Happy Birthday, Moms!

Mothers are amazing and I'm fortunate enough to have two! And how convenient that their birthdays fall in the same week, making it oh-so simple to honor them on this thing.

Mama Malone & My Hubby

First birthday of the week: my mother-in-law. I definitely got lucky in the in-law department. My husband's family is large and full of so much love. All of those Irish-coffee lovin' Malones welcomed me with open arms, and I feel perfectly at home with each and every one of them. And my mother-in-law? Amazing. You should see the spread this lady rolls out for special occasions. She goes above & beyond and it's been wonderful getting to know her over the past six years. And, I suppose this is a pretty important factor, she raised my husband... and I think he is swell! (I can hear her giggling at the use of the word "swell," so I think I will use that word more often.) Happy birthday to you, Mama Malone, and thank you for graciously welcoming me into your family - I look forward to many more birthday celebrations in the future!

Mama Jewski & I

Second birthday of the week: my mama, Mama Jewski as she is affectionately called by my college friends. There is not much to say about this woman that hasn't already been said. I mean, she's had to put up with being the mother to three girls for 21 years... I would say that deserves a medal. But in all honesty, my mom rocks. This is a mom who, after I decided to try Jack Daniels for the first time, printed me out information on the dangerous effects of alcohol, even going so far as to highlight key points of the article. She is also the woman who, in an attempt to be "hip" and "with it," would drive around in her VW Beetle with her wrist up on the steering wheel, flashing gang signs to those on the Plateau. See above: my mom rocks! So happy birthday to you, Mama Jewski, and thanks for the being the best darn mom around!

HH: The Happiest of Hours

There is no better way to end a long day at work than with a nice, cold beverage... of the adult variety. Sure, you could crack open a Thomas Kemper if you really wanted to, but I don't want to. And it's my blog. So there.

After attending Happy Hour with a dear friend of mine, it seemed appropriate to share my favorite drink recipe: the margarita! And my margarita will, hopefully, blow your mind. The secret to this recipe is the sweet and sour. No, not that bottled stuff. Homemade sweet and sour. It is ridiculously easy and worth it - trust me.

SWEET & SOUR

Sugar

Water

Fresh Lemon/Lime Juices 

*Boil equal parts sugar and water over medium heat until all sugar has dissolved.

*Pour into a shallow baking dish and place in the refrigerator to cool completely. 

*When cool, combine 2 parts simple syrup with 1 part (each) lemon and lime juice. 

*Too tart? Easy! Cut it with a little bit of water and you should be good to go.

And now for my philosophy on choosing tequila, or any liquor for that matter. Do you really want to buy a $50-$60 bottle of booze only to end up mixing it with something else? I know I don't want to, but it also doesn't mean I'm scrounging around the lowest shelf at the liquor store. My favorite tequila for margaritas? Sauza Hornitos. 

NOT YOUR MAMA'S MARGARITA

2-3 Slices of Fresh Lime

1 1/4 ounces Tequila

3/4 ounce Cointreau (Orange Liqueur)

1/2 - 3/4 Cups Sweet & Sour

Cranberry or Pomegranate Juice

Grand Marnier

*In a cocktail shaker, combine lime slices, ice, tequila, Cointreau, and sweet & sour. 

*As OutKast once said, "Shake it like a Polaroid picture." 

*Empty contents into your favorite glass. Add more ice.

*Top with a smidge (yep, smidge) of cran or pom. This is more for color than flavor.

*Finish it off with a touch of Grand Marnier. 

And there you have it, my go-to summer drink. Here's hoping Seattle brings us some sunny afternoons as soon as possible - CHEERS!

Does this mean I'm a "blogger?"

Blogging. What a silly thing. Do I really think my life is that interesting? In all honesty, no.

However, I've been reading (or "following" to those who will critique my industry vocabulary) a lot of blogs lately and much like a cute puppy in the window, I wanted one. BADLY! The authors are so witty and carefree. While reading, I sometimes felt they were speaking directly to me. Creepy? Probably. I guess that's me in a nutshell.

I don't really know what I plan to do with this blog, but isn't that the beauty of it? Writing what comes to mind as it's happening. Could be a train wreck... or it could be something... awesome. (For the time being, let's go with the latter.)

The only thing that will make this initial post better is a list of five things I cannot get enough of lately:

1. The Pioneer Woman. Don't know her? Find her! NOW! She will make your skirt fly up. (As soon as you experience the greatness that is PW, that reference will seem a lot less weird.)
2. Adele. Listening to her right now. Girl crush? Pssh... No! (Currently nodding "yes")
3. Glassybaby. May or may not have waited 2 hours in the rain to get some of their defects. May or may not have left with an amount in the double digits. DISCLAIMER: This blog has now been deemed a judgement free zone.
4. Iced coffee. Iced vanilla lattes, to be precise. Although the weather won't cooperate, 'tis the season.
5. The Bachelorette. (Remember that judgement free zone, thing?) Not for the content! Because let's face it, Ashley has awful taste in men and she is damn near impossible to listen to after five minutes. But because I get at least one night a week with my girlfriends. Quality time at its finest.

And with that, I'm outtie five thousand. Until next time...