.
what do you get when you combine a country that has a decisive lack of tins of pumpkin puree and two whole pumpkins left over from halloween?
bethany and ben in the kitchen becoming all domestic-like and making their own puree from scratch.
(btw, its surprisingly easy. we're following these steps. bonus: you get to stab the pumpkins 10 or so times with a very large knife.)
now we we have enough pumpkin to make these again!
and these,
and this,
and this,
and maybe, just maybe, some of these.
.
12 November 2011
10 November 2011
.
when I saw on the schedule of the semester that we had a reading week in early november, I was like sweet! no classes! I can run errands and clean the flat and do all the non-school stuff I've been putting off!
well, turns out, I've barely had time for the reading.
that flat remains un-scrubbed.
but it's the though that counts, right?
.
when I saw on the schedule of the semester that we had a reading week in early november, I was like sweet! no classes! I can run errands and clean the flat and do all the non-school stuff I've been putting off!
well, turns out, I've barely had time for the reading.
that flat remains un-scrubbed.
but it's the though that counts, right?
.
2 November 2011
.
just got back from a DPU weekend workshop in Windsor.
not the castle itself, unfortunately, but in a royal lodge in the park.
pretty neat.
(and more on that in a future post)
this workshop fell one halloween so, naturally, we threw a halloween party.
the decision was a bit last minute and we were encouraged to come in a costume that reflected our country of origin.
I think I hit it spot on.
I was a new england patriot.
.
just got back from a DPU weekend workshop in Windsor.
not the castle itself, unfortunately, but in a royal lodge in the park.
pretty neat.
(and more on that in a future post)
this workshop fell one halloween so, naturally, we threw a halloween party.
the decision was a bit last minute and we were encouraged to come in a costume that reflected our country of origin.
I think I hit it spot on.
I was a new england patriot.
.
22 October 2011
.
you have not lived until you have made pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
and you have subsequently not lived until you have eaten [at least] one.
(btw, the batter is almost more delicious than the final baked product)
zoe found a recipe, and it was pretty much decided without any discussion that they desperately needed to be made.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
2 cups canned pumpkin (its slightly more than a 15 oz. can)
2/3 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each- ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbs. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gently whisk by hand until just combined, being careful not to overmix as the texture will become gummy.
Fill liners with 1/4 cup batter (cups should be about 2/3 full). Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
In a bowl mix together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon, mixing until it's all incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate. The frosting will harden in the refrigerator so plan to bring back to room temperature if you need to refrigerate the icing before frosting the cupcakes.
we used dark chocolate chips.
it is the only way to bake.
recipe from here.
.
you have not lived until you have made pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
and you have subsequently not lived until you have eaten [at least] one.
(btw, the batter is almost more delicious than the final baked product)
zoe found a recipe, and it was pretty much decided without any discussion that they desperately needed to be made.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes:
2 cups canned pumpkin (its slightly more than a 15 oz. can)
2/3 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each- ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
For the Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 tbs. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
For the Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Gently whisk by hand until just combined, being careful not to overmix as the texture will become gummy.
Fill liners with 1/4 cup batter (cups should be about 2/3 full). Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
For the Frosting:
In a bowl mix together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar and cinnamon, mixing until it's all incorporated. Use immediately or refrigerate. The frosting will harden in the refrigerator so plan to bring back to room temperature if you need to refrigerate the icing before frosting the cupcakes.
we used dark chocolate chips.
it is the only way to bake.
recipe from here.
.
13 October 2011
.
hello everybody who reads this, (hi mom!)
I am not dead.
just really freaking busy.
like, more busy than I think I've ever been in my entire life.
just wanted to, you know, clear that up.
so what have I been doing?
let's see.
traveling to london.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I.
failing to find a flat for ben and I.
doing a bit of traveling around the south-east of england.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I and three other people.
failing to find a flat for ben and I and three other people.
attempting to enroll at grad school.
almost failing to enroll at grad school.
enrolling at grad school.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I and one other person.
going to grad school orientation.
helping sam and peter pack up their flat before they move.
finally finding a flat for ben and I and one other person (!)
helping sam and peter put all their stuff into storage.
moving all our stuff way the hell down south of the river.
starting grad school proper.
