i have said it before and i will say it again. wes is a badass.

sure, he drives me crazy like any good spouse, but he earned insane brownie (see what i did there) points this week when he pulled up all our nasty old carpet and replaced the flooring. for less than the price of a good rug, he was able to transform our living space into a lighter, brighter, cleaner space. right in time for our bun to come out of the oven.

if you ask me, he DESERVES a big, FAT cocktail for all his hard work. he loves a sweet, spicy marg, and this cocktail is exactly that.

el jefé honeydew margarita

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz tequila. .5 oz fresh lime juice. .5 oz triple sec. 1 cup chopped honeydew melon. 3 small slices of jalapeño. here is where you have control over the spice level. if you want it spicy, leave the membrane and seeds in. if you want it more mild, remove the seeds and membrane. 2 cups ice. blender or food processor. shaker. strainer. optional edible flowers and basil leaves for garnish.

start by making your spicy honeydew purée. in the bowl of your blender or food processor, blend up the melon and jalapeño. add half the ice to your shaker along with the tequila, lime juice and triple sec.

pour in 4 oz of your melon purée (you may or may not have a little extra purée left over). s

hake the mixture vigorously until frothy and well combined. fill your serving glass with ice. strain the contents of the shaker into your serving glass.

garnish with basil leaves and edible flowers if you are using them. serve and enjoy.

xo, a

el jefé honeydew margarita

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz tequila. .5 oz fresh lime juice. .5 oz triple sec. 1 cup chopped honeydew melon. 3 small slices of jalapeño. here is where you have control over the spice level. if you want it spicy, leave the membrane and seeds in. if you want it more mild, remove the seeds and membrane. 2 cups ice. blender or food processor. shaker. strainer. optional edible flowers and basil leaves for garnish.

start by making your spicy honeydew purée. in the bowl of your blender or food processor, blend up the melon and jalapeño. add half the ice to your shaker along with the tequila, lime juice and triple sec. pour in 4 oz of your melon purée (you may or may not have a little extra purée left over). shake the mixture vigorously until frothy and well combined. fill your serving glass with ice. strain the contents of the shaker into your serving glass. garnish with basil leaves and edible flowers if you are using them. serve and enjoy.

over the last week, i've been hunkering down in the kitchen. wes and i have a baby shower we are catering next week and over the last couple weeks we have had an uptick in catering & cake inquiries, so i've been menu testing most days. just me, my tiny kitchen and some tunes. 

so far we have had some real winners, but my favorite is this cooling cocktail for the baby sprinkle (a baby shower for a mother that already has a child or two at home, for those not well versed in the ins and outs of baby parties). watch out, it is one of those dangerous drinks that tastes like there isn't any booze in it. 

not a drinker or have some at your party who aren't? you could easily make this non-alcoholic (we are for the sprinkle) by omitting the vodka. you could even make a batch with out the booze but serve it on the side for those who want to add it in. 

mint + melon sparkler
serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz vodka. 2 cups chopped honeydew melon. 20 mint leaves, plus 2 long sprigs for garnish. 2 oz lime juice. 12 oz club soda or other sparkling water (i used one that had a hint of lime). food processor. strainer. 2 collins glasses. 2 cups ice. 

start by combining the mint leaves, melon, lime juice and vodka together in the food processor. 

blend until completely pureed. 

over a bowl, strain your blended liquid until you have a bowl full of nice smooth liquid. 

fill each glass with a cup of ice and a sprig of mint. 

fill each glass 75% of the way with melon juice mixture. 

top off with sparkling water or club soda. 

serve and enjoy. 

xo, a

mint + melon sparkler serves: 2 cocktails
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 5 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 4 oz vodka. 2 cups chopped honeydew melon. 20 mint leaves, plus 2 long sprigs for garnish. 2 oz lime juice. 12 oz club soda or other sparkling water (i used one that had a hint of lime). food processor. strainer. 2 collins glasses. 2 cups ice.
start by combining the mint leaves, melon, lime juice and vodka together in the food processor. blend until completely pureed. over a bowl, strain your blended liquid until you have a bowl full of nice smooth liquid. fill each glass with a cup of ice and a sprig of mint. fill each glass 75% of the way with melon juice mixture.top off with sparkling water or club soda. serve and enjoy.