We plan, God laughs

All I can think of this week is the Yiddish proverb,  "We plan, God laughs."  I don't like to complain or moan to others, which is why I never post on Facebook.   I realize that most friends care if you're having a bad day, but they have their own crap to deal with.  Do they really need to hear about mine?  But this weekend and the first part of this week, while it could have been worse, has been a real doozy. 

To recap:

1. Dr. D's uncle died. (He was elderly, it was not unexpected.)  R.I.P Caldwell.
2. His father is in hospice with cancer and is getting worse by the day.  Most likely he will be gone by the weekend - right before Father's Day. 
3. His mother, who has Alzhiemers', is being a real bitch to everyone and won't admit she needs assistance.  She basically spent the weekend calling my husband a smart-ass.  I know it's her disease changing her personality, but seriously, she needs to get a grip.  Since she's not getting her way, she is lashing out at everyone.  Unfortunately, I guess it's us that needs to get a grip; she's not going to change.
4. Our plumbing backed up so I had to call plumber Sat. afternoon and get that taken care of.
5. Our pool pump died, so we had to have that replaced.  That's $600 I didn't want to spend.
6. And the cherry on the sundae, Dr. D's sister went to the ER Sunday night with crushing chest pain.  Luckily, it turned out to only be her gall bladder but she had to have it removed, so she's out of commission for a few days.  Which if you look at #2 & #3, is not horribly good timing.  But what can you do? 

There's some other minor things as well but not worth getting into.  Is it poor manners to bring wine to a funeral? Maybe a well-concealed flask of bourbon for Dr. D? I'm so thankful his small hometown just decided to allow the sale of liquor. It's a sign.


But, seriously, Dr. D and I are healthy & happy and thankful that we have the means and mindset to deal with these situations.  And a couple of family members have been so supportive and helpful.  I cannot thank them enough.  So I'll keep on planning and, hopefully, I can laugh along with God.

Cocktail of the Week: Mojito

With the lazy humid days of summer just starting, it's time to break out the flip-flops, sundresses and rum!  Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of rum.  I don't care for sweet, syrupy beverages in general, plus I had an experience with Bacardi 151 when I was eighteen that has scarred me to this day.  (Let's just say I was ignorant as to what "151" stood for, and it was the only time I've ever been officially passed out drunk at a party.  If I teach you anything in this blog, it is that alcohol % is important, people!)  But there is one drink that transcends all of the images of fruit, frozen drinks when one thinks of a rum-based drink - the Mojito!

The mojito (mo-heeto) is a highball drink of Cuban origin  that consists of five ingredients:  white rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane juice or simple syrup), lime juice, sparkling water (or club soda) and mint.  There is a lot of history regarding the various stories of how the mojito originated in Cuba (which you can peruse at your leisure on wikipedia).  It was a favorite drink of one of my favorite authors, Ernest Hemingway. 

You can make a mojito with fruit juices, but I think it loses the whole essence of what a mojito is about when you vary from the original ingredients.  It's supposed to be refreshing, citrus-y and low in alcohol - the perfect pool cocktail. 

Here's a recipe from the largest purveyors of rum, Bacardi:

Bacardi Mojito

1.5 oz BACARDI Rum (you can use any silver/white rum, I like Don Q)
12 fresh spearmint leaves
1/2 lime
7 oz club soda
2 tbsp. simple syrup  (or 4 tsp. sugar)

Instructions:  Gently crush mint leaves and lightly squeeze lime in a cool tall glass.  ("Muddling"* the mint leaves really releases all the essence of the mint flavor).  Pour simple syrup on top to cover and fill glass with ice. Add Bacardi Rum, club soda, and stir your emerging mojito well. Garnish with a lime wedge, a few sprigs of mint, toast, sip, and enjoy Bacardi mojitos with your friends.

*  Muddling refers to the mashing up of ingredients in a drink, using a small tool called a muddler, which looks like a tiny baseball bat.  It's sort of like a pestle.

Personally, my favorite mojito is made at Casa Dinks, using fresh mint from my garden.  But Dr. D is my resident mojito expert so I asked where his favorite mojito was.  He said it was at WISH restaurant in South Beach, which I sadly learned is closed.  It must have been a remarkable mojito because I got sick midway through dinner and had to leave.  So not the best evening, but obviously a damn good cocktail.

Cheers!