moving all out stuff way the hell north of the river. (into aforementioned flat)
picking up two fluffy cats. (that was along loud car ride...)
moving all the stuff out of storage and into aforementioned flat.
reading an f$%* lot of stuff for grad school.
unpacking roughly 56,000 boxes of stuff.
picking up our first fruit and veg box scheme allotments. (more on this later)
fighting with the british banking system.
putting together a powerpoint presentation on my hometown.
more (ever so much more) reading.
so.
you know.
just a few things.
but I am having a blast.
grad school is awesome.
and I really did miss this city.
it's good to be back.
and, for a few updates, I actually have read about 8 more books since I last wrote on my quest. (no way in hell am I going to get to 100 this year btw, pretty much all of my reading time is going to be taken up by coursework, but I suppose considering the circumstances, I made a pretty good run at it. we'll have to see what I get to by the end of december.)
also have been keeping track of my nfl picks week to week but won't really have the time to put them up on here.
I can tell you're all heartbroken.
fear not! I will post my record at the end of the regular season.
and now on to the really exciting stuff!
fresh and locally grown fruit and veg.
we signed up for our box scheme again and picked up our first batch last friday. just picked up the send one a couple of hours ago.
we've decided to start a blog (cause that's how these things work. don't have enough time to maintain one blog? start another one!) to document everything that comes in the pick-ups, the awesome recipes they give us with the weekly newsletters, and anything new and exciting we try in the kitchen with our weekly stash.
so go visit us over a a carrot, an apple, and a beetroot walk into a bar.
or, as it's known around the flat, "what's in the box?"
go for the wit, stay for the food.
.
hello everybody who reads this, (hi mom!)
I am not dead.
just really freaking busy.
like, more busy than I think I've ever been in my entire life.
just wanted to, you know, clear that up.
so what have I been doing?
let's see.
traveling to london.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I.
failing to find a flat for ben and I.
doing a bit of traveling around the south-east of england.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I and three other people.
failing to find a flat for ben and I and three other people.
attempting to enroll at grad school.
almost failing to enroll at grad school.
enrolling at grad school.
attempting to find a flat for ben and I and one other person.
going to grad school orientation.
helping sam and peter pack up their flat before they move.
finally finding a flat for ben and I and one other person (!)
helping sam and peter put all their stuff into storage.
moving all our stuff way the hell down south of the river.
starting grad school proper.
moving all out stuff way the hell north of the river. (into aforementioned flat)
picking up two fluffy cats. (that was a
moving all the stuff out of storage and into aforementioned flat.
reading an f$%* lot of stuff for grad school.
unpacking roughly 56,000 boxes of stuff.
picking up our first fruit and veg box scheme allotments. (more on this later)
fighting with the british banking system.
putting together a powerpoint presentation on my hometown.
more (ever so much more) reading.
so.
you know.
just a few things.
but I am having a blast.
grad school is awesome.
and I really did miss this city.
it's good to be back.
and, for a few updates, I actually have read about 8 more books since I last wrote on my quest. (no way in hell am I going to get to 100 this year btw, pretty much all of my reading time is going to be taken up by coursework, but I suppose considering the circumstances, I made a pretty good run at it. we'll have to see what I get to by the end of december.)
also have been keeping track of my nfl picks week to week but won't really have the time to put them up on here.
I can tell you're all heartbroken.
fear not! I will post my record at the end of the regular season.
and now on to the really exciting stuff!
fresh and locally grown fruit and veg.
we signed up for our box scheme again and picked up our first batch last friday. just picked up the send one a couple of hours ago.
we've decided to start a blog (cause that's how these things work. don't have enough time to maintain one blog? start another one!) to document everything that comes in the pick-ups, the awesome recipes they give us with the weekly newsletters, and anything new and exciting we try in the kitchen with our weekly stash.
so go visit us over a a carrot, an apple, and a beetroot walk into a bar.
or, as it's known around the flat, "what's in the box?"
go for the wit, stay for the food.
.
13 September 2011
11 September 2011
.
it's been ten years since I returned to my dorm room after my 8 am calculus class, turned on the tv like I always did, and was flipping through the channels when something caught my eye.
it was one of the twin towers on fire.
