Easy Skinny Margarita

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Ever since my first trip to a local taco joint (Donkey Taqueria), I've been thinking about getting my marg on. I had a delicious, hot pink "prickly pear" margarita, and it has plagued me ever since.

In a good way.

Recently, when we had an at-home taco night, I decided it was time. Prickly pears were nowhere to be found, but I did manage to throw together something simple, healthy, and perfect for taco night.

In case you needed any more convincing, here's why you should make this margarita instead of buying store-bought mix:

• WAY LESS SUGAR. Store-bought margarita mix has 30-50 grams of sugar per glass. If you are using stevia or a sugar substitute and following this recipe, you will ring in at about 1.1grams. That means a much lower risk of waking up with a headache or getting the munchies after your second glass.
• WAY LESS CALORIES. It's hard to beat a 74 calorie cocktail. In this recipe, the calories come from the tequila itself (64 calories per shot), and the lime (10 calories per half-lime). That's it. (Note: I'm not trying to get you to count calories here, but when you make the comparison, a 300 calorie frozen margarita becomes more difficult to justify - especially if you're drinking more than one!)
• IT IS SO EASY. No blender needed. Nothing fancy required. Once you have everything out, you can throw it together in 60 seconds. Seriously, though. Try it.

Easy Skinny Margarita

Servings: 1 Per Recipe
Calories Per Serving: 74 calories

Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1 shot Tequila (I used the equivalent of 1 shot per drink, because I was prepping these in short rocks glasses - and I consume drinks rather quickly, so I try not to overload each of them with booze. If you like your margs very strong, feel free to bump that up to 1.5. And, if you are making these in a highball glass, go with somewhere in between 1 and 2 shots.)
• Juice from 1/2 Lime + 1 Lime wedge (I used the juice from 1/2 lime, plus an extra wedge to garnish, for each drink. Feel free to adjust as needed for your preferences)
• 1 tsp Stevia Syrup or 1 pack Sugar/Sugar Substitute (You can use any sugar or sugar substitute here. I used liquid stevia drops, which require about 1 tsp. If you use sugar or a granulated stevia/substitute, use one pack)
• Sparkling Water (I have used regular sparkling water, as well as cherry-lime La Croix, so feel free to experiment with anything bubbly and unflavored or mildly flavored here)

Directions:

1. Fill glass with ice. 
2. Pour tequila over the ice
3. Squeeze lime juice into the cup.
4. Add sugar substitute.
5. Top with sparkling water, stir, and serve with garnish.

Fourth of July Recipes! Horray!

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Happy Almost 4th of July! My fiance and I are heading up North today to see my family. We're hoping for some good weather, beach time, and good food. I am postponing spilling about my bridal shower just a bit longer so that you can enjoy these wonderful red, white, and blue recipes!

Here are a few tasty and healthy recipes for you to whip up for friends and family this year!

Blueberry and Chambord Patriotic Cocktails

Strong and Skinny Strawberry Daiquiris

Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria - with Piuneapple Stars!

Strawberry Shortcake Cocktail

Skinny Strawberry Ginger Margarita

White Chocolate Filled Raspberries

Jolly Rancher Suckers

Red, White, and Blue-berry Overnight French Toast

Chocolate Banana Protein Pancakes with Fruit

Easy Strawberry Shortcake

Blueberry Cheesecake In A Jar

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Sparkling Water Cupcakes with White Chocolate Mousse Frosting

I hope you enjoy your holiday and have a wonderful time with friends or family!

Your Very Own Mad Men Drink Cart

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...because everyone needs one. Especially if you've committed to decorating your apartment in Mid Century Modern decor. And especially if you don't have a liquor cabinet because you've filled all the reachable cabinets with food (and you can't put the liquor higher than your arms can reach). 

When we went on a Craigslist spree (in which we netted the MCM Credenza in the Living Room, dresser in the Bedroom, desk in the Living Room and this drink cart), we came away with this. It's not as tall as it should be, but it fits the style and has a cute little wing that pops out -- just in case you're making many, many drinks at once.

Things you need:

Small table/drink cart:
I would have loved to get a real vintage drink cart (I wanted the kind that also looks like a surgical side table). Unfortunately, from the looks of it, unless you totally luck out and find one for a total steal, it's going to run you upwards of $200. Instead, we opted for this small MCM table on Craigslist. It's from the same set that our desk is from, so it matches nicely.
Pictured above: Jill Bar Cart, $349, Serving Cart in Cherry, $39.55

Coasters:
Okay, this is kind of up to you. But if you're fancy enough to have a drink cart, use some damn coasters. That said, I got a set of HUGE (see how large they are compared to the drink?) coasters from Ikea for $6 bucks. That way, when someone is pouring, it's alright if it slightly overflows - the cork will soak it up (and reek of alcohol until the end of time, horrah!).
Pictured Above: Fox Run Brands Cork Coasters, Set of 6 for $5.99, True Fabrications Slate Coasters, Set of 4, $13.19

