Cocktail of the Month -- Glory Blossom Bourbon Slushies

September is almost over, and soon October will be here, and I will have to admit that it is Fall. But until that time, I am still pretending it's summer, and I am still enjoying this summery drink. Perfect for a porch party. Or just because.

I came across this awesome grown-up slurpy back in April 2013, when I was randomly selected as one of two people to join the Deen Brothers in judging a cooking contest. This marvelous concoction, created by one Kristi Forbes, was the unanimous winner in the beverage category.

Here I am with the guys after we enjoyed our Glory Blossoms. (Jamie may or may not have gone back for seconds. I may or may not have done that also.)

GLORY BLOSSOM BOURBON SLUSHIES

1 (12 oz) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

2 (12 oz) cans frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

2 cups strong tea

2 cups bourbon

2 cups peach schnapps

1 1/2 cups sugar

7 cups water

1 (2 liter) bottle 7-Up, optional

1 jar maraschino cherries, optional

Mix everything together (minus the optional ingredients), stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Freeze.  (I freeze it in two 13x9 pans. The shallower your liquid, the faster it will freeze.  Mix it up in the morning; it will be ready mid-afternoon.) Don't worry if it seems frozen solid. It melts into a drinkable, slurpable consistency fairly quickly. 

When ready to serve, scrape the slush out into a large bowl or pitcher. Allow guests (or self) to fill individual glasses with slush, topping with 7-Up and a cherry, if desired. Leftovers can be frozen in individual mason jars, which make for great impromptu cocktails.

Just be careful--these can pack a punch! But it's a pretty punch.

In fact, I just might have to try some while making my daughter's birthday dinner...

Yup, still good.

Cocktail of the (Last) Month -- Pear & Sparkling Apple Cider Bourbon Punch

For our festive Thanksgiving drink, we first tried out a Fig & Ginger Bourbon Fizz, which, I am sorry to say, did not turn out to be as delicious as I had expected. This is quite possibly because we did not use fresh figs, but rather some semi-dried ones. The fig flavor did not transfer at all. Sigh.

Next, we attempted a Pear & Sparkling Cider Bourbon Punch, and that was a hit.  It was enjoyed by men and women alike, and it would be simple to make a non-alkie version for the kids in your midst. Ours eyeballed the bunch rather thirstily, so next time I will make a virgin batch as well.

Pear & Sparkling Cider Bourbon Punch

2 cups pear nectar

2 cups sparkling apple cider

2 cups seltzer water

1/2 cup bourbon*

1 bosc pear, sliced, for garnish

Pour all liquids into a pitcher and slowly stir.  Pour into highball glasses filled with ice and garnish with a slice of pear.

*I will say that the Gutsy Dad inferred that, had my grandfather been present, he would have asked "Is there any booze in this thing?" For this reason, it is likely that I will up the bourbon amount next go round.

Cocktail of the Month: White Wine Peach Sangria

It's been a while since we've talked booze.  Well, let me clarify that.  It's been a while since we've talked booze on the blog.  It's a pretty regular topic of discussion in our household, especially in the summer. 

So.  I've got the perfect summer punch for you.  This is a riff off of a DELICIOUS white wine sangria that my beautiful friend Alicia made as the "appetizer" drink for my Baby #3 shower back in Kansas.  I could not fully enjoy it back then of course, being great with child, so I was pretty excited to remember it this summer.

Made a double batch of this for a pool party last week, and it was a hit.  Made a single batch of it for me and the Gutsy Dad the following night--also a hit.  Though, honestly, one batch is quite a lot of alcohol for just two people.  I'm wondering if you could store leftovers in the fridge and enjoy it the next day...

White Wine Peach Sangria Punch

one bottle white wine (750ml), I like to use cheap Pinot Grigio

one can of Fresca

12 oz vanilla vodka

12 oz peach nectar

frozen peaches

frozen raspberries

Assembly is easy.  Get out a big pitcher or bowl.  Pour in the bottle of wine.  Pour in the can of Fresca. Fill the Fresca can with vanilla vodka and dump it in.  Fill the Fresca can with peach nectar and dump it in.  (My peach nectar came in a larger bottle.  If you can find it in 12 oz cans, then you're all set.)  Add in the frozen fruits -- they help kick start the cooling of the punch.  Use as much or as little as you like when it comes to the fruits.  I had one bag of each that lasted for the three aforementioned batches of this recipe.  I think it is always nice to have a lot of yummy fruit in there, but this is also because I love to eat the drunken fruit.  Keep the pitcher chilled until ready to serve.  Fill glasses with ice, pour, and enjoy.