I watched, confused and horrified, as the plane flew into the second tower.
I called my parents. I needed to hear their voices.
I watched both towers collapse later that day in the engineering building.
earlier today we watched the footage from that morning on the news, and even after all this time, from another country clear across the ocean, my heart skipped a beat. none of us spoke a word while watching.
we couldn't.
it was the first time I had seen the video since I watched the events live in 2001.
I hadn't ceased to affect me.
I don't think it ever will.
.
it's been ten years since I returned to my dorm room after my 8 am calculus class, turned on the tv like I always did, and was flipping through the channels when something caught my eye.
it was one of the twin towers on fire.
I watched, confused and horrified, as the plane flew into the second tower.
I called my parents. I needed to hear their voices.
I watched both towers collapse later that day in the engineering building.
earlier today we watched the footage from that morning on the news, and even after all this time, from another country clear across the ocean, my heart skipped a beat. none of us spoke a word while watching.
we couldn't.
it was the first time I had seen the video since I watched the events live in 2001.
I hadn't ceased to affect me.
I don't think it ever will.
.
8 September 2011
.
hi there.
you haven't seen me much round these parts lately.
been busy.
finishing up jobs.
saying goodbye to friends and family.
packing up our whole life (mostly in an attic, but about 60 pounds worth in luggage)
cleaning the house.
getting hit by a hurricane.
flight getting cancelled.
un-packing carefully packed luggage (and doing some quick manic grocery shopping as hod gotten rid of all food....)
going out of our minds bored for a week and a half.
re-packing up life.
re-cleaning the house.
[re-eating all the food]
and now I am sitting in an airport two hours before our (re-scheduled) flight writing this.
so you know, a few things have happened.
anywho, we're excited!
back to London!
and here are a few more things that have gotten me excited today.
this book.
I still have not wrapped my head around the awesomeness of this book.
it's a david bowie song.
as a children's book.
this just bounded itself to the top of my "must have" list.
AND, it's finally football season again!!
first NFL game tonight!
we all know what this means.
Bethany starts her completely random and usually wrong weekly picks. (this edition from abroad!)
let's kick this thing off.
Week One:
Packers over Saints
Falcons over Bears
Colts over Texans
Bills over Chiefs
Titans over Jaguars
Browns over Bengals
Rams over Eagles
Steelers over Falcons
Lions over Buccaneers
Chargers over Vikings
Giants over Redskins
Cardinals over Panthers
Seahawks over 49ers
Jets over Cowboys
Patriots over Dolphins (Patriots!!!)
Raiders over Broncos
let the ruckus begin.
(woohoo!)
see ya on the other side of the atlantic.
.
hi there.
you haven't seen me much round these parts lately.
been busy.
finishing up jobs.
saying goodbye to friends and family.
packing up our whole life (mostly in an attic, but about 60 pounds worth in luggage)
cleaning the house.
getting hit by a hurricane.
flight getting cancelled.
un-packing carefully packed luggage (and doing some quick manic grocery shopping as hod gotten rid of all food....)
going out of our minds bored for a week and a half.
re-packing up life.
re-cleaning the house.
[re-eating all the food]
and now I am sitting in an airport two hours before our (re-scheduled) flight writing this.
so you know, a few things have happened.
anywho, we're excited!
back to London!
and here are a few more things that have gotten me excited today.
this book.
I still have not wrapped my head around the awesomeness of this book.
it's a david bowie song.
as a children's book.
this just bounded itself to the top of my "must have" list.
AND, it's finally football season again!!
first NFL game tonight!
we all know what this means.
Bethany starts her completely random and usually wrong weekly picks. (this edition from abroad!)
let's kick this thing off.
Week One:
Packers over Saints
Falcons over Bears
Colts over Texans
Bills over Chiefs
Titans over Jaguars
Browns over Bengals
Rams over Eagles
Steelers over Falcons
Lions over Buccaneers
Chargers over Vikings
Giants over Redskins
Cardinals over Panthers
Seahawks over 49ers
Jets over Cowboys
Patriots over Dolphins (Patriots!!!)
Raiders over Broncos
let the ruckus begin.
(woohoo!)
see ya on the other side of the atlantic.
.
