December Daily-Cocktails and Cookies

Sprouts had beautiful and delicious blackberries ridiculously cheap so I decided to use some of them in the weekend's cocktails.  Friday I made what sorta resembles the Blackberry Bourbon Smash.  I used a sugar cube and lemon juice because I didn't have any plain simple syrup or limes.  I muddled the sugar, lemon juice and blackberries together then added bourbon, crushed ice then topped with a craft soda I had handy cause I didn't want to open something else.  I also didn't have mint, so there was no garnish or extra flavors.  It was very tasty so I made myself a second one-cause that's what you do right?!

Yesterday I muddled the blackberries and topped with prosecco, it really didn't need anything else. 

Today we Mary, Katie, Polly and I gathered at Karen's to bake lebkuchen and exchanged cookies.  The holiday favorites were well represented with the candy cane cookies, orange balls, short bread snowflakes, orange spice cookies, spritz, oatmeal/cranberry, rugelach, gingerbread, hay stacks, chocolate bark, and M&M cookies.

While our family has always exchanged cookies during the holidays last year was our first year to bake the lebkuchen together. 

Charlie also joined us this year and I think he enjoyed "shopping" for cookies to take home!  

And as always there was great food and company.

December Daily- Cheers and Cheerful Greetings

At lunch I went to Tuesday Morning [again], I was hoping to find a tree topper and candles for the mantle, but didn't see anything that would work.  The other day I saw some lovely Spode China Christmas pieces, and sorta passed by as I don't really need Christmas dishes and having everything exactly the same isn't quite the look I'm going for; HOWEVER, today I saw the Spode stemless wine glasses and my resistance failed me.  I also saw a regular glass in the same pattern and decided I'd get one of each so I'd have something special to use during the holidays.  I'm sooo tempted to go back and see if they have a few more of both styles so that I can use them when we have company.  I can't decide-I did make a festive cocktail in the glass using my first batch of homemade gin. 

 Pretty tasty- the cocktail recipe includes:

1 oz of spiced simple syrup
1/2 oz of lemon juice
2 oz of gin
top with ginger beer
Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice-shake then serve over crushed ice. Not too bad!

The botanicals I used for the gin are:

2 T Juniper berries
2 Star Anise
2 Cardamon pods
2 Black peppercorns
2 cinnamon sticks
The recipe also called for coriander seed, but I only had ground, and wasn't sure how it would impact the taste.  I look forward to trying other combinations such as lavender, lemon and rosemary.

So far we've gotten 3 cards-2 have been from the UK-I love the stamp withe silhouette of the Queen and the other of the traditional red post box.  I hope to get some of my cards out this weekend, but we shall see- I need to do some baking and hopefully some knitting.  Happy Friday and Cheers!