep, a cranberry and a couple of mint leaves go right into each of the ice cube cells. Fill with water – or, if you’re making something with lemon or lime in it, you could use a mixture of citrus and water. I think it’s best to stick with a relatively clear drink – because you want to see the pretty red and green party in the glass. White wine or champagne are a perfect vehicle.

The time to freeze varies depending on your freezer and the size of the ice cube tray, but you should be good in a few hours.

I got off, like, ridiculously easy this year. I was going to make this insane tiramisu eggnog trifle, but instead I was gifted a beautiful cheesecake that we’re going to enjoy.

All I’m in charge of is, as always, the cocktail – I’m making this gorgeous pomegranate-champagne punch – and putting together Ina’s sopressata and gruyère puff pastry appetizer from her latest cookbook, How Easy Is That?.

I mean, seriously…how easy is that?

*Cheers* and happy holidays to all!

In Cocktails celebrate, christmas recipes, cranberries, drink garnishes, ice cubes, mint, white wine

sun-dried tomato + pesto torta.

December 21, 2011 — 10 Comments

Guys…what if I told you I had found the single greatest Christmas appetizer you could ever wish for?

Because I did.

This is a torta. What’s a torta, you ask? Why, many people think of a torta as a cake! And it kind of is…only this is a cake made out of sun-dried tomato, pesto, and cream cheese – okay, and a smidge of butter. Does this sound like your kind of cake? Trust me when I say, this is everyone’s kind of cake.

It’s definitely Santa’s type of a cake. Does it get more festive than these beautiful shades of white, red, and green? It does not, I can assure you. But more importantly – it doesn’t get any more delicious, either.

In Starters basil, celebrate, christmas recipes, cream cheese, dips + spreads, pesto, pine nuts, sun-dried tomatoes

the perfect {holiday} punch.

December 13, 2011 — 3 Comments

The other day I came across an article on what your drink says about you.

You know vodka-cran made an appearance on the list. And what’d they have to say about it? “When in doubt, you stick to what you drank in college.” And it’s true – I definitely drank my share of vodka-cran in college. So much so, that the thought of it makes me cringe a just a bit. I’ll still have one if it’s completely necessary, but these days I’ll take it with soda water and just a splash of cran.

This is not the college variety of vodka-cran. This is the older, cooler sibling. It’s the adult version, and it’s a reason to appreciate getting older – because this cocktail totally kicks the other’s ass.

You’re essentially making your own cranberry juice by cooking down fresh cranberries with water and sugar. This is the key, because I’m really not a fan of the artificial flavoring of cranberry juice cocktail – which is really, like, a doctored-up apple juice. So fresh cranberries, right, in all their tangy glory…and then we pop in some beautifully woodsy rosemary sprigs for a little infusion. The combination of the two is strikingly perfect, and yes – the color combo makes this punch as holiday-festive as it gets.

In Cocktails celebrate, christmas recipes, cranberries, fresh herbs in cocktails, rosemary, vodka

{tree-trimming} onion soup.

December 8, 2011 — 2 Comments

If you’re in need of something to get you into the holiday spirit, nothing gets the job done quite like tree trimming.

{Though I can imagine, if you’re not in the holiday spirit, you might not be looking to get into it}

I think tree trimming needs to happen the weekend after Thanksgiving, and here’s why: I want to get the most out of my tree, my decorations – my favorite time of the year. I totally get it if you’re exhausted after Thanksgiving and the last thing you want to think about is
Christmas decorations…you know, getting those life-sized boxes from the attic, lugging them down and…

In Main Dishes caramelized onions, celebrate, christmas recipes, comfort food, gruyère, soups, thyme

halloween party recipes.

October 27, 2011 — 1 Comment

Last year, I hosted a pretty ridic Halloween party. Well, it was more like a pre-party, but I still had a lot of fun doing it. I made several of these recipes I posted from last year – the witches’ brew, the cupcakes, and the cheese ball. I also forced 7 of my closest girlfriends into dressing up as Trolls.

Yeah…so we won the costume contest. Duh. Ladies, if you’re aware of any contests where you can make beaucoup bucks, and you’re willing to rock one of these not-so-flattering bodysuits, I strongly encourage you to go for the Trolls. It’s a statistical fact that you’ll win.

I was a bit exhausted after organizing last year’s festivities, so this year there won’t be a Halloween party. Instead, we will do a light pre-game at a BFF’s, where we will have witches’ brew and maybe an app or two, before heading to our party at the W. But, in case you’re feeling like making something spooky this weekend, I thought I’d share some of the most amazing ideas I’ve seen around the web with you.

In Starters appetizers, candy corn, celebrate, cocktails, cupcakes, halloween

lemon rosé bellini.

March 10, 2011 — 4 Comments

Is it spring yet?

Winter has, at the very least, ended in South Florida – that is, if it ever existed it all. We’re all basking in this gorgeous weather, holding onto these moments while we can, because soon enough the humidity will be back – and with a vengeance.

This cocktail is, in my opinion, the greatest celebration of everything spring you could conjure up. Rosé champagne, to start, epitomizes spring for me, and the citrus vodka adds the perfect refreshing kick. It’s the lemon sorbet, however, that makes this drink. Depending on how many you’re serving, I’d be sure to pick up an extra pint or two; four of us went though one like it was nothing.

I love to use frozen raspberries for the garnish, as they also help to keep the drink cool – though you can certainly use fresh if you have them on hand. I also like frozen for those of you up north who may not have access to much else.

No matter where you are, or what the weather, this cocktail is sure to put some spring into that step.

{And imagine how fabulous these would be for a bridal or baby shower}

Cheers!

Lemon Rosé Bellini

Adapted from 101 Champagne Cocktails via Epicurious