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Archives for April 2017

Strawberry Rhubarb Caipirinha

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Hello everyone! I hope you’re enjoying your weekend. It is officially rhubarb season, so it’s safe to say whenever I can get my hands on some, I’ll be making cocktails with it! I made rhubarb syrup for another post on A Beautiful Mess and I couldn’t let it go to waste. The syrup turned out so good and you can easily replace simple syrup in most recipes for this stuff. The possibilities are endless! A winning combination is to pair rhubarb with strawberry, so I did a Strawberry Rhubarb Caipirinha. They are super easy to make and are so refreshing. Perfect for this time of year!

The main ingredient here is Cachaça. This spirit is called the rum of Brazil and rightfully so. The main differences between Cachaça and Rum are that most rums are made from sugarcane by-products like molasses. Cachaça is made from fresh pressed sugar cane, so the end result is a much more fresh, earthy, and grassy tasting spirit. My favorite Cachaça is Avuá Amburana which is a Cachaça that has been aged in Amburana wood that is indigenous to that part of South America. Resting it in this wood gives the Cachaça baking spice flavors like cinnamon, allspice, vanilla and fresh sugarcane. These flavors go so well with the rhubarb and strawberries that we’re adding to our Caipirinha. It’s like we’re eating delicious boozy rhubarb pie! You can also use a non-aged Cachaça like the Avuá Prata as well.


Strawberry Rhubarb Caipirinha, serves 1

2 oz. Avuá Amburana

3/4 oz. Rhubarb Syrup**

3 lime wedges cut into half (quarters)

2 small strawberries cut in half

1 sugar cube

Add sugar cube, lime quarters, strawberries, and rhubarb syrup to your tin and muddle. Add the Cachaça and then add cracked ice.

Do a quick shake, back and forth 6-8 times. We will be using the same ice we shook on, which is common in “peasant” style drinks, so after shaking open your tin and dump the cocktail into a rocks glass.

Rhubarb Syrup

Add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a pot on the stove with 4 cups of chopped rhubarb. Let simmer on the stove until all sugar has dissolved and the rhubarb is cooked, about 20 minutes. Strain the syrup into a bowl using a fine mesh sieve. Discard the rhubarb solids, or you can save them to use like a jam. I did and used it to spread on toast. Yum! This syrup will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks to a month.

This cocktail is super easy to make at home and I could totally enjoy these all summer long. The flavor combinations in the Cachaça and the fruit go so well together, this is certainly my most favorite Caipirinha that I have ever had.

Even Phil my cat is enjoying them in the livingroom!

I hope you decide to make these at home and if you do please let me know how they turn out in the comments below. Cheers everyone!

One Room Challenge: Progress and Perspective

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Happy week four of the One Room Challenge everyone! For those of you that have been following along on this non cocktail related journey, thank you! I promise there will be cocktails flowing on the big reveal day! Thus far all the progress for this project has been shared over on Michelle’s page but this week I’m very excited to be sharing my perspective and what the ORC has been like for me.

A few months ago I remember writing a blog post and mentioning how desperately I needed a change at home. When we lost bids on quite a few houses, we decided that maybe renting for another year or so and finding a new place was the way to go. And that’s exactly what we did! I found an amazing apartment right before we left for Palm Springs and actually signed my lease while I was still there. It was a scary decision to leave my apartment of nearly a decade for a new one but I am SO glad I did. Especially because it led me to working with Michelle Gage on my new livingroom.

I had been such a fan of Michelle over on Instagram and when she contacted me about the One Room Challenge, I pretty much fell off my chair with excitement. I shared my vision for the room with her and she seemed even more excited to make this room a reality. The crazy part about this is that all the design has been done via email and on Pinterest for the most part. I was a little skeptical about how e-design worked but now that I have done it I can understand why most designers are doing this method more and more and I would honestly do it again. The internet is a wonderful place guys.

I measured the room, made a floorplan and we contributed to a Pinterest board. The hardest part about this for me was worrying if my vision for the room was going to come through in the design but I feel as though Michelle has really listened to me every step of the way, which is really important to me. She is an absolute dream to work with and is so good at what she does, I couldn’t be happier with the way things are going.

In the past, I feel like I impulsively bought things over time and never had a room that was 100% cohesive. Planning it all out ahead, having a clear mood board to refer to and then placing items on order has defintely made me feel confident on how the room is all going to turn out. As items arrive, every day I get even more excited for the final outcome and I can’t wait to see how Michelle will style the final room.

In the meantime, I’ve been unpacking old treasures and putting props we ordered on the existing shelving. This is totally unstyled but all the pops of color already put a smile on my face!

I can’t wait to go plant shopping this weekend!

