Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Time for a cocktail?

Whew! That last post was long-winded, so I promise to keep this short. I am off to my weekly yoga class, so just have time to share Brenda's Cosmo Recipe with you. As a bit of a side note to those that are not martini drinkers, neither were we until after a great ski day at A-Basin last season. Brenda, always a gracious hostess, invited us to stop off at her house on the way down the hill for a drink. We were hooked! We happened to have a martini shaker that I had won in a white elephant at work years ago, but you can just mix them in a glass and pour over another glass of ice to chill a few minutes. Best served "straight up," (no ice.)

BRENDA'S COSMOPOLITAN

2 parts (shot glass) vodka (best kept chilled in freezer)
1 part triple sec
1 part cranberry juice

Shake or stir in a tall glass or martini shaker. Then pour over a tall glass of ice to chill for two or three minutes. Then strain into two martini glasses and add a squeeze of fresh lime juice to each. You can wet the rim of the glass with lime juice and dip in sugar before pouring if you like. Add a twist of lime peel or a fresh strawberry if you'd like for garnish. Serves 2. ENJOY!

So, there you have it. Give it a try for Valentine's if you're looking for something a little different than champagne and strawberries.
Keep checking back as I will have Eddie help me post some Africa pictures soon. Stay warm!

Monday, January 26, 2009

Surprise! I'm back at it!

Hello Friends and Family!
Not sure if I still have any (friends or family) after the long hiatus from the blog. I knew how you counted on it-Ha! I see my last posting was Nov. 18th-more than two months ago! WOW! The time flies! When I wrote in November I said I would include my cosmopolitan drink recipe for the holidays. Well, hopefully you survived the holidays without it, but if you need a quick pick-me-up in the New Year it could come in handy. They are a pretty pink color, so would be a nice treat for your sweetie on Valentine's Day. I promise to add the cosmo recipe later this week, but for tonight, a quick recap of the past two months........

Sister Lisa, Eric and family came out from Chicago for the Thanksgiving holiday on the Amtrack. They stayed at cousin Trina's beautiful new Breckenridge condo. We had some fun times and good laughs- I have the drawing of a turkey in black sharpie on my dining room table to prove it! They had fun skiing A-Basin, also.

Next on the agenda was an amazing trip to Africa for Eddie and me, on December 5-21st. We went to Tanzania and Zanzibar to see Matthew on his study abroad. He returned home with us and is now back at school in Maine at Bowdoin College. Kealy was waiting at home for us after her first semester at college at CSU in Ft. Collins, CO. She greeted us with a live decorated Christmas tree and cut-out sugar cookies. Such a warm welcome- we will have to leave the country more often! We had a very low-key Christmas at home with our nearby family including, Sheila, Willie and boys and Dan, Cheryl and Mitchell, along with several close friends.

After a few weeks of relaxing, skiing, and entertaining, both kids and I are back at school. Eddie stays busy and is hopeful that the real estate market will remain strong after the election of our new President and the unbelievably low interest rates. Last Tuesday, January 20th, was a day I won't soon forget, as I ate popcorn and drank Hawaiian Punch at 10 AM, with a class of 2nd graders as we watched the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Here's to a terrific start to 2009! Peace and prosperity to you and yours!

Patti