Craft Envy

I wish I had the kind of DIY talent it would take to make this light fixture.

This amazing wine bottle creation hangs in the We Olive & Wine Bar at The OC Mart MIX.

If you live in Orange County CA, I strongly recommend you check them out (especially on a Thursday for $1 Taco and $5 Sangria night from 6pm-8pm or on a Saturday for the SoCo Farmers’ Market complete with food trucks and live music from 9am-2pm). Fun times!

Credit: Light fixture found at We Olive & Wine Bar at The OC Mart MIX. Photo taken by me.

Thirsty Thursday…Key Lime Pie Martini

I stumbled upon this little cocktail and it caught my eye.  What’s not to like about a pie translated into a yummy cocktail?

Enjoy!

Key Lime Pie Cocktail

• Lime Juice
• Graham Crackers crumbled
• 1 1/2 oz. Key Lime Cream Liqueur
• 1 1/2 oz. Vanilla Vodka
• Fresh Lime
• 1 1/2 oz. Half-and-Half

DIP rim of a martini glass in lime juice.

DIP rim of the same martini glass into graham cracker crumbs.

POUR Key Lime Cream Liqueur, Vanilla Vodka, and a squeeze of fresh lime into a shaker.

SHAKE well.

STRAIN mixture into the graham cracker rimmed martini glass.

ADD half-and-half to fill.

Credit: Recipe adapted courtesy of Liquidchefs via The Knot.  Photo via Food Network.

Thirsty Thursday…Apple Pie Cocktail

Even though it’s in the 90s here, it is Fall weather somewhere.  Here is a drink that has a Fall-feel to it and is refreshing even for a hot day too.

Apple Pie Cocktail

• 2 Apple Slices
• 1/2 oz. Agave Nectar
• 1 pinch Apple Pie Spice
• 1/2 oz. fresh Lemon Juice
• 1 1/2 oz. Core Vodka
• Thinly sliced red apple, for garnish

MUDDLE apple slices in agave nectar, apple pie spice, and lemon juice.

ADD ice and vodka and SHAKE well.

STRAIN over ice in an old-fashioned glass.

GARNISH with thinly sliced red apple.

Credit: Drink recipe adapted from The Knot.  Picture also from The Knot.

Thirsty Thursday…Pumpkin Mojito

I swear, Hostess with the Mostess is one of my very favorite blogs.  They are so very creative over there and I am infinitely envious of their talents.

This week I was catching up on some blog reading and stumbled upon a recipe for Pumpkin Mojitos via Hostess with the Mostess.  And once I saw this drink, I knew it had to be my drink of the week.  You can’t go wrong with a mojito.

Pumpkin Mojito

• 1 1/4 oz. Rum
• 11 Mint Leaves
• 1 tablespoon Pumpkin
• 1/2 a Lime
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 2 oz. Soda

MUDDLE mint leaves and sugar.

ADD rum, pumpkin, soda, and juice from 1/2 a lime.

MIX well.

ADD ice and garnish with extra mint leaves.

Definitely check out the Pumpkin Mojito Bar post over at Hostess with the Mostess for more information and photos.  It would be such a great idea to have a DIY Pumpkin Mojito Bar at a fresh sunny fall party.

And a little side note…do you like the scalloped-edge I made on the photo?  I just got Photoshop and I’ve been spending a lot of time playing around and seeing what I can do with it.  So far, this is as fancy as I’ve gotten.  I’m pretty proud of my handiwork though.

Enjoy your cocktail!

Credit: Photo via Hostess with the Mostess.  Recipe adapted from Hostess with the Mostess.  Scalloped-edge photo editing by me using Photoshop.

Thirsty Thursday…Black Widow Martini

Last week I did a Halloween cocktail, and this Thursday I thought I’d do yet another.  While last week’s Jack-0′-Lantern Cocktail was a little more cute and sweet, but today’s cocktail is more dark and scary.  I can just picture Elvira carrying around one of these babies at a party.

Black Widow Martini

• 2 oz. black vodka (Blavod: here and here, Absolut 100: here and here)
• 1/2 oz. Chambord Black Raspberry Liqueur
• 2 oz. blackberry or grape juice
• black licorice and sugar for garnish (optional)

COMBINE all ingredients in an ice-filled cocktail shaker.

