LSL Foodie Friday - Party Time, Excellent

This weekend's the ol' birthday. (Another post coming soon about that). Another year older, another year wiser. That's at least what I keep telling myself. ;)

As much as I dread turning another year older and okay, dread is probably being a touch dramatic about it, but only say that for the fact that life hands you things when you're out making other plans. (or whatever the saying is) I am also very thankful to turn another year older. Happy that I have a very blessed life, that I am healthy, I have some really wonderful friends and family and a tiny apt I love coming home to.

You know I love my champagne. It's fitting that this Foodie Friday I showcase a celebratory champagne cocktail to enjoy, where the recipe asks for you to serve in a "fancy schmancy" glasses. Yes. This girl really gets me.

With that I would like to make a toast.....Cheers to the freakin' weekend! haha just kidding. Cheers to making this year count!

Citrusy Champagne Sangria

via {Kiran Tarun}

Ingredients:

4 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1 cup ginger ale

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 blood orange, thinly sliced

3 clementines, thinly sliced

1 honey crisp apple, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pomegranate arils

1/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup water

pinch of salt

1 bottle of chilled champagne

Directions:

1. Prepare simple syrup by stirring sugar and water until sugar completely dissolves. Keep in refrigerator to chill while prepping other ingredients.

2. In a tall pitcher, add all fruits + grapefruit juice + salt + simple syrup and ginger ale . Chill in refrigerator for a few hours, preferably overnight.

3. To serve, add sangria in a fancy-schmancy glass and top it with bubbly champagne! 

Ching Ching! 

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,
L

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Summertime Splash

My lovely friend Shea decided it would be fun to collaborate on this week's Foodie Friday, and I love a good collab, as you know, so I was on board before even knowing what it was about. Shea suggested trying to re-create a cocktail that Los Altos Grill serves that tastes like summertime. We decided that Tuesday of this week (that really felt like a Friday) we would get together, me being the willing participant, always down to help drink a cause. And, Shea was sweet enough to not only re-create this delicious drink, she then took all these lovely pictures. But don't worry I helped and I did what I do best, taste test the booze. And she's right, this drink has summer time written all over it.

Summertime Splash
{via- Shea's Kitchen}

Ingredients

2 oz Bombay Sapphire

1 oz St Germain (Elderflower Liqueur)

Juice from 1/2 a ruby red grapefruit

Splash of ginger ale

Mix all together with ice in a shaker, pour into a pretty glass, garnish with a grapefruit peel or cucumber slice, and sip

A BIG thanks to Shea for those beautiful pictures (It was hard to narrow them down to six!) and for sharing this drink that I'll be sure to make for myself again (and again). Also, while I'm at it, check out her website, blog and FB page too. She's got some pretty amazing skills!

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,
L

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Olé

Happy Cinco de Drinko Mayo. You know it's funny how different this holiday is now compared to when I was in college. Then, it was how early could you get up and find a Mexican restaurant that would let you start drinking. Nowadays it's more of a lunch or dinner event with far less margaritas involved. Don't get me wrong both periods in time had their perks, but now I am more concerned with not having a hangover due to all that triple sec. 

Like most people, I love Mexican food and could eat that for most meals, everyday. If you check out Cooking Light's latest issue it's chock-full of yummy and healthy-ish sounding recipes like this and this that you could whip up to make for a Mexican feast. 

However, I decided to pay homage to my Cinco de Drinko days and show you how to make a grown up version of the standard Margarita, a Spicy Grapefruit concoction. I think I'll grab some friends, add some chips and salsa, sip on these, and laugh at ourselves chat about the "good ol college" days?

Spicy Grapefruit Margarita

{via Bon Appetit}

Makes 8

Ingredients

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons tequila

1-2 habanero chiles, halved

Kosher salt

6 cups fresh pink grapefruit juice

Preparation

Mix tequila and chiles in a large pitcher. Let steep 3 hours, or longer if a spicier tequila is desired. Discard chiles. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 month ahead. Cover; chill.

