we are finally starting to feel the first bit of crisp fall air in socal. while the cooling temps and shorter days don't exactly get me revved up (i am an endless summer kind of girl), the appearance of colder weather produce in stores does.

i haven't bought an orange or grapefruit in months and i am more than ready for blood oranges and big fat ruby reds.

citrus juice is one of my favorite cocktail mixers because it basically completely neutralizes the harsh flavor elements of booze. mixing it with something floral and something herbaceous makes it the perfect drink to welcome those earlier sunsets with. 

five o'clock sun down is the perfect compliment to happy hour.

rosemary + hibiscus greyhound
serves: 1 cocktail prep time: 2 minutes active time: 2 minutes total time: 4 minutes ingredients: 4 oz grapefruit juice. 2 oz vodka. .5 oz hibiscus syrup. 1 tbs rosemary leaves. 1 cup ice. shaker. sprig of fresh or frosted rosemary for garnish. 

start by filling your shaker with a couple of ice cubes. take the rosemary leaves and smash them in your hands to release the oils and add them to the shaker. 

pour in the vodka, grapefruit juice and hibiscus syrup. shake well till everything is well combined. 

fill your serving glass with the remaining ice and pour the contents of the shaker over the ice. 

garnish with fresh or frosted rosemary and enjoy! 

xo, a

rosemary + hibiscus greyhound
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz grapefruit juice. 2 oz vodka. .5 oz hibiscus syrup. 1 tbs rosemary leaves. 1 cup ice. shaker. sprig of fresh or frosted rosemary for garnish.
start by filling your shaker with a couple of ice cubes. take the rosemary leaves andsmash them in your hands to release the oils and add them to the shaker. pour in the vodka, grapefruit juice and hibiscus syrup. shake well till everything is well combined. fill your serving glass with the remaining ice and pour the contents of the shaker over the ice. garnish with fresh or frosted rosemary and enjoy!

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.