SHAKE well and STRAIN into a sugar-rimmed martini glass.

GARNISH with black licorice.

Yum!

I found this great drink on Hostess with the Mostess where they creatively decorated the stem of their martini glasses with plastic spider rings.  Great idea huh?  If you check out this link to their post, you’ll find another alcoholic Halloween recipe for Screwed-up Shooters also using black vodka.  Also, black spider rings can be found via Amazon.

Today I also stumbled upon the cutest (well, that might not be the best word) vampire-inspired caramel apples on Home Made Simple.  It’s a pretty simply concept that would make for some really great Halloween party snacks.  Just dip your apple in melted caramel, then some white chocolate, stab with a two-pronged fork for teeth imprints, follow with some red icing drips…and wha-la!

And you could make similar spooky vampire desserts with a little imagination.  Imagine cupcakes frosted white with twp red icing drips or cake pops dipped in white chocolate with red icing drips.

Credit: Cocktail recipe adapted from Hostess with the Mostess.  Blavod black vodka and Absolut 100 black vodka.  Black spider rings can be found via Amazon.  Scary vampire caramel apples via Home Made Simple.

Thirsty Thursday…Jack-0′-Lantern

Halloween is quickly approaching. Time is running out to pick the perfect costume and stock up on bags of candy. I stumbled upon this cute little Halloween cocktail, and had to pass it on because it’s so unbelievably freaking adorable!

Jack-0′-Lantern Cocktail

• 1 oz. cognac
• 0.5 oz. Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz. orange juice
• 1/2 oz. ginger ale
• orange wheel & lime twist for garnish

COMBINE all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.

SHAKE well and STRAIN into an ice-filled rocks glass.

GARNISH by floating an orange & lime “Pumpkin Top” (see below) on top of the cocktail.

To make the “Pumpkin Top” garnish:

FOLD a small piece of lime twist in half and INSERT it into the center of an orange wheel.

Isn’t this drink the cutest thing you have ever seen?

Credit: Recipe adapted from Hostess with the Mostess

Thirsty Thursday…Hot Chambord Cider

It’s been cold and rainy this week. So, because of this dreary weather, here’s a warm-you-up cocktail. I figured it would also be nice for the cooler autumn nights ahead of us.

Hot Chambord Cider

• 1/2 oz.
• 1/2 oz. Tuaca Liqueur
• 3 oz. apple cider
• 1 oz. cranberry juice

HEAT ingredients together over medium heat.

POUR into a mug.

GARNISH with a cinnamon stick.

And ENJOY this cozy cocktail while snuggling with your love in front of the fire!

Credit: Recipe adapted from Hostess with the Mostess

Thirsty Thursday…Homemade Frappe

Wow! This week has really flown by. I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. Where has my week gone?

This week’s “Thursday Thursday” post is a non-alcoholic edition and my new obsession – the easy peasy Homemade Frappe. While being crafty this week, I downed quite a few of these babies. And it didn’t hurt that they were also quite refreshing given that it was 107 degrees outside. Gotta love the end of September in southern California.

Here’s what you need:

• 2 teaspoons Instant Coffee
• 2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar
• 4 tablespoons water
• A shaker
• Ice Cubes
• Milk

ADD 2 teaspoons Instant Coffee, 2 teaspoons Granulated Sugar, and 4 tablespoons water to a shaker (I used a reusable water bottle with a lid that has a tight seal).

CLOSE your shaker tightly and SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE!

SHAKE vigorously until the contents are nice and frothy.

POUR this frothy goodness into a glass filled half-way with ice cubes. The amount of liquid will not look like a lot, but it is more than enough.

TOP with milk to FILL. I also add a little tiny pour of some flavored creamer to give it a little extra sweetness and flavor (optional of course).

STIR and DRINK with a straw.

Credit: Recipe adapted from Zoom Yummy and all photos taken by me.

Thirsty Thursday…Gingered Apple Sparkler

Here’s a drink that I think has a bit of a Fall feel to it. It’s called a Gingered Apple Sparkler. This cocktail is spicy and sweet and an nice alternative to the typical apple martini.