Of course you can use fresh fruit.  But that's pretty labor intensive for a summer drink, don't you think?

You recall how my man loves his girly drinks?  This one is no exception.

P.S. The wine glass in the first two pictures is from Curly Girl Designs.  I love love LOVE the things she designs.  I have four of her cards clipped to drawers in my creative space.  When Jillson saw my wine glass she said "you have that card upstairs!"  I'm always amazed at the details kids pick up.  The artwork on my wine glass is this one.  But I also love this one.

Cocktail of the Month: Beergaritas

You may recall that February was the month I started working again. It was, shall we say, a little hectic and thus called for a no-nonsense, workhorse of a cocktail.  And let me tell you this. The beergarita did not disappoint.

In theory, these sounded completely disgusting. In practice, these were completely delicious. And they are the least fussy cocktail in my repertoire.

You may be familiar with beergaritas already. They are all over the internet, Pinterest included. Some call them Texas margaritas, some call them ghettoritas. I know a woman named Meg from our Germany days who brought these to many a party and called them Megoritas. Call them what you will; I think you'll agree there's nothing highbrow here.

And sometimes, that is just what a hard day calls for. If tough days call out for a glass of wine, the really hectic ones call out for beergaritas.

As with regular margaritas there are thousands of variations on the basic idea of adding beer to a margarita-like drink. The ratio of beer to tequila varies widely. Most agree that frozen limeade is necessary. The Deen brothers would have you add orange juice, as would I. 

We experimented with a few different factors and came up with our own favorite ratio.  But the components here are so strong--each one vying for attention--that chances are you might need to adjust to suit your tastes. Will you favor a more beery flavor or more tequila? Something sweeter or something more sour?

If you like margaritas as much as I do, I can assure you you will enjoy discovering your perfect, personal beergarita recipe. Use mine as a rough guide in getting started.  

Beergaritas

12 oz beer (we liked Corona best)

8 oz tequila

1 12-oz can of frozen limeade

4 oz orange juice

extra ice, optional

Dump everything in the blender and give it a whirl, with or without extra ice.  If you like frozen margaritas, add the extra ice so you'll get a slushy drink. If you prefer things on the rocks, leave out the optional ice. The frozen limeade will of course still make things a bit slushy, but not too slushy, so you can still easily enjoy over ice.

We ended up doing both inadvertently and liked the results.  The Gutsy Dad loves the strong taste of limeade; I was happy to cut it back a bit with the added shaved iced.

As a final note, we stored leftovers in a tupperware and whirled them up again the next night with freshly shaved ice. 

Cocktail of the Month: Mango Ginger Champagne Cocktails

While these were a perfect fit for Easter, the truth is we've been enjoying these off and on for a few months. I credit my mom for finding the original recipe (from Sandra Lee) and my dad for being the mix-master on these. 

Fresh ginger makes all the difference here.  I was worried it would overwhelm the flavor of the cocktail, but it really doesn't. The flavor profile is really nicely balanced: a little tangy mango nectar, a little bit of perky ginger, a little rummy, and a little bubbly.

Mango-Ginger Champagne Cocktail

2 shots mango rum (I assume this means about 3 oz total; we used Malibu brand)

2 shots mango nectar (I assume this means about 3 oz total; we used Looza brand)

1 tsp freshly grated ginger

champagne

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add rum, nectar, and ginger. Shake gently and then strain, pouring into a martini glass. Top with champagne. (If you are making more than one drink, and I certainly hope you are,  work in batches. Grate the necessary ginger first. Mix and pour the drinks one by one, but wait until you've strained the whole round before topping each with champagne.)

Enjoy!

(I know, I know. I still owe you February's drink.)

Cocktail of the Month: Grasshoppers

Dearest Friends,

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the planet, but I will admit that these days I feel as if I have!  Life is still so good.  It seems to just get better and better really.  (I am such a lucky girl.)  But it is busy as all get out around here.