Cocktail of the Week: Bloody Mary

Grab the celery!  It's Bloody Mary time!  Dr. D and I are hosting a brunch this Sunday so I thought this would be the perfect time to talk about the quintessential brunch, "hair of the dog" cocktail.  As with most cocktails, the origin of the drink is not clear.  However, the King Cole Bar that I referenced in an earlier post (where we had drinks before our friend's wedding) is allegedly the origin of the drink in the U.S.  It was called the "Red Snapper" because the term "Bloody Mary" was deemed too gauche for the esteemed bar.  I know we certainly saw a lot of folks ordering it, even though it was 5 p.m. on a Saturday.  And thanks to lifestyle guru, Martha Stewart, I now present their recipe:

Ingredients:


1 ounce Belvedere vodka
2 ounces tomato juice
1 dash lemon juice
2 dashes salt
2 dashes black pepper
2 dashes cayenne pepper
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Directions:   Shake. Strain. Serve up.
http://www.marthastewart.com/873593/red-snapper-original-recipe

Very simple.  Of course, the best thing about the Bloody Mary is the infinite variations of the cocktail.  You can use flavored vodkas (citrus and pepper work best), different tomato mixes (Zing Zang, Mr. & Mrs. T's), and add garnishes such as pearl onions, spicy green beans (Dr. D's favorite), olives, and the ubiquitous celery stalk.  The Hotel Monaco bar in Chicago (South Water Kitchen) adds a slice of crispy bacon to its version and serves it with a beer back.  When Dr. D tried it last December, he thought he had died and gone to heaven!

But that's the beauty of the cocktail, even when it's at its most simple, it's still delicious.  Dr. D and I love to grab one on morning Southwest flights when we go on vacation.  It's nothing fancy, just vodka and bloody mary mix/tomato juice, but it really gets us in a great mindset. 

Sadly, we have decided not to serve Bloody Marys at our brunch, since the weather is so warm and I was dying to do a DIY champagne bar.   I'll have to report back on that after the weekend.  So this weekend, get an early start on laundry and yard work and then kick back with a late morning "Bloody."  It'll make the upcoming week start a little bit better.

No Cocktail of Week so let's w(h)ine!

I was so uninspired this week as to what cocktail to highlight so since yesterday was National Chardonnay Day (or as we call it in the Dinks' household - everyday), I thought I would discuss wine this week. 

I love wine.  Seriously, it's probably not healthy how much I do.  The fact is, it just tastes damn good to me.  I rarely get a serious buzz from it because I do try to keep the alchohol % low in what I buy/consume.  And Chardonnay is my fave.  I can rock a Pinot Grigio, Albarino, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon once in a while.  But Chardonnay is so versatile.  It's got a very neutral taste so it can be heavily influenced by terroir (fancy French term for dirt) and oak barrels.  That's why Chardonnay can be really fun and really frustrating all at the same time.  Most consumers like consistency.  Therefore, a little education about where a grape comes from can help you make a good purchase.  For example, most Chardonnays from Napa Valley tend to be more full-bodied and heavily oaked.  French Chardonnays are leaner tasting, more minerally.  It helps sometimes to look at the label; some wines will have descriptions about the process (if it was stored in oak, it will have more of those flavors; if it was stored in stainless tanks, then the flavor will be more neutral).  Some vineyards even label the wine as "unoaked."  When you can nail down a flavor profile, you'll start to learn that you can expand your wine knowledge.  For example, a clean unoaked chardonnay from Mendocino might be similar in flavor profile to a fuller bodied Sauvignon Blanc from Napa.  Wine store owners usually are glad to help find something that will please your palate.

The best thing about learning about wine is the process.  Drink up! Find out what your taste buds like.  Wine ratings are fine but there have certainly been times when I have preferred a lower rated, cheaper wine over a fancy, expensive one.  I say that if you like it, and it likes you back (doesn't kill your head), then all is well.  And try different varieties; you don't want to get burned out.

Cheers!

Senior-itis

I have senior-itis.  Not the type that is normally present this time of year.  After all, I've been graduated from high school for....well, never mind about that.  I've become obsessed with thinking about mine & Dr. D's golden years. 

This morning, in the shower, I actually said to Dr. D that we will need to sell our condo in Oxford (you know the one we bought nine months ago!) when we hit our 70s because both bedrooms are upstairs.  That's right, I am already concerning about mobility issues and falling and breaking a hip.  The truth is I should be more concerned about running down those stairs in flip flops after consuming a bottle of wine.  Seriously, I already tripped and scraped my hand going up the stairs taking up laundry.  If anything, maybe aging will make me more careful!

It's not surprising, I guess, considering all the hell that we've gone through with his elderly parents lately.  They have been so stubborn, not admitting that anything is wrong with them (both have dementia).  Whether you have children or not, I think it's important to meticulously plan your future and retirement plans before you get too stuck in your life and habits to truly comprehend what may be the best course of action.  Luckily, the concept of "we can't leave our home," and "we don't like change" is one that we are rejecting, at least for now.  We are looking forward to retirement and old age as a new challenge and adventure.   For me, I would like a place that's walkable to stores, shops and that needs little upkeep.  And near a liquor store and restaurant/bar with a good wine list, obviously.  Hopefully, we'll be that old couple sitting at the bar that younger couples look to and go, "I hope that's us in forty years."

Gotta run and yell at some kids to get off my lawn.  Plus, dinner is only a couple of hours away.  Hmmm, does that mean cocktail hour starts at 3?