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.

valentine’s day is just weeks away. every year for valentine’s day, wes and i celebrate with grilled lobster tails and my lemon caesar salad. but this year, i thought it would be fun to add a twist to our lobster tradition.

wes has been working on adding freshly baked bread to our repertoire, so i’ve pretty much been using it for EVERYTHING. and it is the perfect base for a delicious appetizer take on one of the best lobster cob salads i’ve ever had.

these little toasts are packed full of flavor and decadence, and are great for a party with your gals, a dinner party with friends or a sexy night in.

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside.

heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil.

cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half.

season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster.

cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches.

once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined.

once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives.

swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread.

top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette.

serve and enjoy.

xo, a

butter poached lobster toasts

serves: 24 mini toasts

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 15 minutes

inactive time: 30 minutes

total time: 1 hour

ingredients: 6-8oz lobster tail. 1 stick butter (for extra flavor you could use THIS garlic herb butter). juice of 1 lemon. .25 cup white wine. 1 garlic clove, smashed. 1 small avocado. 1 tbs chopped chives. 10 arugula leaves finely chopped. 10 cherry tomatoes, thinly slice enough for each toast and roughly chop the rest. 3 tbs olive oil, divided. 1 tsp whole grain mustard. 1 tsp kosher salt. .5 tsp freshly ground pepper. 24 bread squares (about 1 inch squared) using your favorite crouton/toast bread).

start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees f. while your oven is preheating, lay your bread pieces on a baking sheet and lightly brush each with some of the olive oil. once your oven is preheated, toast the bread for 7-10 minutes till it is toasted but still a little soft on the inside. heat the butter in a sauce pan until it has melted. once it has melted, add in the garlic clove, half the lemon juice and the white wine. bring the mixture to a soft boil. cut the shell away from the lobster and slice the lobster tail in half. season well with salt and pepper and when your butter is softly boiling, add in the lobster. cook until the lobster is barely cooked through. cooking it too long, will give you a chewy lobster. 6-8 minutes should do it. use a spoon to continuously spoon butter over the lobster as it poaches. once the lobster is cooked, remove it from the butter and allow it to rest and cool. once it has cooled to room temperature, place it in the fridge till it has chilled. combine the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, mustard, remaining salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk it till well combined. once the lobster is chilled, slice it into small pieces and toss it in a bowl with the chopped tomatoes, arugula and the chives. swipe just a little bit of avocado on each slice of toasted bread. top the bread with a half teaspoon of lobster mix. top each lobster toast with a sliced tomato and drizzle with your vinaigrette. serve and enjoy.