The Art of the Mocktail

As many of you know, The Academy Awards are a pretty big deal around here.  I've been watching and predicting winners annually for as long as I can remember!

This year, The Spanish Lady and I teamed up to put on a swank affair. I headed up the mocktail bar while she.... well, she did everything else. :) Check out her blog for all the details on the bite-sized, indulgent food, glittering decor and the movie-quote photo booth!

After you've oooh'd and ahhh'd over her mad skilz, let us take a moment to examine the sorely under-represented art of the mocktail. A mocktail is a cocktail without the alcohol, and unlike some unimaginative folk seem to think, it doesn't always have to be a Shirley Temple-- although my kids love those!

Having mixed mocktails for a few years now, I can say with certainty that there is something about the interactive busy-work of making a drink that gets a party flowing and keeps it well lubricated. It's creative, it's tasty, and it's fun!

Before we get started with a few of my favorite drinks, here are some quick tips:

Have a variety of glasses available. Champagne flutes, wine goblets, martini glasses, high ball, low ball, and shot glasses are all excellent choices. It might seem like overkill, but some drinks just seem better suited to certain glasses.

The better the ingredients, the better the drink. Now is not the time to stock up on Sprite and cranberry juice. Go get some exotic flavors and high-quality sodas. Try Trader Joe's, Whole Foods or World Market. You'll taste the difference.

More is more when it comes to garnishes. Seriously, you can't have too many. Slice copious amounts of lemons, limes, oranges, and cucumbers. Put out bowls of maraschino cherries, berries, spanish olives, capers, mint leaves, rosemary, syrups, and sugar for rimming glasses. Don't forget picks and swizzle straws!

The martini shaker is not for carbonated beverages!! You'll end up with your drink fizzing all over the place. When using carbonated beverages, forget 007 and take it stirred, not shaken.

All right, on to the drinks!

The Dean Martini is a staple. It's light, dry, and refreshing. The key to this drink is the Dry Cucumber Soda, so don't substitute anything else!

3 oz Dry Cucumber Soda {see photo below}

2 oz Pellegrino

Dash of Aromatic Bitters

Olive(s)

Speaking of Cucumber Soda, here's a drink for all those Sherlock fans out there:

The Cu-Cumberbatch:

3 oz Dry Cucumber Soda

2 oz Joia brand Lime, Hibiscus & Clove Soda

Sliced Cucumber

The Grand Budapest is sweet without being cloying:

3 oz Joia brand Grapefruit, Chamomile & Cardamom Soda {see photo below}

2 oz Pellegrino

1 oz Blood Orange soda

Ice

As you can imagine, this next one came about when we decided to mix everything of one color in a glass:

The Green Room:

3 oz Pellegrino

2 oz Bartlett Pear Soda

Dash of Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice

Sliced Lime

Another favorite! The Spanish Lady introduced this one over Christmas and we're still obsessed:

The Mocking Gin:

3 oz Bruce Cost Unfiltered Ginger Ale

2 oz Pellegrino

Dash of Rose's Sweetened Lime Juice

Dash of Aromatic Bitters

Sprig of Rosemary

We knew the kids would like this one, but were surprised at how much we all ended up enjoying it:

The Big Hero 6: 

4 oz 7UP or Sprite

1 oz Lychee Drink {see photo below}

Maraschino Cherry(s)

And lastly, our signature drink of the night:

The Oscar:

3 oz Lorina's Pink Lemonade
1 oz Bartlett Pear soda
Blackberries
Gold Sugar rim

Cheers everyone!

Oscar Party 2012

Last weekend, Jones & The Spanish Lady decided to drive down at the last minute to watch the Academy Awards with us. Thanks to them, we were able to throw a fancy-pants party, complete crepes, oysters, caviar and plenty of chocolate and bacon. :)

We dressed up, invited a few friends and handed out ballots. In between hors d'oeuvres and mocktails, everyone snickered at Billy Crystal and tried to predict the Oscar winners. {This is where I brag that I beat J --finally-- by going on a freak winning streak and choosing 20/24 correctly. I won't lie. It was pretty sweet.}

Best of all was having a group of people to appreciate the awards with. In my family, the Oscars are a big deal, but since leaving home it's been hard to find anyone who share that enthusiasm. {Now that I know who you are, you'll be getting an invitation annually!} The George's impressed us all with their stylish duds {he wore spats!} and took home the honor of Best Dressed Couple.

