Christmas Recap and Renovations

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. I know that we really enjoyed ours.   We baked cookies

We looked at lights

We decorated cookies at home and with friends

I maintained my sanity

 

We remembered the birds

 

Santa came

 

...and then, when the tree came down we started ripping up our floors! Yes, we are insane. I've been wanting wood floors since we bought this house 6 years ago and we are finally getting around to doing it. It's a TON of work but I know it will be worth it in the end.

 I wonder if this beautiful linoleum is original to our 1994 house?

We are doing the whole downstairs, which includes the foyer, kitchen, dining room, living room and a half bath. We chose a darker pecan wood in varying widths. I'm totally ready to not be living in a construction site with 2 dogs and a 2 year old. More pics to come as we keep rolling on!

Happy New Floors Year!






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Super Easy Homemade Lemonade

I'm on a lemon kick this summer. I always love lemons. Lemon candles, lemon house cleaners, even my signature fragrance is called Lemon Sugar. (smells so good and affordable!). I decided on my summer bucket list that I was going to master fresh squeezed lemonade this year. Well, I'm here to tell you I did and it is easy and delicious!

The first go around, I squeezed the lemons this way:

By hand

Not impossible and really not that hard, but it did take a while. So the second time around, I remembered that I had an attachment for my stand mixer (you can get them here).

Made things go WAY faster and easier. I juiced 2 bags of lemons which will make about 3 batches. I just save the extra juice in the fridge in a large mason jar.

There are only 3 ingredients in my Lemonade: Lemon Juice, Water and Simple Syrup. Simple syrup is just taking equal parts sugar and water and simmering it in a sauce pan until it's dissolved. As with my juice, I made extra simple syrup to keep in the fridge so I could whip up extra batches on the fly. There you have it! What's your favorite summer drink?

Lemonade

Makes 2 quarts.

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup lemon juice (5-7 lemons depending on size..could be less or more)
• 1 Cup Simple Syrup (if you like it real sweet, use another 1/2 cup more)
• Appx 6 cups water (enough to fill your container the rest of the way)
• Lemon wedges and Mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Make your simple syrup. Mix 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water in a sauce pan. Simmer and stir until sugar is dissolved. This will make a little more than a cup. Save the rest in an air tight container in the fridge for more lemonade, Mojitos or Juleps!
2. Juice your lemons until you have 1 cup.
3. Mix 1 cup simple syrup and 1 cup lemon juice in a 2 quart pitcher. Fill pitcher the rest of the way with cool water. 
4. Stir - Pour - Enjoy on a porch!

Christmas Playlist & 3 Festive Drink Recipes!

Not gonna lie, I've been listening to Christmas music for a few weeks now.. no shame in my game. I love making lists - and journaling lists, so I made a festive playlist for your holiday merriment! What do you do while listening to these holiday tunes? Sip on one of the 3 grown up drinks below by golly!

CHRISTMAS PLAYLIST

1. Merry Christmas (War is Over) - John Lennon
2. Blue Christmas - Dean Martin
3. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas - Judy Garland
4. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy - Tchaikovsky
5. O Come, All Ye Faithful - Elvis
6. Hey Santa Clause - The Moonglows
7. Mele Kalikimaka - Bing Crosby
8. A Sailor's Christmas - Jimmy Buffett
9. Baby, It's Cold Outside - Zooey Deschanel
10. Silver Bells - Dean Martin

 Berry Merry Xmas original here

Ingredients:
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Club Soda
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake over ice. Pour into a martini glass or on the rocks.
- See more at: http://singlemindedwomen.com/food-and-wine/holiday-cocktails-berry-merry-xmas/#sthash.4qW0e4a5.dpuf

Ingredients:
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Club Soda
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake over ice. Pour into a martini glass or on the rocks.
- See more at: http://singlemindedwomen.com/food-and-wine/holiday-cocktails-berry-merry-xmas/#sthash.4qW0e4a5.dpuf

Ingredients:
1-1/2 oz Van Gogh Pomegranate Vodka
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Peach Schnapps
1 oz Cranberry Juice
1 oz Club Soda
Directions:
Add all ingredients into a shaker and shake over ice. Pour into a martini glass or on the rocks.
- See more at: http://singlemindedwomen.com/food-and-wine/holiday-cocktails-berry-merry-xmas/#sthash.4qW0e4a5.dpuf

• 1.5 oz Pomegranate Vodka
• .5 oz Triple Sec
• .5 oz Peach Schnapps
• 1 oz Cranberry Juice

Shake in a cocktail shaker and pour into a martini glass or serve over ice.

Jingle Juice (from MyRecipes.com)

• 5 cups orange juice $
• 1 cup vodka $
• 1/3 cup orange liqueur
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

 Stir together orange juice and next 4 ingredients; serve over ice. Garnish, if desired 

Cranberry Hot Toddy (from BHG)

• 48  ounce bottle  low-calorie cranberry juice (6 cups)
• 2  cups  water
• 3 1  inch long  strips lemon peel (set aside)
• 1/4  cup  lemon juice
• 3  inches  stick cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  whole cloves
• 1/3  cup  bourbon, rum, or orange juice
•  Fresh lemon slices (optional)
•  Stick cinnamon (optional)

1. In a 4-quart saucepan or Dutch oven combine cranberry juice, the water, and lemon juice.

2. For spice bag, place lemon peel, the 3 inches stick cinnamon, and the cloves in the center of a double-thick 6-inch square of 100 percent-cotton cheesecloth. Bring the corners together; tie with clean kitchen string. Add to juice mixture.

3. Bring just to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard spice bag. Stir bourbon into juice mixture. If desired, garnish individual servings with lemon slices and additional stick cinnamon. Makes 12 (scant 6-ounce) servings

 

Happy Hour Friday!

Happy Friday! Who's ready for a long Holiday weekend? Whether you're taking that last end of summer vacation or staying home to grill out with family and friends, add this tasty concoction to your festivities!

Strawberry-Mint Mojito!

2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Mint, Leaves removed
1.5 oz Shot of Lemon Rum (I use Bacardi Limon)
1 oz Shot of Simple Syrup (recipe below)
2 Fresh Strawberries, cut into pieces
Club Soda to top off

Directions:
In a tall glass, add mint, strawberries and rum. Muddle until berries are nice and squished up and mint is fragrant. Add in simple syrup and stir. Fill glass with ice (preferably crushed) to the top of the rim. Top with club soda and give a nice stir again. If you prefer, you can add a mint garnish or squeeze of lime for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Simple Syrup:
In a small sauce pan stir together 1 cup sugar to 1 cup water (or make a larger batch just using the 1-1 ratio of sugar and water. Stir continously until it comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Keep unused syrup in an air tight container in the fridge.