Champagne Friday.

Via Pinterest





There is a special feeling of glamour, sophistication, and fun felt when sipping on some bubbly. It happens to be one of my favorite indulgences.... among others :). When two of my favorite girls {Estelle and Michelle} threw around the idea to review of our favs, I was all in..... To keep it simple I decided to share my go-to choices. My mid-priced favorite and uber budget favorite.

 

The budget. If you are a fellow Joe's junkie, chances are that you have spyed this sweet deal before. It's only $4.99. I will say that this is on the sweet side. It is perfect for entertaining and making champagne cocktails because the sweetness it cut with bitters. My favorite being blood orange bitters found at Bevmo. I haven't been able to find a better value champagne. Stock up because Tj's runs out. Seriously.

The mid. Mumm Napa Cuvée : I usually pick this up at bevmo. I don't like dry bubbly. This is crisp, refreshing and slightly sweet. It is hands down my favorite .... It is not the cheapest nor is it the most expensive, but it consistently delivers the best taste and value. I suppose I sound very serious about my champagne? It is important stuff, you never know when you need to celebrate! At $15-20 a bottle, we always have one in the fridge.

Coincidently I posted about my favorite bubbly book last Friday which you can read about here. Make sure to check out Estelle, Michelle, and Melissa. They shared their favorite Bubbly today too!

Go celebrate something and have a bubbly filled weekend!

xoxo

d

Ps. Have you ever tried pouring Champagne over a popsicle? I cant't wait til warmer months to try! It looks too fun...Im thinking outdoor movie night with a projector and some bubbly poured popsicles. I will make it happen...

Cocktail Friday.

It has been quite some time since we have had cocktail Friday around here. Because it is a long weekend and because I see some bubbly in my weekend future, I thought I would share a recipe from my favorite bubbly book { Tiny Bubbles by Kate Simon }. Also, I love cherries. As a kid my favorite dessert was always cherry pie. It is a nice thing to indulge in an adult version of a childhood favorite. Don't you think?

Marasca Fizz

Serves 1 -

Loose raw sugar for he rim of the glass

4 real maraschino cherries with syrup

2 cubes raw sugar

3 dashes blood orange bitters

1 ounce cherry brandy

4 ounces Prosecco or champagne

Place a little loose on a small plate. Wipe 1 cherry along the rim of a chilled 6-ounce flute, then turn the glass over and dip the rim in the sugar. Put the sugar cubes in the glass and the bitters, brandy, and 3 remaining cherries, each with a dash of the syrup they're packed in. Top slowly with bubbly and stir gently.

Have a lovely weekend friends!

xoxo,

d

scoop, chop, simmer, preheat, relax...

Nothing gives me more pleasure than ripping through bags of flour like it's nobodies business. It seems few understand this anomaly about myself. And in a week full of hustle and bustle nothing gives me greater pleasure or a more relaxed attitude than cooking. I call it the "chop, chop, relax effect". So even though I have been too busy to share much this week friends, I have still been ripping through flour bags, chopping and simmering away. Let's play catch up shall we?

Here is what was in my cookie jar this week:

Lemon glazed persimmon cookies

Ingredients

• 3 ripe persimmons, pureed
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped apricots 
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

For the lemon glaze

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 4-5 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dissolve baking soda in persimmon pulp and set aside (this thickens up the puree). Sift flour, spices and salt together, set aside. Cream together butter or margarine and sugar until fluffy, beat in egg and persimmon. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in nuts and raisins. Drop by heaping teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Mix up glaze to get a thick, consistency to drizzle over cookies.

Ella's take on persimmons: "mommy, is this an apple/tomato/carrot?" It truly tastes a bit that way....I am proud to be raising such a little foodie who can describe the taste of a persimmon in that way. And crack an egg might I add!!

This weekend if you feel a little overwhelmed, try "chop, chop, relax" it's my yoga :). Have a great weekend!! Don't forget to make bread! I think I am going to try out a new recipe from here (uh hello..pumpkin pop tarts!). And if you want to get some thanksgiving mashed potato inspiration go here.

xoxoxo

d

ps. It's Frtiday! Let's have a cocktail!

cocktail friday and fun.

Photo here.

Halloween is right around the corner! I cant wait to smell the lit pumpkins as we work our way around the neighborhoods...that has to be my favorite part of the holiday. This weekend I hope to drink one of these  Halloween inspired cosmopolitan from Real Simple ...

Bloody Cosmopolitan

Serves 1

Ingredients:1 slice blood orange

sugar, for rimming glass

1 ounce vodka

2 ounces triple sec

1 ounce freshly squeezed blood orange juice
½ ounce pomegranate juice

ice

Directions:

1. Run a slice of blood orange around the rim of a chilled martini glass. Dip the rim in sugar and turn until well coated.

2. Combine all liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds, then strain into the rimmed glass.

3. Garnish with blood orange slice and serve.

photo here.

I hope to make a make a Halloween craft like these cute pasta skeletons with E...

And I plan on making some more of this bread. We made the rustic white bread last weekend and it was great..it barely lasted all week..we used the last of it for our bruschetta the other day. Yum. Make it. My only suggestion would be to reduce the salt a bit, it was salty for my taste.

On another whim, isn't this such a cute tea pot? I absolutely LOVE it. It is from Anthropologie of course. Maybe it will find it's way to my kitchen soon...

Have a great weekend!!

xoxoxo

d

Cocktail friday.

{image via}

Hello friday, we meet again. This recipe was found here while I was mindlessly browsing the internet much to late at night. :) I hope you all had a fab week! This cocktail will be great for any halloween festivities comming up, and a great way to incorporate pears when they are at their peak.

October Cocktail

½ oz.Whiskey
¾ oz. Pear Puree
½ oz. Passionfruit Puree
¼ oz. Passionfruit Syrup
Brut Champagne to top

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Strain into an ice-filled Punch glass. Top with Champagne and garnish with a pear slice. Enjoy!



At the end of this week I am need of a cocktail. So cheers to you and a great weekend!

xoxoxo
d

cocktail friday.

{photo credit}

This drink is a little nostalgic for me. Only because when I was young, and my parents took us to a nice restaurant or on a vacation, I distinctly remember them drinking vodka Collins and it is good :). So this one goes out to you mom and dad...

Vodka Collins

Makes 1

1/2 cup simple syrup, cooled

1/2 cup of lemon juice
2 ounces of vodka
Maraschino cherries
Lemon wedge or slice

Splash of soda water

Mix the cooled simple syrup with the lemon juice.  Fill shaker with ice, add the vodka, and lemon juice simple syrup mixture; shake well. Pour into tall glass and top with a splash of soda water. Garnish with cherry and lemon wedge.

*to get more juice from your lemon, stab it with a fork a few times and microwave on high for 15 to 20 seconds, then roll it on the counter under your palm a few times.

Make it a Tom Collins, by substituting gin for the vodka.

This weekend I hope you do something creative, get some zzzz's, laugh a lot, and feel a little glamorous too.

xoxoxo
d