15 August 2011
10 August 2011
happy [early] birthday to me
.
guess what I just bought?
you know. for grad school.
see?
totally necessary.
yup yup.
not at all superfluous.
nope nope.
.
guess what I just bought?
you know. for grad school.
see?
totally necessary.
yup yup.
not at all superfluous.
nope nope.
.
4 August 2011
.
or, here in bethany world, the following:
685 billion bars of Ritter Chocolate
171 billion 12 packs of Smuttynose Pale Ale
120 billion fabric covered classics books
1.7 billion new (high-end) mac books
92 million times through my masters education
34 million nights of partying in the fully rented out country of Liechtenstein.
38 years worth of the gross national income of Kenya (to bring the point home)
[via]
.
or, here in bethany world, the following:
685 billion bars of Ritter Chocolate
171 billion 12 packs of Smuttynose Pale Ale
120 billion fabric covered classics books
1.7 billion new (high-end) mac books
92 million times through my masters education
34 million nights of partying in the fully rented out country of Liechtenstein.
38 years worth of the gross national income of Kenya (to bring the point home)
[via]
.
2 August 2011
1 August 2011
28 July 2011
27 July 2011
.
a friend sent along a link to this blog, domestic sluttery ("The home and lifestyle blog for women who have better things to do." their words), and I spent a good portion of yesterday afternoon and this morning making my way back through the archives.
I have already come across many many things that, in a perfect world, I'd already own.
a few examples:
I do not see any real, productive work getting down in a long long while...
.
a friend sent along a link to this blog, domestic sluttery ("The home and lifestyle blog for women who have better things to do." their words), and I spent a good portion of yesterday afternoon and this morning making my way back through the archives.
I have already come across many many things that, in a perfect world, I'd already own.
a few examples:
 |
| periodic table of swearing tea towel |
 |
| city illustrations |
 |
| on the road passport cover |
 |
| this fabulous dress |
 |
| vintage style corkscrew. ain't it pretty? |
I do not see any real, productive work getting down in a long long while...
.
26 July 2011
.
it's Bert's birthday.
happy birthday Bert!
thank's for making my childhood television experience amusing.
hope today brings you many many pigeons.
[via]
.
it's Bert's birthday.
happy birthday Bert!
thank's for making my childhood television experience amusing.
hope today brings you many many pigeons.
[via]
.
25 July 2011
21 July 2011
I would like a mojito please
.
all can be delivered to me at my desk:
100 Bethany needs a cool refreshing alcoholic beverage with mint in it Lane
Cambridge, MA
much obliged.
[via]
.
all can be delivered to me at my desk:
100 Bethany needs a cool refreshing alcoholic beverage with mint in it Lane
Cambridge, MA
much obliged.
[via]
.
.
I am loving my new hair.
it does take some getting used to though.
most of the time I feel like this:
there are things in front of my eyes where before they were no things.
ah, the things one does to stay stylish.
(also buying a hair dryer. apparently those contraptions are necessary to maintain actual real haircuts...)
[awesome scrubs picture via]
.
I am loving my new hair.
it does take some getting used to though.
most of the time I feel like this:
there are things in front of my eyes where before they were no things.
ah, the things one does to stay stylish.
(also buying a hair dryer. apparently those contraptions are necessary to maintain actual real haircuts...)
[awesome scrubs picture via]
.
20 July 2011
.
why, oh why, does boston not have one of these???
I'd be there in a heartbeat, costume and all.
[does that make me sound like a dork? that makes me sound like a dork...]
[via]
.
why, oh why, does boston not have one of these???
I'd be there in a heartbeat, costume and all.
[does that make me sound like a dork? that makes me sound like a dork...]
[via]
.
bookends of the wizard variety
.
last friday ben and I went to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two.
(along with what felt like every child aged 10 through 12 in central connecticut. the movie didn't start till 10:40 in the evening. what were those parents thinking. this was the adults's time at the childrens movie. sheesh.)
ben and I have now seen every harry potter movie in the theaters.
every single one.
we went to go see the first one as our first date way back in 2001.
(I didn't know it was a date until we had already been together for about half a year, but that's another story for another time.)
the first movie as our first date (we officially started dating a month afterwards) and the last movie a month after we got married.
harry potter had been with us the entirety of our dating lives. all 10 years of it.
that is both kinda strange and wicked awesome.
so see ya later harry, ron and hermione.
it's been fun.
