Tag Archives: How To

Drinking and Recycling, Folks

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Do you remember Anthropologie’s Earth day window displays? They used over 2.5 million wine corks and created some incredible art in all of their stores throughout the United States. They made designs, planters, streamers, animals… You name it. And it was fantastic. Especially for a wino like myself.  I can’t get enough.

Seriously, check out this video…

I’ve been thinking about those displays ever since April, and when we moved into our new place and were deciding on how to decorate I decided to give it a try. We needed a cork board.  And I love this idea.

Lucky for me, I work at a bar in a restaurant where we sell a lot of wine. And I saved a ton of corks last April for decorations at our wedding. But I felt very Green when I decided to put all that drinking to use. Because I believe in drinking and recycling, folks. California has obviously made me very environmentally conscious. I recycle the wine bottle and save the cork. And I always bring my reusable bags to the grocery store. Anything I can do to help, Mother Nature. Anything I can do to help…

Here’s how I created my own little version of the Anthro display. Part cork board and part art!

Brad and I headed over to the hardware store and picked up a few things. Three round wooden table tops, chalkboard spray paint (originally I want these to be multi-purpose chalkboard/cork boards, but things changed a bit), hanging fixtures, and wood glue.

First things first, I spray painted the table tops black. Primer then another coat.

Then, once the paint dried, I got to messing around with a design. I tried to separate the corks stained purple by red wines and use the colors in the designs. Here’s what I came up with.  No Anthropologie amazingness, but pretty freaking cool.

Using the wood glue, I glued on the corks, section by section, going back and putting pressure on the corks to make sure they were on tight.

I even added a few more corks in after dinner (and a few glasses of wine.. More corks, mnore cork crafts!). I feel like drunk craft inspiration is dangerous, but always adds character.

Then I started on the smaller boards. I went for a little different design here…

End result? We have homemade awesome wino art and our Shy Cherry has a nice little centerpiece. I probably won’t want to hang anything on them – at least for now – because they’re just so awesome to look at. But the corks are sturdy and can absolutely hold a few thumbtacks.

Now off to start saving corks again… Cheers!

The Pumpkin Pie Martini

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Wondering how Mixology Monday went?

 

Well, it was delicious.  And I still have some Pumpkin Spice Rum left.  So come on by if you want one of these…

Pumpkin Pie Martini:

2 oz Pumpkin Spice Rum

1 1/2 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream

1/2 oz Domaine Canton Ginger Liqueur

Shake all ingredients over ice to chill.  Strain into martini glass.  Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg.  Yum.

 

I am also offering a Pumpkin Spice coffee if you’re chilly out here by the beach.  It will warm you up and put you in the holiday spirit!  If you’re making this at home, I would halve all of the above measurements and then fill with hot coffee.

A tip for coffee drinks.  Heat up the mug first with hot water for at least 30 seconds before pouring it out and mixing your drink.  It just helps keep the drink hot when adding the room temperature liquors.  Every degree counts on a wintery cold evening!

 

 

Deciding between Coffee Vodka and Peppercorn Vodka for next Monday…  Stay tuned!

Announcing, Mixology Mondays

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After writing about the Bloody Mary contest and my mixology chops, I realized I kind of left you all hanging.  I know you’ve been biting your nails, sitting on the edge of your seats, waiting to see how delicious all of those beautiful liquor infusion concoctions came out.  So I will finally give you the run down.

About a month ago, I bought some mason jars, bought some booze, and bought some crazy things to infuse that booze with.  And it looked fantastic.  It was a shame I had to put those jars away to do their magic.  But I had to wait.  And it helped that I went out of town for almost two weeks.

So at long last, here are the results.

Pumpkin Spice Rum

Yay!!

The absolute favorite.  Looks amazing, tastes even better.  Mixed with a little bit of Domain Chandon Ginger Liqueur and a splash of Bailey’s Irish Cream?  May I introduce you to the “Pumpkin Pie Martini”.  I wouldn’t give up Pumpkin Pie for the world.  Unless it was in alcohol form.  And this martini, my friends, is unbelievable.  YUM.

Blackberry Mint Rum

Nay…

Um, not quite as good as I wanted it to be.  I had high hopes for the blackberry liquors.  Turned out they just infused their color, not really the taste.  Oh, and the mint may have been in there too long.  It started tasting mostly like toothpaste.  Actually dumped this one completely out.  That’s ok.  Trail and Error, folks.

Pecan Bourbon

Eh?

Not the hit-it-out-of-the-park results I wanted.  The final infusion has a tiny bit of that bitterness from the nut’s skin, I think.  Not really nuttiness.  So I’m doing a do-over here.  The other night I toasted up some new pecans and crushed them a bit before adding the bourbon.  Hopefully the toasting will help get those oils out, or at least give the bourbon a different flavor.  Back to waiting…

Blackberry Bourbon

Eh?

See Blackberry Mint Rum.  The bourbon has great color, but doesn’t taste much like blackberries.  Maybe I’ll try to use MORE blackberries next time?  Or maybe I’ll try this again when Blackberries are REALLY in season.  I’m convinced this will be delicious, so I will keep trying until it is.  And until then, I’m still going to use this “failed” attempt in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned or something to give it some awesome color.  No Bourbon wasted here.

Coffee Vodka

Yay?

Ever tried VanGogh Double Espresso Vodka?  I love it.  It was kind of the inspiration for this vodka.  But I don’t think it tastes at all like coffee.  Mine was extremely successful, but when I started mixing it up, trying to come up with some drinks, I remembered I just don’t like coffee.  I ended up making a delicious “Latte-tini” that tasted just like the coffee drinks I like do – nothing like coffee at all.  Gotta get a coffee drinker to help me with this one…  Any volunteers?

Peppercorn Vodka

Yay!!

Hot, hot, hot!!  This is the perfect Bloody Mary vodka.  Nice and spicy.  This is actually the vodka that prompted Steve to enter me in the Bloody Mary contest.  Yep, it’s that good.

ANNOUNCEMENTS!!

Next up?  I just whipped up a jar of homemade Grapefruit Bitters.  Also, stay tuned for the Pecan Bourbon updates and maybe even a few more holiday themed infusions!  Sugar Plum anyone?

Also!!  Because of our success in the Bloody Mary contest and the deliciousness of some of this first round of infusions, Suzi and I will be featuring a new infused liquor every Monday night at the bar at R+D.  Let’s call it “Mixology Mondays”.  Come on down tonight to get into the Thanksgiving spirit and try a Pumpkin Pie Martini or Pumpkin Spice Coffee!

Anyone Need Garlic?

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Ever since SMWLA ended, I have been super inspired to get my personal brand focused and out there to all of you… which usually would mean I would be blogging all day every day, right?

I wish…

Between bartending my little (bubble) butt off over at R+D, finishing up my project proposals and last week of my internship at Mixtape Media, and putting together the details for not one but TWO new and very exciting personal projects, I have been a bit insane this week.  Right now I am eating mandarin oranges for dinner, and anyone who knows me knows I don’t just eat mandarin oranges for dinner.  (I’ll probably swing by In N Out later. Don’t worry, Mom. You know I won’t go hungry with Brad around.)

Anyway, I have to share this awesome video because I have no idea if it really works and I will never need an entire head of garlic peeled all at once.  Well, not anytime in the near future at least.  So if any of you are planning on eating enough garlic to make your breath smell until Christmas, give this a try and let me know just how long you have to shake…

How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo.

And I promise I will have something exciting and creative for you all exceptionally soon  🙂

xoxo