lavendar

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When the barista at Starbucks described the new vanilla spice latte as having an "herbal, lavender taste," I couldn't shove my phone app in his face quick enough to pay. Ahhh, lavender. It may taste like soap to some, but it transports me to Provence (even though I've never been...that's how powerful it is) with its sweet, floral scent. Lavender simple syrup, shortbread, honey, cocktails, cheese...the possibilities are endless!

S'mores martini

The warm weather has us thinking about summer and what says summer more than s'mores martinis?! Inspired by the delicious s'mores cookies, a friend passed along a recipe for a s'mores martini from the Food Network. 

My friends, Luisa and Melissa, came by with all the ingredients and we got to work. This is definitely a  special occasion, as most of the ingredients would not be stocked in your basic home bar. It was our first time using a kitchen torch and it was both frightening and invigorating. 

The ingredients

Fluff on fire!

Ready to start mixing!

Straining into martini glass

Top them off with mini marshmallows

The drinks were delicious and potent. All of our hard work paid off and we were able to toast to campfires and late nights under the stars.

Mad Men returns!

The highly anticipated return of Mad Men seemed like the perfect excuse to throw a theme party. We donned our classiest attire and headed over to our friend Melissa's soirée.

Mr. and Mrs. Draper

A well-stocked bar

Retro hors d'oeuvres   

 I made a plate of deviled eggs from a recipe in Joy of Cooking, the same cookbook Betty...or her maid...would have used. I added some curry powder to the mayo, mustard, salt, and pepper to spice things up!

An old-fashioned and "Lucky Strikes"

In honor of Don, we mixed up his favorite drink, the old-fashioned. It was like sipping on Jon Hamm himself. Gothamist's drinking game was attempted. 

The cast 

Draping, as demonstrated by our host

What did you think of the season premiere? Did you do anything special to mark the occasion?

Basik

Williamsburg has it's fair share of vintage, mixology bars and the new Basik fits the bill. They have tasty, seasonal cocktails but without the usual snooty service. 
After mourning the close of veggie-friendly spot, Phoebe's Cafe, we've been meaning to stop in for a drink at it's successor. 

 We ordered a Poppa's Pride and a gin and tonic. Both were delicious. 

The interior has an industrial look with recycled wood and metal bar stools. 

Can't wait to go back and sample some of their small plates and check out the outdoor patio in the spring.