Have you heard of 1908 Empress Gin? I hadn’t until I saw a post on Instagram by my friend, Beth McDonald. The second I saw her photo, I knew I needed to get some of that gin! The cocktail Beth posted is called the Q1908. It is named after the year the Fairmont Empress opened and the name of its bar, the Q Bar.

The amazing thing about the gin, besides that it tastes wonderful, is that it changes color depending on what is added to it, which changes the pH. For instance, adding citrus turns it purple, and adding tonic turns it pink.

You can learn all about the making of the gin and its history if you go to this link and click on the “Watch Now” tab of Our Story. It will be worth your time. I love the cocktail and I love the gin!

The recipe calls for the use of COUPE GLASS. What is a coupe glass? It’s basically an old-fashion champagne glass. The coupe is a stemmed glass featuring a broad, shallow bowl. Nowadays tall fluted glasses are preferred for champagne. But coupes are fun and retro. I know I have some of my grandmother’s etched coupes around the house, but couldn’t lay my hands on one. So I used a wine glass from the same etched pattern. Darn it, I need to find those glasses!

Here is a photo of an etched coupe, it’s more intricate than my grandmother’s design, but you get the idea.

I know it was just one week ago that I said I wasn’t going to continue with the Travel Tuesday feature, but I forgot about something I promised to report back on.

Nearly three months ago, when I was about to board our flight to Europe, I wrote about these adorable carry-on cocktail kits.

Well, I’m here to report that they were as adorable and fun as expected, with one exception. Let’s just say that there was a Lime Situation. More on that later.

The first cocktail I made in-flight was the Old Fashioned.

I “procured” our mini-bottles of alcohol from the complementary stash in our room on the cruise.

So all I need to ask the flight attendant for was a cup of ice and another empty cup.

The drink was fun, easy to make, and ever so refreshing.

Seriously delightful!

[Read more →]

Today is the last day of “Cocktails & Cupcakes” bridal shower details and recipes.

What better note to end a week on than cocktails!?!

We’ll start with the recipes and end with a fun decor item that the mother of the bride, Laura, her sister, Mary, and I created.

These following two cocktails come from The Bar Book Elements of Cocktail Techniques by Jeffery Morgenthaler with Martha Holmberg. Martha taught a modern sauces class at Les Gourmettes last month and I was the happy recipient of this bar book.

Tom Collins

• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) gin
• 3/4 ounce (1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons) fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 ounces (1 tablespoon) simple syrup*
• Ice cubes
• 2 ounces (1/4 cup) chilled soda water
• 1 lemon peel for garnish

[Read more →]

The weather has finally cooled down – to the lovely point of chilly! Since our Fall Picnic was held outside, as the best picnics are, I needed my signature cocktails to be hot.

I made hot toddies and mulled wine. The wine is spicy and tasty, but the hot toddy – the hot toddy is the BOMB!

You’ll need tea bags for the toddy. I use my favorite Ginger Twist tea from Mighty Leaf Tea because apple and ginger are the absolute loveliest combination. Any tea you like will work just fine, from Breakfast to Earl Grey and beyond.

Along with the drink recipes, allow me to show you the way I set up the buffet table.

Plaid was a big part of the theme, so this vintage Thermos brand oval cooler fit right in. I filled it with ice and placed bottles of “Butter” white wine inside and a couple of bottles of “Jam” red wine next to it. How perfect are Butter and Jam for a picnic?!?  By the way, the wines are made by Jam Cellars and I found them at Costco.

In front of the cooler, sits a cute 3-step metal server filled with French radishes and salt, seedless grapes, and cute mini white pumpkins.

• Next to the cooler is a cloth-lined wicker picnic basket filled with herb plants.
• The cork-filled urn, with the candle in the middle, is my everyday centerpiece of this outdoor table, I left it since it fits right in.
• A plaid tin filled with fresh flowers sits on an overturned vintage Pepsi crate along with my prized vintage plaid thermos. Mason jars were used to serve the drinks because my plaid mugs are packed away with the Christmas stuff.
• Wicker domes cover the main course sandwiches.

The tall plaid thermos was just a prop and not used for the cocktails, instead, I had the wine in the smaller red thermos and the hot toddy in the green thermos.

[Read more →]

Yes, it’s true, I’m finally putting a recipe on this recipe blog!

Miracles can and do happen. As evidenced by the sunset photos below!

But before I get to that, I need to do a little housekeeping on some final miscellaneous Hawaii  happenings.

I hope you won’t mind  But if you do … scroll down to “read more” and skip ahead to the cocktail.

My feelings won’t be hurt, only because I won’t know you’re doing it. But be careful, there could be a quiz at the end, and if you do poorly … yeah, then I will know and … whatever… do what you must.

I mean if these gorgeous photos aren’t doing the trick to keep you right here, nothing will!

