Deliciousness in a glass

Each week when I make my menu I grab one or two cook books off the shelf to pull recipes from. I stick one or two because otherwise I get overwhelmed at all the possibilities. This week I grabbed Dave's Dinner's by chef Dave Lieberman. I am reminded once again of Dave's brilliance and why he is one of my favorite chef's. This week from Dave we have eaten Moroccan spiced chickpea stew, Orange and 5 spice roasted chicken with sweet potato mash and tagine with cous cous. All delicious recipes and all pretty easy to make on a week night.

My cousin who is getting married in a month has been staying with me the past few days. It has been lots of girl fun. We have been shopping, making the menu for her bridal shower, planning the details of the bachelorette party and doing hour by hours plans for the wedding weekend. Her bridal shower is going to be a Southern Ladies Luncheon and on the menu:

Cheese Straws

Fruit Plate

Chicken Salad

Cucumber and tomato salad

Wild rice salad

pickled beets

chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter icing

Sweet tea

Mint Juleps

Last night we decided to test the mint juleps out because we'd never had them. They were delicious and are definitely my new favorite drink. I don't know why it took me this long to try them since bourbon is my favorite alcohol, I usually drink Manhattan's when I order cocktails. I didn't take pictures but they are a very pretty drink and here is the recipe:

Mint Juleps

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

fresh mint

soda water

crushed ice

good Kentucky Bourbon

Cook sugar and water until sugar is dissolved. Let cool. Place 8 sprigs of fresh mint in simple syrup and keep overnight in fridge. Make each drink individually. Fill low ball half full of crushed ice. Add 1 TB mint syrup, 2oz of Bourbon and a splash of soda. Mix well. Garnish with fresh sprig of mint.

After all the Mint Julep fun Lauren and I stayed up until 3am, I kid you not, and then persisted to sleep straight threw the 4am alarm to get her to the train station on time. Luckily when we woke at 6:30 we realized there was a later train. Now I am going on very little sleep for about the 4th day in a row. Jeez, Mr. P is gone three weeks and look at me. I've reverted back to college behavior at an alarmingly quick rate.