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!

5 Minute Pain au Chocolat

I've been thinking over the last year-- recognizing victories, acknowledging growth, and contemplating my course for the coming year. It can be hard work, but nothing accompanies introspection like a warm cup of cocoa and a pastry. Try this before you make any of those 'eat less, exercise more' goals-- you look beautiful just the way you are, anyway.

Ingredients:

• Ready-made sheets of puff pastry {I use Pepperidge Farms}
• Chocolate {I like semi-sweet ghirardelli chips}
• Egg wash

Simply sandwich the chocolate between sheets of puff pastry. Pinch edges closed and brush with an egg wash. Bake at 350 until golden brown and enjoy!

And if you REALLY want a treat, skip the cocoa and have brewed cocoa beans instead. It's healthier {antioxidant rich!}, less sweet and dark in a sophisticated way. Like drinking chocolate coffee. 

Plus, it gave me a reason to buy a coffee press and spend a few minutes prepping and brewing in the morning, which is oddly calming and satisfying :)

Have a great weekend, all! I can't wait to start sharing again next week.

Whipped Coconut Cream

I recently discovered {through Pinterest--where else?} that one can place a can of coconut milk into the refrigerator overnight and then whip the cream that rises to the top. 

I tried it today with a dash of powdered sugar, then used it to top a bowl-full of delicate white peaches and just-ripened nectarines. It was the perfect juxtaposition of exotic and down-home comfort food. 

Summer continues to reign heavily here. We received a brief reprieve {a miracle really} on the Forth of July, when the clouds rolled in and showered us with an afternoon of sprinkles, but otherwise the heat is like a blanket and the cicadas drone constantly.

I sit on the back porch and dream of last summer, which seems so long ago in that softly-out-of-focus way, and yet near enough to give the impression of being tantalizingly possible to recreate somehow if I just had the brilliance.

*sigh*

For now, coconut cream is my escape.

Popsicles for Breakfast

It's officially summer in Arizona. Which means it's more than merely hot. Broiling waves of mirage-inducing heat rise from the pavement before the sun has even crested the horizon. Songbirds and lizards alike seek shade. The drought-hardy plants in my garden have begun to brown and wilt, and the only way my children can play outdoors is to spend hours splashing in the water from the backyard hose until their teeth chatter and their fingers shrivel.

And popsicles? Suddenly, they are totally acceptable as a breakfast food. And lunch. And multiple snacks in between. Trust me, if there were a way to make dinner into an appetizing popsicle, I'd probably try it.

This morning, we christened our new popsicle mold by making Avocado-Lime and Greek-Yogurt Cherry popsicles. I knew the flavors might be too sophisticated for the littles, but they didn't seem to have any qualms:

I, on the other hand, felt that the avocado-lime pops were a bit too sweet. Maybe I'll use agave next time? The cherry ones were nice and tart, but the cherry skins interrupted what would have been a perfectly creamy popsicle. The recipe asked for blackberries or raspberries, which I think might have been better, but I only had the frozen cherries at my disposal.

Still, this didn't stop any of us from eating half the batch before the first episode of Shawn the Sheep had finished. :)

You can be sure I'll trying many more flavors as the summer progresses-- especially considering it doesn't cool down around here until well after Halloween.

Do you have any killer popsicle recipes? Any secrets to creamy pops? I'm making these next!

{Avocado-Lime and Greek-Yogurt Berry Popsicle recipes found via Cup of Jo}

D'lish & La Petite France

We lucked out last weekend and found some great places to eat during our staycation.

We tried D'lish purely because it shares a name with our go-to haven, Kathy Casey's Dish D'lish in Washington {She's a genius--  Kathy Casey's Alley used to be our favorite feature of the Bite of Seattle festival}. While the name similarity turned out to be simply coincidental, D'lish was well worth the gamble, rising above it's lackluster exterior to serve quick, healthy, local food.

I had the Low-Carb Breakfast & J had the California Club w/ an Orange Glorious {pretty much an Orange Julius}. Both were flavorful and satisfying, cementing my love of all things pesto. :) The prices were pretty reasonable as well.

For dinner, we stumbled on this little creperie called La Petite France. We entered with the idea that it was another one of those Americanized French bistros, but were pleasantly surprised to find the owners speaking heavily accented English and serving swoon-worthy three course meals!

That teeny-tiny portion of mushroom and some-kind-of-smokey-cheese-soup had us closing our eyes to savor every last spoonful. Divine!