Thanks for driving a long {LONG!} way to bring us a party, Jones & Spanish Lady! We had a blast. :) Miss you already!

Midnight in Paris Oscar Party

There always seems to be good reason to celebrate. My latest fête obsession involves the forthcoming Academy Awards, for which I'd love to throw a roaring 1920's party in homage to the Oscar Nominated film Midnight in Paris.

Another nominated film, The Artist {which I adore!} is also set in the 20's, but there's something magical about Paris with all its writers and artists. I would love to transform our home into a moody, black and gold nightclub with just the right mix of glittering opulence and bohemian smokiness. We'd lounge about on velvet cushions, sipping drinks and acting bored with our fabulousness.

And how amazing would it be to construct a paper moon for the photo booth? I have a whole folder of inspirational paper moon images that I've been hoarding for over a year now. This would be the perfect opportunity to utilize it!

Of course, we'd debate the various merits of all the films whilst filling out our ballots and taking the entire evening as seriously as a philosophical discussion on the state of modern society. ;)

Do you watch the Academy Awards? Have you ever held/attended a viewing party? Do you have a pick for Best Picture? I'm hoping Hugo wins, but would be quite thrilled if The Artist pulled an upset.

Images: Quote / Paris Photo / Gold Cake / Flapper / Dress / Paper Bunting / Flapper Dress / Book / Bow Tie Place Setting / Paper Moon / 20's Wedding / Fitzgerald Fan / Oscar Invite & Ballots /

Today, I will...

...party like it's my birthday. Because it is. :) Happy Birthday to meeeeee!

PS- Want to see another amazing New Year's Bash? Check this out.

{image}

Mad Men Party

In the course of a single month, friends, neighbors and strangers alike filled our cupboards, stockings and hearts. Full of gratitude and love {but unable to thank most who helped anonymously} I channeled all my joy into throwing a Mad Men New Year's Party. 

I started by making and delivering invitations {here}, then stocked up our mocktail bar. I made a menu of optional drinks {I found a lot of them here} and purchased a martini shaker, which I was ridiculously pleased with. :)

Next: plenty of juices, sodas, mixers, mineral water and garnishes so people could experiment and create their own. Luckily, we already had an inexplicably large selection of martini, wine, highball and lowball glasses-- and if I'd thought about it more, I could have been authentically Mad Men and had Little Miss C serving us drinks all night. {kidding!!}

J and I bought a few LIFE magazines from the 1960's, and tore out most of the ads to use as decorations {even the bathroom was full of them!}. I had fun putting little references to Mad Men all over the place, like Don Draper's "Why I'm Quitting Tobacco" letter and a bunch of Lucky Strike ads. 

Even though we were the only couple amid our group of friends that actually watches the show {we're evil, I know}, they all came decked out and rocked 1960's fashion. I was very impressed, especially with the elaborate hairstyles! We have the most awesome friends.

For the centerpiece: I painted one of those 3D puzzles of the Empire State Building, and hung glittery stars and tinsel everywhere. We had J's parents' high school yearbooks to flip through and J put together an amazing playlist of both music and youtube clips {vintage ads, super 8 films, and oddities} that set the mood perfectly. {Also, I wanted to pass out these bubble gum cigarettes as party favors, but it cost too much for last minute shipping. Drat!}

My mom was a little girl in the 60's and remembers her parents throwing cocktail parties {as well as finishing off their drinks when they weren't looking...} I asked what I should serve and she said, "Definitely fudge and Chex Mix!" Grandma used to make fudge in a round pan, then let mom and her sister eat the scraps after she'd cut out the squares. 