Gingered Apple Sparkler

• Ice
• 1 1/2 ounces citrus vodka
• 1 1/2 ounces sour apple liqueur
• Splash of Angostura bitters
• 4 ounces chilled ginger beer
• 1 maraschino cherry

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka, liqueur, and bitters. Shake well. Strain into an ice-filled highball glass. Top with the ginger beer. Garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Enjoy!

Credit: Recipe adapted from Food & Wine (Bar Lurçat - Minneapolis). Photo from Food & Wine as well.

Thirsty Thursday…Strawberry Basil Mojito

I love mojitos, and this is a mighty good one. The Strawberry Basil Mojito. I happened upon this glorious tasty beverage on a trip to Ruth’s Chris Steak House when the bartender recommended it as we waited for our table awhile back.

This drink combines 3 great things. (1) Mojitos, (2) strawberries, and (3) basil, all into one yummy cocktail.

According to JerseyMenus.com, Ruth’s Chris’s Strawberry Basil Mojito is made with 10 Cane Rum, fresh basil, strawberries, simple syrup, and a splash of Ginger Ale.

Here is the closest recipe I could find of this wonderful little drink:

Strawberry Basil Mojito

Adapted from a recipe found on Tasty Kitchen.

Recipe makes 1 serving.

• 1 whole Strawberry
• 2 whole Basil Leaves
• 2 ounces, fluid Rum
• 1 dash Lime Juice
• 1 teaspoon Simple Syrup
• 1 can Ginger Ale

Muddle (definition can be found here) together basil, strawberry, splash of lime juice, and simple syrup (see simple syrup recipe below). Then fill a tall glass with ice, pour in rum, pour in basil/strawberry mixture, and top with ginger ale to fill.

Simple Syrup

Mix 1 part sugar and 1 part water in a pan on the stove until the sugar is dissolved.

Credit: Ruth’s Chris Steak House, JerseyMenus.com, About.com, photo and original recipe from Tasty Kitchen.

Thirsty Thursday…Raspberry Martini

Now I am not a big drinker, but I do enjoy a nice fruity cocktail every now and again. Things like margaritas and mojitos strike my fancy.

Since I am totally random, I thought maybe I would start posting some yummy cocktails on the blog every once in awhile.

I’m going to start with - drum roll please – a Raspberry Martini. My very favorite one of these is served at an Italian restaurant called Roman Cucina that our household frequents fairly often, and they call theirs the Razberry.

A quick side note:

If you live, or are ever in the Orange County, CA area, I urge you to try Roman Cucina. It’s so good. So so good (purely personal opinion, not a sponsored post). They have 4 locations, so there is surely to be one nearby (or near enough). We pretty much always take out of town visitors here and everyone loves it.

Now back to the drink…

They make their Razberry with Absolut Raspberri, Chambord, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, and sweet & sour. Oh, and don’t forget the sugar rim.

Since I am not a bartender myself (I much prefer my drinks to be made for me), here is a Raspberry Martini recipe that I found online at Bar None Drinks.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz. Stolichnaya (Stoli) Raspberry Vodka

1 splash cranberry juice

1 splash sour mix

3/4 oz. Chambord

Instructions:

Shake the ingredients with ice (or stir if you prefer) until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a raspberry (optional).

And since that Razberry martini from Roman Cucina is so very good, I would probably update the above recipe myself by also throwing in a splash of pineapple juice.

Imagine the great party you could plan around a Raspberry Martini signature drink.

I’m seeing visions of a French themed soiree with lots of varying shades of pink paired black and white stripes. Floral arrangements of anemones, Eiffel Tower decorations and vintage postcards, French macarons, and striking black and white bold-striped tablecloths. Ooooh, and crepes! This party would definitely need some crepes (my own personal recipe found here)!

Credit: Roman Cucina, margarita photo via Dallas Observer, raspberry martini photo via Al Dente, raspberry martini recipe from Bar None Drinks and Carlos Febres, French party photos via Heavenly Blooms and Hostess with the Mostess (here and here).