Queen of Style: Nest

National Wine Day is May 25th--Get Your Wine Glass Ready for Fun!

National Wine Day is May 25th. Here are some fabulous low-cal drinks courtesy of SkinnyGirl and tasty food pairings to go with them.

-PJ Gach

Don't you love holidays, especially ones that celebrate wine! Saturday is National Wine Day! To celebrate this tasty holiday, here are some wonderful Skinnygirl wine and food pairings for you to try on National Wine Day, Memorial Day and, well, basically all summer long. You won't feel guilty with these low calorie treats.

Moscato pairing

Skinnygirl Moscato

Ingredients:
5 parts Skinnygirl Moscato

Optional pear or mango for garnish

Directions:

Pour chilled Skinnygirl Moscato into your favorite white wine glass or flute. Garnish with fresh pear or mango to accent the natural fruit flavors.

Minty Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

1 large ripe mango, peeled and diced

1 medium sweet red pepper, diced

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilis

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tbsp. lime juice

2 tsp. minced fresh mint leaves

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the mango, pepper, chilis, onion, juice, mint leaves and ginger. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or alongside your meal with chilled Skinnygirl Moscato

White Pairing

Skinnygirl White Wine Slush

Ingredients:

5 parts glass of Skinnygirl California White wine

2 parts frozen lemonade

1 part soda water

Lemon peel twist for garnish

Directions:

Blend ingredients with crushed ice and pour into a flute glass. Finish with soda water and garnish with a twist of lemon.

Blueberry Almond Crostinis

Ingredients:

1/4 cup light ricotta cheese

1 tbsp. honey

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

3/4 cup blueberries

4 slices low-calorie whole grain bread, toasted

2 tbsp. sliced almonds, toasted

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, honey and lemon zest. Slowly fold in blueberries. Cut each toasted bread slice diagonally into four equal pieces, and divide blueberry mixture among bread pieces. Sprinkle with toasted almonds and serve with a Skinnygirl White Wine Slush or a glass of Skinnygirl California White.

Rosé Pairing

Skinnygirl California Rosé

Ingredients:

5 parts Skinnygirl California Rosé

Directions:

Pour Rosé into a wine glass and enjoy!

Recipe: The Lazy Person’s Shrimp Alfredo
Green Goddess Dip with Vegetable Crudites

Ingredients:

1 cup fat free sour cream

1/2 cup goat cheese

1/4 cup fresh tarragon, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh mint, finely chopped

1/3 cup green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Salt and ground pepper to taste

Pinch of sugar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a fork to whisk together until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with raw vegetables and enjoy with a glass ofSkinnygirl California Rosé.

Red Pairing

Skinnygirl California Red Wine

Ingredients:

5 parts Skinnygirl California Red

Directions:

Pour into a wine glass and sip away!

Balsamic Caprese Skewers

Ingredients:

Cherry tomatoes

Mozzarella balls, patted dry with a paper towel

Basil leaves

Pepper

Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Using 6-inch bamboo skewers, first place a cherry tomato, then a large basil leaf followed by a mozzarella ball. Continue these steps until you have the amount of skewers you desire. Arrange them on a platter and sprinkle with a bit of pepper. Serve with balsamic vinegar or drizzle over top, just remember to drizzle right before serving so that your basil leaves don't wilt. Serve with Skinnygirl California Red.

Change it up: Cut up green, orange, red or yellow peppers into square pieces to add a burst of color.

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Technorati Tags: Balsamic Caprese Skewers, Blueberry Almond Crostinis, Green Goddess Dip with Vegetable Crudites, Minty Mango Salsa, moscato wine, national wine day, recipes, red wine, rose wine, skinnygirl wine, white wine, wine and food pairings

3 Healthy + Delicious Recipes for Memorial Day

Love Fish Tacos or potato salad? Check out nutrionist Franci Cohen’s healthy recipes for these summer treats.