I used this 3 minute fudge recipe and added walnuts and marshmallows to half the batch. Despite how easy it was to make, it was very good. We also had deviled eggs, mini toast with sour cream, chives and caviar {a surprise hit! Everyone ate it-- even the pregnant ladies!} and meatballs marinated in apple butter. Oh, and jello in a jello mold, of course!!

Once everyone had a drink in hand and had talked a while, we took a short quiz on ad slogans from the 1960's and tried to match them up with the products they sold. {I found the quiz here} Our winner walked away the proud owner of Mad Men paper dolls: 

After a quick outfit change {baby R got sick... My dress is off to the dry cleaner}, we spent the rest of the night playing cards, gawking at the baffling ads J found {Fred Flintstone smoking Winston cigarettes!} and playing with sparklers. 

We didn't go to bed until 3 a.m. but it was well worth it!

Thanks to all who came-- it was so fun, I only wish I'd thrown a soiree sooner! {Next up: an Oscar Night Party?}

 Happy New Year everyone!

Mad Men Theme

I'm busy preparing for our Mad Men New Year's Party and this song has been stuck in my head all day. {It's awesome!!}

We found a martini shaker and some lowball glasses at out favorite antique store last night on our date, then borrowed a few 'props' from J's parents. They were Seniors in High School back in 1962, so you can imagine the goodies we dug up...

Can you believe it's Wednesday? This week has felt like a perpetual Saturday! Not that I'm complaining. ;) Hope your week has been equally relaxing!

Oscar Party 2011

Last night, the 83rd Annual Academy Awards commenced. As per tradition, J and I gathered with family and friends to watch, eat, and fill in our own ballots. {Check out this post at The Compound Eye of a Dragonfly for a complete description of my Oscar Party Must-Haves}

We sipped from champagne flutes and ate hors d'oeuvres {the children favored the mini eclairs but the caviar on toast was a surprise hit with the adults} while analyzing the red carpet fashion.

Smoked Salmon on Sour Cream & Chive Cucumbers, Mini Eclairs, and Caviar on Toast

Some of my favorites included Michelle Williams {that hair!}, Hilary Swank, Mila Kunis, and the first 3 dresses Anne Hathaway wore. Was it just me, or did too many of the women look rather severe {ahem... Gwyneth}. I think they're all on the Black Swan diet or something.

James Franco and Anne Hathaway started the show off with a bang, but despite numerous costume changes, Anne ended up bugging us with all her whooping and cheering from off stage. {Did she forget she was miked?} 

Baked Brie

No one has truly been able to fill Billy Crystal's shoes, which became even more obvious once he stepped on stage. But  Kirk Douglas was hilarious as a presenter, Randy Newman had a surprisingly funny acceptance speech, I loved the 'translation' of Helen Mirren's french, and the musical montage just killed me. 

All in all, it was quite the enjoyable evening. For those of you playing along at home, our final Oscar Ballot scores were as follows: J had 14 correct and I had 15. {I think it's only the second time in our marriage that I've beat him at Oscar predictions!}

Chocolate Pot de Creme

What was your favorite part of the Academy Awards?

Edit: I just had to add that the biggest Oscar upset was the award for Best Original Score. The music from The Social Network was haunting in its own way, but the score from Inception was BY FAR the best of the year. Just saying. 

Christmas Eve 2010

Merry Christmas, everyone! I'm rising from my death bed in order to post a few pictures of Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, that was the last day that Baby R and I felt healthy.

The tables were aglow with candlelight. The children's table was bedecked with fake snow, iron deer and cookie cutters in the shape of forest animals.

As usual, we had far too much food.....

....But the company was delightful.

Auntie Lu came decked out in her finest, including a beautiful up-do.

Following the feast, everyone gathered for carols and the re-enacting of the nativity.

The singing was joyful, albeit off-key.

What nativity is complete without a camel?

And then to bed to wait for Santa!

More to come as soon as the fever breaks. :)