Irish Car Bomb Cupcake

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! If you've been around this blog for any amount of time, then you know that we love to celebrate just about anything. Saint Patrick's Day is no exception--after all, who couldn't use a little luck of the Irish every now and again? And there is a wee bit of Irish blood in running through our veins too...just enough to make it official. (And I've heard somewhere that my ginger-hued hair makes me related to the Leprechauns.)

And like those crafty little Leprechauns, I've been making a little mischief myself--in the kitchen. The plan is to have corned beef and cabbage for dinner, as always, but this year I've thrown in a side of colcannon made with both kale and cabbage, and for dessert...Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes.

Have you ever had an Irish Car Bomb? I really have no idea where they originated, but they are probably a riff on the popular Sake Bomb. Basically you fill a pint glass 3/4 full with Guinness then sink a shot glass that's half Irish Whiskey and half Bailey's into the beer. Then the lucky imbiber must guzzle the entire thing, before the Bailey's curdles (which doesn't take any time at all). I've tried this once in my life--and once may be enough. The flavor is really surprisingly good, but drinking such a heavy beer so quickly is quite...the challenge.

An Irish Car Bomb tastes like dessert...almost like a Mudslide. It's thick and creamy and its flavors lend very, very well to these cupcakes. The cake batter is made with chocolate and Guinness, then after they are baked they're filled with some ganache spiked with whiskey. Finally they are topped with a butter cream frosting made with Bailey's. The resulting (adult-only) cupcake borders on being obscenely rich, but it is unbelievably delicious too. One of these Irish Car Bombs is most certainly not enough. Well, on second thought, if I want to fit into my jeans, one is most definitely enough.






Irish Car Bomb Cupcakes
Printable Recipe
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Oh my goodness. This cupcake is really the best cupcake I've ever made...and I've made a lot of cupcakes. It's so moist, in part due to the injection of whiskey-spiked ganache, and the Bailey's butter cream frosting is simply out of this world. Make these for Saint Patrick's Day--or for your birthday. Or both! The Guinness in the batter will bake off, but the alcohol is very much present in the other parts of the cupcake. If you are serving these to children you may want to omit the whiskey in the ganache and substitute regular cream for the Irish cream in the frosting. Or not.

Prep time: 1 hour
Total time: 2 hours
Yield: 2 dozen

Ingredients:

Cupcake:
1 cup butter
1 cup Guinness beer
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup sour cream
2 extra large eggs
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Ganache:
2/3 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey

Frosting:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3-4 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin tins with paper liners. You will need 20-24.

2. Make the cupcakes. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. When butter is just melted, remove from heat and stir in the beer and cocoa powder. Cool to room temperature. Whisk in the sour cream and eggs until smooth.

3. Mix flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the chocolate/beer mixture until smooth, taking care not to over-beat the batter.

4. Fill paper muffin cups 3/4 of the way full with batter. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean. Cool cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

5. Meanwhile make the ganache. Heat the cream to almost simmering a small pot. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour the hot cream over them. Whisk until chips have melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the butter and whiskey. The ganache should be smooth and glossy. Carefully transfer the mixture to a piping bag, fitted with the long, narrow attachment.

6. Insert the piping tip into the center of each cupcake and fill slowly with ganache until you see the top of the cupcake begin to swell a bit.

7. Make the frosting. Beat the butter until smooth. Sift in 3 cups of the powdered sugar and add the Bailey's. Beat until frosting is smooth and a spreadable consistency. If necessary, add up to 1 cup more of powdered sugar.

8. Frost each cupcake sparingly, using a piping bag (or otherwise just small plops of frosting will do). These cupcakes are best eaten the same day...but will last up to one day more. Store in the refrigerator.

For the Love of Citrus...and Wine

Last week I had the opportunity to take a carload of 13 year old boys to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. Not only did we see a fantastic exhibit all about tracing one's family history, but we also had a brilliant "only in LA" moment as we were walking to a nearby park to eat our picnic lunches. Two men who lived in a small house that was nestled between giant apartment buildings, had moved their futon to the front yard so they could sunbathe. Greased and bronzed from head to tow, these swimsuit clad beauties (only one in a Speedo) were lounging at lunchtime, sipping what appeared to be sangria from rather large wine glasses.