.
last friday ben and I went to go see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part Two.
(along with what felt like every child aged 10 through 12 in central connecticut. the movie didn't start till 10:40 in the evening. what were those parents thinking. this was the adults's time at the childrens movie. sheesh.)
ben and I have now seen every harry potter movie in the theaters.
every single one.
we went to go see the first one as our first date way back in 2001.
(I didn't know it was a date until we had already been together for about half a year, but that's another story for another time.)
the first movie as our first date (we officially started dating a month afterwards) and the last movie a month after we got married.
harry potter had been with us the entirety of our dating lives. all 10 years of it.
that is both kinda strange and wicked awesome.
so see ya later harry, ron and hermione.
it's been fun.
.
19 July 2011
13 July 2011
I just geeked out a little bit
.
via thephlipside:
Star Wars: The BlueprintsThe new tome contains the most comprehensive compilation of working drawings and architectural plans that served as the basis for the ships, space ports, planets, buildings and infrastructure against which the Star Wars films played out. With over 500 photographs and illustrations, the book lays out in detail everything from the workings of Tatooine’s quirky farming machinery or the robotic constitution of R2-D2.
[via]
.
12 July 2011
.
anybody up for a little harry potter cocktail party?
cause I know I am.
check it:
Combine the ingredients in a pint glass full of ice. Stir lovingly for 30 seconds (or more), and then strain into a cocktail glass.
The Ron Weasley
Ahh, Ron Weasley. A little bit Samwise Gamgee, a little bit everyman. The Ron Weasley started out with the pairing of whiskey (so manly!) and Campari (a bitter, very red Italian liquer). Because Ron is manly, a little bit rough - and a little bit bitter. (I would be, too, if my best friend were the second coming.) The pairing of whiskey and Campari presented me with more than a little bit of trouble, and a lot of drunken, frustrated weekday nights sampling versions of a Ron Weasley that turned out to be absolutley disgusting. I wanted to make my Ron Weasley with Jack Daniels, which is very headstrong young man, but it didn't start to gel until I switched to rye whiskey, which a bit more old-school. But hey - in addition to trying to stay true to the characters, I am also trying to make drinks that taste good. The Ron Weasley owes a little bit to the Old Pal, appropriately, and also a bit to the Blood and Sand - in its essence, it is manly, strong, a bit sweet, and a bit bitter.
The Harry Potter
I will admit that I was completely without direction on the Harry Potter. Harry Potter's friends start off as carricatures and slowly morph into real people, which makes their transition into alcoholic drinks easier, but Harry Potter himself is a bit harder to pin down. It was Rachel who gave me the idea to start Harry off with chocolate - a very familiar, very everyman, very boy-next-door taste. Combine that with butterscotch and you have a sweet, warming cocktail. Add a teeny bit of absinthe and you have something sweet and familiar - with just a hint of something sinister.
anybody up for a little harry potter cocktail party?
cause I know I am.
check it:
The Hermione Granger
Here's what I was thinking when I started thinking about what would go into the Hermione cocktail...Hermione is a strong woman. She's smart, and she's very good at what she does (magic, being a giant deus ex machina), but that doesn't make her any less feminine. The casting agents could hardly have known that Emma Watson would grow from a bushy-haired know-it-all into the beautiful young woman she is today, but it's only appropriate: seventh-year Hermione Granger is both beautiful and intimidatingly smart. The Hermione cocktail is based on a lot of flavors (sloe gin, pomegranate, grapefruit) that are strong and manage to achieve that perfect sweet-tart balance. Together with champagne (fizzy, delicious, feminine without being weak) they combine to form a lovely cocktail.
Hermione Granger1.5 oz sloe gin (get the Plymoth. usually I'm not a big pusher of top-shelf liquors, but trust me: you need the Plymoth. use the cheap sloe gin and this cocktail will taste like medicine.)
1 oz gin
.75 oz Pama pomegranate liqueur
.5 oz red grapefruit juice (Rio star!)