-PJ Gach

Memorial Day—the start of summer is just around the corner. Whether you’re planning a cookout or are just looking for healthy recipes to try this summer, check out these three healthy and delicious updates on summer classics: Healthy Mediterranean Potato Salad, Fish Tacos and Colorful Fiesta Veggie Salad.

Recipe: The Lazy Person’s Shrimp Alfredo

All three were created by Franci Cohen. Franci is a certified nutritionist, personal trainer and exercise physiologist and creator of SPIDERBANDS®, a total-body cardio resistance workout that leverages gravity and your bodyweight with other intense exercise modules such as rebounding, kickboxing and indoor cycling.

Healthy Mediterranean Potato Salad

Ingredients:

2 dozen small red potatoes (approx. 1 1/2 pounds)

4 T finely chopped dill

1 bunch finely chopped scallions

1 red onion, diced small

2-3 tsp cumin

juice & zest of 46 large fresh lemons (approx. 1/3 cup juice)

3 T Kosher salt

2-3 T extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Boil potatoes in covered saucepan filled with water and 1 T kosher salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are forktender but not too soft (about 10 minutes). Remove potatoes from saucepan and put into a bowl of ice water, to shock potatoes and stop the cooking process. Remove potatoes from ice water bath, and chop into big 2" cubes. Place cubed potatoes into large bowl. To create the dressing, mix remaining ingredients together and whisk to incorporate all. Pour dressing over potatoes. Mix well and serve .

Colorful Fiesta Veggie Salad:

Salad ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

4 ears fresh corn on the cob, cooked and shucked

1 red onion, diced

2 Jalapeño peppers, seeded & finely chopped

2 Hass avocado, cubed

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup Cilantro, finely chopped

2 cups Mesculin greens

Dressing ingredients:

1/4 cup low fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup water

2 T Dijon mustard

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T finely minced thyme

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix all salad ingredients together. Whisk dressing ingredients together until well incorporated. Pour dressing on salad and serve on a bed of Mesculin greens.

Yummy Fish Tacos with Slaw Salad:

Ingredients for Tacos:

1 pound Mahi Mahi or Tilapia (this is more common and much cheaper), cut in quarters

1/4 cup canola oil

1 lime, juiced and zested

1 tablespoons ancho chili powder

1 Jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh Cilantro

8 6" flour tortillas
Ingredients for Slaw Salad:

1 cup shredded red cabbage.

1 cup shredded white cabbage.

1 Jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

2 carrots, grated

2 T fresh Cilantro, finely chopped.

Juice and zest of 3 limes.

2 T red wine vinegar

Ingredients for Chipotle Cream Sauce:

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt or sour cream (strained in mesh cloth)

2 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Chipotle pepper, in Adobo sauce

Directions:

Whisk together oil, lime juice and zest, ancho chili powder, & jalapeño to create fish marinade. Arrange fish in single layer in a Pyrex.Pour fish marinade over fish, and let marinate for about 10 minutes. Remove the fish from the marinade, and place onto a hot grill. Grill the fish for 4 minutes on the first side, and then flip for 30 seconds and remove. Let rest for 5 minutes then flake the fish with a fork. Place the tortillas on the grill, and grill for 1020 seconds on each side. Divide the fish among the tortillas and garnish with slaw and chipotle sauce.

To learn more about Franci Cohen, please visit her Facebook page. You can find Franci at Fuel Fitness, a specialty fitness center in Brooklyn, New York. She teaches group fitness classes, trains clients and more.

Photo Credits-Google Images via KMRPR

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Technorati Tags: cook out, fish tacos, franci cohen, fuel fitness, heart healthy recipes, low calorie recipes, memorial day, nutritionist, potato salad, veggie salad

Looking for Eco-Friendly Fashion + Home Goods? Check Out Rodale's New Store

Rodale magazines have expanded their empire to include an online store with tons of eco-friendly items for you, your man, babies and even your pet.