Of course the boys snickered at the sight...we don't get much of that in suburbia...but what interested me most was their beverage--such a perfect refreshment on a hot day (it was 86 degrees and much too warm to be wearing a sweater, I might add). I was so parched that I almost skipped across the street to join them, but alas, I had a greater responsibility that day as an official adult chaperone.

But you can bet that when I returned home, I made a beeline for my produce drawer, still full of citrus from the farmers' market. Ten minutes later, I had a large pitcher of sangria chilling in the fridge. Fruity and tart, thirst quenching and light, it was the perfect way to end a very long day...and a very long week.

Sangria

Printable Recipe

This beverage is fruity and tart, with a punch of citrus brightening every sip. It tastes best when it has a chance to chill for at least two hours, so plan accordingly. Bring it on a picnic or serve it at your next barbecue. Blood oranges are a seasonal treat (winter in SoCal), but regular navel oranges are a fine substitute.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 2 hours

Yield: serves 6

Ingredients:

1 blood orange, cut into wheels

1 lime, cut into wheels

1 lemon, cut into wheels

6 ounces simple syrup

4 ounces freshly squeezed orange juice

2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice

1 bottle of dry, red table wine

6 ounces brandy

Preparation:

1. Place the orange, lime and lemon slices in a large pitcher, along with the simple syrup. Muddle (smash) them with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon to release their juices.

2. Add the orange juice, lime juice, wine and brandy and stir well.

3. Place pitcher in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 36 hours.

4. Placed ice cubes in 6 glasses, fill with sangria and garnish with the fruit slices.

Cocktail O' Clock!

Happy Friday everyone! What a fun filled week this has been...and I'm looking forward to a wonderful weekend too. Guess what? It's cocktail o'clock! Because I've been featuring lemons all week, I've decided to create a cocktail using them too. Reminiscent of a lemon drop martini, I've fancied it up a little by infusing a lemon simple syrup with rosemary.

Simple syrup really is simple to make. Usually it's equal parts water and sugar, boiled until the sugar dissolves. But in this case, the syrup is made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar and is infused with a touch of rosemary, which lends a wonderful herbal note and cuts the sweetness of the sugar.





The recipe, adapted from Epicurious, is a spritzer of sorts--syrup and vodka over ice topped with a splash of club soda or seltzer. If you'd like to make a martini, just shake one part lemon syrup with 1 1/2-2 parts vodka, depending on how strong you like it. Strain it into a sugar rimmed martini glass and toast to this life. As my Danish grandfather would say, Skol!





Lemon Rosemary Fizz
Printable Recipe

This cocktail is like a sophisticated and fancy version of lemonade. The herbal notes of rosemary are the perfect counterpoint to the sweet syrup made with sugar and lemon juice, and the club soda adds just the right amount of bubbly goodness. Of course, this drink would make a wonderful mocktail too if you omit the vodka. Adapted from Epicurious.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Yield: makes 8 beverages

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 rosemary sprigs
8 ounces vodka
Chilled club soda or seltzer water

Preparation:

1. Place sugar, lemon juice and rosemary sprigs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes, until sugar is dissolved.

2. Chill syrup for one hour in the refrigerator. Remove rosemary sprigs.

3. Pour one ounce of syrup and one ounce of vodka in eight ice filled (8 ounce) glasses. Top with club soda and garnish with a sprig of rosemary if desired. Stir and serve immediately.

**Turn this into a martini by shaking 2 ounces of lemon syrup with 2 ounces of vodka in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Strain into 4 martini glasses that have been rimmed with sugar. Top with a splash of club soda and garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

Cranberry Cocktail

I just hate it when a recipe I love gets bad reviews (especially recipes I've written). Jeesh. People need to get a grip and stop being so harsh...and learn how to cook for goodness sake. And if you modify a recipe, adding or subtracting or, god forbid, substituting ingredients then you can't really say whether the recipe as it was written was good or not, can you? Do these people actually have taste buds? Or common sense? I think not. And I'm pretty sure that most reviewers haven't passed third grade grammar either. I assure you that the Barefoot Contessa did not RUIN your dinner party because the cooking time she stated in the recipe was too long. Perhaps you just need to calibrate your oven...and not drink so much wine.

It's tough going sometimes...

That said, constructive criticism is always helpful. Like, I made the recipe as you said, but the crust is too crumbly...or the cake is too tough. Or... In Australia I can't find x ingredient. I substituted y and it didn't turn out very well. What do you suggest? Or... Your recipe calls for 2 egg whites. Should one of those be a yolk? Yes, these are the types of helpful suggestions and questions that make me (and I imagine other folks who make recipes) want to fix the problem.

