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Moscato Mule
Here’s a fun twist on the classic Moscow Mule.
2 oz. moscato
1.5 oz. ginger beer
1 oz. vodka
1/2 T. fresh lime juice
Fill a glass with ice (preferably a copper mule mug with crushed ice.) Add all ingredients above and stir. Garnish with a lime wedge.
Cheers!
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The Last Word
This is a classic gin cocktail. I just had The Last Word for the first time in Sedona, AZ. It’s delicious and easy because it’s equal parts of each ingredient which means you can easily make multiple cocktails or even a pitcher full for a party without doing any math. Just shake each cocktail with ice before serving.
3/4 oz gin3/4 oz green Chartreuse
3/4 oz Luxardo liqueur
3/4 oz fresh lime juice
Lime wheel or a twist of lime for a garnish
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with lime.
Cheers!
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Gin and Tonic
I wasn’t a huge fan of tonic until I was introduced to the Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. Classic Tonic Syrup. Mixed with club soda it tastes so much better than prepared tonic water.
Gin & Tonic (BTW these goblets are large so the cocktails pictured are doubles.) 2 oz of Nolet’s gin
.75 oz of Jack Rudy Classic Tonic Syrup
5 oz of club soda
Fresh lime juice. Lately, I’ve been garnishing with a frozen or dehydrated slice of blood orange. After a bit, it will turn your cocktail slightly pink.
Combine ingredients in a goblet filled with ice. Stir gently.
Cheers!
Gin & Tonic with a slice of blood orange -
Things I Love – #5
Sephora Beauty Insider: if you’re a beauty product and make-up junky like me, consider joining the free rewards program at Sephora. Once you accumulate enough points you will be able to select free items and eventually qualify for free two-day shipping. 
Lacôme Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover: gently removes even waterproof eye make-up 
Murad AHA / BHA Exfoliating Cleanser: this cleanser is nice during the winter because it helps to remove dead, flaky skin If your Mom didn’t tell you, I will – NEVER go to bed with make-up on, your skin recovers during the night and it can’t regenerate with dirt, oils and make-up clogging your pores. Your skin will appear dull and prematurely age if you don’t remove your make-up before going to bed. If you don’t believe me, read 6 Awful Things That Happen When You Sleep in Your Make-up.
Garnier Micellar Water: if you are too tired to wash your face, remove your eye make-up then wet multiple cotton pads with micellar water and wipe your face and neck until the last cotton pad is clean 
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Cream: great for mornings since it smooths, brightens and depuffs 
Smashbox Iconic Photo Finish Foundation Primer: fine lines magically disappear and it creates a smooth base for make up to glide over 
Laura Mercier Eye Basic: a great eye primer, I’ve been known to just wear this without any eye shadow 
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat Radiance Perfecting Pen: apply this under eyes, on sides of nostrils and center of chin to brighten your face 
Beauty blender: make this damp and use it to blend in eye primer, concealer, foundation, etc. 
Fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Lip Treatment: this is very moisturizing, I apply it multiple times throughout the day and before I go to bed 
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Old Fashioned
I don’t care for whiskey (Scotch, Bourbon or Rye) but in order to give equal time to those who do, I will have guest cocktail recipes. This Old Fashion recipe comes from our son, Nathan.
2 oz Bulleit Bourbon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 shakes orange bitters
3 shakes Angostura aromatic bitters
1/2 teaspoon of Luxardo cherry syrup
Stir in a shaker with ice.
Pour into a glass with one large ice cube. Garnish with Luxardo cherries.
Cheers!
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Adult Dinner Topics
If you’re under 40, this post isn’t for you… but I guess you can read it for entertainment purposes.
To my friends and family over 40, have you noticed how dinner conversations have evolved over the years? When we were younger we discussed our jobs and our children’s activities like their current sports teams, school fundraisers and birthday parties. Now that we’re older we talk about our medical conditions, medications and retirement plans.
How many people over 40 haven’t heard at least one funny colonoscopy prep story? Like my friend who took the prep in one long drink instead of diluting it with Gatorade and consuming over two hours like the directions indicate. Not a good idea, especially when it’s a Sunday evening and she still had to drive home from the cabin for her Monday morning appointment. Or the person who used red Gatorade as the mixer – note: never eat or drink anything with red dye before a colonoscopy. You will need to reschedule and prep again!
Other fun topics include:
Annual mammograms or other tests as a result of a mammogram like ultrasounds or biopsies. After your first few mammograms it’s really no big deal to flop your breast on the imaging plate. For those of you who are younger, know that mammograms have gotten so much easier! The imaging for dense tissue is so much better now and I swear they don’t squash your breast nearly as hard as they used to when the imaging was lower quality.
