COCKTAIL: THE RITE OF SPRING

This year is the 100th anniversary of the infamous premier of Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, one of Daniel's favorite pieces of all time. We celebrated by seeing the North Carolina Symphony perform the piece in June (Daniel brought his pocket score along). A kind friend gave us tickets, and we somehow lucked into balcony seats for one of the best performances I've ever seen. After the concert, we were inspired to collaborate on this fresh cocktail in honor of Stravinsky and his piece of enduring classical music. I thought the sweet & bitter taste of aperol was an appropriate nod to the alternately lovely & cacophonous passages in the music. Nerd Alert! Cheers.

COCKTAIL: BLUEBERRY LEMON MOJITO

Here's a slight spin on a classic drink that will make the most of your last batch of in-season blueberries. 

2 oz rum

1 oz lemon juice

2 tbs simple syrup

8-10 blueberries

10-15 mint leaves

sparkling water (to taste)

In a highball glass, combine mint, blueberries, and simple syrup. Muddle gently, releasing the juice of the blueberries. Then add rum, lemon juice, and crushed ice. Stir and top with sparkling water. Cheers!

COCKTAIL: THE DAISY BUCHANAN

I dreamed up this drink while re-reading the Great Gatsby in anticipation for the release of the film adaptation by Baz Luhrmann (which I loved). It's a sparkling, flowery concoction that fits Daisy's bubbly, effervescent personality. St. Germaine is an elderflower liquer that comes in a beautiful gold and turquoise art deco bottle, something Daisy surely would have kept stocked in her bar cart. Gin & champagne were staples of 1920's drinking, although what wasn't a staple drink in that party decade? Enjoy this refreshment on a hot summer night and save some champagne for mimosas at brunch the next day - Cheers!

SMOOTHIE II

1 c. almond milk

1/3 c. oats

a frozen, sliced banana

1 tbs. coconut oil

1 tbs. chia seeds

honey to taste (I used a teaspoon or two)

a pinch each of nutmeg & cinnamon (1/4 tsp. or so)

blend & enjoy!

This smoothie is a great breakfast drink, but is also a yummy & filling snack. It's quite a bit smaller than the breakfast smoothie, and the honey makes it sweeter. I took this one to work for breakfast yesterday, after being made fun of all week by my co-workers for my green smoothies.."drinking salad," as they call it. Oh, office life.

COCKTAIL: THE GATSBY

   

This cocktail was a creation of my husband, who graciously allowed me to publish it on this blog. The inspiration comes from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (obviously). At some point in the book, Gatsby is described drinking a glass of green chartreuse, a sweet but herbal liqueur. I was (somewhat foolishly) inspired by that line to try sipping green chatreuse neat, and in case any of you are curious, 'twas a bit too rich for my taste. Maybe it was equivalent to sipping neat whiskey for those decadent 1920's drinkers...who's to say? Those were different times. I think the below recipe makes excellent use of the distinct flavor of the liqueur without overwhelming the modern drinker. The sweetness of the chartreuse is cut by the gin, and the dry vermouth lightens up the complexity of the drink. The balance between the three makes it a refreshing but interesting cocktail, similar to a martini, but a little something different. 

COCKTAIL: ROSEMARY'S BABY

     This summer, as my herb garden flourishes, I've been motivated to create recipes that make plentiful use of its bounty. There's nothing akin to stepping out your front door and clipping off a fresh sprig of rosemary to garnish a yummy new drink. The following cocktail may not be incredibly original, but it's an easy little beverage for sipping when the days are long and exceptionally hot.

I started out wanting a gin & tonic with a little something extra. The aperol goes well with the bitter but sweet allure of the G&T, and keeps things fresh. A sprig of rosemary tones down the sweetness with an herbal spiciness that complements the aperol. An aromatic, fresh, combination of bitter and sweet - cheers!

THE BREAKFAST SMOOTHIE

I drink this particular smoothie almost every. single. day. I'm one of those people who finds foods they like & doesn't vary a whole lot. Sounds boring, I know, but it just works for me. Especially since eating paleo and being away from home all day can be pretty difficult. This smoothie takes me just a couple minutes in the morning to make, I can drink it on my way to work, and it keeps me full for around 5 hours - a win in my book!

You could of course make changes to the ingredient list, use a different kind of milk for instance, or add berries if you're so inclined; these are simply my preferences. I've found that the banana is necessary if, like me, you are weird about textures, and the smoothie is much better cold, so using frozen banana slices is key! (Just pop them in a ziploc or on a baking sheet, depending on how much room you've got in your freezer, and pull them out when you need them.) Add the spinach & then the banana to the blender last, it helps weigh everything down to be mixed well. Blend & enjoy!

(Makes about 16oz; you could split it if you're not drinking it as a meal.)

COCKTAIL: THE VIOLET BEAUREGARDE

Thought we'd kick off the blog with a cocktail recipe! The beginnings of many great things are made even better with a cocktail in hand, no? I'll be sharing cocktails regularly & to start - a bubbly, summery concoction.

This cocktail was a product of farmer's market blackberries, a gift of dried lavender from Danielle, some leftover sparkling wine in the icebox, & a very hot North Carolina day. I named the drink after a character from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by my all-time favorite childhood author, Roald Dahl.  I must give credit to Daniel for his impeccable sense of proportion, which is what makes this drink so tasty. We pretty much made a French 75, but added some crème de violette and a fun garnish. The result was a sensory dream - a light lavender scent, subtle blackberry infusion, and crisp, light bubbles to refresh the heat-weary Southerner. Cheers!