Month: June 2012

Cosmic Cocktails | Capricorn | The Social Climber

Sips

I’m sure you’ve heard the following phrase:

Behind every successful man, there’s a woman.

That woman in question was probably a Capricorn.

Social Climber Cocktail, part of the Cosmic Cocktails series at SipsandShots.com

Our tenth sign of the zodiac, Capricorn is the sign of ambition and drive and supreme focus. They are great in the board room not only because they thrive on power and position, but also because they have the amazing talent of remaining calm in a crisis.

They are posh, polished, and probably  planned it all that way–mental, emotional, or physical makeovers are just their style.

For a sign so focused on precision I kept coming back to the classics, The Manhattan, the Gin Martini, drinks that has an air of something elegant and timeless about them.

But then what would I do with my evening?

Instead, let’s slum a little with the up-and-coming Capricorn and see what sort of drink they inspire.

Oh, definitely something that speaks of yearning for the best in life, that just-barely-contained lust for power, and the willingness to do whatever. it. takes. to get there. To a Capricorn on the rise, the ends certainly justify the means. Some might suspect our sea-goat is a little over-eager but they’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint why they suspect it, because the Capricorn exudes an “I know” vibe that can leave the rest of us second-guessing.

Cap is shrewd, secretive when he thinks he’s got the inside track, but willing to coddle a former friend whose just made it big if they think they might be able to use them some how.

Yes, I do believe this side of Capricorn makes for a most interesting cocktail.

The Social Climber

2 oz Cognac
1 1/4 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Kahlua

Combine the three spirits in a mixing glass over ice and stir for precisely 15 seconds to sufficiently chill the alcohol without diluting it more than necessary. Strain into a chilled glass of ample volume and do not sully the drink with any thing even remotely resembling a maraschino cherry.

In my mind, our Capricorn-on-the-make will use the best  he can afford, even if he’s still acclimating to the taste. To help blend in he adds the schnapps, but even after a round with his new boss there’s still that bitter aftertaste of the 12 shots of espresso he downed that afternoon to make it through that last big project that he hopes will get him the promotion.

Reaching. Cloying. Desperate.

I think that says it all.

Cheers!

Searching for Inspiration

Third Time Wife, Wedding Planning

So last week I hopped onto the no-fresh-flowers train, but that doesn’t mean I’m anti-floral in general. I’m pretty adept at making pretty paper flowers already (and ribbon ones, too), now I just need to figure out what kinds, colors, and configurations to put them into!

Screenshot of my Floral Alternatives Board

Some of the many floral alternatives I’ve pinned while planning.

The up-side to non-fresh-flowers is you can come up with pretty much any color and shape combinations you can dream up. But that also means there’s a LOT of options to choose from, and that can be kind of a down-side at the same time.

While I like browsing wedding magazines for dresses and other ideas, the Internet is the best for floral inspiration. And add in a tool like Pinterest and you’ve got it made.

my wedding flowers pin-board

My Wedding Flowers Board

Unfortunately, when it comes to bouquet ideas, I’m not liking much of what I’m seeing. I’m even wondering if I want to carry a bouquet or anything else down the aisle. The sheaf design in the upper right corner is, so far, my favorite, but it’s still not a sure thing yet.

Moving on to other spots ripe for decorating, we’ve got aisle decorations and centerpieces. As to the former, hanging mason jars seem to be the most photographed, shared, and general thing going around and I couldn’t care less. Mason jars are great for many things, I’ve even used them in party decorations before, but I don’t see them making an appearance at our wedding.

Instead I’ve got something cooking in my head using lattice and wine bottles (of course) with paper flowers. The centerpieces are stumping me, too. Everything is either too tall, too round, too sparse, or too boring.

While I know there’s still plenty of places to look for a spark of inspiration, everything just looks like so much of the same these days, and nothing that I’m really dying to diy.

Pretty Book and Flower Icon

Anyone else having a Goldilocks moment trying to envision their decorations–floral or otherwise?

4 steps to a pretty paper basket

A Tisket, A Tasket, I Made a Paper Basket

64 Arts

And you can whip one up, too, if you’re so inclined.

I’ve been looking forward to this next art for some time now, though this isn’t the project I was planning to kick it off with.

34 Plaiting cane baskets, etc.

Making solid seats with dry canes.

Small basket made out of magazine covers and pages.