The first thing I want to share with you are photos of Punalu’u Beach, also known as Black Sand Beach.

It is located on the southeast side of the Big Island.

We drove out of our way just so I could collect some black sand.

I collected sand from all of the islands we visited. I had expected most, if not all, of the sand on the Big Island to be black, but no, only at this beach.

The texture is completely foreign from any sand I’ve seen or touched before. (Special thanks to Connor for being my hand model – sand holder!)

Here is a sample of my sweet little “Sands of Hawaii” collection. Crazy how different the sands of the various islands are. It may not be apparent in this photo, but the sands from Maui and Kauai are vastly different from each other too.

Next up, I forgot to show and tell you about the awesome collection of vintage Hawaiian  signs that were all over the exterior breezeway walls at the B&B we stayed while on the east side of Hawaii.

I am still coveting the Laupahoehoe Sugar Company sign. It was so long, that I had to use the panoramic feature on my iPhone to get it all in one shot! Then I discovered the sad history of Laupahoehoe … heartbreaking.

And this fabulous C and H Sugar sign! Sigh… if I could have figured how to pry it off the wall and fit it in my suitcase… it was tempting! I may have to begin an eBay search for such a treasure.

I was intrigued by the “C and H” instead of the “C&H” that we’re used to today. I did a little research and was surprised to find that 107 year old company didn’t switch over to the ampersand in their iconic logo until the early nineteen-seventies. Do you know what “C and H” stand for?

California and Hawaiian. Now you know.

Each Friday night at the Beach Tree Restaurant at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, there is a the beachside barbeque. The Friday we were there… fresh Mahi Mahi…

… cooked on an open grill, in the sand, on the beach, waves rolling in only steps away. Outstanding!

Finally, I have to show you a souvenir I bought myself from the resort. It’s the beach bag that awaits you in your closet. You are encouraged to use it during your stay. I did not, I wanted it to be pristine when I brought it home.

This adorable burlap coffee bag turned into a chic beach bag, lined with vintage Hawaiian fabric. Now you are privy to my plans for the burlap sacks I purchased at the store at the Kauai Coffee Company while we were on Kauai.  All I have to do now is find vintage Hawaiian fabric and then learn how to sew.

Thanks for sticking with me through all the Hawaii posts, I hope you enjoyed it half as much as I enjoyed reliving it. Now it’s time for your reward, a Hawaiian cocktail recipe…

[Read more →]

I made this pretty and festive punch to take to a Cinco de Mayo party last Sunday. Needless to say, it was a hit! So much so, that it ran out before the party was over. At that point, we were just pulling the pineapple rings out of the jar and eating them. I brought home the rest and poured light rum into the jar. I’ll now have the bonus of pineapple-infused rum… in a couple of weeks. Two for one – Gotta love that!

The recipe makes a huge batch – but it can easily be cut in half. I also doubled the simple syrup and plan to use it for mojitos over Mother’s Day weekend.

My excuse? Seriously, something has to be done with all the mint in my garden … before it chokes out everything else!

Plus, I saved the mint leaves used in the simple syrup. I’m trying my hand at sugaring the leaves … and making mint-flavored sugar at the same time. I’ll keep you posted on how that works out.

So much going on from just one punch recipe!

[Read more →]

Happy April Fool’s Day.
No tricks today.
Not when a cocktail is always much more fun!

For our Easter cocktails, I offered mango, orange, and cran-apple juices for a make-your-own Mimosa bar.

And since it’s always more festive to buy a larger size bottle of wine or champagne, I did just that. There were only five of us, so I opted for a magnum. How big is a magnum? It is a double bottle or 1.5 liters.

How big can you go? Here are the sizes for champagne:

Split: holds 187 ml – individual size
Half-Bottle: 375 ml – a half bottle
Bottle: 750 ml – standard size
Magnum: 1.5 liters – equivalent of 2 bottles
Double-Magnum: 3.0 liters – equivalent of 4 bottles
Rehoboam: 4.5 liters – equivalent of 6 bottles
Methuselah: 6 liters – equivalent to 8 bottles
Salmanazar: 9.0 liters – equivalent to 12 bottles or 1 case
Balthazar: 12.0 liters – equivalent to 16 bottles
Nebuchadnezzar: 15.0 liters – equivalent to 20 bottles

I’ve seen a Balthazar before, but I’ve never seen a Nebuchadnezzar. Now that would be one great party!

Along with the juices, I offered St. Germain. A flute of St. Germain & Champagne is so refreshing and tastes like spring!

[Read more →]

Before I share more party details, I want to wish my dear friend, Karen Mock a very Happy Birthday!

Karen was a bridesmaid at my wedding. I think everyone should have a bridesmaid like her. She carried out her duties like a pro! I mean, it is not easy being a bridesmaid at your friends’ wedding – you have so much to do! From managing the bride’s emotions as she approaches her big day, to organizing her hen party (you could click here to find some ideas for yourself), it’s just a big roller coaster ride. Hats off to Karen for pulling it off!