My crepe was called the French Riviera and had smoked salmon, creme fresh, dill and capers, while J's featured cream cheese, ham and pineapple {the Hawaiian}. We were too full to even attempt a desert crepe, but you can bet it's on our list for next time!

Don't you love finding local treasures and wondering how they came to be? I couldn't help but speculate about what made the couple that ran La Petite France leave France to settle in Scottsdale-- especially since it was 106 degrees outside! But for the sake of my taste buds, I'm grateful they did. ;)

P.S. While we were eating {and moaning with pleasure over every bite} the table next to us started a lengthy conversation with the proprietor over the wine list. Maybe it was their earnestness or perhaps the lovely french accents, but I found myself wishing we drank wine... until they ordered a bottle, and it cost more than our entire meal! How does one afford that?!

The Olive Mill

Over the weekend, I stopped by one of my all-time favorite local spots, the Queen Creek Olive Mill. I was hoping to stock up on vegetables at the Farmer's Market being held there, but discovered that they'd shut down last week for the summer. :(

Nevertheless, The Olive Mill didn't fail to enchant. With their cafe offerings, stuffed olive samplings, and endless array of delicious olive oils, I was soon spooning gelato and adding to my collection of infused cooking oils. I never thought I'd find so many uses for all these olive oils, but each has become a necessity in my kitchen!

I use the mayer lemon oil for crepes, the roasted garlic for pasta and savory dishes,  the blood orange for cupcakes and salad dressing, the key lime for mexican food, and the dipping oil is perfect over caprese salad.

I know I've written about The Olive Mill before, but I just never get tired of visiting. It's thrilling to me that such an upscale resource is available locally. It's like having a tiny piece of what I used to experience in Seattle come find me here in Arizona. :)

Furthermore, how can I not love a place that makes chocolate olive oil?! Heaven! I'll be using this over the weekend to make some special no-bake cookies. {recipe coming soon!}

Do you have any amazing resources nearby? I used to feel that ours were super-limited, but after doing some digging, I've really fallen in love with our area. :)

Coconut-Chocolate-Almond Macaroons

I've been on a form of the South Beach diet for the last 3-4 weeks, and have loved the way it's transformed my body, quelled my carbohydrate cravings and reinvigorated my passion for local, organic, unprocessed food. It's become commonplace to fill 75% of my plate with vegetables, which not only is slightly miraculous for this self proclaimed bread-addict, it's also led me to believe I need to plant a much bigger garden!

However, I'm still a chocoholic at heart, and sugar-free fudgesicles were just not cutting it. It was time to find something more satisfying and more nutritious. So naturally, I turned to hAha's Foodie Board on Pinterest. {She always finds the best recipes with whole, real-food ingredients!}

My eye was immediately drawn to the Coconut-Chocolatet-Almond Macaroons, adapted from this recipe by Red & Honey. Not only is it free of refined flours and sugars, it's packed with healthy oils, enzymes from the honey, and antioxidants from the cocoa. The resulting macaroon is so rich and decadent, a little goes a long way towards satisfying even the most fierce chocolate cravings- I've only ever needed one. Plus, did I mention they're no bake?

Melt the honey and coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat. Add salt and vanilla extract, stir. In a separate bowl, mix shredded coconut, almond meal {you can make almond meal by pulsing raw almonds in a blender or food processor} and cocoa, then gradually incorporate into your honey mixture. When well blended, plop spoonfulls into a bowl of almond meal. Coat well, then place on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Store cookie sheet in the freezer for 20 minutes or until macaroons are firm. Voila!

Take a bite and revel in the dark-chocolate, sea-salt tinged, coconut-almond joyousness. {unless you're my kids, in which case you take a bite and complain that they're 'bitter' and 'stringy'. To each his own.} Enjoy!

Pi Day

As I browsed my favorite Pi Day images, I stumbled across this recipe for mini key lime pies and now my mouth is watering. It sounds so perfectly tart and refreshing for a day like today. Also, mini pies are the best. Portion control plus crazy indulgence {because-- hello! You're eating a whole pie!} is the very definition of awesome sauce.

