um... when did it become october? i'm pretty sure my head is still back in late july. in fact, it wouldn't be too terrible to go back in time a few months. think about it. let's go back to before all the crazy hurricanes (and i do mean ALL because they are still coming?!), this crazy shooting and the death of a musical legend. i'd gladly take back my sweltering summer kitchen to erase all that mess. but i digress... 

october is here. whether i like it or not. it's not that i don't care for october, it just means summer is really over, the days are getting shorter and i'm no longer playing with adorable kids in the pool every day. but you know what makes up for it? new produce in the markets. i hit the jackpot when i went to the store wednesday and found my absolute favorite, blood oranges. and what are blood oranges best for. drinking. duh.we have a dinner party coming up in a couple weeks and we needed a fun, fall cocktail to serve up. winner winner, chicken dinner. enjoy! 

blood orange + blackberry martini
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 6 minutes
ingredients: blackberry juice (makes 4 oz) - 1 cup blackberries. 1 oz simple syrup. food processor or muddler. strainer. 

martini - 2 oz vodka. 2 oz blood orange juice. 1 oz triple sec. 1 oz blackberry juice. shaker. martini glass. 1 cup of ice. blood orange slice for garnish.

start by making your blackberry juice. in the bowl of a food processor, blend the blackberries and simple syrup. 

strain the juice through the strainer and discard the seeds and any remaining pulp. fill your shaker with ice. 

add in the blackberry juice. 

add in the blood orange juice, triple sec, and vodka. shake well till everything is combined. 

pour the liquid into a martini glass. 

garnish with the blood orange slice and serve. 

xo, a

blood orange + blackberry martini
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: 6 minutes
ingredients: blackberry juice (makes 4 oz) - 1 cup blackberries. 1 oz simple syrup. food processor or muddler. strainer.
martini - 2 oz vodka. 2 oz blood orange juice. 1 oz triple sec. 1 oz blackberry juice. shaker. martini glass. 1 cup of ice. blood orange slice for garnish.
start by making your blackberry juice. in the bowl of a food processor, blend the blackberries and simple syrup. strain the juice through the strainer and discard the seeds and any remaining pulp. fill your shaker with ice. add in the blackberry juice. add in the blood orange juice, triple sec, and vodka. shake well till everything is combined. pour the liquid into a martini glass. garnish with the blood orange slice and serve. 

if you ask me, most of us could really use a few extra hours in the day. i know i sure could. my house would be cleaner, the dark circles under my eyes would be much reduced and i would likely spend even more time in the kitchen. 

unfortunately, that is a pipe dream. we are stuck with our measly twenty-four/seven to get everything we need done. and if you cook regularly or entertain, you know it is always a mad scramble to get things done, served and looking pretty. 

so for todays tips & tricks, i'm showing you one of my go to make in advance styling and flavor helpers. from start to finish, drying citrus takes an hour with approximately 2 minutes of active time. you can get these bad boys going and use the rest of your hour for whatever time consuming activities you have on your plate. 

when i have a few minutes to spare and i know i will be at home, i make a point to dry whatever citrus i have on hand. and what do you use it for you may ask? i use them as garnish for savory dishes, decor for cakes and they are amazing chopped up in a sauce when you do not have citrus on hand. not to mention, they store well. you can keep them in something airtight for up to six months. 

dried citrus
serves: 10-15 wheels (depending on how large your citrus is)
prep time: 2 minutes
active time 1 hour (add about 20 minutes for larger fruits like grapefruit and oranges)
total time: 1 hour 5 minutes ingredients: 1 citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, kumquats, get creative!). sharp knife. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicon mat. oven. 

start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees f. line your baking sheet with the parchment or silicon mat. slice the citrus THIN. as thin as you can based on your skills (thicker fruit will take longer to dry out). 

lay the fruit in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. dry in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes for larger fruit, flipping the fruit over halfway through. 

when the fruit is dried, remove from the oven and allow it to cool till you can handle them. 

use as you desire, but if you are storing them, allow them to cool completely before packing them into an airtight container. 

use or store for up to 6 months. 

xo, a

dried citrus
serves: 10-15 wheels (depending on how large your citrus is)
prep time: 2 minutes
active time 1 hour (add about 20 minutes for larger fruits like grapefruit and oranges)
total time: 1 hour 5 minutes ingredients: 1 citrus of your choice (limes, lemons, grapefruit, oranges, kumquats, get creative!). sharp knife. baking sheet. parchment paper or silicon mat. oven.
start by preheating your oven to 200 degrees f. line your baking sheet with the parchment or silicon mat. slice the citrus THIN. as thin as you can based on your skills (thicker fruit will take longer to dry out). lay the fruit in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. dry in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes for larger fruit, flipping the fruit over halfway through. when the fruit is dried, remove from the oven and allow it to cool till you can handle them. use as you desire, but if you are storing them, allow them to cool completely before packing them into an airtight container. use or store for up to 6 months.