right now in my life, i'm a yes girl. 

i'm just over a year out from corporate life, and while the financial situation may not be as comfortable as i would like, for the first time in my life i am truly free. free from bad bosses. free from restrictive schedules. free from time that is not my own. and i am free to say yes to anything and everything i want to say yes to.

from a very young age we are asked, "what do you want to be when your grow up?" and naturally, it changes as we age. because when you three and they ask you that question your knowledge of the world is limited and at that point you can count possible career fields on one hand. but as we age, our knowledge grows and we figure out what we like to do and what we are good at doing. 

but the discovery of what we like to do and what we are good at is a lifelong process, yet we are asked to choose a career field before we finish off our second decade of life. and like many others, the choices i made when i went off to study at college, and when i graduated college, and all throughout my twenties, lead me to a place i discovered i didn't really want to be. so i started over. and now i'm saying yes.

now there is a time and a place for everything. and there was a time in my life where the answers needed to be no. no i don't have time for that. no i can not fit that into my schedule. no i can not put you before me. and no was the right answer then and it might be the right answer for you now. 

however, if you are feeling unsettled, complaisant, or just down right up the wrong stream with out a paddle, maybe it is also time for you to say yes. yes to new people, yes to new place, yes to new things. just YES. 

ok. that is enough inspiration for one week. now how about a stiff drink? whether you are currently loving your life, or in need of some change, everyone could use a pick me up. so enjoy this friday moment with a drink that is sure to brighten up your day. 

pomegranate cosmo
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
total time: 6 minutes

ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 1.5 oz pomegranate juice (i muddled my own, but you could easily buy some). 1 tsp pomegranate seeds. 1 tsp lime juice. .5 oz triple sec or other citrus liquor. club soda. cup of ice. lemon twist or slice of zest for garnish. 

in a pint glass or shaker, combine the vodka, triple sec, lime juice and pomegranate juice with the ice. shake well to combine.

strain the mixture into a martini glass. top the drink off with desired amount of club soda. 

garnish with pomegranate seeds and lemon zest and serve. 

xo, a

pomegranate cosmo
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
total time: 6 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz vodka. 1.5 oz pomegranate juice (i muddled my own, but you could easily buy some). 1 tsp pomegranate seeds. 1 tsp lime juice. .5 oz triple sec or other citrus liquor. club soda. cup of ice. lemon twist or slice of zest for garnish.
in a pint glass or shaker, combine the vodka, triple sec, lime juice and pomegranate juice with the ice. shake well to combine.
strain the mixture into a martini glass. top the drink off with desired amount of club soda.
garnish with pomegranate seeds and lemon zest and serve. 

i don't know about you, but my week was full and productive. now that i'm settling into my new teaching routine, i'm finding the times in my day where i can really get things done. so this week wes and i got down to business reorganizing our tiny kitchen for mass productivity and preparing the garden and side yard for shorter days and colder weather. 

wes really put in some work the last few days in addition to working full time. so after he tilled our garden he was handsomely rewarded with a cold cocktail.

this remix on the moscow mule is a great way to change it up if vodka isn't your thing or if you are a lover of whiskey.

cucumber whiskey mule
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey (i used a rye). 1 tsp simple syrup. .25 c ginger ale. 1 inch section of a cucumber. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. copper mug optional but advised. pint glass. muddler. 

first slice a thin piece of cucumber to garnish your mug. then peel and half your cucumber. remove the seeds and dice the cucumber into tiny pieces. about .25 inches square. roughly chop the mint.

combine the simple syrup, cucumber and mint in the bottom of a pint glass. muddle the mixture together to smash the cucumber and release the oils from the mint.

pour the whiskey into the pint glass and mix well. 

if you don't like too much mint in your drink, you can strain your cocktail over a glass of ice. otherwise, pour your whiskey mixture straight into your mug.

fill the glass to the brim with ginger ale. 

garnish with mint and cucumber slice and serve. 

xo, a

cucumber whiskey mule
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 2 minutes
total time: 4 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz whiskey (i used a rye). 1 tsp simple syrup. .25 c ginger ale. 1 inch section of a cucumber. 5 mint leaves + extra sprig for garnish. 1 cup ice. copper mug optional but advised. pint glass. muddler.
first slice a thin piece of cucumber to garnish your mug. then peel and half your cucumber. remove the seeds and dice the cucumber into tiny pieces. about .25 inches square. roughly chop the mint.
combine the simple syrup, cucumber and mint in the bottom of a pint glass. muddle the mixture together to smash the cucumber and release the oils from the mint.
pour the whiskey into the pint glass and mix well.
if you don't like too much mint in your drink, you can strain your cocktail over a glass of ice. otherwise, pour your whiskey mixture straight into your mug.
fill the glass to the brim with ginger ale. garnish with mint and cucumber slice and serve.