-PJ Gach

Whether you're buying a baby gift, a housewarming present or something for yourself, you'd like to know that what you're giving has a small carbon footprint: That it's eco-friendly, kind to the environment and will last a long time. Rodale's has carefully curated goods to not only fit every gift list you can think of, it's got great products you can use every day.

Recipe: The Lazy Person’s Shrimp Alfredo

Kick off the Weekend with Gatsby Inspired Cocktails, Cupcakes and more!

Brands include Gabrielle Sanchez jewelry, Stewart+Brown apparel, Vapour Organic Beauty, Reiss enamelware, Eileen Fisher apparel, Intelligent Nutrients beauty, Silk Roads Teas, John Masters Organics and more.

Products are eco-friendly and have certifications such as USDA Organic, NATRUE, Natural Products Association, GOTS, Oeko-Tex^®, Fair Trade Certified™and more. Prices are reasonable, ranging from lip balms for $5, seed bombs for $7, to skinny jeans for $199 and 360 thread count organic sheets for $216.

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Technorati Tags: cruelty free, eco-friendly, Eileen Fisher apparel, Fair Trade Certified™, Gabrielle Sanchez jewelry, GOTS, Intelligent Nutrients beauty, John Masters Organics, NATRUE, Natural Products Association, Oeko-Tex®, online shopping, Reiss enamelware, rodale, rodales.com, Silk Roads Teas, Stewart+Brown apparel, USDA Organic, Vapour Organic Beauty

Kick off the Weekend with Gatsby Inspired Cocktails, Cupcakes and more!

Throwing a wing ding, shindig, party for all those jazz babies and cool cats you know to celebrate the release of ‘The Great Gatsby?’ Check out these cocktails, cupcakes and nibbles.

-PJ Gach

Throwing on a flapper dress, grabbing a pair of spats for your beau? Are you going vintage to get into The Great Gatsby vibe? If so, you’re in luck! I’ve got Gatsby-inspired cocktails, tasty nibbles, low calorie cocktails and more to get you in the Gatsby mood.

West Egg Punch

Named after the town from which Gatsby hailed, this festive punch can be prepared in a big batch ahead of time. Make in a glass drink dispenser for guests to serve themselves.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Skinnygirl White Cherry Vodka

1 oz lemonade

2 oz sparkling water

Strawberries

Watermelon slices

Lemon Twist

Directions:

Muddle strawberries and watermelon slices. Add vodka and fill with sparkling water and add lemonade. Garnish with a lemon twist and a strawberry.

I Entered The Kmart 'Money Can't Buy Style Remix Challenge', Did You?

The Gatsby Spritz

Ingredients:

6 raspberries

2 sprigs of tarragon

3 oz. Inniskillin Vidal

.5 oz lemon juice

.5 oz simple syrup (optional, based on taste)

Directions:

In a muddling glass muddle the raspberries and tarragon, add remaining ingredients, add ice, shake and strain over crushed ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a raspberry and a tarragon sprig.

The Green Light

Ingredients:

6 slices cucumber

5 pieces honeydew melon

5 mint leaves

3 oz Inniskillin Vidal

Directions:

In a mixing glass muddle cucumbers, melon and mint, add Vidal, add ice and shake, strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with a cucumber round and a mint sprig

Buchanan Fizz

Ingredients:

2 oz. Inniskillin Vidal

1 oz gin

1.5 oz. peach juice (muddled fresh peaches or pre-made peach juice)

Top with soda

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except the soda in a mixing glass, add ice, shake, strain over fresh ice into a highball glass, top with soda and garnish with a lemon wheel and peach wedge.

Gatsby Gimlet

Simple yet sophisticated like Mr. Gatsby himself

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka

1.5 oz fresh lime juice

Directions:

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass.

Summertime Sipper

Summertime and the sipping is easy with this fun, fizzy spritzer made with Skinnygirl Moscato, the newest addition to The Wine Collection.

