Mint Juleps

You didn’t think I would leave you hanging before Derby Day, did you?! While I do have to say I am shocked I have never shared my recipe for Mint Juleps, I do promise you it was worth the wait. This is my favorite warm-weather drink, perfect for cheering on horses or just enjoying the summer sunshine.

This is one of those drinks that can easily be ruined when the proportions are off, even just slightly. It has taken a little bit of tweaking, but I knew I had a winner when our friends in Kentucky - who previously claimed to not like Mint Juleps for being too sweet - happily indulged in this recipe. So get your winning bets and big hats ready and be sure to whip up a few of these drinks to celebrate the day!

MINT JULEP
MAKES 1 DRINK

Fresh mint, stems removed
1 ounce simple syrup (recipe here)
2 ounces bourbon
Crushed ice
Seltzer water

In the bottom of a mint julep cup, muddle a small handful of mint with the simple syrup. Add the bourbon and stir to combine. Add crushed ice over the mixture, then top with a splash of seltzer. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

*Mint Julep cups are from Danforth Pewter (previously Shirley Pewter) in Williamsburg, Virginia

Grapefruit & Brown Sugar Soda

So, have you tried making Brown Sugar Broiled Grapefruit yet? If so, you might have faced the same dilemma as me, looking down at the remaining juices of the simple dessert, wondering what to do next. If it was only grapefruit, the answer would be simple: Squeeze the remaining juices into a glass, lift to your lips, and enjoy. But since the grapefruit juices are now combined with the lush flavors of brown sugar, drinking the residual syrup somehow just seems so potentially overpoweringly sweet. Not to fear - a splash of fizzy seltzer water easily transforms this grapefruit-brown sugar syrup into a refreshing soda! Cute straw optional, but recommended.

Mulled Apple Cider

Autumn is in the air.  I think?  The weather in the Northeast cannot seem to make up its temperamental mind.  Last Saturday brought the first snow of the season.  I am not talking about a few beautiful, puffy white flakes, I mean the skies opened up and hurled miniature snowballs to the world below all day long.  I equipped our bed with warm flannel sheets and our neighbors cranked their dusty radiators. 

Yesterday, the sun was shining, blinding pedestrians attempting to walk in any direction.  The jacket I needed for warmth on my morning commute rendered me a sweaty mess within five minutes of stepping outside for lunch.

My cravings are equally confused – something hearty and comforting or something light and healthy?  Luckily, there is one beverage with the ability to put me in a fall mood any day of the year – mulled apple cider.  Apple cider can be consumed warm or chilled, conveniently versatile compared to other seasonal food and beverage options.  Add a healthy splash of bourbon and sip the fall, or whatever the season, days away.

Lemon-Limeade

Phew! I just survived the absolute craziest, draining, rewarding three months of my adult life. Starting my new job back in March, I could never imagine the long hours, the endless spreadsheets, the occasional break-down. There was also no way I could imagine the payoff and feeling as though I finally found a job I love with people who have become a second family. More on this later – believe me, I have a ton of photos and stories from the event to share with you all.

For now, let’s focus on the fact that summertime is upon us. These last few weeks made me feel like a school girl again, mentally preparing my summer can’t-wait-to-do list which is, unsurprisingly, heavily weighted towards food and drinks, intermixed with a few household projects. But one common thread seems to run through each item on my list: simplify. Take a deep breath.

Luckily, one of my favorite summer treats is incredibly simple to create and the result is well worth the few extra minutes required in making this drink from scratch. I love slowly sipping on a glass of this lemon-limeade, the tartness pulling at the sides of my checks and the sweetness instantly soothing them. Welcome sweet summertime.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Every year, about three weeks into the month of January, I start dreaming of beaches, sand, bikinis, warm sunshine, and margaritas. I shut my eyes tightly and plead to be transported somewhere, anywhere, warmer than here. These next three months, the long weeks between the bustle of the holidays and fluttering down the sidewalk in a cute sundress, toughen up us New Yorkers. Or at least it toughens up those of us who have migrated from warmer climates.

Mother nature has thrown us an especially harsh winter this year - an endless stream of storms coupled with unyielding frigid temperatures. This type of cold seeps deeply into your bones, only melting away by tucking yourself tightly under a down comforter and cupping a steaming cup of homemade hot chocolate. As each sip passes my lips, it warms me from head to toe, and I am one sip closer to the warmer days ahead.

Mulled Apple Cider

A fall wind is whipping through the dark, crowded streets of Manhattan this evening. The chill makes me want to seek shelter under my puffy down comforter and stay huddled there for the remainder of the day.

But it is even more comforting to mull some apple cider on the stove top, allowing the spices to fill the apartment with their familiar, homey scent. Twenty minutes later, I can wrap my hands around the mug containing the fragrant, warm liquid.

One sip and I am warmed down to my tippy toes.