Knee and hip replacements, this includes conversations comparing orthopedic surgeons and physical therapy clinics as well as offering up crutches, braces, ice packs or other medical equipment and tips that made the recovery time more bearable.
Favorite chiropractors and massage therapists, including details about the areas being worked on such as “I have chronic pain in my shoulder from that car accident when I was younger” or “my L-4 is giving me trouble again.”
Current medications or supplements (like CoQ10 for heart health and muscle aches – I never heard about this until I was over 50 but everyone older than me seems to know about it!) and foods or beverages that don’t interact well (“No Paloma for me, I’m on a statin.”)
Instead of discussing our jobs, we discuss the benefits of working remotely and our retirement plans. This includes when and where everyone is going to escape the cold winter months and the benefits of renting versus buying, driving versus flying, golf course memberships, etc.
Don’t get me wrong, old people are fun to hang out with… not only are we all well-versed on medications, body parts and diets but we have more disposable income for traveling, going to nice restaurants and drinking great cocktails. And with all of this traveling, eating out and drinking we have a lot to talk about in addition to our aches and pains.
Cheers to getting older! It’s better than the alternative. 😉
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Things I Love – #4
It’s time for spring break. Here are a few essentials to pack in your bag.
Intelligent Nutrients antibacterial spray: this is always in my carry-on bag. 
Intelligent Nutrients Destress Express: I use this to freshen up our hotel room and mist my pillow at night. 
Illesteva Women’s Leonard Sunglasses: This style and color looks good on just about everyone. 
Sunbum sunscreen: I prefer spray sunscreen and this smells like summer. 
Elta MD Skincare UV Clean Boad-Spectrum SPF 46: this face sunscreen is light but has a strong SPF. 
Seafolly Cover-ups: I usually buy a couple of these every spring. 
Tory Burch Miller Sandal: This sandal will go with your swimsuit during the day and your dress at dinner. 
Yeti mug: This keeps my beverage cold by the pool / ocean. It also keeps hot beverages hot, if that’s your thing. 
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French 75
This is a nice before dinner cocktail. It’s a little sweet, so I typically can only drink one.
1 oz gin1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (heat 1 part sugar with 1 part water until sugar is dissolved, chill in the fridge for up to 1 month)
2 oz champagne
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice; combine gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake and strain into a champagne flute or coupe glass.
Top with 2 ounces of champagne and garnish with a lemon twist.
Cheers!
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Being a Vegetarian, Married to a Carnivore
First, I need to clarify, technically I’m a pescatarian. Many people don’t know what that means so often I’ll just say I’m vegetarian to keep things simple. In case you’re wondering, the photo below explains the difference between vegan, vegetarian and pescatarian.
I’ve never liked meat, but growing up in the Midwest I didn’t know any vegetarians and I didn’t realize not eating meat was an option. I would wash my cooked ground beef to remove all the fat and meat taste before adding seasoning. I would marinate my chicken, steak and pork or put it in some sort of sauce to disguise the taste. The idea of eating chicken skin or wings off of a bone made me gag. As I got older I just naturally ate less and less meat. When our daughter tried a 30-day vegan diet several years ago I learned A LOT about protein – how much we really need and the huge variety of protein sources. I enjoyed researching new recipes, reading labels and creating things like fresh vegetables and pasta with a cashew “cheese” sauce.
Our daughter has been vegan for a couple of years which made it even easier for me to go vegetarian. (I was the easy-going one because I would eat foods prepared with milk or cheese.) If you know us, you know we enjoy going to restaurants for great cocktails and dinner at least a couple times each week. Quickly I discovered that many vegetarian options in restaurants would be things like fettucine alfredo with broccoli or something deep fried like eggplant parmesan. Not the healthiest options, and as someone who is lactose sensitive and gets sick from deep fried foods they aren’t an option… So, I decided I would include fish in my diet when we went out to eat since most restaurants offer a simple fish dish or at the very least a shrimp cocktail and a salad.
Luckily, my husband is very easy going and will eat just about anything I make myself for dinner and he’ll just grill a chicken breast, pork chop or steak to eat on the side. On the other end of the spectrum, our son has recently invested in a Yoder Smoker Pellet Grill. Most of his meals are centered around meat and he considers most vegetables and fruit as garnishes. The upside of having such diverse diets in our family is everyone has learned how to cook.
If you’re interested in reducing the amount of meat in your diet (Meatless Mondays, perhaps?), I have a lot of meatless and vegan recipes on my Pinterest page.
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Tequila Bees Knees
2 parts tequila of your choice (blanco or reposado are both good)
1 part honey
1 part fresh lemon juice (room temp)
Dry shake (no ice) until the honey is incorporated. If you add ice before shaking, your honey will not blend.
Then add ice and shake well until you get a little froth.
Strain into a coupe glass. (Although, I prefer it served on the rocks.)
Cheers!