Pour enough water onto a small plate to cover. Pour enough salt onto another small plate to cover by 1/4". Dip rims of eight 12-ounce glasses into water (or rub a lime on them), then into salt to lightly coat; fill with ice. Add grapefruit juice to pitcher with tequila. Fill with ice; stir until cold. Divide drink among glasses.

*Note: The longer the tequila is infused with the chiles, the hotter it gets. And the reviews say this drink is a little on the spicy side so proceed with caution. Or you don't have to spice it up at all and make is a standard grapefruit marg by foregoing the chiles all together. 

If interested in more mouth-watering margarita flavors, go here. What are your weekend Cinco de Mayo plans? Going to a Mexican place like me or bucking the whole tradition and having Chinese food instead? 

Bon Appetit and Happy Weekend!

xo,

L

*Credits - Recipe by Eric Werner via Bon Appetit, Photo by Dean Kaufman

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Cocktail Time

I was thinking that after a long week and an exciting milestone coming up, I would celebrate this Foodie Friday with a cocktail. This is my favorite going out on the town drink. I can usually be spotted out with a plain glass of champers, but with any special occasion (okay, or really any Friday night) I like to class it up with some cassis and a lemon twist. Which reminds me of this NYE night that I just "had" to make an emergency cassis/chambord liquor store run close to midnight because it was NYE, the most special of all occasions. Extra classy, I know.

via The Bubbly Girl

Kir Royale
{I usually just eyeball it, but this measured recipe is via The Bubbly Girl}

1/2 ounce crème de cassis

5 to 6 ounces brut champagne, chilled

Lemon twist, for garnish

Add crème de cassis to a champagne flute. Top with champagne and garnish with a lemon twist. Viola.

Sip frequently and enjoy!

Apparently there is also a "skinny" version that Ms. Frankel promotes, it doesn't sound half as enjoyable, but for any gal that's interested, here you go. 

What is your favorite cocktail? Do you have a go-to drink when you go out? Or when you are celebrating something, like me? And, don't forget to check back tomorrow for that milestone I mentioned. 

Bon appetit and happy weekend!

xo,

L

LSL {Foodie Friday} - Reason for Riesling

To stay within the cocktail hour theme, this Foodie Friday features a drink to end your evening with a cold treat. I have to admit, I haven't tried making this just yet, but I do have a bottle of Riesling in the fridge and can't wait to test this out. I saw this lovely picture attached to this delectable sounding recipe and had to share it with you.

via

Riesling Strawberry Slushy, serves 6

{adapted by With Style and Grace}

Ingredients

2 cups hulled strawberries

1 bottle [750ml] dry Riesling

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

Reserve 1 cup of the Riesling – cover and place in the fridge to chill.

In a food processor, puree strawberries with the remaining wine, lime juice and sugar. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays and freeze until solid. When you’re ready to serve [or drink], puree the ice cubes with the remaining wine in your blender.

Cheers!


xo, 
L

*Credits -

Photographed by Lisa Thiele | With Style and Grace

Cocktail Hour

Is it cocktail hour yet? Works been a bit hectic and when it gets this crazy my mind tends to wander on all I have to do, but really, how I could seriously go for a cocktail right about now. 


This is today's productive train of thought: tough day = me thinking about needing a cocktail = thinking about what I would drink = thinking about a bar = thinking about the amazing bar carts I've seen lately = thinking of what my bar cart would look when I have a fancy place of my own = thinking about wanting a bar cart of my very own RIGHT now! (oh and also how come I don't have a cocktail yet?)

Here are some swoon worthy carts

via Dust Jacket Attic

via In Spaces Between

via A Piece of Toast

via Sugar & Charm

via A Piece of Toast

via Gold & Gray

via Sugar & Charm

via Cupcakes and Cashmere

via Gold & Gray

via Gold & Gray

via Chambers Street

via Gold & Gray

Maybe if we all had a margarita at the office we might be a little more productive, just sayin'. What would you stock your bar cart with? What would be your cocktail of choice? Something bubbly for me, of course. 

Okay, it's gotta be 5 o'clock somewhere. 

xo,
L