While it has seemed more like January than June lately here in Seattle, I have high hopes the sun we’ve had the last two days will return after this impending week of rain that starts tomorrow. In the meantime, I’m going to milk this sunshine for all it’s worth and that means a Moscow Mule, which is one of my favorite summer cocktails. Refreshingly citrusy and lightly spiced, I love the traditional recipe. But usually when I make them at home they are topped with a splash of pomegranate juice. Some say the Moscow Mule was created in the late 40s to boost sales of ginger beer. Some say it was to introduce vodka more fervently to the American public. Some say it was to do both. Whatever the reason, this cocktail has endured through the years for its great taste and simplicity. It’s like an ice cold gust of wind on a sweltering summer day. Ah!
A note about the mugs. Traditionally, this drink is served in a copper mug. If you can, get some. They keep the cocktail super cold and add a little whimsy. Earlier this year a girlfriend and I spent a weekend at our friends’ home in Napa where one of our hosts, Jay, made Moscow Mules served in these great fab mugs below. I quickly asked where he got them and was tickled to find out they had been a gift from a mutual friend. You can find them online from Napa Style. I love everything about them – the hammered exterior, the shape and the fact they have no handle! They are simply perfect for this perfect summer cocktail.
Victoria’s Moscow Mule
makes 2
Fill two copper mugs half way with ice. Into each glass add:
1 oz. vodka, the juice of half a lime, ¾ cup of ginger beer {my favorite is Rachel’s Ginger Beer handcrafted in Seattle} and a splash of pomegranate juice. Stir. Garnish with a lime slice and sprig of mint.
After three years of trying to find time on busy NYC weekend visits, finally made it to the Brooklyn Flea. It was a spectacular Sunday afternoon in Williamsburg with my high school friend Theres with the sun shining, the waves lapping the shoreline and the skyline of Manhattan glistening. All of the local artisan food smelled fabulous but my only indulgence that day was some great hand crafted soda from Brooklyn Soda Works and a blueberry apricot popsicle from People’s Pops, who makes pops and shave ice using available fresh, local fruit. Yum! Both were the perfect things for a warm spring day. There are so many great things to see, buy and eat at the Flea. Antiques, jewelry, furniture, clothing, art. My favorite purchases of the day were from Brooklyn-based ceramic artist Susannah Tisue: two mugs, one with a hand-painted fawn and the other, a graceful baby bird. They took my breath away. You really must check her work out! Thanks, Brooklyn, for a fab afternoon!
It is my favorite city in the country. For it’s rich history, incredible architecture, depth of culture and art. I posted on Facebook last week that sometimes its sheer magnitude and beauty stops me in my tracks and makes me cry. For five days last week, I did something I really had not done in a long time…leisurely wander around with my camera. It was fantastic. The weather could have cooperated a bit more, but you take what you can get. Every time I’m in the city I try to check something off my ‘do in NYC’ list. This trip I ticked off several firsts: Brooklyn Flea, NYC Public Library main branch, run Central Park, visit Liberty and Ellis Islands {hard to believe I’ve never done this in all my trips, I know}, and walk the Brooklyn Bridge. In the coming days I’ll post my favorites pictures from this visit. I love walking the streets of NYC, and while I’m often drawn to it’s classic architecture and detail, this time it was the modern buildings that kept speaking to me. Hope you enjoy these photographs taken from Midtown.
Three weeks ago I finally joined the party…the kale smoothie party. Got tired of drinking protein shakes in the morning that, regardless of what I added to them, always had the after taste of chalk. Blech. So now I’m downing these and one hard boiled egg when I get up. Let’s face it, I am the worst breakfast eater. Which is weird because I love me a big egg and meat breakfast – and I’m talking about all the pork products: ham, bacon, sausage…and if you threw some corned beef hash at me, oh baby. But really, unless I start training 5 hours a day and get some regular angioplasty, I can’t eat like that except maybe a couple times a month. I’m never really too hungry in the morning so breakfast has to be quick and easy: high fiber cereal, hard boiled egg, yogurt…all pretty boring. Everyone seems to have different takes on their kale smoothies. As you can see, mine’s pretty red, because of the strawberries but also because I’m lazy – I use prewashed, prepackaged baby kale leaves which have a lot of red veining in it.
Kale is a good source of vitamins A, C, and K, beta carotene and lutein. It also is said to have good anti-inflamatory nutrients, which I like since I’m starting to run a lot, and is rich in antioxidants. Sometimes I sub 1 cup of kale for spinach just for a little boost of iron and some added protein.
Don’t be afraid. Give this a try. Mike did last week after days of me goading him. I could tell it pained him to admit he like it. I bet you will, too! Oh, and in case you’re curious…no, I have not broken down yet and bought a Vitamix. I use my regular, ice crushing blender and it works just fine for this.
Kale Kiwi Berry Smoothie
makes 2 – 8 oz. drinks
1 cup ice
½ cup frozen blueberries
3 cups kale, packed
1 kiwi, peeled and quartered
1 cup strawberries, halved
1 cup apple juice
Place all ingredients into a blender in order listed. Pulse until ice is crushed then puree until well combined and liquified. Pour into two glasses and serve.
It has been a spectacular weekend in Seattle. With all of the outdoor activities slated for the past few days, Mother Nature was so kind to us. The city of Seattle has been preparing for something special in 2012 for several years, the 50th anniversary of the 1962 World’s Fair. The official kick-off for six months of celebration called The Next 50 was yesterday on the Seattle Center grounds. It truly was a wonderful, festive start but perhaps the best thing to come from all of this revelry is the revitalization of the Center, which for so many years now has been deteriorating and, well, looking a little scruffy. Buildings have been revamped, the grounds are beautiful and new installations have blossomed. I hope this area will once again be a magnet for tourism {besides the obvious and perpetual draw of the Space Needle} and a place where people will gather to enjoy culture, arts, and beautiful green space. I’m excited for two upcoming arrivals: the King Tut exhibit starting on May 24th and the opening of the Chihuly Garden + Glass, slated to open toward the end of May. And please visit a great photojournalistic exhibit in the International Fountain Pavilion featuring the work my friend Davis Freeman, Looking Forward: The New Heroes. The photos and videos produced by filmmakers Lindsay Martin and Noah Dassel highlight 12 international young social entrepreneurs, all under the age of 30, who are making significant contributions to the world. Come to the Center, spend some time, visit the exhibits, walk the grounds, look up, look down. You might find things that have been there for years you’ve never really noticed. Explore the old; wander in amazement at everything new. But make sure you go!
veehive 