I’m not quite up to cane seats (though I do have an old chair on the garage that could use a new seat), but I do remember doing some basic basket-weaving in elementary school. I thought I’d seen supplies at my local Hobby Lobby but apparently I hallucinated that (or, you know, in a year the inventory has changed, but that couldn’t be it, right?) so it was on to Plan B.

Besides, cane is wood(ish) and paper used to be wood.

All justification aside, if your weaving skills are a little rusty, or you’ve got little ones around in need of a rainy-day projects, this might just be the ticket. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve got plenty of materials around.

My magazine stash, or at least part of it

This totally makes me look like a hoarder, doesn't it?

My magazine-saving obsession notwithstanding, I was happy to find the instructions from the Family Fun site to follow. Of course, I did things a bit different: I overlapped my magazine strips to make a sturdier basket and used 2 of the leftover strips as crossed handles, secured by little brads.

4 steps to a pretty paper basket

Todd had the awesome idea to use some of the wallpaper sample books I’ve got saved up in The Abyss, but they’re, ah, not exactly as easy to get to. In fact, I think the stacks of magazines are blocking the sample books.

A basket like this (mine is about 3 inches square, not counting the handles) would be perfect for delivering a small stuffed toy to a sick friend, as a cute place-setting for a summer garden party, or even just to organize light-weight craft supplies.

Rich is Relative

Nibbles

So is difficulty, for that matter.

Crepes are something usually reserved for special occasions, Sunday brunch, or times you want to impress. To the uninitiated, they seem terribly complex when, if anything, they’re a little tedious but not at all difficult. Want to make it even easier on yourself? Buy the crepes pre-made and just whip up this scrumptious Banana Crepe filling.

Banana Crepes

Ingredients for the banana crepe filling4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 Bananas, sliced
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Brandy
6-8 Crepes (about 6-8 inches in diameter)
Optional: Creme Anglaise

1. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan until slightly foamy.

2. Add in the bananas and stir to coat with the butter.

3. Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bananas have broken up a bit and the butter and brown sugar have thickened.

4. Stir in the brandy, reduce the heat to low and let sit until needed.

5. Make the crepes according to your favorite recipe or warm purchased crepes to make them pliable.

6. Place a line of the filling in the center of the warm crepe and fold each side over. Transfer to a plate and, if desired, drizzle with the topping of your choice.

Filling is enough for 6-8 crepes.

Row of banana crepes on a plate, drizzled with sauce

Variations: Spread a little Nutella in the middle of the crepe before adding the banana filling. No brandy at hand? Try cognac or even a spiced rum for a similarly delicious finish.

They may be rich, but they were a perfect companion to a light supper we recently shared with friends. Best served with ice-cold milk or hot coffee.

Cosmic Cocktails | Sagittarius | The Great Hunt

Sips

The Great Hunt, Sagittarian cocktail

Starting off the final four in our zodiacal bacchanal is Sagittarius, the Archer.

It’s no great stretch of the imagination to believe that the Sagittarian is always on the hunt for one thing or another, that it truly is the chase that drives them. Consequently, once one trial is done, the next one must come quick on it’s heals or our Sagittarian may become morose and unruly.

Because of their must-keep-hunting nature, sales is a fantastic job with someone in the sun sign of Sagittarius. Sales, consulting, and other jet-setting fields also give them a great sense of freedom–the other watch-word for this sign. The only thing they could use, though, in a job like sales is a little more tact, decorum, or some sort of filter but, then, everone has their flaws. Lucky for Saggos, though, they’re usually just ribald and rowdy enough to stay charming; for the most part.

Sagittarius is a mutable sign, which means it falls on the change from one season to another (in this case, fall to winter) and suggests a character that is spontaneous, if sometimes neglectful of duty. Routine is not a friend to this sign, with boredom and restlessness setting in quickly if they feel confined to the same-old, same-old.

On the hunt for this week’s cocktail, I was continually drawn to the flavor of darker spirits–whiskey–but also a bright, exuberant flavor.

The Great Hunt

2 oz Pink Grapefruit Juice
1 1/2 oz Honey Bourbon
1/2 oz Raspberry Liqueur
1 splash Angostura Bitters

Combine everything in a mixing glass over ice and shake like the hounds are nipping at your heels. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and enjoy.

Raspberry liqueur is one of those spirits that can easily overpower a drink with its sweet, syrupy, cloying-ness–just like the sometimes-soporific Sagg–but the bourbon and grapefruit are able to keep it on an even keel. This is the first drink using raspberry that I’ve actually had to add MORE to it to balance out the stronger ingredients.

Cheers!