Mother Nature Has Been Drinking

I think it is safe to say that Mother Nature has been tipping the bottle.

Gray clouds. Snow. Wind. Ice. Sun. 80 degrees. Rain. Sleet. Wintery mix. Thunder. Rainbows. Snow. Sun.

She can't decide what she wants and thinks we should have it all...with a shot of tequila on the side for good measure.

I don't know...maybe we should invite her out to the patio for a nice civilized cocktail.

We could light a fire in the fire pit to take off the chill.

We could blend her tequila with the freshness of lemonade and the earthiness of thyme to ground her.

We could chat, and relax, and hopefully, calm her nerves and let Spring get underway in a proper manner.

Thyme Tequila Lemonade

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

 Muddle 3 thyme springs with 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 lemon wedges in a glass.  Add 3 ounces silver tequila, 2 ounces cold water, and ice. Stir.

Wat.er.mel.on.

Today, I discovered 2 watermelons nestled among the pumpkins on my front porch.

The watermelon fairy was here.

And, what do you do when life gives you watermelons?

Make Watermelon Margaritas.

Luckily, the weather man isn't paying any attention to the fact that it is almost October. 80-degree days are perfect for sipping a cocktail on the patio.

Watermelon Margaritas

(adapted from Cooking Light)

3 1/2 cups watermelon, cubed and seeded

1/4 - 1/2 cup tequila

2-4 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Triple Sec

crushed ice

lime wedges

sugar

Combine watermelon, tequila, sugar, lime juice, and Triple Sec in a blender; process until smooth.
Rub the rim of glasses with a lime wedge and invert onto a saucer filled with sugar to coat.
Fill the glasses with crushed ice, add margarita mixture.
Garnish with additional lime wedges. (Serves 6)

Thirsty Thursday

The days (and nights...42F for a low tonight??) are getting cooler. The sun is setting sooner. The leaves are changing colors.

However, I refuse to accept these signs of approaching autumn. I am stubbornly holding on to summer.

Let's have a Mango Margarita.

This recipe kicks things up by adding chile powder to the salted rim of the glass. If that isn't your thing, stick with the traditional salt, or sweeten your drink with a sugared rim.

No matter what, hold on to summer while you can. The snow will be flying far too soon.

Mango Margarita

(adapted from Food and Wine)

1 tablespoon chile powder (I used Ancho Chile Powder.)

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 lime wedge

1 small mango, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped

3 ounces grapefruit soda (Fresca worked for me.)

1 1/2 ounces fresh lime juice

2 ounces orange liqueur

1 1/2 ounces agave nectar

3 ounces tequila

1 cup ice

Combine the chile powder and kosher salt in a shallow saucer.
Moisten the rim of a glass with the lime wedge.
Dip the rim into the chile powder mixture to coat.
In a blender, puree the mango.
Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Pour into the glass and serve. 

Sunshine on My Shoulders Makes Me Happy

The sun is shining today...for the second day in a row...after 5 days of constant rain and drizzle and wet and gray and cold and YUCK.  Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. 'Nuff said.

Something crisp and refreshing to sip as I enjoy this sunny day? Of course. How about a Pomegranate-Honey Cooler? This is basically a wine cooler, but not your syrupy sweet Bartels and Jaymes (rest assured, I had to Google to know how to spell Jaymes properly). Blending dry and slightly lemony Pinot Grigio with the mild and fruity pomegranate juice creates a brisk, fresh drink that is thirst-quenching on a sunny summer's day. Add just enough honey to balance the tartness, but don't go overboard.

Now, please excuse me. I have some sunshine to enjoy with the Pomegranate-Honey Cooler On My Plate (or rather, In My Glass...but that might be another blog).

Pomegranate-Honey Cooler

1 botttle dry white wine (I used Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio)

1 1/2 cups pomegranate juice

2-4 tablespoons honey

slices of lemon

Combine wine and juice in a pitcher.
Add honey and stir until dissolved.
Divided among 6 ice-filled glasses.
Garnish with slices of lemon. (Serves 6)

Curling My Hair

Several years ago, I was sick of my hair style. I decided in my ultimate wisdom that I needed a perm. Why? I Have no idea. Maybe, I had nostalgia for the spiral curls that I wore in the 80s. Maybe, I was just insane.

My hair was not quite shoulder length when I went in for the hair appointment. My stylist, a long-time friend, tried to talk me out of putting my hair through that torture, but I was adamant. I wanted a perm. She relented. We rolled, and processed, and rinsed, and trimmed, and styled, and I was horrified. I didn't have the wavy bouncy cuteness that had been in my mind's eye. I was a freaking poodle. Shirley Temple was reincarnated. I hated it.

After a week and a half of fussing, fretting, crying, screaming, and even a professional blow out at another salon during a spa trip with the girls, I was back in my stylist's chair to have my hair straightened. No, it wasn't healthy for my hair. Yes, it was more torture than the original perm. And, yes, my friend and stylist did say, "I told you so." I deserved it. I was an idiot. She swears that she will never, ever, ever again perm my hair, even if I throw a screaming hissy fit. I don't blame her; in fact, I thank her for that.

These days, Shirley Temple is just a sweet drink, and not a description of my style. I am just not a sweet drink kind of girl. However, I have become partial to a rocked out Saucy Shirley now and then. Usually, I like my Absolut with just a little club soda and a twist of lemon. Silly girly drinks are for other girls, not me. Maybe it's the part of my psyche buried deep inside that wanted those bouncy curls and now craves the sweetness of this kicked up fruity drink. I don't know. I just know it is good. Let's just hope that I don't drink enough of them to curl my hair.

Saucy Shirley

1 (12 ounce) can 7-up soda
2 ounces Cherry Pomegranate Juice
2 ounces Absolut vodka
sugar
lemon slices
ice

Wet rim of glasses and press into sugar.
Fill glasses with ice and pour in 7-up until ¾ full.
Add 1 ounce Cherry Pomegranate juice and 1 ounce vodka to each glass. Stir.
Garnish rim of glass with lemon slices.