1.5 oz brut champagne
Here's what I was thinking when I started thinking about what would go into the Hermione cocktail...Hermione is a strong woman. She's smart, and she's very good at what she does (magic, being a giant deus ex machina), but that doesn't make her any less feminine. The casting agents could hardly have known that Emma Watson would grow from a bushy-haired know-it-all into the beautiful young woman she is today, but it's only appropriate: seventh-year Hermione Granger is both beautiful and intimidatingly smart. The Hermione cocktail is based on a lot of flavors (sloe gin, pomegranate, grapefruit) that are strong and manage to achieve that perfect sweet-tart balance. Together with champagne (fizzy, delicious, feminine without being weak) they combine to form a lovely cocktail.
Hermione Granger1.5 oz sloe gin (get the Plymoth. usually I'm not a big pusher of top-shelf liquors, but trust me: you need the Plymoth. use the cheap sloe gin and this cocktail will taste like medicine.)
1 oz gin
.75 oz Pama pomegranate liqueur
.5 oz red grapefruit juice (Rio star!)
1.5 oz brut champagne
Combine the ingredients in a pint glass full of ice. Stir lovingly for 30 seconds (or more), and then strain into a cocktail glass.
The Ron Weasley
Ahh, Ron Weasley. A little bit Samwise Gamgee, a little bit everyman. The Ron Weasley started out with the pairing of whiskey (so manly!) and Campari (a bitter, very red Italian liquer). Because Ron is manly, a little bit rough - and a little bit bitter. (I would be, too, if my best friend were the second coming.) The pairing of whiskey and Campari presented me with more than a little bit of trouble, and a lot of drunken, frustrated weekday nights sampling versions of a Ron Weasley that turned out to be absolutley disgusting. I wanted to make my Ron Weasley with Jack Daniels, which is very headstrong young man, but it didn't start to gel until I switched to rye whiskey, which a bit more old-school. But hey - in addition to trying to stay true to the characters, I am also trying to make drinks that taste good. The Ron Weasley owes a little bit to the Old Pal, appropriately, and also a bit to the Blood and Sand - in its essence, it is manly, strong, a bit sweet, and a bit bitter.
Ron Weasley
1.5 oz rye whiskey
.75 oz cherry brandy (I used cherry heering.)
.5 oz campari
.5 oz sweet vermouth
1.0 oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
Directions: same as the Hermione. Make sure you give the ice plenty of time to melt. This one is potent.
Directions: same as the Hermione. Make sure you give the ice plenty of time to melt. This one is potent.
The Harry Potter
I will admit that I was completely without direction on the Harry Potter. Harry Potter's friends start off as carricatures and slowly morph into real people, which makes their transition into alcoholic drinks easier, but Harry Potter himself is a bit harder to pin down. It was Rachel who gave me the idea to start Harry off with chocolate - a very familiar, very everyman, very boy-next-door taste. Combine that with butterscotch and you have a sweet, warming cocktail. Add a teeny bit of absinthe and you have something sweet and familiar - with just a hint of something sinister.
Harry Potter
1 oz vodka
1 oz dark creme de cacoa
1 oz butterscotch schnapps
1/2 oz heavy cream
1/2 tsp absenthe
Directions: See Hermione.
The Luna Lovegood
Luna Lovegood: a little strange, a little spacey, and infinitely lovable. Unaged corn whiskey (also known as moonshine) seemed like the perfect expression of Luna's particular brand of home-grown wackiness. It was only after I made the drink that Garret pointed out to me that Luna means moon, which makes it even more perfect.
Luna Lovegood
8 mint leaves
1.5 oz unaged corn whiskey (I used Georgia Moon)
1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Place the mint and simple syrup in your shaker and muddle. Add the lemon juice and moonshine, fill the shaker with ice, and shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
The Draco Malfoy
I don't know about you, but when I think of a Draco-esque cocktail, I immediately think of a martini. But it couldn't be just a martini: that's boring. One night, while mixing up a test batch of Lunas for the roommate, I had a brilliant idea: pickle juice. I had a jar of pickle juice tucked away in the back of the fridge, hoping that someday at some party I could convince some of my braver friends to do pickleback shots (shot of bacon-infused bourbon, followed by a shot of pickle juice and a chaser of beer. really). Into the mix the pickle juice went, and out came a cocktail that was just like Draco: smooth, sleek, and a little bit nasty.
