Vintage Cocktail Recipe: the Moscow Mule

Have you ever had a Moscow Mule? It is delicious and pretty easy to make. However, having it in a copper mug adds a degree of deliciousness, so I would recommend buying a pair.

To make a Moscow Mule you need:

• 2 ounce of vodka
• 8 ounces of ginger beer (this is a soda, not an alcoholic beer)
• 1 tsp of simple syrup
• 2 ounces of lime juice
• ice
• mint and lime to garnish

Put ice in the copper mug and pour vodka in first. Next put in the lime juice and simple syrup. Lastly top off with ginger beer.
Delicious!

Enjoy and drink responsibly. 

Converting clip on earrings to hook earrings, part 1

In honor of March is Craft Month I deiced to take on a few projects. One of those is turning my grandma's collection of clip on earrings to wearable dangle earrings with a hook. My grandma never had her ears pierced but loved earrings. I have my ears pierced but never wear earrings. This about to change. I just inherited my grandma's earring collection. I have at least six tackle boxes full of earrings.

My grandma passed away while I lived in Glasgow back in 2005. My grandpa held on to these, and I got them recently, after his death in November. My grandpa was one of my most favorite people on the planet and even writing this post makes me misty eyed. I got a lot to remind me of my grandpa, but these are special. You see he was a boat maker by trade, but he also made and fixed jewelry, mainly for my grandma. Once I start my jewelry business, he kept telling me if I moved back to Detroit, we would go in business together. And man, I wish I did.

Anyway, I want to show the process of turning her clip-on earrings to wearable earrings for me. I find clip-ons horribly uncomfortable. So, this is my easy post, my next one will involve a dremel and Keith helping me to get the backs off these things.

First, I got out my supplies. I picked out my favorite, easy to change earrings, two hooks and my trusty pliers.

I removed the jump ring (the circle connector), careful not to bend it, because I wanted to reuse them. Then I removed the clip on.

I attached the hook to the jump ring.

 Carefully reattach to the earring, closing the jump ring tight, so you do not lose the earring.

Done!

Me showing off the earrings, excuse the disaster that I am today.

That was easy enough, right? Well, watch for part 2 which I promise will be an adventure for all of us.

Welcome 2014! (And a drink recipe)

I am excited for 2014. I feel like it's going to be a good year. One full of possibilities and changes for the better. I am still confirming my resolutions, so I haven't been able to start any. However, I have decided I need to read over 15 books this year and write at least 200 pages of anything. I need to get my creativity back. 

Anyway, Keith and I rang in the New Years very low key. We watched movies and hung out on the couch. It was kind of really fun. Keith and I decided to have a dinner of appetizers and we made several different kinds of drinks. We decided on several "vintage" cocktails, including the Pink Lady. The Pink Lady has been around for awhile. During Prohibition (1920-1933) it was already well known. Traditionally, pink lady is made with egg whites, however I found a recipe that didn't use it.

Here is the recipe we used:

• 1 and 1/2 ounces of gin
• 1/4 ounce of grenadine
• 3/4 ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce heavy cream
• Shaker of ice

 

Pour one shot glass of heavy cream in the shaker with ice. 

After rinsing out the shot glass, pour a full shot of gin, then half a shot. Add to the shaker

Keith measured out ounces using my teaspoons. To get 1/4 ounce I used 1 and a half teaspoons of grenadine. 

 Shake and strain into a cocktail glass. 

 

Enjoy! But be careful these are tasty and kind of strong. Also, its a cream drink which can be heavier then other cocktails. As always, drink responsibly. 

I hope 2014 is great for everyone and you visit back here often. We will have more posts in the up coming year! Hooray!

Recipe: Pimms' Cup

So, I have a friend who swears by Pimms no. 1. I have never tried it before. I think the only time I really even considered purchasing it, was in this small booze shop in Scotland when I lived there and I was looking at things I had no idea what it was. After passing it for a small, teeny whiskey bottle which was gross, I kind of forgot about it until recently. Keith got me a book, which mentioned Pimms and I decided it was time to try it.

I know, Pimms is suppose to be a more summery drink. That being said, it was in the mid-40s yesterday!! 40S!!! So, of course after walking around without a coat on, it felt like summer. Keith and I whipped up a few Pimms' Cups.

Here's how:

1 and a half ounces of Pimms No. 1
A lemon Lime soda

Ready? It's so hard.... Mix them in a cup. We added an ice cube and some mint and cucumber for garnish. Then enjoy responsibly.

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! My resolution is to post more in the new year, so let's hope I stick to it!

Chicago visit

Two posts in one weekend? GET OUT! I know. I am really trying to get out cleaning my apartment and sorting through household stuff to donate or save. So, I am distracting myself by playing on the internet, and looking through photos from last weekend.

Keith and I went to Chicago for the weekend. We live in the burbs, and we are really itching to get back to the city. We rented a hotel room one block away from the Mag Mile and our adventure began. On Friday we attended a wedding of a friend at a neat venue full of old things for sale. After falling in LOVE with 1930s art deco lamps for $400 a pair, that Keith sweetly talked me out of, we had a blast.

This was the neat-o venue.

 Look at this dream boat

 I seem so unsure about this.. 

Ah, screw it, they had wine. (really, I was getting wine for someone.) the pillars behind me formed a cool room with a vintage couch and coffee tables. The also had a skeeball machine, which Keith told me when we are rich we can have. 

 Anyway, if you are in Chicago and have some money burning a hole in your pocket or just want to see really cool things, you should look into Salvage One. It was pretty neat.