I’m really happy that we wound up using an existing rug because it looks great with the couch. I was a little bummed about the first bar cart falling through but in the end I got the one that I really wanted.

Almost everything for the room has arrived. The only things I am waiting on are some framed art, wallpaper, and the barcart should be here Friday. I can not believe I own this barcart or this pink couch. I’m here to tell you that dreams do come true!

Carrot and Orange Mimosa

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Hey everyone! Happy Easter! Hope you’re all enjoying your holiday at home with your loved ones. This is my favorite time of year, probably because it’s finally acceptable to wear pastels, not that it stops me at any other time of the year. Finally, I don’t stick out like a sore thumb though! I’ve whipped up quite a delicious (and EASY) cocktail for your Easter festivities. My Carrot Orange Mimosa is literally three ingredients and is sure to impress your holiday guests. Although perfect for Easter, where brunch meals are the norm, this drink is acceptable to serve throughout the Spring season OR any other time of the year that you want to add a little special something to your regular classic mimosa. Get creative with in-season fruit and vegetables. You don’t have to stop with orange juice!


Carrot and Orange Mimosa

1 oz. Orange Juice

1 oz. Carrot Juice

Top with Sparkling

Add your juices to a flute glass and fill with sparkling wine. Garnish with a carrot top.

Guys…carrot juice is so delicious. Why has it taken me this long to realize it? I have a confession to make and it’s that I don’t have a slow juicer. I’ve always wanted one but have never had the extra space for kitchen gadgets. Now that I’ve moved and have a kitchen to accomodate more appliances, it is defintely on the top of my list of things to buy.

With that said, I knew I needed fresh carrot juice to really make this recipe work. I went to my local organic food store that also sells fresh juice and brought some home. Super helpful and a great idea for those that also don’t have access to making fresh vegetable juice at home.

Along with these mimosas I also have a number of other things on the menu for today. For breakfast I’m making bunny pancakes, stay tuned for super cute photos! For dinner I’m making a chilled asparagus soup and Ethan is making an apricot and mustard glazed ham with root vegetables. Dessert which I am most excited for, is a strawberry rhubarb tart!

Banana Pancakes from Good Housekeeping Banana Pancakes from Good Housekeeping Chilled Asparagus Bisque from Good Housekeeping Chilled Asparagus Bisque from Good Housekeeping Apricot-Mustard Ham with herb roasted root vegetables from Good Housekeeping. Apricot-Mustard Ham with herb roasted root vegetables from Good Housekeeping. Rhubarb-Strawberry Tart from Martha Stewart. Rhubarb-Strawberry Tart from Martha Stewart.

Have fun cooking, baking, and drink making tomorrow. I’d love to hear what you’re making for Easter. If you decide to make these mimosas let me know how it turns out!

High Plains Margarita of the Year

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Hello Everyone, it has been quite awhile because of the move, but now that I’m settling in, I am super excited to share that I have teamed up with Patrón to bring you a variation on one of the most popular cocktails — the margarita! To celebrate this classic cocktail Patrón has crafted 7 artisanal recipes that showcase how versatile this drink can really be and is asking everyone to vote for their favorite. These special margaritas are being made at several bars and restaurants all over the country, but we can also make them at home! I’ve whipped up the High Plains Margarita which is a herbaceous spin on the margarita, incorporating muddled sage, smoky charred pineapple, yuzu and a spicy chipotle salt rim. YUM!


High Plains Margarita

1.5 oz Patrón Silver

.5 oz Patrón Citrónge Orange

2 Slices charred pineapple

.5 oz Fresh lime juice

.25 oz Yuzu juice

.25 oz Simple syrup

6 Sage leaves, 2 for garnish

2 dashes Lime bitters

Chipotle salt rim

Char 2 pineapple slices and reserve 1 slice. To make the drink combine 2 pieces pineapple, 4 sage leaves and simple syrup in shaker and muddle. Add remaining liquid ingredients and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Double strain onto fresh ice in a chipotle salt-rimmed rocks glass. Garnish with a slice of charred pineapple and 2 sage leaves. To make the chipotle salt, simply mix a 1/2 cup of salt with 3/4 tsp of dried chipotle powder.

The margarita is by far one of my favorite cocktails and this variation is no exception. It is well balanced, fruity — but not sweet, herbaceous, savory, smoky and with a kick of spice. This drink sure did the trick after the crazy month I just had, and I will most certainly be making these again in the future. These are perfect for those warm summer days when we will be grilling in the backyard. I can’t wait!

If you try the High Plains Margarita or another, don’t forget to vote for your favorite here or by using the hashtag – #highplainsmargarita – on Instagram/Twitter. And remember the perfect way to enjoy Patrón is responsibly!