February 2015 – A Pinch of Seasalt

Piper’s Bloody Mary Mix

*Samantha’s Favorite*

-1 Bottle (46 oz) tomato/veggie juice cocktail (pick your favorite!)

-Juice of 1 lemon

-1 teaspoon brown sugar

-1 Tablespoon steak sauce

-1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

-1 Tablespoon prepared horseradish

(use a teaspoonful if you don’t like it spicy.)

-1 Tablespoon hot pepper sauce

(again, start slow if you’re shy, you can always kick-her-up later…)

-1 dash of garlic oil (you can fresh press a clove for the oil, or use the whole clove. I don’t care. I like what it adds to the flavor!

Mix the tomato juice and lemon juice in a large pitcher. Add brown sugar, steak sauce and Worcestershire. Add your other seasonings a little at a time, tasting as you go. When it tastes amazing at this stage, cover and refrigerate if you can manage not to drink it all.

The flavors will meld and become even more tasty! Add a good healthy shot of your favorite Vodka, or even leave it out for the kiddos (two out of three of mine loved this mix. The third doesn’t like anything anyway, so was I surprised? No.)

Garnish with some fresh celery and maybe even some spanish olives if you like. It’s your drink, do what ever you want.

I highly suggest serving this with a side of your hubbys spicy hot chicken wings with bleu cheese dipping sauce…..

Mmmmmmmmm…nom. Oh, what a good day…..

Bloody Mary

“Trust had never been such a lethal game…”

On Friday my book is being featured on Kindle Scout. I am so excited to finally be working toward a dream! It’s a non-traditional route I’m taking, but I hope it will give me more free time to actually work on my stories, rather than figure out what to do with them. Besides, who can’t use all the open doors they can get, right?

I have been working on this story forever, and have finally decided to let it be seen, be read, blossom into what it will, all while crossing my fingers until they are blue.

If you have a kindle, and are interested in what goes on in my head….. Here she is…

*By the way, the cover photo is by the very talented (and very kind) David Olkarny.

Mon petit chateau

I ADORE being under construction. It’s a sickness I’m pretty sure. And since we’ve remodeled everything in the house (twice) it was time to overhaul the deck.

My vision was simple, I wanted a more permanent solution to the home depot canopies that the wind would rip apart every two years. Not to mention it would eliminate the need to take it down and store it with the patio furniture each year.

Behold! Mon petit chateau! After many months of hard work, little compromise, and much begging, she is finally built. A place where my kids and I can spend loads of time outside without the sun damage. In fact, in November, during a torrential rainstorm, the kids and I grabbed our books, a blanket and read all snuggled up together. Dry as could be, and warm as toast. It was amazing.

In our usual fashion, my hubby and I had to tailor it to suit our needs, and then kick it up a notch. On the pergola side, we ran cables and made sunbrella shades that can be pulled shut for playing in the hot tub during the day. Retractable for night gazing at the stars, and completely removable for winter.

Once we decided to build a kitchenette, the pavilion side took on a life of its own. We realized that we ABSOLUTELY needed a mini fridge, and OF COURSE we need the projector and movie screen. Once we dragged the fire table up, and hubby wired surround sound, there was no question where we would spend every night from spring to fall.

Would I say it has been worth the cost and effort involved?
Every time we are all snuggled in under the same roof, indoors or out, there is no question about it!

Welcome to Wonderland!

I am a fun, sarcastic, coffee fueled girly girl. I love red wine, chocolate, travel, writing, photography, building, painting, sewing, pottery, being under construction, figuring out new things, anything pink (especially when it comes to power tools) and playing. I don’t hold still well, and I hate being cold. Or sticky. I HATE being sticky…. I have a wonderful, yet “Grumpy” hubby who supports EVERYTHING I do, and has never (yet) run away from one of my “big ideas!” We have a huge slobbery dog, who I affectionately call “fugly.” I am allergic to him, he drives me crazy, but he scares exactly who he should, and his smile is adorable, so he’s a keeper in my book… I am a mum to 3 of the most diabolical, clever, FUNNY, not-so-little kids (I use the term loosely, as one has outgrown me this year). They are my dance partners, best cheerleaders and most supportive critics. And they have absolutely no idea just how much their hugs & kisses are worth! I love to giggle, look for joy in the little things, feel that each day is a gift and figure that this life must be enjoyed to the fullest! Grab a cup of coffee, put your feet up and get comfy. Take a peek around and feel free to laugh right along with us while we make our memories!