Which brings me to today's recipe (which is not originally mine, by the way). Though it gets mixed reviews on the Epicurious website, I think it makes a fabulously flavored syrup, perfect for mixing with vodka. Sure, you can top it with club soda if you find it a little thick, as did some of the reviewers. But I like to mix it in a shaker, one part syrup with two parts vodka and strain it into sugar-rimmed martini glasses for a gorgeously hued holiday cocktail. We enjoy this on Thanksgiving, and again on Christmas. Strain it into a nice bottle, and it makes a wonderful gift as well. Be sure to attach the martini recipe.




Garnet Martini Syrup

We enjoy this gorgeously-hued cocktail on Thanksgiving, and again on Christmas. Strain it into a nice bottle, and it makes a wonderful gift as well. Be sure to attach the martini recipe.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: makes about 16 martinis

Ingredients:

6 cups of fresh or frozen cranberries
4 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary

Preparation:

1. Bring all ingredients to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes until a glossy syrup has formed. It will thicken as it cools.

2. Strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher and chill for at least 3 hours or up to a couple of weeks.

3. To make one martini, shake 1 part syrup with 2 parts vodka with a handful of ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass (with a sugared rim, if you'd like) and top with a splash of club soda if desired. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve immediately.

Hallowe'en Spirits

It's been awhile since I've shared a cocktail recipe. And I think that this one is especially appropriate for the upcoming holiday. It's a devil of a drink, sweet and sour upon first sip, with a heat that slowly builds in your mouth and on your lips that just makes you want another sip...and then another. Before you know it you're gulping down martini number two. Honestly, you should stop right there, because as we know (some of us all too well)....

Martinis are like breasts--one is not enough and three are too many.

Orange Stinger Martini

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 martini

Ingredients:

2 jalapeno slices
2 shots (about 1 1/2 ounces each) Absolute Mandarin
1 shot Patron Citronge (or other orange liquor)
1 shot freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 large pinch sugar

Preparation:

1. Muddle the jalapeno slices in a cocktail shaker to release all the spicy juices.

2. Add 2 handfuls of ice, and the rest of the ingredients.

3. Cover and shake well, until martini is thoroughly chilled.

4. Rub the rim of a martini glass with a slice of lemon and dip in a plate that's been coated with sugar. Strain martini into the glass and garnish with another slice of jalapeno if desired.

Cheers!

Jalapeño Margarita

Wonderful Watermelon Cooler

Watermelons, while great for snacking, also make a fantastic beverage. Especially when it contains vodka...or rum...or tequila. Because they are so very watery (they are called watermelon after all), it's extraordinarily easy to drinkify them. A simple blitz in the blender will do, though I also like to strain out any rogue seeds and pulp. Add a few extra ingredients for flavor and you've got summer in a glass (or two...or twenty). There is so much juice in a single watermelon, you can make enough of this cooler to quench the thirst of all the adults at your next barbecue or picnic. (Or in my case, I used it to bribe the ladies in the front office of the orthodontist so they forgot to charge me the missed appointment fee when I accidentally missed my son's appointment because I haven't wrapped my head around the fact that I am no longer on a 2 month vacation and I actually have a life to live and things to do and a calendar to keep. And for the record, I think my evil plan worked....).







Watermelon Cooler

Try this most refreshing beverage at your next barbecue or picnic. Leave out the alcohol to make a kid-friendly version that tastes just as good...well, almost as good.

Prep time: 15 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes, plus one hour chill time
Yield: serves 12

Ingredients:

1 large watermelon (about 8 pounds)
2 cups vodka or white rum
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup sugar (superfine is best)
10 mint leaves
Seltzer water or club soda

Preparation:

1. Remove rind from watermelon, cut the flesh into cubes and puree using a blender. Strain watermelon puree through a very fine mesh sieve into a large pitcher, discarding solids. You should end up with about 6 cups of watermelon juice.

2. Stir in vodka or rum, lime juice and sugar. Bruise mint leaves by squeezing them with your fingers, then add to the pitcher.

3. Refrigerate the mixture for about one hour, for the flavors to meld. Stir again then serve over ice with a splash of club soda, garnished with a slice of lime or watermelon.

