we all know that alcohol isn't exactly "good for us." sure, some of the different varieties offer a few benefits. but the real benefits of booze are measured in my mind by how it makes you feel. sure, overindulging in some libations is not good for you, but the relaxation and release you receive from a drink or two is undeniable.

so how do you balance the benefits of relaxation with what we know isn't necessarily "healthy?" 

duh, just add more healthy stuff to it.
and the benefits of ginger are undeniable. it is a great anti inflamitory, helps hearth health, increase digestions and is fabulous in a margarita. 

ginger margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 1 oz grand marnier. 1 lime. 1 inch of ginger, peel removed. 1 tsp sugar. couple pinches of salt. micro plane. stainer or cheesecloth. tumbler. 1 cup of ice. 1 lime wheel. 

start out by zesting your lime. on a plate, combine the salt, zest and two pinches of the sugar and set it aside.

in a glass, combine the tequila, grand marnier and the juice of the lime. 

use the squeezed lime to rub some lime juice on the edge of the glass. 

dip the lime juice rubbed lip of the glass into the zest mixture, coating the rim of the glass. 

grate your ginger with the micro plane over a strainer or some cheese cloth. 

when you have grated all your ginger, press all the juice out. you should end up with about 1 oz of ginger. 

pour in your tequila mixture. stir well to combine. 

top with ice. garnish with a lime wheel. enjoy. 

xo, a

ginger margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 7 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz tequila. 1 oz grand marnier. 1 lime. 1 inch of ginger, peel removed. 1 tsp sugar. couple pinches of salt. micro plane. stainer or cheesecloth. tumbler. 1 cup of ice. 1 lime wheel.
start out by zesting your lime. on a plate, combine the salt, zest and two pinches of the sugar and set it aside. in a glass, combine the tequila, grand marnier and the juice of the lime. use the squeezed lime to rub some lime juice on the edge of the glass. dip the lime juice rubbed lip of the glass into the zest mixture, coating the rim of the glass. using your micro plane. grate your ginger with the micro plane over a strainer or some cheese cloth. when you have grated all your ginger, press all the juice out. you should end up with about 1 oz of ginger. pour in your tequila mixture. stir well to combine. top with ice. garnish with a lime wheel. enjoy.

over the weekend, i had a bit of a pinch me moment. sunday, wes and i did a thirty minute cooking demo at an athletic apparel store at a major mall. we drew a small crowd of people, and it was an athletic apparel store, but it was still AWESOME. 

seriously pinch me. is this my life now? 

we had two awesome volunteers come up and work with us, we gave out a ton of tasty brunch samples (it was a how to step up your brunch game demo) and chatted with a bunch of people about possible future business. including a possible second cooking demo. let's just say two full days later i'm still feeling the emotional high. 

one of the recipes we demonstrated was the signature granola i've been working on for our future restaurant. yes, you read that right... i'm just giving the recipe up. but the best part about this granola, is that it is a pretty simple base that you can easily adjust to your taste, what you have on hand or what is seasonal. you know... customize it! 

orange blossom granola
serves: 4 cups
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 10 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats. 1 cup slivered almonds (you could sub whatever nuts you prefer here). 3 tbs butter, melted. .33 cup honey. .25 cup orange juice. 1 tbs orange zest (you could sub other citrus). beans from .5 vanilla bean. 1 tsp salt. 

start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees f. 

in a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and the orange zest. 

mix well and set aside. 

then in another medium bowl combine the butter, honey, orange juice salt and vanilla bean together. 

whisk until completely combined. 

drizzle your liquids over the oat mixture. 

dig in and use your hands to combine well. 

spread your granola over a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer. bake, stirring the granola about halfway through, until lightly golden brown. 

pull the granola out of the oven and allow it to cool. 

you can cool it till it's cool enough to eat and enjoy it warm, or you can store it in an airtight container for a week or two. 

xo, a

range blossom granola
serves: 4 cups
prep time: 5 minutes
bake time: 30 minutes
cool time: 10 minutes
total time: 45 minutes
ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats. 1 cup slivered almonds (you could sub whatever nuts you prefer here). 3 tbs butter, melted. .33 cup honey. .25 cup orange juice. 1 tbs orange zest (you could sub other citrus). beans from .5 vanilla bean. 1 tsp salt.
start by preheating your oven to 300 degrees f. in a large bowl, combine the oats, almonds, and the orange zest. mix well and set aside. then in another medium bowl combine the butter, honey, orange juice salt and vanilla bean together. whisk well to combine. drizzle your liquids over the oat mixture. dig in and use your hands to combine well. spread your granola over a parchment lined baking sheet in an even layer. bake, stirring the granola about halfway through, until lightly golden brown. pull the granola out of the oven and allow it to cool. you can cool it till it's cool enough to eat and enjoy it warm, or you can store it in an airtight container for a week or two.