Cocktails Archives - Page 2 of 2 - A Golden Afternoon: Simplified Home Living

Cocktail: Elderflower + Limoncello

We are gearing up for school around here. I have been slowly cleaning out every area of my house to get a fresh start. I don’t want anything hanging over my head when I start teaching my baby-girl mid-August. I know I will have less time for projects and for doing my crazy organizing of thing constantly, but I’m excited! I am learning from myself in the past and getting a jump on it now. I know we will have a blast and now that I’m mostly done with my lessons plans, I’m not quite sure why kids go to school for 8 hours. This was one of those things that bothered me during the school year when I sent my baby girl to school for the whole day and only saw her for a few hours. Even in those few hours, she was exhausted. I’ve been doing a lot of reading about Charlotte Mason’s methods over the last few years and am really pumped to open up the eyes of my wee ones to the wonders of God in every day life…math and writing included! I’m even more pumped that they aren’t confined to a desk and they can learn the way they were meant to…through experience. Plus, they can learn the ay that is best for just them and not the way an entire class full of kids does. Hooray!

Today, I went on a date with my sweet girl to get her school supplies! I love walking into Target and seeing the organized rows of supplies. Huge breath in…and…enjoy (think Meg Ryan in “You’ve Got Mail” about her “bouquet of sharpened pencils”). I just love Target in the Fall…er…summer (thank you year-round schools!). It made me think of how much I loved getting my annual see-through binder to then later stuff with pictures/stuff and my row of Ticonderoga pencils. My mom was reminding me of my Hello Kitty trashcan I used to have on my desk in elementary school. Awesome. I saw a little red metal one and I REALLY wanted it. Would that be weird?

Either way, I made a summer drink to keep your summer going…ready for school?

This drink is a perfect summer drink because it’s super simple to mix up for friends and uses white wine which is usually always open, right?

Elderflower Refresher

(adapted from Mix Shake Stir)

3 oz white wine

1 oz Elderflower Liqueur

1 oz limoncello

soda water to fill glass

ice

mint for garnish

Add all ingredients to glass of ice and add mint.

Sit down, turn some awesome music on, and enjoy whoever is next to you.

Cocktail: Blood Orange Margarita

Hello, Summer. You have been quite lovely of late. You are lovin’ on my garden with sweet sun kisses and my tomatoes and strawberries are therefore becoming more awesome every day. If you could just slow down a little that would be great, too.

Blood Orange Margarita

(adapted from Mix Shake Stir by Danny Meyer’s-love this book!)

1 1/2 oz Tequila

3/4 oz Orange Liqueur

3/4 oz Lemon juice

3/4 oz Lime juice

3/4 oz blood orange juice

2 oz simple syrup

ice

salt, flakes (I used kosher because that’s all I had)

slice of blood orange for garnish

Run a lime around the rim of the glass and dip in salt. Add all ingredients to your shaker with ice. Shake for a few then pour in your glass. Add garnish and hand over to a friend with a smile.

“Black and Blue”

I am loving these fruit drinks this summer, especially since fruit in our garden is abundant! We’ve been super busy lately with end of school things so, I have particularly enjoyed winding down with a drink like this. It has just the right amount of rum for a mama of 3, while still not going over the top :) These fruit drinks are also really easy to make for groups or dinner company.

“Black and Blue”

4 Blackberries
15 Blueberries
1 oz lemon juice
1 sprig of mint
1 1/2 oz simple syrup
2 1/2 oz white rum
ice to fill shaker

Muddle the berries and mint together with the lemon juice. Add the simple syrup, rum, and ice. Shake for a minute, pour over a few more pieces of ice, and enjoy!