Ingredients:

4 oz Skinnygirl Moscato Wine

Splash of soda water

Slice of pear, peach or mango for garnish

Directions:

Pour chilled Moscato into a flute glass with a little crushed ice. Top with soda water and garnish with a slice of your fave fresh fruit.

Skinnygirl Mint Julep

This Skinnygirl take on the easy-to-make julep is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Skinnygirl Cucumber Vodka

1 lime wedge

2 large basil leaves

3 oz soda water

2 large mint leaves

Directions:

Squeeze lime wedge into glass. Muddle lime wedge with mint, basil and vodka. Add ice. Top with soda water. Garnish with mint leaves.

Daisy Dirty Martini

The classic cocktail gets contemporized with low-cal Skinnygirl Cocktails Vodka.

Ingredients:

1.5 oz Skinnygirl Bare Naked Vodka

Splash of dry vermouth

Fresh olives to garnish

Directions:

Shake with ice, pour into a martini glass and garnish with fresh olives.

Green Light Fizzys or Gin Rickey Gelatins

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 (4-serving) box lime gelatin
1 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp. gin
3/4 cup Market Pantry Club Soda
Market Pantry Whipped Cream
Fresh lime

Directions:

Dissolve lime gelatin in boiling water in medium bowl; cool. Stir in gin; add soda. Immediately pour into martini glasses. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to set. Garnish with whipped cream and twist of lime.

Nick’s Negroni Sbagliato

Ingredients:

1 oz. Campari

1 oz. Cinzano Rosso Vermouth

1 oz. Cinzano Prosecco

Directions:

Build ingredients over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with an orange slice.

In the mood for something a bit darker like Gatsby himself? Try a classic Boulevardier, a drink invented in the twenties and perfect for cradling in a cocktail coupe.

Boulevardier du Gold Coast

Ingredients:

.75 oz. Campari

.75 oz. Sweet Vermouth

1.5 oz. Wild Turkey 81 Bourbon

Directions:

Stir with ice, strain into a chilled coupe. Garnish with an orange twist.

Nibbles

Ceasar Deviled Eggs

Makes 2 dozen deviled eggs

No “Great Gatsby” party is complete without eggs! Along with the story’s locations of West Egg and East Egg, deviled eggs were a must-have at cocktail parties. Why Caesar dressing? The salad was invented in the 20s.

Ingredients:

1 dozen Market Pantry Eggs, hard cooked
½ cup Market Pantry Caesar Dressing
Market Pantry Paprika

Directions:

Peel eggs; slice in half lengthwise. Combine egg yolks in medium bowl; mash with fork. Stir in dressing. Spoon yolk mixture into egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until serving.

Seafood Croquettes with Mock Hollandaise Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pkg. frozen Archer Farms Crab Cakes
1 pkg. frozen Archer Farms Lobster Puffs
1/2 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. melted butter, cooled slightly
Archer Farms Cayenne Pepper

Directions:

Bake crab cakes and lobster puffs as directed. Meanwhile, whisk mayonnaise, lemon juice and mustard in small bowl. Whisk in butter; season with cayenne to taste. Serve crab cakes and lobster puffs with sauce for dipping.

Mint Julep Cupcakes

About 2 dozen cupcakes

“‘Open the whisky, Tom,’ she ordered, ‘and I’ll make you a mint julep.’” – Daisy Buchanan

Ingrediens:

1 pkg. vanilla or white cake mix
1 cup water
1/3 cup Market Pantry Vegetable Oil
1/4 cup bourbon whiskey
3 Market Pantry Eggs
1 tsp. mint extract
4 cups Market Pantry Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) Market Pantry Butter, well softened
3 to 4 Tbsp. bourbon whiskey
1/2 tsp. mint extract
8 green straws, cut into thirds
Fresh mint

Directions:

Heat oven to 350⁰F. Line muffin pans with liners. Make cake batter as directed on box using cake mix, water, oil, bourbon, eggs and 1 tsp. mint extract. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake as directed for cupcakes. Cool completely.

