Cinco de Mayo

Blackberry Margarita

Ahhh, weekend!  I’m so glad we meet again. 

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo; do you have any fun festivities planned?  Will you make a margarita from scratch?  Brew some delicious homemade sangria?  Gather with friends for a Mexican fiesta equipped with spicy fajitas, fresh guacamole and/or crunchy tacos?  The possibilities seem limitless.  And, on that note, I seem to have developed quite the appetite!

What's more thirst quenching than an ice cold margarita?  

This blackberry margarita looks like a refreshing spin on the classical margarita and a fusion of flavors I’d love to try.

I have not made this recipe but my mouth is watering just looking at those juicy berries!

Ingredients

For the Blackberry Syrup:
1 cup blackberries (fresh preferred but frozen (thawed) will work)
¾ cup simple syrup

For the Blackberry Margarita:
2 ½ oz tequila
2 oz blackberry syrup
1 oz triple sec
1 oz lime juice
½ oz simple syrup

 

Directions 

For the Blackberry Syrup: 

Combine blackberries and simple syrup in a blender or small food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into a fine mesh strainer over a container and push through the strainer using a spatula to separate the seeds and skins from the syrup. Store the syrup in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Blackberry Margarita:
Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Fill glass with ice and pour in cocktail. Garnish with blackberries.

Seems simple enough, right?  Now if only 5pm would just hurry up and get here!

Have a fun-filled and safe weekend of celebration.

Cherry Blossoms

You ask, “Where have you been?”  My honest answer: I’m not sure!  Maybe I left my mind on the beaches of San Carlos, Mexico—or I could just blame my absence on my impatient mind wandering 24/7.  Bottom line, I’ve absolutely been MIA.  Quite honestly there is a relative correlation between blog writing and my quality of life; therefore, I feel it’s necessary to pay a little (and by a little, I mean a lot) more attention to my blog. 

Oh, and I guess spring is finally here.  Hooray!  That sure happened over night, huh?  There’s not too much blooming here in Flagstaff but I am aware other cities have been graced with the debut of the gorgeous cherry blossoms.  How delightful!

Oh, I am finally getting my hair done for the first time in an embarrassing 3 to 4 months, tonight.  I think it was my budget-friendly attempt at giving myself a natural looking ombre look.  Ha!  I am giving Lauren Conrad, Drew Barymore and all of the fashion-forward ombre hotties a run for their money!   My stylist, bless her heart, has her work cut out for her tonight.  Goodbye, tattered tresses!  Although, for as much as I desperately feel I need a color and trim, I am really loving my hair today.  It’s hard to part with a mane only comparable to a bushel of golden straw…

Oh, and I also read the Hunger Games and saw the movie directly afterwards.  The book was, as no surprise, much better then the film.  But, the movie was entertaining and I’m glad I saw it on the big screen. 

I am most certainly looking forward to a relaxing Easter weekend.

What are your plans for the upcoming holiday?

Holiday Madness: Living Beyond Our Means

Okay, no.  I haven't been abducted by aliens or fallen off the face of the planet; I am alive and well and have been somewhat preoccupied by life.  I have been thoughtful and creative over the last few weeks but haven't quite made the effort to post anything, my bad!

I hope you all have settled into December just fabulously.  I have officially recognized the season's arrival by the six inches of snow we received this weekend, the erection of my beautiful, fake (mini) Christmas tree and continuous preparation of my company's largest Holiday gala of the year.  I have baked trays of baked goods and have listened to a healthy amount of Christmas toons, too.  Life seems content and I am excited for some travel, skiing and relaxation in the month to come.

Published: November 2011

Not to be a Debby Downer or anything, but I am going to post some valuable information regarding how American's spending/saving/borrowing behavior effects global financial markets and how our behavior compares to other nations.  I feel propelled to post finance tid-bits because I'm interested and you should be interested, too!  I think the holiday season has the potential to spin out of control in terms of personal finances and it is my wish to keep you on track!

Please read this interview on NPR.com regarding our nations tendency to overspend, our lack of saving habits and our propensity to draw excessive credit lines.

"In Western Europe and East Asia, governments aggressively encourage people to save through special savings institutions and savings campaigns."

-- Author, Sheldon Garon of new book Beyond Our Means: Why America Spends While the World Saves.

I.e. What used to be a popular gift given to new-born children; U.S. savings bonds have completely "gone out of style" over the last couple decades.

Santa, baby ... I'll take a saving's bond for the holiday! 