Draco Malfoy
2 oz gin (or vodka, if you prefer)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz pickle juice (I used the juice of a jar of Claussen Kosher Dill sandwich slices, which are, in my opinion, the very best pickles.)
Stir (or shake) all ingredients together with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Drink deeply. Think evil thoughts. (Lauren, the roommate, came up with a brilliant idea: rimming the martini glass with salt will really bring out the savory flavors in this drink.)
The Neville Longbottom
Tea-infused gin and Pimm's: a little fussy, quintessentially British, and unexpectedly strong.
Tea-Infused Gin
In an airtight jar, combine 1.5 cups of gin and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of English Breakfast tea. Seal the jar, shake once, and allow to sit at room temperature for two hours. After two hours, open the jar and strain out the gin.
Neville Longbottom
1.5 oz tea-infused gin
1 oz Pimm's
.75 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
The Severus Snape
Oh, Snape. Snape is by far my favorite character in the Harry Potter series, played to perfection by Alan Rickman, who is by far my favorite actor. Think about it: in the first book, Snape seems like some generic, greasy, throw-away villain, but then you learn that he's actually this hugely important character upon whom the whole series turns. Remember when you were anxiously awaiting the release of the seventh book, because you had to know whether Snape was good or bad? Well, if you haven't read the books and are waiting for the movie, I won't ruin things for you, but I always knew that Alan Rickman would never betray me like that. And the delicious candy center at the middle of all Snape's turncoatery and snarkery turns out to be...unrequited love, which is one of the most romantic things ever. Snape is J.K.'s true masterpiece.
I held off on making a making a Snape cocktail last time, because how could I ever do him justice? And how could I ever make a cocktail that was an accurate reflection of Snape's personality and actually tasted good? Enter...Fernet Branca. Fernet Branca is a highly bitter, very complicated herbal Italian liqueur, and the very first time I tasted it I knew it was exactly what I need for my Snape. Add to that Blackstrap rum (a very deep, dark, molasses-y dark rum), falernum, and a dash of lavender bitters. Why the lavender? I wanted something floral to remind us of someone else with a floral name who Snape never forgot.
Severus Snape
1.5 oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum
.5 oz falernum
.5 oz Fernet Branca
dash of lavender bitters (I used the Bar Keep Lavender Spice variety.)
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir for thirty seconds, allow to sit for thirty seconds (I'm warning you - this one is strong), and strain into a cocktail glass.
Luna Lovegood: a little strange, a little spacey, and infinitely lovable. Unaged corn whiskey (also known as moonshine) seemed like the perfect expression of Luna's particular brand of home-grown wackiness. It was only after I made the drink that Garret pointed out to me that Luna means moon, which makes it even more perfect.
Luna Lovegood
8 mint leaves
1.5 oz unaged corn whiskey (I used Georgia Moon)
1 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Place the mint and simple syrup in your shaker and muddle. Add the lemon juice and moonshine, fill the shaker with ice, and shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
The Draco Malfoy
I don't know about you, but when I think of a Draco-esque cocktail, I immediately think of a martini. But it couldn't be just a martini: that's boring. One night, while mixing up a test batch of Lunas for the roommate, I had a brilliant idea: pickle juice. I had a jar of pickle juice tucked away in the back of the fridge, hoping that someday at some party I could convince some of my braver friends to do pickleback shots (shot of bacon-infused bourbon, followed by a shot of pickle juice and a chaser of beer. really). Into the mix the pickle juice went, and out came a cocktail that was just like Draco: smooth, sleek, and a little bit nasty.
Draco Malfoy
2 oz gin (or vodka, if you prefer)
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 oz pickle juice (I used the juice of a jar of Claussen Kosher Dill sandwich slices, which are, in my opinion, the very best pickles.)
Stir (or shake) all ingredients together with ice. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Drink deeply. Think evil thoughts. (Lauren, the roommate, came up with a brilliant idea: rimming the martini glass with salt will really bring out the savory flavors in this drink.)
The Neville Longbottom
Tea-infused gin and Pimm's: a little fussy, quintessentially British, and unexpectedly strong.