If you follow me on Instagram {@melancholysmile}, you know that mere hours before J's birthday, our tax return came in. We were able to quickly pay some past-due bills {thus avoiding having our power, water and phone switched off} and celebrate by taking him out to dinner. It was a birthday miracle. :)

{Here's a little tangent on miracles:

Though J and I have been praying about our future for months, always feeling comforted and at peace, we didn't know how to interpret that peace. Did it mean that J would get more freelance work? That he'd find a corporate job? That we'd lose the house but it would all be part of a bigger plan? It was confusing and difficult to explain to others how we could feel stressed and calm at the same time.

When I was younger, I used to say, "God's version of things working out and my version of things working out aren't necessarily the same thing." I'd say it with bitterness, bravado and more than a bit of fear. But over the last six years, I've been working on saying those same words with confidence and faith.

Up until the day J got this new job {which he started on Monday} I wasn't sure that God's plan and my plan were the same, but I wanted them to be, and I was willing to change my expectations to match His. I imagined all the worst-case scenarios, walked through them in my head, and tried to find the good that could potentially come of that particular situation. I told myself that no matter what, it would be okay. No matter what, I was going to be positive. No matter what, God knows my heart and will give me what I need in this life to be like him, which is more important that getting what I want in life.

I was so busy steeling myself, determined to be happy and align myself with His will that when His will turned out to be an amazing job offer and tax-return money to avoid financial catastrophe at the 11th hour, I could only grin and then laugh incredulously.

Sometimes God's version of things working out and my version of things working out are exactly the same, and when that happens, I feel like dancing. I feel like the whole world is sunshine, and I need to spend the rest of my life spreading joy. {"You get a car! and you get a car! and YOU get a car!"}

I want to think that I'd feel just as much love if things had turned out otherwise, but for now, I'm relishing the happiness. And imagining giving away cars.}

Anyway, back to J's birthday-- Little Miss C and I made ice cream pie instead of cake for him. It had a grasshopper cookie crust, a thin-mint ice cream layer, hot fudge, a layer of whipped cream and then Andes Mints on top.

I wish we still had some. I'd eat a slice for Pi Day. :)

{images 1, 2, 3 & 4}

The way to a man's heart

When J and I were engaged, we were given this bit of advice: take turns planning anniversaries and Valentine's Day instead of putting the responsibility solely on the husband. We've done this ever since, and I have to admit that I love it. There's a playfulness and warmth that has come with our little tradition that I hadn't expected. {Plus, if I really want to do something, I have the freedom to just plan for it on my turn-- no dropping hints!} :)

This year I was in charge of Valentine's Day. I thought wistfully of how nice it would be to hop on a plane and go someplace exotic for 24 hours... and then realized that I could bring the exotic to us. After two trips to the grocery store {amid frantic men in business suits raiding the tacky-stuffed-bears-holding-roses-and-heart-shaped-boxes-of-chocolates-isle}, I finished my first attempt at cooking up Indian food and {surprise!} it wasn't terrible!

We had a lamb and spinach curry called Saag-Gosht {modified from this recipe} with yogurt jasmine rice and garlic naan bread, which we ate in the living room atop layers of blankets and pillows. J found a Pandora station playing Indian music while I lit about 20 million candles, and for a little while it truly felt like we were some place far away and foreign. While sharing some coconut-caramel flan ice cream for dessert, we reminisced about our very first Valentine's Day {thirteen years ago!}, for which I also prepared an indoor-picnic dinner. I guess my bag of tricks isn't so big. :)

I've never had much enthusiasm for cooking, {My interests have always veered towards baking and sweets in general.} but making Saag-Gosht inspired me to try all kinds of dishes that I usually feel I have to eat out for. I made a little list:

• Thai Noodles and Peanut Sauce
• BBQ Chicken Pizza with Feta and Red Onion
• Gyros with Greek Fries
• Homemade Hummus and Pita bread
• Lettuce Wraps
• Pollo Fundido {replicate Somburro's version} 
• Mango Shrimp Quesadillas
• Fresh Spring Rolls 
• Maple Pecan Salmon with Sweet Potato Puree

And of course, I'd like to make more Indian foods. Particularly after investing $10 on a bottle of garam masala. :) Does anyone have any experience, pointers, fail-safe recipes or terrific websites to share? I'd love to hear!

{image}

PS Have you ever tried to take a photo of Indian food that actually looks appetizing? It's so difficult! All of mine looked like piles of greenish-brownish goop. :(

Caramel Apples

J and I have a running disagreement over apples. I prefer mine tart {a la Granny Smith} he prefers his Red and Delicious. Yesterday, I saw a bag of Honeycrisp apples and knew that they could be the answer to all of our {apple related} problems. 