I also am happy to admit two things: (1) I am really enjoying my new job and the sense of accomplishment it is providing me and (2) I am also enjoying the crazy balancing act of it all, which is reminding me somehow of my senior year in high school and/or my senior year in college.  I've got a pan in every fire and I'm looking forward to a great feast.

I am NOWHERE NEAR done figuring out the new rhythms of my daily life now that I've started to work part time.  I was certainly expecting a little shake-up, but if I am being honest, I feel like the havoc that has been wreaked on my schedule (is wreaked a word?) is completely disproportionate to the changes I've made.  A few hours of work here, a few hours there, and suddenly entire days are a mad rush, or are all kerplooey.

It's okay.  I actually like that feeling.

Plus, I know my feathers will be smoothed out again eventually.  We're just in an adjustment period.  I have high hopes that when the dust settles (ridiculous mix of metaphors, sorry) I can return more regularly to many happy hobbies (blogging, scrapping, my beloved photography projects). 

For now I am sticking to the basics, recognizing that I need to concentrate on other matters.

THAT SAID.

It has come to my attention that at least two of you missed having a February Cocktail of the Month.  I do have one up my sleeve.  It's been tested and needs a little tweaking.  I hope to post my make-up February cocktail before we get to April.

But let's skip ahead to March.

March needed to be simple if anything at all.  I wanted it to be green for St. Patrick's Day and I wanted it to appeal to my husband on his birthday.

Inspired by his favorite (non-homemade) cookie, the Thin Mint, I decided to try the Grasshopper.  It's an after-dinner treat if ever there was one.

These were tested by yours truly, the Gutsy Dad, my parents, and our dear friend Hutch.  Though the color was a bit medicinal in quality, the taste was sublime.

(The Gutsy Dad and I also enjoyed these on a subsequent evening before dinner.  Bath time with the kids was a hoot that night.)

Grasshopper

1 oz. creme de menthe (green)

1 oz. creme de cacao (clear)

1.5 oz heavy cream (yes, heavy)

Pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake the heck out of it.  Strain into a glass and enjoy.  Smooth and creamy, chocolatey and minty.  Yum.

Cocktail of the Month: Pina Colada

If you think last month's cocktail sounded too complicated to try (it really isn't!), then you will love this one. No rocket science here, nor no recreation of the wheel. Just simple yumminess.

There are only three things in a proper pina colada: rum, coconut, and pineapple.  

Most recipes favor pineapple juice, but I find this too sweet.  I decided to use pureed, fresh pineapple and loved the result.  (I did not strain the puree, so technically this is a pina non colada, or something like that.)

For the coconut, you are looking for "cream of coconut." Not coconut juice or coconut milk or coconut cream.  Rather than scouring the Thai or Indian or Ethnic aisle of your grocery store, head to the "mixers" section instead, where the margarita mixes and such are.  There you should find several cream of coconut options, none of which (I am sorry to say) are low-cal or low-fat.  At least fat derived from coconuts is a relatively healthy fat... But I digress.  I opted for a brand with a squeeze bottle so that storing leftovers would be easy. (It is.)

I've used both dark rum and golden rum recently. I'm sure light rum would also be just smashing.

Finally, I did use my margarita blender for these, which is a fancy blender that first shaves the ice before blending it in with whatever you have in your blender. I highly recommend shaved ice for a pina colada, but if you don't have a way to shave your ice, you can easily use a regular blender, or even just shake your ingredients and serve on the rocks. The cocktail is so yummy that you needn't hold back on trying it due to lack of shaved ice.

Pina Colada

Makes 1 large serving

1 cup fresh pineapple, finely diced

2 oz. cream of coconut

1.5 oz. rum

Place the pineapple, cream of coconut, and rum in the blender. Fill the hopper on your ice shaver with ice, make sure your settings are for one serving, and let 'er rip.  (If you are using a standard blender, my guess is that you would be need about 1 cup of ice. You might need to play with it to get the correct proportions.)

Can easily be made virgin style (which I did for Madelyn and Jillson) simply by substituting something else for the rum. Any juice or water would be fine; I happened to use milk. Jillson loved it; Madelyn prefers her fresh pineapple unadulterated.

I think pina coladas are a great choice for the dead of winter, providing a sweet, little, tropical escape in a glass. Ahhhhhhhh!

Fitness & Fun Projects for 2012

FITNESS

You didn't think I'd contemplate the new year without addressing this topic, did you?