Cool as a Cucumber

Remember Mr. McNeedham's garden? Well it hasn't stopped growing. In fact, every day there are surprising discoveries, like giant cucumbers hiding under dense vines. And what does one do with said cukes? One makes margaritas, of course!

The recipe for these unbelievably refreshing adult beverages is really too easy--cucumbers are sliced up, then blitzed in the blender with a squeeze of fresh lime juice, your favorite tequila and a splash of triple sec. One sip of these will have you feeling cool as a cucumber too, no matter how hot it is outside.

I think this might very well be my next favorite cocktail....of course I say that about everything! And if you enjoy margaritas, may I highly suggest the purchase of the citrus squeezer? It's a real time saver, and as you know, when mommy needs a drink...time is of the essence.







Cucumber Margarita

This cool cocktail is a fantastic way to use up those rogue cucumbers sprouting in the garden. It is light, refreshing and is easily multiplied so that you can make a whole pitcher for your thirsty guests.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 drinks

Ingredients:

6 slices of cucumber (about 1/4 inch each), peeled and seeded if desired (good to do if it's kind of a big, home-grown cucumber)
4 ounces of tequila
2 ounces of triple sec
Juice from 2 limes
3 handfuls of ice
Salt and cayenne pepper

Preparation:

1. Place cucumber, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and ice in the blender. Pulse until blended.

2. Sprinkle salt and cayenne pepper on a plate. Rub the rims of 2 glasses with the squeezed limes. Dredge rims across the salt/cayenne mixture so they have an even coating of salt.

3. Pour blended margarita into the glasses. Serve immediately, garnished with additional cucumber slices if desired.

The Burning Mandarin

In my humble opinion, this quite possibly the best martini ever. The first sip is an intriguing combination of bright citrus followed by a slow burn, brought on by the serrano chiles that are muddled in the bottom of the cocktail shaker. We tried it at Katsuya, the uber fashionable, sushi restaurant in Hollywood, which is the kind of place where faces are tight, heels are high, and waists are tiny....and where a smallish dinner for two easily runs into the triple digits, especially when you add in the drinks. But a celebration was in order, and we lifted our glass to endings, to new beginnings, and most of all, to the prospect of an excellent summer.

Of course the next day, I hurried off to the store to buy the ingredients for this amazing cocktail. Though it requires a bit of prep (like most delicious things that come out of the kitchen), I assure you it is worth every small effort.

The Burning Mandarin Martini
inspired by Katsuya Restaurant

Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 martini

Ingredients:

2 slices of serrano chile
1 1/2 ounces Absolute Mandarin
3/4 ounce lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce orange juice
1/2 ounce cranberry juice

Preparation:

1. Muddle one slice of chile in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, orange juice, and cranberry juice, along with one large handful of ice.

2. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass. Garnish with remaining chile slice.

Back to School!

So yesterday was the first day of school, which is bittersweet for me. On the plus side, I have my mornings back, with more time to do all the things I love...like scrubbing toilets and folding laundry. Oh wait, I mean going to yoga class and having lunch dates with my girlfriends (and husband on occasion). But on the other hand, I miss my kids when they are gone, and miss the freedom that comes with the carefree days of summer vacation. We are officially back on...soccer is on, music lessons are on, homework is most definitely on....

But with each school year, comes a new beginning, a fresh start, a reason to get organized and an excuse to celebrate, especially when the kids all end up with great teachers and are excited to be back at school.

And what better way to celebrate than with a good cocktail? (Love that segue there?) This one is light and refreshing and as cool as a cucumber. In fact, cucumbers infuse the vodka that is then spiked with a bit of fresh ginger juice, sweetened with simple syrup and topped with club soda. By the way, if you don't know how to make simple syrup (or are too lazy to do it, like me) Trader Joe's now sells it in a bottle!! It would be a great addition to an Asian-inspired meal...or just on its own. Be careful, though, it's a little too thirst quenching, if you know what I mean, and very easy to drink...ahem.

So here's to a great school year, to much learning and growth, and lots of fun too. Cheers!

Cucumber Ginger Spritzer (makes 6)

At least one hour before serving, chop up one English cucumber and place in a large measuring cup with 1 1/2 C of vodka. Chill. When ready to mix the drinks, fill each low-ball glass with crushed ice, 2 oz. of the infused vodka, 1 oz of simple syrup (which is quite easy to make), a squeeze of lime and 1 t of fresh ginger juice (grate some ginger into a paper towel and squeeze out the juice). Top with club soda and garnish with thin, long slices of cucumbers. Mix and drink. Slowly. Just sayin'...