Tea-Infused Gin
In an airtight jar, combine 1.5 cups of gin and 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of English Breakfast tea. Seal the jar, shake once, and allow to sit at room temperature for two hours. After two hours, open the jar and strain out the gin.
Neville Longbottom
1.5 oz tea-infused gin
1 oz Pimm's
.75 oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
.75 oz simple syrup
Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled glass.
The Severus Snape
Oh, Snape. Snape is by far my favorite character in the Harry Potter series, played to perfection by Alan Rickman, who is by far my favorite actor. Think about it: in the first book, Snape seems like some generic, greasy, throw-away villain, but then you learn that he's actually this hugely important character upon whom the whole series turns. Remember when you were anxiously awaiting the release of the seventh book, because you had to know whether Snape was good or bad? Well, if you haven't read the books and are waiting for the movie, I won't ruin things for you, but I always knew that Alan Rickman would never betray me like that. And the delicious candy center at the middle of all Snape's turncoatery and snarkery turns out to be...unrequited love, which is one of the most romantic things ever. Snape is J.K.'s true masterpiece.
I held off on making a making a Snape cocktail last time, because how could I ever do him justice? And how could I ever make a cocktail that was an accurate reflection of Snape's personality and actually tasted good? Enter...Fernet Branca. Fernet Branca is a highly bitter, very complicated herbal Italian liqueur, and the very first time I tasted it I knew it was exactly what I need for my Snape. Add to that Blackstrap rum (a very deep, dark, molasses-y dark rum), falernum, and a dash of lavender bitters. Why the lavender? I wanted something floral to remind us of someone else with a floral name who Snape never forgot.
Severus Snape
1.5 oz Cruzan Blackstrap Rum
.5 oz falernum
.5 oz Fernet Branca
dash of lavender bitters (I used the Bar Keep Lavender Spice variety.)
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir for thirty seconds, allow to sit for thirty seconds (I'm warning you - this one is strong), and strain into a cocktail glass.
I am very intrigued by The Neville.
tea infused gin?
hello!!
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the most logical thing to do after not doing any running in months, not since this race in fact?
why, wake up at 5:30 am to do a 5k, of course.
and then drink free beer.
lots of beer.
easy peasy.
[the expo the day before the race, taking on a bear: 6:15 am, amanda and heidi wide awake, bethany barely functioning: waiting for the race to start, also waaaaay too early in the morning: after our 5k, watching the runners come in on the 15k, beers in hand: all the runners: ben cashing in: free beer makes us smile: hooray brewery!: living it up, utica style. all photos by amanda and shamelessly stolen off her picasa site]
.
the most logical thing to do after not doing any running in months, not since this race in fact?
why, wake up at 5:30 am to do a 5k, of course.
and then drink free beer.
lots of beer.
easy peasy.
[the expo the day before the race, taking on a bear: 6:15 am, amanda and heidi wide awake, bethany barely functioning: waiting for the race to start, also waaaaay too early in the morning: after our 5k, watching the runners come in on the 15k, beers in hand: all the runners: ben cashing in: free beer makes us smile: hooray brewery!: living it up, utica style. all photos by amanda and shamelessly stolen off her picasa site]
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7 July 2011
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some pictures of our awesome (and free!) mid-century green velveteen sofa.
(complete with kittens)
some pictures of our awesome (and free!) mid-century green velveteen sofa.
(complete with kittens)
it needs to be re-upholstered (although that velveteen ain't looking too bad for 50 or 60 years old), but it's beautifully constructed, solid, extremely comfortable and look at those carved legs!
the woman we got it from told us it was made in north carolina mid-century and used to sit in the waiting room of her father's medical practice in portland, maine.
then she and her husband acquired it and it traveled up and down the east coast, brooklyn, pennsylvania, back to north carolina and then finally to cambridge where, although they love it, they just had a baby and simply didn't have room for it anymore.
enter ben and I.
and balancing it on the back seat/spare tire of our "roller skate" and driving, very carefully, the mile back to our apt while I hold onto whatever I can grab of it and hope there aren't too many potholes.
but we made it back in one piece!
somehow managed to squeeze it into our small room and now are the party center of the apartment!
there may have been some intense yatzee games going on the other night...
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