there is not much in this world that says celebration like champagne. 

and today we are celebrating! 

newfoodtuesdayz started out as an outlet for a girl in her early twenties teaching herself how to cook. and somehow over the last eight years it has transformed into a full functioning website, recipe development workhorse, food styling operation, and now, a full on dessert business. 

twenty-four year old me is in shock and awe of the road newfoodtuesdayz has taken. 

the goal for me has always ultimately been a restaurant, and while that is still a ways off. today, i got one step closer. starting saturday, september 29th, you will be able to go into an actual location and purchase a slice of newfoodtuesdayz CAKE! 

by chance, the wonderful ladies at DOUGH & ARROW in costa mesa (my hood) and i were introduced. they make gorgeous cookies that are even tastier with FUN flavor combinations. not only that, they serve up delicious coffee in a relaxed environment. they are the perfect fit for newfoodtuesdayz and i can't wait to share my little slices of goodness with you and their customers. 

so let's celebrate! it's friyay, we are alive and well and pears are headed into season. 

pear + lavender mimosa

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 1 minute

total time: 2 minutes

ingredients: 4 oz champagne. 1 oz pear puree or pear nectar (i used pear puree by blending up one pear and then straining it because i didn't want any extra sugars. if you are short for time or love something a little sweeter, you can find a lot of options for pear nectar HERE). 1 sprig lavender. 

start by filling the bottom of your serving glass with you pear puree or nectar.

top the glass off with your champagne.

smash the lavender sprig between your hands to release the oils.garnish your glass with the lavender.

serve & enjoy. 

xo, a

pear + lavender mimosa

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 1 minute

active time: 1 minute

total time: 2 minutes

ingredients: 4 oz champagne. 1 oz pear puree or pear nectar (i used pear puree by blending up one pear and then straining it because i didn't want any extra sugars. if you are short for time or love something a little sweeter, you can find a lot of options for pear nectar HERE). 1 sprig lavender. 

start by filling the bottom of your serving glass with you pear puree or nectar. top the glass off with your champagne. smash the lavender sprig between your hands to release the oils. garnish your glass with the lavender. serve & enjoy. 

it is that time again. we all made it to the end of the week. and man o man was this one a doozy. 

between prepping for wednesdays shoot, shooting all day in the desert wednesday, food and dessert deliveries thursday and working at the studio friday morning, i pretty much burnt the candle at both ends for the entire week. and it's possible i am in a zombie like state. 

but all the hard work and lack of sleep was well worth it. wednesday's shoot was drop dead gorgeous. all the vendors came together to produce some really beautiful work. 

i was particularly thrilled with the way our styled cocktails turned out. these cocktails make the desert feel like the coolest place to be. 

a little trick to always have a picture perfect cocktail ready is to create some pretty ice in advance. if i have extra herbs, berries or fruit, i freeze it in ice trays for future use. that way when guests come over, even the simplest vodka soda can look like a fancy beverage with the addition of lavender or blackberry ice. once the ice is frozen you can store it in bags or baskets in the freezer till you are ready to use. 

since i'm running on fumes, today i put together a tasty libation with leftovers from the shoot. ginger + pears made the perfect slightly sweet and spicy compliment to your favorite whiskey. 

ginger + pear whiskey soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes

ingredients: 1.5 oz whiskey (i used bulleit rye). 1 tsp grated ginger. 1 tbs chopped fresh pear. 1 tsp lime juice. club soda. pear slice for garnish. 2 dashes bitters if you have some on hand. shaker or pint glass with strainer. 2 cups ice divided. 

start by combining your pears, ginger and lime juice together in a bowl. muddle until the pears are smashed.

combine the pear mixture in the shaker with 1 cup ice and the whiskey.

shake well.

strain the mixture into a glass with the rest of the ice. 

add club soda to taste. add bitters if available. 

garnish with pear wedge and enjoy. 

xo, a

ginger + pear whiskey soda
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 1.5 oz whiskey (i used bulleit rye). 1 tsp grated ginger. 1 tbs chopped fresh pear. 1 tsp lime juice. club soda. pear slice for garnish. 2 dashes bitters if you have some on hand. shaker or pint glass with strainer. 2 cups ice divided.
start by combining your pears, ginger and lime juice together in a bowl. muddle until the pears are smashed.
combine the pear mixture in the shaker with 1 cup ice and the whiskey. shake well.
strain the mixture into a glass with the rest of the ice.
add club soda to taste. add bitters if available.
garnish with pear wedge and enjoy.