Too far?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

So it is the day after Thanksgiving and all I can think about is left-over turkey, pumpkin pie, Christmas music, and of course, CLOTHING FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

I don't sound too excited, do I?

I have made a concept board of my ideal holiday party or work-wear outfit (I tend to get a little festive with my holiday dress at work, too!).  I used a few trendy pieces to pull the whole outfit together.  I especially like the sequin and beaded jacket--way too fun!  What do you think?

All of these pieces shown above can be found at Piperlime.com.  

Giving Thanks: Thanksgiving!

Poster

"People who love to eat are always the best people"- Julia Child

Well if Julia Child said it, it must be true!

All my love to you and yours for a relaxing, happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend.

Five things I am truly thankful for:

1. A supportive, loving family
2. Creative, fun-loving friends
3. A cozy, loyal puppy dog
4. Chocolate and other delicious treats
5. Magazine subscriptions, access to blogs, salmon, gold-hued things, sunny sunshine, an education, PBS documentaries, floral print, leather, flashy jewelry, the great outdoors, cozy coffee drinks, music, high heels, a great job, and really stinkin' sweet boyfriend....

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Paula Dean's Sweet Potato Biscuits

I don't know if it is just the change of season but I am feeling the impulse to bake... a lot!  I'm feeling inspired by all of the amazing holiday recipes and I recently ran across a sweet potato biscuit recipe that sparked my interest.  Needless to say, I ended up making the sweet potato biscuits and they tasted phenomenal and were no chore to make. It is helpful if you have mashed sweet potatoes prepared prior to baking this recipe-- great for using left-overs! Just a few ingredients and a few dirtied dishes later make for a worthwhile baking experience!

Paula Dean's Sweet Potato Biscuits 

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 heaping tablespoons sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup mashed cooked sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) softened butter
• 2 to 4 tablespoons milk (depending on the moisture of the potatoes)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate, large bowl, mix the sweet potatoes and butter. Add the flour mixture to the potato mixture and mix to make a soft dough. Then add milk a tablespoon at a time to mixture and continue to cut in. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and toss lightly until the outside of the dough looks smooth. Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a greased pan and coat tops with melted butter. Bake for about 15 minutes. (Watch your oven: If the biscuits are browning too fast, lower the temperature.)

Subsitutions & changes to the recipe:  I did not use a biscuit cutter to form my biscuits.  I just rolled my hands in flour, formed a ball of dough in between my hands, placed the biscuit on a non-greased pan and flattened the top out a little.  I also didn't cook my biscuits for the full suggested cooking time of 15 mins.  Cooking in high altitude sometimes can be tricky but my biscuits came out SUPER moist.  Make sure you don't forget the drizzle of butter on top before you bake, it adds sweet texture and yummy flavor to the end product!  Forget about adding extra butter for serving--the biscuits are super rich on their own.  Dollop a bit of honey on top--presto!

Yummo.

Lucky Magazine: A Holiday Party-Going Guide

Outfit: Meeting friends at the bar

Happy Saturday!

So I was casually reading my December 2011 issue of Lucky Magazine this morning and I must say that this issue was really fun to read.  

Highlights from the publication: the "How to Dress for a Party" article.  The article is exactly as it sounds, how you dress *appropriately* for specific holiday occasions (i.e. cocktail hour, dinner party, drinks with friends at the bar).  

Not only does the article suggest valuable information on how to construct the perfect holiday outfit, but it suggests tips which prepare you to be on your best game for your big night out.  

Some valuable highlights being: how to transition from day to night in a flash, pros and cons to carrying clutches vs. shoulder bags, quick fixes in case you show up to an event either under or over dressed, easy hair up-dos, holiday event going emergency kits and how to rock the seasons most trendsetting fashions without going overboard.  Again, all relevant and highly useful information.  

What to do if you are...

Overdressed

Pull a few strands out of your updo and mess up the hair around your hairline

Wipe off your lipstick and any heavy eyeshadow

Take off anything flashy like earrings

Push up or roll up your sleeves to the elbow

Underdressed

Go into the bathroom, dampen your hands and slick you hair straight back

Dab red wine on your bottom lip for a quick lip stain

Show more skin by undoing the top few buttons of your blouse

Keep your overcoat on

Bring on the festivities!  It's time to party!

Airborne

Tis the season... for traveling!

It is ritual that I always over pack.  Use the diagram above to thoughfully plan what to pack for your next holiday expedition.  What an abundance of possibilities!  Minimalism, please be my friend this holiday season!