The Headlines:
New Year's Eve is my least favorite night of the year to go out.
We stay home.
But a festive cocktail is certainly in order!
I have (another) recipe.
New Year's Eve… ahhhh… my most favorite holiday of the year… for staying home. Really. It's become just a super grand time to have a nice, quiet diner with BP (the husband) and afterwards maybe do some soaking in the spa to talk about the old while thinking about the new year ahead. All the while, sipping on a festive cocktail. Sounds like a supreme night. Oh right, we do still have 2 kids. They're here too. Maybe watching more TV than usually allowed - yea, everyone's celebrating tonight!
Anyways, here's what I don't like about New Year's Eve: high expectations, crowds, prix fixe menus, over cooked food, scary drivers, over served people, expensive babysitters… I could go on but I won't. The reasons above are why it's a great time to stay home and plan that dinner for two I mentioned or have a few fabulous neighbors and good friends over for the night.
Now, I am aware that other normal and oh so worldly, cool people will be doing the exact opposite which I applaud. You are the movers and shakers who are ready to go out and party! Many of you will do that in the bars and restaurants - and that is awesome for you. But for those homeward bound party people like myself - I have a treat for you!
Here's what you need:
19 oz tequila (we used 1800)
1 can frozen cranberry concentrate (should be 12 oz)
4 oz orange liqueur (we used Cointreau)
2 oz lime juice
Fresh cranberries
Fresh Lime
Once that's finished, pour it back into the pitcher and stir.
That way, when you pour each drink you'll see small chunks of cranberries in each sip. Catch that? Look close.
Then, when you're ready… put ice into glass of choice, shake each cocktail individually and pour. Garnish with a slice of lime. Perfect for a party! You can rim the edges with sugar… sometimes I do. But it's one more step you may not want to bother with...
Super lovely, isn't it? I really could just stare at its beauty for a bit. Pause pause pause… okay down the hatch!
So as I said, this year, like almost every year… BP and I will ring in the New Year together. We always cook lobster with butter. Add an easy side and voila! It's decadent, memorable and really no fuss. We don't do desert (cocktails instead) and it's a mess free, easy date night that requires no driving or aggravation. I used to actually try to get a little dressed up but that kind of failed after the first or second attempt. It's a perfect evening at home (where are those kids again?) and I can't wait for it this year!
As long as I'm in bed snoozing by 10:30. I know - total party animal.
New Year's Eve is my least favorite night of the year to go out.
We stay home.
But a festive cocktail is certainly in order!
I have (another) recipe.
New Year's Eve… ahhhh… my most favorite holiday of the year… for staying home. Really. It's become just a super grand time to have a nice, quiet diner with BP (the husband) and afterwards maybe do some soaking in the spa to talk about the old while thinking about the new year ahead. All the while, sipping on a festive cocktail. Sounds like a supreme night. Oh right, we do still have 2 kids. They're here too. Maybe watching more TV than usually allowed - yea, everyone's celebrating tonight!
Anyways, here's what I don't like about New Year's Eve: high expectations, crowds, prix fixe menus, over cooked food, scary drivers, over served people, expensive babysitters… I could go on but I won't. The reasons above are why it's a great time to stay home and plan that dinner for two I mentioned or have a few fabulous neighbors and good friends over for the night.
Now, I am aware that other normal and oh so worldly, cool people will be doing the exact opposite which I applaud. You are the movers and shakers who are ready to go out and party! Many of you will do that in the bars and restaurants - and that is awesome for you. But for those homeward bound party people like myself - I have a treat for you!
Oh, we're by no means boring just because we're staying home… we're making these
 |
| Cranberry Marg! |
It's a Cranberry Margarita and it rocks. Once again, the key to this cocktail, as in all cocktails in my opinion, is a fresh ingredient. Mark my words, you can have a good cocktail recipe but if it has no fresh ingredients, it's just that - good. I am One Picky Chick and I need A-MAZING. Throw in something fresh and it become just that! As for this cranberry marg… I bet you can guess which fresh ingredient we'll use -- DING DING DING DING -- cranberries!
This is a cocktail made, easily, for 1 or 15 people.
Here's what you need:
19 oz tequila (we used 1800)
1 can frozen cranberry concentrate (should be 12 oz)
4 oz orange liqueur (we used Cointreau)
2 oz lime juice
Fresh cranberries
Fresh Lime
Here's what you do:
Mix the tequila, cranberry concentrate, orange liqueur and lime juice up in a pitcher. Then take about 6 ounces of that and put it into a blender - blend with 20 fresh cranberries. 
Once that's finished, pour it back into the pitcher and stir.
That way, when you pour each drink you'll see small chunks of cranberries in each sip. Catch that? Look close.
Then, when you're ready… put ice into glass of choice, shake each cocktail individually and pour. Garnish with a slice of lime. Perfect for a party! You can rim the edges with sugar… sometimes I do. But it's one more step you may not want to bother with...
So as I said, this year, like almost every year… BP and I will ring in the New Year together. We always cook lobster with butter. Add an easy side and voila! It's decadent, memorable and really no fuss. We don't do desert (cocktails instead) and it's a mess free, easy date night that requires no driving or aggravation. I used to actually try to get a little dressed up but that kind of failed after the first or second attempt. It's a perfect evening at home (where are those kids again?) and I can't wait for it this year!
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