as i'm sitting with this delightful cocktail, reflecting on the busy week now behind me, i can't help but feel like it was a monumental week.
tuesday and thursday of this week i taught my first and second indoor cycling classes. it was only two hours of work, but if i really think about it, the last thirty years lead to those moments. my earliest memories involve swimming and being active and it feels amazing to be spending time every day on my body again. it isn't about what the shell look likes, it's about what i feel like when i'm in good physical shape. i feel strong. capable. and that feels goooooooood.
the rest of my week was filled with the joys of my changed life. surfing and menu testing, dining with my family and shopping with my mom, teaching and taking plenty of yoga.
and yesterday, i capped it off with a glorious visit from my good friend nicole who lives in colorado. we spent the day at my favorite beach, talking about life and cocktails. you can go ahead and thank her now for this tasty libation. 

pomegranate + candied rosemary gin & tonic
serves: 1 cocktail
prep time: 5 minutes
ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs simple syrup. 1 tbs sugar. 1 tbs pomegranate seeds. tonic. small rosemary sprig. 1 cup ice. 

start by lightly brushing your rosemary sprig with simple syrup. let any excess drip off.

lightly dust your rosemary with sugar and set aside. 

in a tumbler, combine the ice and pomegranate. 

pour in the gin and lightly stir to chill. 

finish off with desired amount of tonic and garnish with reserved rosemary. 

xo, a

pomegranate + candied rosemary gin & tonic serves: 1 cocktail prep time: 5 minutes ingredients: 2 oz gin. 1 tbs simple syrup. 1 tbs sugar. 1 tbs pomegranate seeds. tonic. small rosemary sprig. 1 cup ice. start by lightly brushing your rosemary sprig with simple syrup. let any excess drip off. lightly dust your rosemary with sugar and set aside. in a tumbler, combine the ice and pomegranate. pour in the gin and lightly stir to chill. finish off with desired amount of tonic and garnish with reserved rosemary.

as previously expressed, i have kumquats coming out of my ears. but, i'm kind of loving it. it has me hyper focused on one ingredient and figuring out all the wonderful things i can do with that ingredient. 

plus, if you haven't noticed, they are really freaking adorable. 

so i'm getting very creative with kumquats. kumquat squares. kumquat jam. kumquat cocktails. 

but my favorite so far has been these lavender + kumquat cupcakes. 

one of the women i work with at one of my yoga studios and her friends bought a whole lavender plant when they made my lemon + lavender cake and were so sweet to give me the plant when they were done. and i've absolutely fallen in love with it. lavender has proven to be an amazing compliment to the tart and sweet kumquats and together they made a scrumptious cupcake.

lavender + kumquat cupcakes
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs
ingredients: 2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. 1 tbs diced kumquat (about 2 kumquats). 1 tsp lavender leaves, minced. 1 tsp lavender flowers, minced. .75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract. 

preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.

while the shortening and sugar are being worked, combine the extracts, kumquats and lavender in a small bowl. 

with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined. then add in the kumquat, lavender, extract mixture. 

still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth. 

with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined. 

spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag. 

into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan. 

bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes
allow to cool completely.
frost with cream cheese frosting and serve. 

xo, a

lavender + kumquat cupcakes
serving size: 18 cupcakes
prep time: 10 min
bake time: 15-20 min
total time with frosting: 1.5hrs
ingredients: 2 cups flour. 2 tsp baking powder. .5 tsp salt. .5 cup shortening. 2 eggs. 1.5 cups sugar. 1 tbs diced kumquat (about 2 kumquats). 1 tsp lavender leaves, minced. 1 tsp lavender flowers, minced. 75 cups buttermilk. .5 cups whole milk .5 tsp vanilla extract. .5tsp almond extract.
preheat your oven to 350 f. with a mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the sugar and shortening.
while the shortening and sugar are being worked, combine the extracts, kumquats and lavender in a small bowl.
with the mixer on a medium speed, add in the eggs until just combined. then add in the kumquat, lavender, extract mixture.
still on medium, pour in the milk and buttermilk and mix till smooth.
with the mixer on a slow speed add in the dry ingredients until just combined.
spoon the mixture into a large ziplock or piping bag.
into prepared cupcake pans, add 2-3 tbs batter to each pan.
bake until a toothpick comes out of the cake clean. about 15 to 20 minutes
allow to cool completely.
frost with cream cheese frosting and serve.