Tamarind Margatini

Last weekend, my husband took me to the fabulous Loteria Grill Restaurant in Hollywood, which was quite possibly, the best meal out I have had in a loooooooong time. If you live anywhere at all near Los Angeles, you must try either the full-scale restaurant (in Hollywood) or the smaller taco stand, located inside the Farmer's Market at the Grove. Their queso fundido was sublime, perfectly edged in crisp golden cheese and served with hand-made corn tortillas. A salad of nopalitos (cactus) followed, which was tender and tangy and lightly dressed. We also shared a sample platter of 12 bite-sized tacos, called probaditos (little tastes), topped with several of the best meat and vegetable stews I have ever tasted, inspired by the inimitable expert of Mexican cuisine, Diana Kennedy. All that food, and it was a lot, is available at their stand in the Farmer's Market--but what the restaurant has that the stand lacks is a scene (it is on Hollywood Boulevard after all), and liquor.

If you know anything about me at all, you know that I'd be pretty hard pressed to turn down a margarita, especially one made with premium spirits. So that night I had two (TWO!!) of their $12 Martini Tamarindos, which are made with Patron Silver, Patron Citronge, and tamarind paste (which is a sour, seedy fruit used in many tropical cuisines), shaken and served straight-up in a salt and chile rimed glass. They were the sexiest margaritas I have ever drunk, and not just because I might have been...drunk, that is. Smooth in the mouth, they were perfectly chilled and had the most intense and intriguing combination of flavors. The taste reminded me of those chile dusted dried mangoes I love so much. The sips alternately burned and cooled my lips and tongue, and made me thirst for more (which explains why I needed two...and why our bar bill far exceeded our food bill).

So, of course, I had to try to re-create the recipe at home. Since Patron is reserved for the most special of occasions, I made it with regular Jose Cuervo and Triple Sec, but it still tasted pretty darn good. I found the tamarind paste at an Indian market. It is black and thick like molasses, and quite sour--you just need a bit to pleasantly flavor and color the drink. And don't forget the chile-salt rim. All I can really say about this cocktail is, yes, yes, YES!

Tamarind Margatini

serves 2

3 oz. white tequila (best you can afford...but Jose Cuervo is fine)

1 oz. triple sec or cointreau

juice from 1/2 orange

juice from 1/2 lime

1 t superfine sugar

1 t tamarind paste (available at Indian or Mexican grocers)

1 t salt

1 t chile powder (I like Ancho)

Place all ingredients except salt and chile in a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Mix the salt and chile together on a small plate. Wipe the rims of two martini glasses with lime and dip in the chile/salt mixture. Strain martinis out into the glasses. Salud!

A Sip of Strawberry

Okay, people. Remember how I said I was going to try to make a martini out of the foam I skimmed off the strawberry jam? Well I did. And it is fabulous. And strong. And not too sweet, which is good, because as everyone knows, sweet drinks are for sissies (kidding...I just don't care for them). Let's just say that if you go through the hard work of making the jam (it really isn't that hard, but it does require a bit of effort...), you deserve a cook's treat, like the extra piece of bacon you nibble on when making a spinach salad (or the skin off the turkey). We need to reward ourselves for a job well done. Happy Friday everyone! Have a fantastic weekend.




Strawberry Martini

After making jam, reserve the syrupy foam and set aside. Refrigerate until 5 o'clock exactly. At the appointed time, remove from fridge and place 2 T of the strawberry syrup and 2 ounces of your favorite quality vodka in an ice-filled cocktail shaker. Squeeze in a bit of lemon juice. Using the same lemon, rub the edge of your martini glass. Dip the wet edge of the glass into some sugar to make a nice sweet rim. Place lid on shaker and shake the vodka and strawberry mixture vigorously. Pour into glass. Drink immediately...Skoal!

Lovely Lemon Drop Martini

It's no secret that I love a good cocktail, and I am quite certain that they have helped me survive the rigors of motherhood. In fact, one of my very favorite books on parenting is called The Three Martini Playdate. There are so many good nuggets of advice such as: If [your children] are six or seven and capable of pouring liquid into a container the size of a cocktail shaker, then set them to a practical task such as mixing simple gin and tonics or pouring a Scotch, neat or on the rocks. And another favorite quote: If a child should wake, very late, to find you and your friends out under the cabana swilling cocktails and smoking tobacco, do not be alarmed, or deterred from having an adult evening. While I'm quite sure that most of the book was written tongue-in-cheek, there is no denying that a good cocktail can be a delicious way to enhance adult social gatherings.

One of my favorite cocktails is the Lemon Drop Martini. A little sweet (but not overly so), a little sour, and a little sassy, this cocktail is a lot like me! Made from Limoncello, which is an Italian lemon liquor (that I am actually going to make and blog about later this weekend), vodka and fresh lemon juice, this beverage tastes remarkably like lemonade, which makes it quite dangerous indeed.

Lemon Drop Martini

serves 2

Into a cocktail shaker filled with ice pour 4 shots vodka, 3 shots Limoncello, and the juice of one lemon. Rub a lemon half along the rim of 2 martini glasses and dip in a plate of sugar. Shake cocktail shaker vigorously for about 15 seconds. Pour out into glasses and serve, with a twist of lemon peel, if desired.

Blood Orange Martini

Blood oranges are in season from now through the winter months here in California. I saw them at the market today, and had to buy them, of course. Blood oranges taste a bit more floral and are less acidic than naval oranges, and they have a lovely garnet colored flesh, juice and sometimes skin. They can be eaten just as you would a regular orange, but I love to use their juice in a festive martini. These are easy to make, and would make a perfect cocktail to serve at Thanksgiving or another holiday party.

Blood Orange Martini

serves 1

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. triple sec or cointreau

juice from 1/2 a blood orange

a few drops of orange flower water (optional)

Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for about 30 seconds. Strain into martini glass and serve.

It's "Happy Hour Friday!"

It used to be when my children were little, that the ladies of the neighbor-hood (our very own Desperate Housewives) would convene at the end of the block in front of my house to enjoy our own version of happy hour, as we celebrated the end of another week. With Margaritas or wine concealed in red plastic cups, we would lounge curbside, regaling each other with tales from our hectic week, as we perused catalog pages, freshly retrieved from our mailboxes.

Discussion varied from getting the baby to sleep through the night, what was for dinner, potty training, and handling temper tantrums. I'm not sure if we ever came up with any solutions to these life's problems, but it sure felt good to share and lend a sympathetic ear. Now those problems seem so inconsequential compared to the struggles our older children face today. Infancy and toddlerhood, while exhausting to parents, only helps prepare us for the greater challenges that lie ahead.

Sadly, the moms no longer gather on the sidewalk, as our children are all big enough to play outside unsupervised, have sports practices, or sleepovers with friends, but the tradition of "happy hour" still lives on. Sometimes we join each other at the kitchen table, and sometimes we just enjoy the time with our spouses, but we continue to celebrate week's end with a festive mood, good drinks, and good eats.

Mothers, no matter the ages of our children, need to take time to unwind with our friends, so invite the girls over for a Friday afternoon libation. Use the opportunity to complain, lament, or begrudge, but just for a little while, then enjoy each other's company, smile and tell some jokes, because someday, these days too will be but a memory.

Wickedly Strong Margaritas
Unless you want your children to see you dancing on the table, please enjoy only ONE!

2 shots (2 oz) of premium white tequila
1 1/2 shots (1.5 oz) of cointreau or triple sec
the juice from one lime

Place ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. Pour into salt-rimmed highball glass over ice.


Rockin' Guacamole
Luckily for us Californians, avocados are almost always in season. Each week I pick up a few from the farmer's market.

2 large Haas avocados
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 C chopped cilantro
salt to taste
juice from half a lime

Occasionally, I will add a fresh tomato or diced jalapeno, but my Mexican friends tell me this is not "authentic." My favorite way to remove the flesh from an avocado is to slice it in half around the pit, remove the pit, then carefully make cross hatch marks with a knife all the way down to the skin. Then I use a spoon to scoop out the neat squares I have cut and place them in a bowl. Add sliced scallions, chopped cilantro and lime juice. Taste. I like salty guacamole, so I will usually add a large pinch of salt, but use your own discretion. The lime juice mimics the sensation of salt on the tongue, enhancing the flavor, and also prevents browning. Serve with tortilla chips, or vegetables for dipping.