well folks, i am now SUPER pregnant. three things fit me, i’m beginning to waddle and i can no longer “sneak” behind wesley in our little kitchen. and i still have eight weeks of growing to do.

luckily, some joy and relief has been found in my produce store starting to pack with juicy, refreshing summer fruit. stone fruit being among my favorite. nectarines, peaches, plums and pluots are popped in the fridge, and i bust them out in my hottest, hungriest snacking moments.

wes got lucky this friyay because i had some peaches i needed to use before they were over ripped and so this cocktail was born.

pun intended.

just peachy martini

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2-5 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3-6 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .5 oz st. germain. 4 oz peach puree (about 1 peach, blended and strained. if you don’t want to bother with making your peach puree, you can always purchase some peach juice or peach nectar but your cocktail will likely be a bit sweeter) plus a peach wedge for garnish. 3 large sage leaves, smashed and chopped plus a sage sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. shaker + strainer. martini glass.

if you are going to make your own puree, start there. blend up all but a wedge of your peach.

strain the puree to remove any large chunks and the skin.

then, fill your shaker with ice. pour in the vodka, st. germain, peach puree and all but a few ribbons of your chopped up sage. shake well till the oils from the sage are released and everything is frothy and well combined. about 30 seconds.

strain the contents of your shaker into your martini glass (bonus points if you have time to chill the glass).

garnish with the remaining sage ribbons, the peach wedge and sprig of sage. serve and enjoy.

xo, a

just peachy martini

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2-5 minutes

active time: 1 minute

total time: 3-6 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. .5 oz st. germain. 4 oz peach puree (about 1 peach, blended and strained. if you don’t want to bother with making your peach puree, you can always purchase some peach juice or peach nectar but your cocktail will likely be a bit sweeter) plus a peach wedge for garnish. 3 large sage leaves, smashed and chopped plus a sage sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. shaker + strainer. martini glass.

if you are going to make your own puree, start there. blend up all but a wedge of your peach. strain the puree to remove any large chunks and the skin. then, fill your shaker with ice. pour in the vodka, st. germain, peach puree and all but a few ribbons of your chopped up sage. shake well till the oils from the sage are released and everything is frothy and well combined. about 30 seconds. strain the contents of your shaker into your martini glass (bonus points if you have time to chill the glass). garnish with the remaining sage ribbons, the peach wedge and sprig of sage. serve and enjoy.

um, where did january go?

i feel like it took me much longer than usual this year to regroup after the holidays. normally, i attack a new year with extreme enthusiasm. but this year, i just couldn’t kick it into gear. but with a new month bringing a fresh perspective and one of my favorite times of the year, i’m finally feeling like i’m getting back in the swing of things. and right in time for happy hour.

citrus season is bringing its best right now. grapefruit, cara cara and blood oranges are offering up some really gorgeous flavors and colors. and nothing pairs better with citrus than herbs.

this lightly sparkling sip will brighten up a cold february day and you will want to keep this cocktail handy all the way through spring.

thyme & grapefruit spritzer

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 4 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 3 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice + grapefruit twist. .5 oz st. germain. 7 sprigs thyme. 5 oz club soda. 2 cups ice. shaker.

start by filling the base of your shaker with half the ice, 5 of the thyme leaves roughly torn, and the vodka. give it a stir and let the thyme start to infuse into your vodka.

pour in the grapefruit juice and st. germain. cover the shaker and shake well till everything is well combined and the thyme leaves are nice and bruised up. about 30 seconds.

fill your serving glass with ice. pour the contents of your shaker into the serving glass.

top the glass with club soda.

gently stir it up with the remaining thyme sprigs and use them as a garnish. top with your grapefruit twist, serve and enjoy.

xo, a

thyme & grapefruit spritzer

serves: 1 cocktail

prep time: 2 minutes

active time: 2 minutes

total time: 4 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 3 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice + grapefruit twist. .5 oz st. germain. 7 sprigs thyme. 5 oz club soda. 2 cups ice. shaker.

start by filling the base of your shaker with half the ice, 5 of the thyme leaves roughly torn, and the vodka. give it a stir and let the thyme start to infuse into your vodka. pour in the grapefruit juice and st. germain. cover the shaker and shake well till everything is well combined and the thyme leaves are nice and bruised up. about 30 seconds. fill your serving glass with ice. pour the contents of your shaker into the serving glass. top the glass with club soda. gently stir it up with the remaining thyme sprigs and use them as a garnish. top with your grapefruit twist, serve and enjoy.