This week has been spring break, which normally doesn't mean anything to me, but this year Parks' preschool is on the same schedule as all of the other schools so he has been home with me all week. This means my work week has been interesting to say the least and I have had to let a couple of things go that were on my to-do list. Hanging with him is way more important, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't missing my Tuesday/Thursday me time. Luckily the weather has been absolutely beautiful so we have been able to spend lots of time outside, which is always good when you have a toddler! You could say I am definitely ready for the weekend and for daddy to be home with us to give me a little break that I haven't been able to get this week! I am looking forward to a cocktail (or two) and I think I'll start with one of my Strawberry Thyme Bellinis!
Every year I wait for fall for when I can make all things pumpkin. Everywhere I go it's pumpkin this and pumpkin that. When everything screams pumpkin, I really can't be blamed for hopping on board with this whole pumpkin palooza going on right now. When fall rolls around fall beers of all varieties are released, out comes about a bajillion kinds of pumpkin beers. And since the weather is still on the warmer side here in Texas I thought a pumpkin and orange beer shandy sounded absolutely delicious right about now!
Give me all the melons. I am currently eating cantaloupe and watermelon like I'll never see another one in my entire life. They are so sweet and candy like and lately they have been saving me from binging on things like sour patch kids...true story. Of course that's the preggers in me talking. If I wasn't pregnant however, I would be sipping on one of my cantaloupe salty dogs as often as I could because it just might be the perfect summer cocktail!
I grew up salting my melons. That's the way all of the women in my family do it. "It brings out the flavor", my mom would always tell me. And you know what? She was right. It really does make any melon extra delicious. Canean thinks I am crazy and has never hopped on the salted melon band wagon. But, that's okay...he doesn't know what he's missing!
One of my favorite times of year is when all berries come into season. I can still remember being a little girl growing up in Tennessee and picking blackberries from bushes that grew in our neighborhood or on the side of the road. We would eat them all day while playing outside. They were sweet and juicy and made for perfect snacking for me and my friends. It's my mission to find some places here in Texas that I can go and pick fresh berries this year! I love picking them straight from the farm and there is something about the fresh picked ones that make them extra sweet and special! I happen to use blackberries a lot mixed into drinks because of their sweet and slightly tart flavor. My blackberry mule mocktails are the perfect Springtime drink to enjoy at any time of day!
Of course, you can always make these into a cocktail by simply adding vodka, and let's be honest, if I wasn't preggers over here you know that's exactly what I would have done.
This week has been crazy guys. We are in the process of looking for a house in Houston and it's kind of exhausting especially when you don't live in the same town. I had to drive to Houston for the day to look at some neighborhoods in person because we all know that pictures can be deceiving, I picked out my favorites (without Canean because he had to work) and then drove back late Tuesday night. Yesterday I tried to catch up on my missed day of work and it was cold and rainy and all I wanted to do was take a nap. Today however, the sun came back to visit and you guessed it, I am still in my citrus obsession phase...so you are getting another citrus drink on this very Thirsty Thursday! My citrus thyme punch is actually non-alcoholic, but I like to recommend adding a little "suntin suntin" to the mix to make for a killer happy hour.
I know you ladies out there who are carrying a bun in your oven get really jealous (so you have told me) every Thursday when I post cocktails that you can't drink, and I promise I have not been meaning to drive you crazy...but I know it does! So this week it's all about a mocktail that you can enjoy until that little bundle of joy arrives. I got your back too mamas.
This is honestly such a delicious punch to mix up a big batch of and have in the fridge. It's a great pick me up, it's full of vitamins, and it is super refreshing. And I might have added vodka to mine, which made for a pretty fine cocktail. And there ain't nothin' wrong with that.
There are many reasons for today's cocktail being a daquiri. Maybe I'm getting sentimental about leaving Louisiana, maybe it's because the Super Bowl is Sunday, maybe it's because we are in full Mardi Gras swing around here, or perhaps it's because this daquiri is the perfect shade of light pink and would be so pretty on Valentine's Day. But whatever the reason, you are getting a daquiri today and it's pretty jam up (that means pretty amazing in my hubby's terms.) My spiced blood orange and coconut daquiri is perfect for a party and is the flavor combination is on point!
To be honest here, you could omit the alcohol and this would be a delicious daquiri turned smoothie that would be perfect as an afternoon pick me up or as part of your breakfast. But let's just add the alcohol here...it's kind of like a jazzed up creamsicle, adult style. And who doesn't love a creamsicle?
