Adult Hot Chocolate

Today is the first snow day of 2014! I love snow, but I knew I became a real grown up when I no longer prayed for giant snowstorms to blanket the roads so that school would be closed. Because unfortunately when you're adult and it snows you still have to go to work. You have to dig out your car, or shovel your sidewalk. Or help your neighborhood shovel their sidewalk. And shovel your driveway. Ugh.

So, after an hour of shoveling this morning I made us some hot chocolate as a well-deserved reward. Not Swiss Miss packets with fake marshmallows, no no. Real hot chocolate, with a kick.

Grapefruit Gin & Tonic

I've been enjoying G & T's recently during (hopefully) our last muggy weeks of the season. When I ran out of limes, I used lemons, and when I ran out of lemons, I bought a grapefruit. Probably one of the lesser favorites of the citrus family, I really enjoy it's flavor and tartness. As I mixed this, I recalled a lovely cocktail served to me before the ceremony of an outdoor summer wedding. It definitely was grapefruit based, maybe with champagne? But what stuck me was the sprig of lavender that stuck out. It was so delicately fragrant as you sipped the drink, and went so well with the grapefruit. I had just clipped out bunch of lavender to dry, so I popped one in the glass for a little fanciness.

To make you own incredibly refreshing cocktail you'll need...

• A glass half full of ice
• About a shot of gin
• A shot or two of freshly squeezed grapefruit 
• Top off the glass with tonic
• A sprig of lavender for fragrance

Best enjoyed outside with a good book!

Basil Bloody Marys

With an overabundance of basil from the garden one can only make so much pesto and Caprese salads. I thought I might as well start soaking it in vodka! Now that I have this pungently basilicious liquor, what could I do with it? My first inclination was to make some sort of basil lemonade sort of cocktail, but after my dad tried a sip, he's like, "That would be great in a Bloody Mary", genius!

I LOVE Bloody Marys. Done right, it's like a meal and drink. It just so happens that I think my dad makes them best. And that's because he goes all out with these things; celery, stuffed olives, pickles, tiny onions, giardiniera, the works! All artfully arranged on skewers in the glass. And while I love being offered a drink that requires two hands to hold, sometimes it's nice to have a simpler version. This recipe is a just twist on a classic without the frills.

Basil Infused Vodka

I didn't realize how simple it is to infuse vodka. Literally take any sort of fruit of herb (in this case, a handful of basil) wash it, dry it thoroughly, and put it in a jar with some better quality vodka. Store it in a dark cool place, like a cupboard. Take it out daily, and give it a smell and a taste. When it's to your liking strain it's contents and re-jar it. Store it again in a cool dark place and it should last a few months.

Bloody Mary

V8 - Sorry if this offends anyone, but cans of V8 were a lunchtime staple growing up. I was all too pleased as an adult to discover I could use this to make even better lunchtime drinks!
lemon
Tabasco
A shot or two of basil infused vodka
Worcestershire sauce

A wee bit of horseradish
fresh basil - for an aromatic garnish

Fill the glass halfway with V8. Add a shot or two vodka (depending on your plans for the day). Add about a teaspoon of Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, juice of half a lemon and a tiny bit of horseradish for an extra zing. Add some more ice and V8 if needed. Stir it up! Top it of with some more basil, a twist of crushed black pepper, and enjoy!

Tiny Terra Ferma

Last night we attended Tiny Terra Ferma's launch party celebrating the farmer's market in Pretzel Park, Manayunk. Yay for buying local! They provided delicious fresh food, live music, and a raffle (no winners here, though). We discovered this garden and landscaping supplier this past weekend, and I've already purchased a fig plant, and some Irish moss for our walkway. Check them out! Or chat with their super friendly staff in person at 4324 Main Street, Philadelphia.

The storefront on Main Street.

Some jazzy tunes.

BYO and they were selling some tremendous homemade cider.

Some pretty flowers for sale.

The canal and a view of the Manayunk Bridge.

The Hops Have Arrived

I like beer and I like plants, so it just seems natural to try to grow some hops, right? Although we haven't tried to brew our own beer, we have friends that do, and at the very least the vines make pretty dried decoration. My grandfather, knows his stuff, and assured me that growing hops is very easy, and that the vine will grow as tall as you let it in the summer. So we've decided to to give it a try and see what happens!

We pre-ordered our rhizomes from Keystone Home Brewing. Rhizomes are the little root bit of the plant that you bury. We were recommended to buy two plants of the same variety. So we got three varieties, two each: Cascade, Columbus, and Mt. Hood.

They look sort of sad. The Columbus had a bit of mold on it, but from what I gather it'll grow just fine in properly drained soil.

The Columbus hops are a good dual purpose hop for both bitterness and strong aroma, perfect for pale ales and IPAs. Named after the Cascade mountains in Northwest US, these hops are the most widely used variety by craft breweries in the States. They have a medium strength aroma, spicy and citrusy.

The Mt. Hood's low acidity makes it primarily used for aroma. It's a descendant of the German Hallertau.

We'd love to build a trellis behind the raised beds, but for now they're just going in the ground. We dug holes for each rhizome, laid them in and covered them with some potting soil. We arranged them in three pairs, 4 foot apart, alphabetically, so I'd remember what's what.

Once they start growing we can stake them and maybe think about building a trellis. I'll let you know when we see something! So, I just found this photo on Monday Night Brewing. This is exactly what we had in mind, the fence even looks the same...

UPDATE: As of 6/13/13 still no signs of emerging hops. I'm not sure if we did something wrong or if I'm not being patient enough...

A Patty's Day Blessing

I love stouts in general, but in my heart, and in my belly, there is always a place for a Guinness. In 2006 my travel companion and I actually survived our hosteling excursion in Dublin practically on Guinness alone when we had little money left. We figured the Guinness would sustain us because of all it's vitamins... I've been to the mecca of Guinness twice on two different trips, arguably the only "must see" of Dublin, The Guinness Storehouse. It's like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, for adults. Although having a pint from the source is far better than what's distributed outside the Emerald Isle, I still drink it here all the same. Happy Saint Patrick's Day; enjoy it however you celebrate!

* Looks like today I'll be enjoying some Irish Carbomb Cupcakes that Emily from Growing Wild Ginger made, mmm.

Woodchuck Hard Cider

My new drink of choice for the summer. Woodchuck Hard Ciders. Ciders are so refreshing and light they make the perfect summer companion. And they don’t weight down your belly after you’ve had a few. It’s also a good beer alternative for the gluten impaired. Woodchuck, in particular, make a great variety from Pear (shown) to Granny Smith to seasonal concoctions. The Summer Cider has a hint of blueberry. And it seems, at least in the Philadelphia area, that it’s becoming a popular draft item. I understand if cider isn’t your thing, because, let’s be honest, it tastes like adult juice. But sometimes that’s just what I’m looking for.