Satisfyingly crunchy, slightly sweet, and with just a hint of tartness-- they are the quintessential autumn apple. In celebration over our discovery, we made caramel apples-- the quintessential autumn treat.

In the past, I've had difficulties with caramel apples. The caramel tends to slowly slide off the apple until it's left standing in a sticky, scrumptious puddle. This time, I made sure to wash and dry the apples thoroughly and I didn't add any water to the Kraft caramels {still my favorite!} as I melted them on the stovetop.

The result? Shiny, sweet awesomeness. If you happen to come over {and promise to say carmel instead of caramel} I may even share. :)

It figures

I don't eat before I go running in the morning, so when I get back, I'm always hungry. This has been my favorite post-run meal of late: plain greek yogurt, honey, granola and fresh fruit.

Last week, I bought a new brand of greek yogurt, and after the first bite, declared it to be better than ice cream. I devoured the entire carton within a few days, and was forced to make an extra trip to the store to buy more. When I returned with the new carton, I noticed that the packaging was blue instead of green...

It wasn't long before I figured out that the first carton had been full-fat greek yogurt, whereas the new carton was my regular non-fat version. No wonder it had been so good! At 130 calories and 11 grams of fat per serving, it practically was ice cream.

Leave it to me to find a way to eat dessert for breakfast.

Friday at Last

This week felt about 7 days too long, and it's a relief to have it over with. In celebration, I think I'll have vanilla ice cream and fresh blackberries for breakfast.

Admit it, you want some. You probably have this song stuck in your head, too. No? Well, now you do. You're welcome.

There are still several handfuls of berries ripening on our bush, so I may just have this for breakfast tomorrow as well.

TGIF. {or is it TTFN? Ah well, both apply.} Happy Weekend, all!

Homemade Pesto Pizza

When J and I got married, I learned two things very quickly. 1) A spouse's birthday is a big deal and it is NOT funny to pretend you have forgotten about it. 2) Fridays are pizza night. 


One rule was much easier to keep than the other, {due to money problems, my family regularly rearranged, postponed, or just plain ignored birthdays and holidays} so I began my quest to find the perfect homemade pizza recipe.


While in Italy, we lived off of gelato and these lovely, thin crusted pizza served on waxed brown paper. They were covered in pesto, thick slices of tomato, fresh basil leaves, cuts of barely-melted mozzarella cheese, and they were divinity itself. We filled our backpacks with jars of the locally-made pesto and brought them home as delicious souvenirs.

Alas, all of our efforts to recreate the pizzas at home were miserable failures. The crust was tasteless; the cheese dry.


Nine years later, while eating a fabulous slice of pizza beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, it occurred to me that the cheese was... different. Softer. More elastic. Yes, my friends, it took me that long to discover mozzarella fresh!


Finally, a few weeks ago, I tried Jamie Oliver's recipe for pizza dough, and the heavens opened, angels burst into song and the perfect pizza was made. 

Jamie Oliver's Pizza Dough:

• 7 cups strong white bread flour or Tipo "00" flour or 5 cups strong white bread flour or Tipo "00" flour, plus 2 cups finely ground semolina flour 
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
• 2 (1/4-ounce) packets active dried yeast
• 1 tablespoon raw sugar
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil {I use roasted garlic olive oil from the Olive Mill}
• 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water

Sift the flours and salt onto a clean work surface and make a well in the middle. In a large measuring cup, mix the yeast, sugar and olive oil into the water and leave for a few minutes, then pour into the well. Using a fork, bring the flour in gradually from the sides and swirl it into the liquid. Keep mixing, drawing larger amounts of flour in, and when it all starts to come together, work the rest of the flour in with your clean, flour-dusted hands. Knead until you have a smooth, springy dough.

Place the ball of dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and flour the top of it. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and place in a warm room for about 1 hour until the dough has doubled in size.

Now remove the dough to a flour-dusted surface and knead it around a bit to push the air out with your hands - this is called punching down the dough. You can either use it immediately, or keep it, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the fridge (or freezer) until required. If using straightaway, divide the dough up into as many little balls as you want to make pizzas - this amount of dough is enough to make about six to eight medium pizzas. {I've found it makes about four large pizzas. I bake two and freeze the other two for use the following week}

Next up? Homemade pesto! I like this visual recipe via Black Eiffel: