So all the girls in our family (our moms, plus all of my sisters-in-law) threw me the baby shower of my dreams.
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If ya don't like Caprese salad, I can't trust ya.
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Lemonade is a summer no-brainer, and this cocktail is effortless, sophisticated-cool lemonade. It’s the French girl of lemonade—which, who couldn't use a little more je ne sais quoi?
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One of the more admittedly alien things about me is that I do not care about chocolate. I was raised on Christmas stockings full of Sour Patch Kids and Lemon Heads, 'pig-out parties' with my Grandma devouring Twizzlers and Starburst, and meandering trips down the bulk candy aisle before long car rides...
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In my tiny corner of the world, there’s not much better than a great Bloody Mary. And don’t get me wrong, I love the taste of one, but even more so, I love the Bloody Mary environment and culture, if you will (does that statement make me sound uncultured?).
The hours-long brunch with nothing else to do and nowhere else to be. The long pause and “hmmmmm” and “sure, why not” to the waitress when she sees that your glass is getting low. There’s just nothing else like it—a boozy brunch with friends or lovers or, hell, strangers even.
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...or a couples party.
Combining wine, cheese, and game night for the win on February 14th.
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Punch is such a communal way to drink a cocktail. I love it! It's the ultimate party drink, and it has been since childhood days.
Looking back at chorus concerts and band concerts in 4th grade, the best part (probably for all involved) was the mini reception afterward that undoubtedly served either lemonade or punch the old school way—with sherbet in it. This remained true for birthday parties throughout childhood, as well as in college for my sorority's events: punch was always a no brainer.
And now in adulthood, the idea of punch has had a bit of a rebirth, especially due to the recent cocktail Renaissance that I've been closely exposed to through Jon. His bar/restaurant, Ox & Stone, serves "Punch with friends" which is quite literally a big punch bowl with customized spirits for the group of friends who orders it. It's my favorite way to imbibe at Ox!
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December is here! December is far and away the best (read here as the only acceptable) month of the winter. There is a crispness about the freezing cold air, an extra bit of warmth to every light that brightens the dark night sky, a certain magic in the stillness. The smells, sights, and sounds of Christmastime are nostalgic and exciting, whether you're five years old or fifty, and I love that.
I have been looking forward to this month since the beginning of The Pastiche because of all the holiday-oriented content I couldn't wait to talk about.
One of my very favorite things about the first days of December is slowly reintroducing Christmas music into my daily listening when cooking, cleaning, or having people over.
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