Of course I have fitness plans. Very specific ones. The final kid has been grown and birthed and is now happily nursing away. I'm ready to whip this body back into shape once and for all and keep it there. I've been thinking back to the fittest times in my life, and I know what I need to do to get back there again.

1) The shedding of pounds. It's time to get realistic in this area. At least 20 need to go. Up to 35 could go, frankly. I'd settle for anything in that range. Yes, my friends, it's Weight Watchers time again. I almost hate to do it (I am better than that), but it's a necessary evil. Once the weight is gone, I will focus on a more realistic way of eating. But, truly, as far as eating plans go, WW can be done in a super-healthy, super-sustainable way.

2) Remember how buff and strong I was thanks to all those Body Pump classes I took before we moved from Kansas to Georgia? Yeah. I miss those muscles. I miss being freakishly strong. I need to work more strength and core training back into my routine.

3) I am dying, DYING to run the Rock N Roll Half Marathon here in Savannah in November 2012. This is a totally achievable goal. I can't wait to sit down with a calendar and my Hal Higdon training schedule and map it all out. I'm thinking the Army 10-miler might work in as a perfect long run? Having run a 5K on Thanksgiving morning, I've got my sights set on running a 10K as my immediate goal... can't wait to pick and choose and plan and schedule and TRAIN!

4) To help me through all this, I will be playing along with Cathy Zielske's Move More Eat Well class. Can't wait for tomorrow!

FUN

1) At the request of the Gutsy Dad, I will be committing to a full year of Cocktails of the Month. We've enjoyed this sporadically, and now it's time to get serious! Plus, my husband secretly loves chick drinks, I mean cocktails, so you can be sure the monthly choosing and testing will be a couple's endeavor.

2) Date night! Around the first of the month, each month, the Gutsy Dad and I are going to look over our calendars and pick a night. We've done this the last two months and it has made such a difference to have at least one night without the kiddos. It helps that we have several great babysitter options: my parents and a neighborhood family with 4 awesome teenagers.

LASTLY

I did it! My very own "December Daily." I posted something here every day this month. I didn't want to say it was my goal to do so--didn't want to jinx it--just wanted to do it. And I did! This bodes well for my laundry list of 2012 projects, no?

Love,

The GM

Cocktail of the Month: Cranberry-Lime Gin & Tonics

The kids have been out of school for a week. The presents are wrapped, the excitement level is ramping up, and we even survived yesterday's Christmas Pageant dress rehearsal and birthday party for Jesus. Awww yeah, baby. It's definitely cocktail time. 

You may recall that the Gutsy Dad and I are both fans of the good ol' G&T. Along with Pimm's Punch, it's our summertime quaff of choice. So it will come as no surprise that while I was surfing around looking for something to do with leftover cranberries, I became pretty excited when I found this recipe.

Pressing the cranberries through a sieve takes a few minutes, but it is so worth it. Don't let the preparation of the cranberries deter you from trying this recipe. You can do it, and you'll thank me later.

I halved this recipe since there were only two of us to enjoy it, and it made enough for each of us to have 2, almost 3 drinks. They were so yummy that we found this task to be a pleasure. If you are making these for 4 or more peeps, then I would definitely go with the full recipe, as below.

Cranberry-Lime Gin & Tonics

(adapted slightly from the original recipe, found here.)

makes 10 drinks

2 (12 oz) bags of fresh cranberries

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

3 1/3 cups chilled tonic water

1 1/4 cups gin

3 tbsp plus 1 tsp fresh lime juice

Bring cranberries, sugar, and water, to a simmer in a large saucepan. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the berries pop and the syrup begins to thicken slightly, about 5 minutes. Drain the cranberries through a fine-mesh sieve set over a 1-quart glass measuring cup (or a glass bowl), collecting the syrup in the glass. Working in batches, force the berries through the sieve into the syrup. (I used a full jar of jam to smoosh the berries through the sieve. You'll basically be left with the skins in the sieve, and a thick, gorgeously red, puree-like cranberry goop gathering in your glass below.) Toss the skins.

Transfer the strained cranberry goodness to a pitcher and chill until cold. (I stuck mine in the freezer for 20 minutes or so. The original recipe recommends allowing it to cool in the fridge for 2 hours. I was not willing to wait that long, but you could easily prep the cranberry goop in the morning and then just stick it in the fridge 'til you're ready to use it that evening. Juice your limes while you're at it, then all your "work" is done.) Anyway. 