For frosting, beat powdered sugar, butter, bourbon and ½ tsp. mint extract in large bowl until blended and fluffy. Frost cupcakes. Insert a straw into each; garnish with fresh mint.

10 Cinco de Mayo Cocktail Recipes—Margaritas, Mojitos + More!

Cinco de Mayo’s this weekend. Here are 8 great cocktails (even low-cal ones) for your fiesta.

-PJ Gach

When I lived in Texas, it felt like the entire state had one giant fiesta on Cinco de Mayo. Every block, every street, it seemed, threw a party. People dragged out their smokers and spent all day long getting ready for the party. Food and drink were spicy, tasty and abundant.
Throwing your own party? Going on and want to play “Stump the bartender,” here’s 10 wonderful Cinco de Mayo cocktails (even low calorie ones) for you to imbibe.

Update on Possible Homelessness/Fundraising Situation for PJ Gach

Basil Hayden's® Bourbon Margarita

Ingredients:
5 parts Basil Hayden's ® Bourbon
3 3/4 parts Grand Marnier
3 3/4 parts Rose's Lime Juice or Fresh Lime Juice
5 parts Sour Mix

Directions:
Mix or shake until combined. Chill and serve.
Serves 3-4

Cinco de Mayo Fizz

Ingredients:
2 ounces of Belvedere Pink Grapefruit
2 ounces of Fresca
Directions:
Build over cubed ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a wedge of grapefruit.

Inni-Rita—Take on the classic Margarita

Ingredients:
2 ounces Inniskillin Cabernet Franc Icewine
1 ounce Tequila Blanco
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice
1 ounce freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to chill. Strain into a salt rimmed martini glass or over ice in a salt rimmed rocks glass

Sauza Sunrise

Ingredients:
2 parts Sauza Blue Reposado Tequila
2 parts Orange Juice
2 dashes grenadine
Directions:
In a glass filled with ice stir together orange juice and tequila. Pour the two dashes of grenadine down the side so that it settles to the bottom of the glass. Salud!

Mexican Margarita

Ingredients:
Skinnygirl Sweet n’ Tart Graperuit Margarita
Handful of frozen grapes
Sugar or Splenda
Lime
Directions:
Rim a margarita glass with either sugar or Splenda and drop a few frozen grapes into the glass. Fill the rest of the glass with the Sweet ‘n’ Tart Grapefruit margarita and garnish with a lime wedge.

Crave Chili-rita

Ingredients:
1 ounce JDK&Sons Crave Chcoclate Chili Liqueur
2 ounces Sauza Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
3 ounces Sweet and Sour Mix
Directions
Combine all of the ingredients in a mixing glass over ice and shake. Strain into a margarita glass filled with ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Peach Mojito

Ingredients:
1 part DeKuyper® Peachtree
1 part Cruzan® Light Rum
1/2 part simple syrup
1/2 part lime juice
1 part carbonated water
Mint leaves
Directions:
Muddle mint leaves with lime juice and simple syrup in glass or pitcher.
Add rum, DeKuyper® Peachtree Schnapps, and ice.
Stir gently & top with carbonated water.

1 and 1 Razz Sangria Cocktail

Ingredients:
1 part DK Razzmatazz
3 parts red wine
Fresh berries & other chopped seasonal fruit (optional)
Carbonated water (optional)
Instructions:
Mix DeKuyper® Razzmatazz Schnapps & wine in a glass or pitcher.
Add ice and stir gently.
Optional: Add chopped fruit & top with carbonated water.

Pomegranate Margarita

Ingredients:
5 parts Skinnygirl® Margarita
1 Tbsp pomegranate seeds
Directions:
Muddle the pomegranate seeds in a glass. Add Skinnygirl Margarita. Fill the rest of the glass with ice. Stir until combined.

