How’s this for a fun idea…
“Meet & Eat”
Get a bowl,
Fill with names of restaurants you’ve wanted to try out,
Draw one out and meet a group of friends there for a meal out…
Repeat every month!
Have you ever done a dinner club before? Since I adore food & good company this seems like an ingenius idea!!
{Click images for their source}
Inspired by the joy of eating together…
…Hope you break bread with a loved one today!!
{Click images for their source}
“The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden
because of their simplicity and familiarity.”― Ludwig Wittgenstein
A few of my simple and familiar details from this week…
{Girl’s Night One…Margaritas}
{Girl’s Night Two…(cheap) Wine & Champagne}
{Dance-off…so silly!!}
{Just the right amount of spice…from here}
{Little one making me smile…and laugh}
…What made you happy this week?
Have a lovely weekend!!
{Images by Me}
Why not mix up a festive pink drink this weekend in honor of Valentine’s Day!
Here are some fun cocktails to choose from…
{Skinny Cranberry + Vanilla Cocktail}
{Reisling Strawberry Slushies}
…now the hard part is choosing which pink drink to make!
Cheers to a fabulous weekend!!
{Click images for their source}
Sitting by a toasty fire, wearing cozy PJs, with a good book and a glass of mulled wine in hand…what a perfect combination! Especially because today’s high here in Minneapolis is 16 degrees…brrr!
Here is a recipe for…
{Mulled Cranberry Wine Punch via My Recipes}
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1 bottle (48 oz., 6 cups) cranberry juice cocktail
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 to 6 cinnamon sticks (about 3 in.)
- 2 bottles (750 ml.) fruity dry red wine
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- About 3/4 cup orange-flavor liqueur such as Cointreau or triple sec (optional)
Preparation:
- 1. Sort cranberries, discarding bruised and decayed fruit. Rinse berries and put in a 5- to 6-quart pan; add cranberry juice cocktail, raisins, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer on low heat to blend flavors, about 20 minutes.
- 2. Add wine and 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, to taste. Heat until steaming, 5 to 8 minutes; do not boil.
- 3. Add almond extract and orange liqueur; keep punch warm over lowest heat and ladle into cups or stemmed glasses.
And here is a delightful video recipe for Cranberry Mulled Cider by Tiger in a Jar:
…Both of these drink recipes sound wonderful to me!! Cheers to a happy (and chilly) weekend!!
{Click images for their source}
{Click photo for a list of items from Oh Happy Day}
This past weekend some girlfriends and I went to “Jazz at the Vineyard“…where we drank wine, ate a 10-course Tapas meal, listened to jazz music, danced and toured the vineyard. It was a lovely evening!
I’ve already got a hankering to get the girls together once again for a wine & cheese night! While I stocked up on wine at the event, I need a little help in preparing a yummy cheese plate. Luckily, here are some handy tips from A Cup of Jo:
{The Perfect Cheese Plate}
…Click on either picture for pointers on how to create this perfect cheese plate.
{The Adventurous Cheese Plate}
…Click on either picture for tips on a bold, adventurous & stinky cheese plate.
{Perfect Pairs}
…Click on either picture for three delicious, perfect cheese + drink pairings.
Yum, can’t wait to start building a cheese plate…and subsequently devour it!!
{Click images for their source}
Oh happy day, its Friday…let the weekend begin! Here’s a delicious recipe for Sangria that would be perfect to serve amongst friends on a summer evening!
The recipe & photo are from the mouth-watering (and often hilarious) blog Matt Bites.
In a pitcher or large bowl, combine 6 cups assorted fruit (such as mango, pineapple, cantaloupe, and apricot), sliced or cut into pieces, 1/4 cup thinly sliced peeled fresh ginger, 1 to 1/2 cups fresh basil or mint leaves, and 1/2 cup orange-flavored liqueur. Mash gently with the back of a wooden spoon until basil is bruised and fruit releases juices. Add 1 bottle (750ml) chilled dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, and 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon). Stir to combine. Refrigerate 1 hour or up to 1 day. To serve, add ice.
How fun would it be to use a punch-bowl to serve your Sangria…I imagine it would be useful to have a ladle to scoop up some of that tasty, soaked fruit!! This 10-piece set from Crate & Barrel would be perfect…and it won’t break the bank:
{10-Piece Glass Punch Bowl}
…Cheers!
{Click photos for their source}
This past weekend’s wedding saw me drinking one too many glasses of wine. I had a wonderful night and even felt fine when I woke up the next morning. But a little after noon, as I ordered brunch with friends, the inevitable hangover finally decided to rear its ugly head!!
Do you have a tried and true method to cure (or at least alleviate) a hangover? Usually my process to feel like a human being again involves eating something full of carbs, drinking classic Coca-Cola and popping some headache medicine.
As it’s the weekend again I’m thinking there may be a better way to solve my next hangover (hopefully sometime very far in the future)! Here are what Delivery.com rates as the Top 10 Hangover Cures (found via One Wed):
10- Cucumbers – No doubt the eyes need some major TLC to de-puff…
9- Ice pack – Applying a cold compress works wonders on a throbbing head.
8- Tomato Juice – If you can’t stomach the “hair of the dog” with a Bloody Mary, then tomato juice contains sugar to help break down the alcohol in your stomach.
7- Coffee with Lemon – Lemon juice alleviates nausea and the caffeine helps shrink blood vessels that cause that pounding headache…
6- Crackers with honey – This naturally flushes the system to rid your body of alcohol fast!
5- Peppermints – Kills two birds with one stone by freshening breath and helps stop a churning stomach …
4- Gatorade – Dehydration is a major cause of a hangover; give your system a hydrating boost and replenish electrolytes with your fav flavor…
3- Bananas or better yet, banana milkshake – Bananas helps calm the stomach and the milk soothes the stomach and re-hydrates your system.
2- Bacon, Egg and Cheese Sandwich – The greasier, the better to soak up all those celebratory tequila shots and eggs help re-hydrate…
1- Advil – make it Extra Strength – no explanation needed…
Or maybe I can try one of these hangover staples from around the globe:
…Better yet, I probably shouldn’t drink so much wine in the future!!! Everything in moderation!
{Click photos for their source}