When it is cocktail time, add the remaining ingredients (lime juice, gin, tonic--I used diet) to the syrup in your pitcher, stirring gently. Rim glasses with sugar (dip first in water, then in sugar to get it to stick), and add a slice of lime for a festive garnish if desired. Pour cocktails in, and enjoy!  

These would also be pretty over ice in a tall Tom Collins glass or such.

I'm also guessing these would be delicious as a non-alcoholic treat. Simply omit the gin and, if you don't care for tonic water, use sprite or ginger ale.

(Can you see who was helping me stage the photo? The girls are obsessed with the bowl of ornaments.)

Cocktail of the Month -- Limonata Nojito

Yes, you read correctly. The return of the cocktail of the month!

On Sunday after church we went out to lunch with Meme and Kiki, and the Gutsy Dad and I both enjoyed this drink. (I refused to give sips to the kids, it was so good.)

I rushed home and Googled it and, as a result of a rather fortuitous trip to Publix yesterday, I was able to recreate it.

Limonata Nojito

(I am sure you could jazz it up with alcohol if you really felt it necessary, but I promise it is delicious without.)

1 can (11.5oz; 330 ml) San Pellegrino Limonata

1/4 lime

3-4 mint leaves

1 tbsp agave nectar (or more, to taste)

ice

Juice the 1/4 lime into the bottom of a rather large cocktail glass, then drop it in. (Think Tom Collins glass or larger. I made mine in a regular glass and ran out of room--I would have loved to add more ice.) Tear up the mint leaves and drop in. Add the agave nectar. (I started with a tablespoon, and it seemed just about right. Maybe a tiny bit more would be better. Remember, you can always add more at the end.) Muddle. Fill glass with ice. Pour in the Limonata. Stir gently.

If you like Italian Lemon Soda, you will like this drink. If you like mojitos, you will like this drink. If you are a pregnant person who likes lemon soda and mojitos, you will LOVE this drink.

Note: This refreshing, summery drink was the perfect addition to my last "solo" day. Yesterday I decided I should indulge myself in ways I might not be able to once there is a newborn in the picture. After getting Jillson and Madelyn off to their respective schools, I ran a few quick errands (including the grocery store) and treated myself to a pedicure. I then came home and read my book, while drinking a glass of chocolate milk and eating vanilla meringues. After retrieving Madelyn and getting her down for a nap, I concocted my Limonata Nojito and sat back to watch Samantha Morton's "Jane Eyre" off the DVR. Ahhhhhh, bliss.

Cocktail of the Month -- Pomegranate Cosmos

photo courtesy of foodnetwork

I'm sure you all have just been on the edges of your seats wondering whether I would ever publish another Cocktail of the Month.  Well, the wait is over.  Heather has come through for you again.  Yes, the very same Heather (my sister-in-law) who recommended the DELICIOUS Pimm's Cup we all enjoyed (with great frequency) this summer.

For our annual Thanksgiving-time girls' night in, Heather suggested the drink, my mother and Aunt Sallie procured the ingredients, and we all sat around and enjoyed one of the best Chinese takeout dinners I have ever had.  Certainly the cocktails added to that enjoyment, but I will be perfectly honest and cheesy by saying that the real enjoyment was the intergenerational love and conversation accompanied by many, many laughs.  (We missed you, Nina!)

Next time you have the chance to surround yourself with many women you love, try these.

POMEGRANATE COSMOPOLITANS
Courtesy of Ina Garten, a gal who knows her cocktails
2 cups (16 oz) good vodka
1 cup (8 oz) orange liqueur (we used your average triple sec)
1 cup (8 oz) pomegranate juice (we used POM)
1/2 cup (4 oz) freshly squeezed lime juice

Pour all ingredients into a pitcher and give it a ceremonial stir. Refrigerate until ready to consume. A classic cosmo would be served in a chilled martini glass, but we enjoyed this on the rocks with a splash of seltzer added.

Cocktail of the Month - Pimm's Punch

It is my pleasure to introduce to you what we in the Gutsy Family are now referring to as British sangria.  If you are already familiar with this concoction, you may indeed be wondering why it has taken me so long to discover it.  But now that I know of it (thanks to my sister-in-law Heather), Pimm's seems as ubiquitous as my other summer favorite, the gin & tonic.

