is there a greater feeling than the friday freedom of a long summer weekend? no way.

even though i ditched the traditional nine to five lifestyle and i have to teach this holiday, i still feel that excitement knowing a long summer weekend is ahead. summer weekends combine all the things i love. swimming, sun, barbecues, fireworks and friends and family. 

and this holiday, i'm stepping up my patriotic game. i ordered these dried butterfly pea flowers for another project, but when i saw the tray of star ice the other day, a lightbulb went off. and after little effort and a couple hours in the freezer, i'm going cocktails on ice all weekend long. starting with this tropical boozy punch that started my weekend off right. 

blue butterfly ice
ingredients: 2 cups boiling water. 10 butterfly pea flowers that you can purchase HERE. regular ice trays or silicon star molds that you can purchase HERE. add the dried flowers to the boiling water and allow them to sit until the water turns blue. 5-10 minutes. now, you have a choice before you pour your water into your ice tray. if you want ice that will not melt and release flowers into whatever you are drinking, remove the flowers (my husbands camp). if you aren't that worried about it and don't mind dried flowers in your beverage, leave them in when you pour your ice (my camp). pop your ice in the freezer and let them freeze for 5 hours or overnight. use as desired. 

tropical independence day punch
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 3 minutes
total time: 8 minutes ingredients: 5 oz prosecco (or other sparkling wine) 3 oz coconut water. .5 oz triple sec. .5 oz lime juice. 1 strawberry, top removed. 1 cup ice (blue star ice directions above). blender or food processor.

start by pureeing your strawberry. then, fill the bottom of your glass with the strawberry puree.

add your ice to the glass. in a glass, combine the coconut water, triple sec and lime juice. 

pour the prosecco over the ice and strawberry puree, slowly so not to bubble over. 

trying to pour over the ice and not directly into the prosecco, pour in the coconut water mix and enjoy.

xo, a

blue butterfly ice
ingredients: 2 cups boiling water. 10 butterfly pea flowers that you can purchase HERE. regular ice trays or silicon star molds that you can purchase HERE. add the dried flowers to the boiling water and allow them to sit until the water turns blue. 5-10 minutes. now, you have a choice before you pour your water into your ice tray. if you want ice that will not melt and release flowers into whatever you are drinking, remove the flowers (my husbands camp). if you aren't that worried about it and don't mind dried flowers in your beverage, leave them in when you pour your ice (my camp). pop your ice in the freezer and let them freeze for 5 hours or overnight. use as desired.

tropical independence day punch
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
active time: 3 minutes
total time: 8 minutes ingredients: 5 oz prosecco (or other sparkling wine) 3 oz coconut water. .5 oz triple sec. .5 oz lime juice. 1 strawberry, top removed. 1 cup ice (blue star ice directions above). blender or food processor. start by pureeing your strawberry. then, fill the bottom of your glass with the strawberry puree. add your ice to the glass. in a glass, combine the coconut water, triple sec and lime juice. pour the prosecco over the ice and strawberry puree, slowly so not to bubble over. trying to pour over the ice and not directly into the prosecco, pour in the coconut water mix and enjoy.

yeah yeah. i know. it's saturday. well i'm late for good reason. 

yesterday, i catered an elopement at one of my favorite places. the ocean institute in dana point, where wes and i got married. every time i'm there it feels very surreal. it feels like a place i keep being pulled back to. i first went there as a nine year old for a field trip. over the years, i visited it for random reasons. a charity event when i was twelve, a party i attended as my dad's date when i was a teen, getting married there. wes and i worked a wedding for another catering company there last year and even rented the couple the marquee letters from our wedding. 

and yesterday, i went back. to serve my own food. it was a total trip. it doesn't hurt that the locations is stunningly beautiful. it perfectly embodies the expression "breath taking." but what was supposed to be an easy job was of course way more difficult than expected. instead of serving food up by the kitchen, i had to trek four styled food platter & a beverage dispenser 500 yards down the beach. over rocks. so this friyay cocktail is now your saturday libation. trust me, it will be just as good. 

naranja margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 5 minutes ingredients: 2 oz blanco tequila. 1 oz lime juice. 1 oz orange juice. 1 oz triple sec (or other orange liquor). zest of 1 lime. 2 tsp kosher salt. 1 cup ice. shaker. tumbler glass. lime wedge (or dried blood orange in my case) for garnish. 

*note that you could serve this margarita three ways. you could serve it straight up with no ice since you are shaking it over ice. you could serve it on the rocks (over ice). or you could take all the ingredients and blend them for a blended margarita. 

start by combining the lime zest and salt on a shallow dish or on plate. rub the rim of your glass with a lime and then dip the limed rim into the zest and salt mixture. 

coating the rim of the glass. set aside.

fill your shaker with ice. 

pour in the tequila, juices and triple sec (if you are blending your marg, just place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth). 

shake well.

strain into your prepared glass straight up or over a large ice cube or additional cup of ice. 

garnish with lime wedge and enjoy. 

xo, a

naranja margarita
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 3 minutes
active time: 2 minutes
total time: 5 minutes ingredients: 2 oz blanco tequila. 1 oz lime juice. 1 oz orange juice. 1 oz triple sec (or other orange liquor). zest of 1 lime. 2 tsp kosher salt. 1 cup ice. shaker. tumbler glass. lime wedge (or dried blood orange in my case) for garnish. *note that you could serve this margarita three ways. you could serve it straight up with no ice since you are shaking it over ice. you could serve it on the rocks (over ice). or you could take all the ingredients and blend them for a blended margarita. start by combining the lime zest and salt on a shallow dish or on plate. rub the rim of your glass with a lime and then dip the limed rim into the zest and salt mixture. coating the rim of the glass. fill your shaker with ice. pour in the tequila, juices and triple sec (if you are blending your marg, just place all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth). shake well. strain into your prepared glass straight up or over a large ice cube or additional cup of ice. garnish with lime wedge and enjoy.