Skinnygirl® White Peach Margarita

This is the easiest margarita recipe! Just open the bottle and serve in a glass, it’s pre-made!

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Recipe: The Lazy Person’s Shrimp Alfredo

This shrimp Alfredo dish can be made in 20 minutes. It’s easy to make and delicious.

-PJ Gach

About once a month, I have movie night at my house. My really good friend Albert comes over, we eat dinner and watch a new (ish) movie. One of the great things about Albert, is that he doesn’t mind that I use his visits to experiment with recipes.

Lately, I’ve been having pretty bad dental issues and when he came over, I was kinda woozy. Woozy or not, I relish cooking for other people. I created this recipe with stuff that I had in my house. It’s easy to do and I think, restaurant level yummy.

Video: How to Create Romantic Waves at Home

Because I experiment when I cook, I don’t always take notice of amounts—it’s more about flavor. Don’t be afraid to play with spices and ingredients.

Ingredients:

Frozen, cooked, cleaned and deveined shrimp (I prefer Target’s Market Pantry)*

Pre-made Alfredo sauce

Frozen vegetable mix-corn, carrots, peas and green beans (I prefer Target’s Market Pantry)*

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

Olive oil

Pepper

Pasta—use whatever type of pasta you like. It could be rigatoni, spaghetti, linguine…you get the picture.

1. Defrost enough shrimp for your guests. I used 22 shrimp for myself and Albert. *If you prefer less or more shrimp, it’s up to you.

2. In a saucepot, place enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pot. Put the burner on medium, wait about 25 seconds or enough time for the olive oil to get warm.

3. Drop the crushed garlic into the pot. As the olive oil gets warmer, you’ll start to smell the garlic. You want to stir the garlic as it gets warm—otherwise it will burn and stick to the pot.

4. When you can smell the garlic, add the Alfredo sauce. Stir the garlic, olive oil and sauce so that it becomes one mixture.

5. Taste the sauce, does it need more garlic? If so, drop some in.

6. Add pepper to taste. Keep the sauce on medium. When you start working with the shrimp and vegetables, turn the burner to simmer.

7. In another pot, add frozen vegetables and defrosted shrimp and water. After the water boils, drain it, then add the shrimp and veg to the sauce. Stir the sauce so that everything is coated in the sauce. Keep the sauce on simmer.

8. Make the pasta. After it’s cooked, drain and plate.

9. Layer the pasta with the shrimp, veg and sauce.

10. Eat

This dish takes 20 minutes to make. 15 minutes prep time. The only thing you’re prepping is defrosting the shrimp in a bowl of cold water in the fridge.

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Technorati Tags: 20 minute recipes, alfredo recipe, crushed garlic, dinner recipe, easy recipes, frozen shrimp, italian food, pasta recipe, recipe, shrimp recipe, target market pantry

Video: Sauza Tequila--Make It With a Lifeguard

You know the temperature's heating up when Sauza starts bringing up semi-nekkid men. We're not complaining!

-PJ Gach

Ahhh, spring! Time to start hitting the beach and it's time to start working on your frozen cocktails. Sauza Tequila's here to help!

If, um, his face looks familiar, it's because the yummy lifeguard is actor Anderson Davis. He was on CSI and in Katy Perry's Thinking of You video.

Video: How to Create Romantic Waves at Home

Here's the recipe for this cocktail that's perfect for Friday afternoons.

Frozen Cherry Lime Sauza®-rita

Ingredients:
1 can Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila
1 bottle Light Beer
1 bottle Cherry Soda
1 can Limeade
3 cups Ice

Directions:
Pour limeade, beer and cherry sode into blender filled with ice. Fill limeade can with Sauza® Blue Silver and add to blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy.

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Technorati Tags: anderson davis, cocktail recipe video, cocktail video, cocktails, Frozen Cherry Lime Sauza®-rita, katy perry, lifeguard, margarita, margarita recipe, sauza tequila, sexy lideguard

Magnifico Giornata Launches Infused Essence Wines

Magnifico Giornata sparkling wines are infused with ginger and peach, grapefruit or lavender and honey.

