christmas-tini

tis the season for holiday parties. i plan to bring back martha stewart's famous (and quite potent) egg nog for my party, and probably a punch too. but i think that the hibiscus mocktini might be a nice addition a pre- "holiday hop" cocktail party that we are heading to this weekend.

enjoy...

naughty or nice tartini

If you're looking to save a few calories without skipping the spirits, go for this simple (and organic!) alternative.

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. Prairie Organic Vodka

• 2 oz. Honey-Rhubarb Simple Syrup

• 4 oz. Soda

Directions:

Shake with ice and strain over fresh ice in a tall glass. Fill the rest of the glass with soda water.

hibiscus mocktini

Ingredients

3 cups hibiscus tea (such as Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger)

3 cups ginger ale

6 fresh pineapple spears

Directions

In a pitcher, mix together the hibiscus tea and ginger ale. Serve over ice in a tall glass with a fresh pineapple spear.

martha's famous eggnog

ingredients

12 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups superfine sugar

1 quart whole milk

1 1/2 quarts heavy cream

3 cups bourbon

1/2 cup dark rum

2 cups cognac

Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

1.In a very large bowl, beat egg yolks until thick and pale yellow. Gradually add sugar to yolks. With a wire whisk, beat in milk and 1 quart cream. Add bourbon, rum, and cognac, stirring constantly.

2.Just before serving, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture. Whip remaining 1/2 quart heavy cream until stiff, and fold in. Sprinkle with nutmeg.

it's beginning to look alot like christmas

santas.. reindeer.. and doodles... oh my!

i made great use of my final day of thanksgiving "vacation" to get all of the holiday decor out. its always so much fun to pull out the decorations that have been passed down from my childhood.. and the new ones that have become fun traditions in my house.

unfortunately for kingsley, his antlers and bell collar from last year no longer fit.. so mommy had to find him a new outfit. as you can see from the image below, he is less than impressed.

new york, new york....

having a great time in the big apple with the family.

macy's thanksgiving day parade. bengals game.

poker, euchre and.. osu/ michigan!

and with six energetic kids running around i will definately

 need a nap when i get home. :)

kanye ...

..dora and india ari

...jessica simpson

... and the kids enjoying the paper bag turkey!

cheers to the holiday season

as we begin to pack our belongings for our thanksgiving day travels, i search for the perfect cocktail to truly celebrate time with my family. my brother and sister-in-law always go above and beyond on the "fun" preparation, so i wanted to be sure to make a special treat this time.

here are a couple of the finalists...

berry little cocktail

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 ounce Charbay ruby red grapefruit vodka
2 ounces Champagne
1 ounce cranberry juice
1 ounce black currant juice

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, dissolve sugar into 1 1/2 cups water. Add cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes, or until softened. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain, discard liquid, and place cranberries on a tray in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Chill vodka, Champagne, and juices, then mix in a champagne glass. Garnish with skewer of 4 or 5 frozen candied cranberries. Reserve the rest for another drink.
Read more at Marthastewart.com: Berry Little Cocktail - Martha Stewart Recipes

Top Pumpkin Cocktail: Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

1.5 oz. Pear-infused vodka (We used Absolut Pear Vodka)
1.0 oz. Pumpkin puree
0.3 oz. Cointreau
0.2 oz. Simple syrup
Splash of bitters
Nutmeg
Cinnamon

Preparation

Pour all contents in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake thoroughly. Pour drink in a Cosmo glass straight up. Garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon.

my muse

getting lots of practice on my new camera. my subject is a little crazy and playful at the moment.. but with the right amount of treats, he's open to me snapping a few shots.

stay tuned for lots more camera-testing,

next week in new york city~

giving thanks in the city

i'll be packing up the car next wednesday to make the 9 hour drive to new york city with my hubby and mom, plus suitcases full of thanksgiving fun w aunt laura.

my last visit with my niece and nephews set the bar high-

"festival" fishing game where the kids fished for prizes.

this time i was thinking more pilgrim hats and handmade turkeys. as always i get my inspiration from martha and amyatlas.com ...

.. and after a long day of family fun it seems only fitting to come with some adult fun too. perhaps we'll need to taste test this weekend.

PUMPKIN MOJITO RECIPE

1.25 oz Rum

11 Mint Leaves

1 Tbsp Pumpkin

1/2 Lime

1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

2 oz Soda.

Muddle mint leaves and sugar. Add rum, pumpkin, soda, and juice from 1/2 lime. Mix well, add ice, and garnish with extra mint leaves.

LET THE COUNTDOWN BEGIN!

surprise!

beautiful flowers + an amazing new camera ..

34 is looking good so far!

the fun continues over the weekend with a friends outing tomorrow + a night out with my husband on saturday + a concert on sunday and a fun day off with mom on monday

can't wait to capture it all on film!