Pimm's is indeed a marvel of pure summer yumminess, and it goes down as easily as iced tea.  There are hundreds of variations of the cocktail recipe online, and from my limited research and, um, field testing, I would say the lemon and the cucumber are not optional.  Beyond that, it's just tweaking.

So, without further ado, I present for your summer enjoyment...

Pimm's Punch (It's not just for Henley anymore)
Pimm's No. 1 Cup
Ginger ale (or British-style "lemonade," i.e. a not-so-sweet, lemon-flavored carbonated beverage)
Lemons, sliced
Cucumbers, sliced (we used chunks)
Oranges, sliced (we used clementines)
Strawberries, quartered
Mint leaves, chopped up a bit

Into a glass or pitcher, place one part Pimm's to two parts ginger ale.  (For the pitcher pictured above I used 1 c. Pimm's and 2 c. ginger ale.)  Chop up the assorted produce and add to pitcher with copious amounts of ice.  Goes just as well with a fancy Wimbledon-watching gathering as it does with a casual backyard barbecue.

I recommend if for the post-pool "what shall we have for dinner" summer cocktail hour, which for me is evocative of sun hats, flip flops, browned limbs, and my favorite Spanish proverb:

What a marvelous thing it is
to do nothing
and then rest afterwards.

Here's to you!

ps: The very simplest version of this cocktail is also mighty fine, so do not feel you need to have all the fresh produce on hand to make it work.  Simply put 2 oz of Pimm's in the bottom of your glass, fill with ice, then fill with ginger ale.  Squeeze a wedge of lemon over the top, and swizzle it with your finger.  Enjoy.

Cocktail of the Month - Prickly Pear Margarita

As you can see, I was excited to share these with my friend (from the Texas years) Sarah, who drove over from Oklahoma for a Spring break visit. We did some good eating and drinking and sleeping, had a few good runs, and did a fair amount preschooler-approved sight-seeing. (The zoo, Union Station, Fritz's, the Crayola store...) I know, I know, it's exactly what you all dream about when you dream about Spring break.

We used the margarita machine for these (set for 2 servings), but you could just as easily use crushed ice, serve on the rocks, or strain them to enjoy straight up. Since prickly pear (i.e. cactus) juice is not exactly a staple of the rural Kansas marketplace, I ordered prickly pear puree from the Perfect Puree of Napa Valley (along with white peach and pomegranate purees to be used in the near future).

Prickly Pear Margarita

1/2 cup crushed ice

1 oz freshly-squeezed lime juice

1 oz undiluted frozen limeade

2 oz tequila

1.5 oz triple sec

1 oz prickly pear cactus juice (or puree)

Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Perform taste test and adjust for sweetness. (We found these to be perfect and refreshing without additional sugar.)

Makes 2 servings.

Cocktail of the Month: Amaretto Sour

I had something really fun up my sleeve for January's cocktail, but it will have to wait until February. (More about that in February.) For this month, we'll just have an old standby and favorite of my husband's:

THE AMARETTO SOUR

2 oz sour mix (store-bought or homemade)

1 oz amaretto liqueur

Shake with ice in your shaker and strain into glass. Take a sip and marvel that a liqueur made from apricot pits tastes like almonds.

Cocktail of the Month -- Meet the Vellini

Last month I re-instated a Gutsy Family tradition, the Cocktail of the Month. This involves choosing some sort of yummy adult beverage recipe, hunting down the ingredients (preferably for under $30 per month), and enjoying a special drink now and then with dinner or just because.

It helps that I have a husband who likes chick drinks.

Last month we had caramel appletinis, thanks to a recipe my friend Holly somehow snagged from the Blue Olive in Tacoma.

This month, we are featuring vellinis. What is a vellini? It is a vanilla bellini. What is a bellini? It is a marvelous cocktail involving champagne and fresh peach puree. I love a bellini, but I was looking for something slightly different and not in the mood for peaches, which are not in season anyway.

VELLINI
1/2 oz vanilla vodka
1/2 oz strawberry liqueur
champagne or sparkling wine, chilled

Pour vodka and liqueur into a chilled champagne flute. Top with chilled champagne.

Bliss out.