-PJ Gach

Looking for a wine that would compliment sushi, picnic fare or even a steak dinner? You’d love Magnifico Giornata’s wine infused essence collection. The sparkling wine is infused with ginger, grapefruit or pear.

Get Jessica Alba’s Dressed Up Jeans Look for Less

The infusions are light: They right balance for piquing your taste buds and nose. The wine itself is a lively blend of European white sparkling wines. The result is a wine that feels like silk, tastes well and like some other wines, doesn’t leave an after-taste.

At the recent launch party at Beaumarchais in New York City’s Meat Packing District, I was able to try all three wines alone and with a tasting table. While I generally loathe tuna tartare, when pared with the Magnifico Giornata Grapefruit Blanc, it elevated the dish into something very delightful. Their Ginger Peche was matched with baby spring rolls—also a treat, while their Magnifico Giornata Lavender and Honey had an endive salad as their tasting partner. That wine was brisk, bright and not too sweet.

The launch party was hosted by Carrie Keagan, host of VH1’s Big Morning Buzz with Carrie Keagan. Aside from hosting, she is has also partnered with the brand.

Magnifico Giornata’s infused wines are SRP $24.99 per bottle. As of now they can be found in fine liquor stores and lounges throughout New York City. Plans are underway for a national rollout in key markets throughout the year. To learn more about the brand and their offerings, visit their site.

Photo Credit Carrie Keagan byPatrick MacLeod, Guest Of A Guest

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Technorati Tags: beaumarchais restaurant, carrie keagan, infused wines, Magnifico Giornata, sparkling wine, VH1’s Big Morning Buzz with Carrie Keagan, wine launch, wine pairings

8 Classic Cocktails to Salute the New Season of 'Mad Men'

The season premiere of 'Mad Men's' coming up! Raise your glass to the new season with a classic cocktail or two.

-PJ Gach

Mad Men season 6 kicks off Sunday, April, 7 at 9/8 C. Will you be throwing a retro-style cocktail party to usher in the second to last (gasp!) season of the critically acclaimed show? Or are you throwing on something vintage and hightailing it over to a party or bar?

4 Perfect Frosty Cool Coffee Drinks for Spring

If you've been taking notes about the classic cocktails they've been drinking on the show and want to try some of them, you're in luck! I've found 8 fabulously retro cocktails--Whiskey Sours (my first cocktail!), one from the 30s and even three different ways to drink a Manhattan and more.

Get your ice cubes and jigger ready for some smooth drinks!

Bees Knees

A classic Prohibition cocktail from the 1930’s that used honey in order to mask the smell of liquor. This recipe is from the Hard Rock International.

Ingredients:

2 oz Hendricks

1 ½ oz Sweet & Sour

1 oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and simple syrup)

Directions:

Shake and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge in the drink.

Whiskey Sour

One of the original cocktails and among the first in the ‘sour’ drinks family. This recipe is also from the Hard Rock International.

Ingredients:

1 ½ oz Crown Royal

½ oz Luxardo

3 oz sweet & sour

Directions:

Shake without ice and strain over fresh ice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and cherry floating in the drink.

Manhattan

Like the city it’s named for, the classic cocktail is the epitome of refined sophistication, but that doesn’t mean it’s difficult to make! This recipe is , yes, from the Hard Rock International.

Ingredients:

2 oz rye
1 oz sweet vermouth
1 dash bitters

Directions:
Garnish with a Maraschino cherry and an orange peel twist.

Basil Hayden's® Mad-hattan (Created by Damian Windsor, LA)

Ingredients:

2 parts Basil Hayden's® Bourbon

3/4 parts Dolin® Blanc Vermouth de Chambery

1 bar spoon Luxardo® Maraschino Cherries

1 dash Orange Bitters

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir until combined. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with an orange twist.