At the time of my wedding, she was pregnant with her first child, Nick. Dave and I are Nick’s godparents … so yes, Karen and I have been friends for a long time and I love her to pieces. Happy Birthday, Karen! I look forward to celebrating with you on Friday! xoxo

On to the party ….

Peggy arrived a little early so she’d be there to greet her guests, and I was actually ready to greet her and the guests too. That doesn’t always happen. More often than not, I’m still scrambling and getting ready at the very last second before a party at our house begins. But not this time, and here is why –

I had gone to Sweet Salvage the day before the party with my friend and colleague, Kim Howard. (after all the party posts, I’ll share with you what I got that day – it is so cool!)

I was telling Kim about the party plans and she said, “Let me come help.” I resisted at first because I’d already hired two servers and a bartender from Elite Events AZ. Kim insisted and I finally came to my senses and took her up on her generous offer. Kim and I work together at Les Gourmettes. When I teach my series of classes there, Kim works right beside me. We’re a great team and I knew that having her in the kitchen, finishing off the dishes, overseeing everything, and doing things exactly as I would do them – well I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about a thing and I could really relax and enjoy my own party.

That is exactly what happened! Maybe I enjoyed it a wee bit too much if you know what I mean! So, thank you, Kim. Thank you, Jana, Cami, and Jeanie from Elite Events. And thank you, to my adorable son, Connor, who was the lone man in the kitchen, there to help with whatever the ladies asked him to do!

Anne and I, gave Peggy her official birthday kiss.

Peggy with her darling parents, her brother, John, and her sister-in-law, Lorraine. Take note of Peggy’s pink crown and scepter. The Birthday Princess!

Anne and Dave at the appetizer buffet. The bar is in the background…

… thanks Anne for taking this picture of the bar, I can see your reflection in the window and I see myself in the kitchen. What am I doing in there?! I think I was cutting green onions for the mashed potatoes and talking to Kim about the recipes. This was prior to the guests arriving. Well, of course, Anne was a guest too, but she was and is much more than that! She helped me so much in putting on this gala event. Love you girl! xoxo

Along with the full bar, we offered two signature cocktails…

The Pink Pear

1 1/2 ounces pear vodka
3 ounces mango nectar or pineapple juice
1-ounce cranberry juice
Lemon juice, for rim
Pink or gold sugar, for the rim

Dip the rim of a clear “highball” glass in lemon juice, then dip into sugar. Fill the glass with ice.

Gently layer the vodka, then the nectar, then the cranberry juice into the glass for an ombre cocktail.

Serves 1

Pink Chihuahua

Coarse pink salt
1-ounce tequila
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
3/4 cup grapefruit juice
Grapefruit slice, for garnish

Dip the rim of a clear “rocks” glass in lemon juice, then dip into sugar. Fill the glass with ice. Pour tequila and Grand Marnier over ice.

Top with grapefruit juice and stir. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

Serves 1

Also on the bar, were bowls of the ever-popular Ranch Oyster Crackers, also known as Crack Crackers. These are seriously addicting!

Another fun 50th birthday party touch was a little something else I found on eBay …

[Read more →]

I can’t believe not one of you made a comment yesterday about my awesome tub photo.

Come on people, I cleaned up. I made sure the pumas stone, heel file, razor, shaving cream, loofah, and other junk was out of the photo. I’d had a pedicure just a couple days before, so my toes looked all pretty…

I even lit the bird candle!

And not one comment about any of it. I have to say, I’m a little disappointed.

Oh well, even so, I will still do as I promised and give you three recipes today. Three in one day! Yeah, no problem. 🙂

Karen and Bob enjoying their Blackberry- Meyer Lemon Gin & Tonics. Bob had shoulder surgery on December 26th, so my cocktails were a good substitute for any pain meds.

I’m just here to be of service.
Seriously though – Cheers to a speedy recovery, Bob!

[Read more →]

Homemade Kahlua Liqueur used to be one of my go-to gifts from the kitchen. For some reason it’s been years, maybe even a decade, since I’ve made it. I don’t know why, because it is good stuff!

On the fourth day of Christmas
My true love gave to me:
Homemade Kahlua Liqueur
Lemon-Sugar Hand Scrub
Cranberry Citrus Vodka
and a bottle of Tomato Dust

If you want to make this gift to give for Christmas, you need to get on the stick, as in making it today or tomorrow! Sorry for not giving you more notice, but it should sit for 4 weeks before drinking and Christmas is exactly four weeks from tomorrow.

If you can’t get to it until the weekend, just be sure to write on your gift tag something along the lines of, “Homemade Kahlua Liqueur. Wait to enjoy until New Year’s Eve or after.”

[Read more →]