Basil Hayden's® Old Fashioned - Recipe by Shawn Thompson, Chicago

Ingredients:

1 1/2 parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon

2 dashes of Bitters

2 tsp Demerara Sugar

1/8 Blood Orange (or Clementine Orange)

1 Griottine® Cherry

Splash of Soda Water

Directions:

In a rocks glass, muddle the cherry and blood orange with the skin removed in the sugar. Add bitters and Basil Hayden's and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Top with a splash of soda water and garnish with a slice of blood orange.

Basil Hayden's Manhattan 2.0

Ingredients:

1½ parts Basil Hayden’s® Bourbon
½ part Sweet Vermouth
½ part Dry Vermouth
½ part Maple Syrup
2 dashes of Bitters

Directions:

Stir together the bourbon, vermouths, maple syrup and bitters over ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a cherry and serve.

Man About Town

Created by Scott Fitzgerald, Greenwich Project (NYC)

Photo by Emmanuel Cayere

Ingredients:

1.5. oz. Brugal 1888

1 oz. Sweet Vermouth

.75 oz. Campari

1 dash Orange Bitters

1 dash Angostura Bitters

Directions:

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass. Strain and serve on the rocks, garnish with an Orange Peel.

Vodka Gimlet

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz vodka

3/4 oz lime juice

3-4 slices of lime

Directions:

Pour vodka and lime in a mixing glass. Shake and strain into a martini glass. Add 3 to 4 slices of lime to glass.

Photo Credit

Posted by PJ Gach at 04:35 AM in Nest | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

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Good Earth Tea Has New Flavors + Free Workout Videos from Hollywood’s Fitness Guru: Bizzie Gold!

Good Earth gives you full length BUTI workout videos and tasty tea, how sweet is that!

-PJ Gach

Good Earth is getting you in the mood for spring with new tea flavors and BUTI Fitness videos from Bizzie Gold. All three will get you ready for the beach in no time!

Best Collab Ever: Hello Kitty + Blik

Good Earth’s new teas are Cocoa Tango and Sweetly Twisted. Both are naturally sweet, so you don’t have to add anything to enjoy the flavors. Cocoa Tango is a smooth blend of cocoa and chili pepper.

Sweetly Twisted is a luscious mix of hibiscus leaves, sweet blackberry leaves, lemon oil and more.

Each box is $4.49 for a box of 18 tea bags. You can buy it at stores on the west coast or online.

In celebration of the launch of their new teas, you can watch (and follow) BUTI fitness videos from Bizzie Gold on Good Earth’s YouTube channel. Jennifer Love Hewitt credits Bizzie’s workouts for keeping her in shape.

Bizzie created three customized full length workout videos named after the new tea blends. “I have been a fan of Good Earth Tea for years--I drink their Sweet & Spicy blend all the time, so I was thrilled to help the brand launch these amazing new flavors with workouts that can’t be found anywhere else,” said Bizzie in a press release. “They are a perfect way to curb cravings for something sweet without the need to add sugar, and I love drinking them iced during my workouts or hot throughout the day.”

Try this workout:

BUTI is a high-intensity workout that fuses yoga and dance with circuits of plyometrics and conditioning. Classes range from 60-90 minutes and consist of deep stretching, BUTI shaking and heart-pounding cardio. BUTI dance moves are taken from various styles that focus on an intense shaking of the hips (and BUTI) including Miami Booty Dance, Brazilian Baile Funk, Hip Hop, Crunk and African Tribal. BUTI is sure to get your energy high and your abs tight! Created by yoga and fitness expert Bizzie Gold, BUTI is at the cutting-edge of modern fitness. With a strong background in competitive skiing and a love for CrossFit, Gold focused on fusing plyometric drills with the traditional yoga “vinyasa” to maximize calorie burn while attaining long, lean muscle tone. To learn more about BUTI and Bizzie Gold, visit butifitness.com