Short tumblers: 
Because it's what they use in MadMen and it's what they use in Boardwalk Empire so it must be the real thing, right?! Another great thing about the shorter tumblers is that they are easily stacked. I grabbed two sets of 4 from T.J. Maxx for only $3.99/set.
Pictured Above: Bormioli Rocco Galassia Tumbler Rocks Glasses, Set of 6, Leonardo Tumblers, Set of 6 for $36.05

Crystal/glass liquor bottles: 
We initially bought a few of these off of Etsy, but I also lucked out at none other than T.J. Maxx. The large bottle on the left comes from T.J. for only $6.99.
Pictured: Godinger Dublin 6-Piece Crystal Whiskey Decanter Set, $69.99, Bormioli Rocco dedalo 7 Piece Crystal Cut Glass Liquor Decanter, $12.99

Liquor:

• Whiskey
• Gin
• Vodka
• Tequila
• Vermouth
• Bitters

Strawberry Shortcake Cocktail

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This cocktail is... so good, you'll never taste the alcohol. The combination of cake flavored vodka and sweet, fruit-flavored grenadine syrup will not disappoint. You'll feel like a cute little girl in a ruffled dress with ribbons in her hair... because, after all, drinking cocktails is just a grown up tea party, right?

Let's talk about alcohol. Why? Because it's Friday.

Okay, that was wrong of me. You don't have to drink on Fridays. In fact, I usually don't. But when I do, there are two versions of me. The first is very adventurous and bold. I'll try a drink that's very strong or a drink that tastes so strongly of whiskey that I'm proud of myself for simply finishing it.

The second is a little more picky. Because sometimes, you just don't want to deal with that look that crosses your face when it's a little too alcohol flavored. Sometimes, you just want your drink to taste damn good. Like heaven. Or Strawberry Shortcake.

And boom. We've come full circle.

Strawberry Shortcake Cocktail

Servings: 1 per recipe
Prep Time: 1 minute
Ingredients:

• Ice
• 1.5 oz Cake Flavored Vodka (Pinnacle)
• ~ 1 tbsp Grenadine
• ~ 1/2 cup Seltzer Water or Club Soda (Can substitute Champagne for a bit more bite)

Directions:

1. Fill cup with ice.
2. Add vodka and grenadine.
3. Pour seltzer water, club soda, or champagne over.
4. Add the cutest straw you can find :)

6 Skinny Cocktail Recipes You'll Love

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Not sure if you'd noticed, but today's Friday. You're probably shedding tears of joy right now, aren't you? Me too, folks, me too. I'm pretty sure Friday is my favorite day of the week, simply because there's so much anticipation for the next few days of not working. And by not working, I mean exercising, baking/cooking/making things/taking pictures for this blog, finishing my book and/or editing, doing laundry... WAIT, stop, Carly! Now you're just depressing everybody. The weekend is supposed to be about relaxing... right?

Apparently my way of sending you all off to relax is by getting you drunk. Seriously - I looked it up. I've given you cocktail recipes every Friday for almost the entire summer. No, I'm not trying to kill you.

How about, instead of shoving just one recipe in your face, I give you 6? Look, now you have choices! People love choices! It's true, I asked my mom!

P.S. If thou goest shopping this weekend, I charge thee to instagram/tweet a picture of thy shopping cart with the hashtag #inmycart. 

P.S.S. Apparently, Old English and talking about social media don't exactly mix well. Oh well. These drinks do!

1. Blueberry Chambord Cocktail

2. Red In The Morning Cocktail (Sparkling Vodka Sunrise)

3. Whiskey Sweet 'N' Sour

4. Moonlight Basil Mojito

5. Skinny Strawberry Daiquiri

6. Purple People Drinker 

Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria

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You might have to double or triple this recipe, because your guests are going to be fighting over it! Refreshing cold white wine, combined with fruits, sparkling juices, and citrus flavors will keep you hydrated while making you feel like summer just began with your first sip!

HAPPY FRIDAY! YOU MADE IT! (And that means so did I!)

Okay, I got a little crazy with this one. I was even in the kitchen cutting star shapes out of pineapples. You see, the first time I made this was the Fourth of July. That meant I had red strawberries, blue blueberries, and... well, pineapple. It's not white, but it's darn close. And if you carve it into a star, people will go wild. You can feel free to be a little less ambitious and go with pineapple chunks, apple slices, or get lovey and cut the pineapple into hearts! (Send me a picture if you come up with something fancy!)

Skinny Summertime White Wine Sangria

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of Sliced Strawberries and Blueberries, mixed
• 1/2 cup of Pineapple cubes or fancy pineapple carvings (See below for the how-to)
• 2 bottles White Wine (I used a Chardonnay)
• 1/2 cup Cointreau Liqueur
• 1/2 cup Vodka
• 1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1-2 tablespoons Truvia or Sugar, to taste

Directions:

1. Place fruits in the bottom of a large pitcher.
2. Add liquid ingredients and stir.
3. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Overnight is best!

Ah, and were you wondering how I managed to cut the pineapple and carve it into stars?

How To Cut Pineapple Shapes:

Rip (or cut) the top off of the pineapple. If you don't have a strong mom like I do, you may have to cut it, but ripping/tearing is safer!

Cut the pineapple in half, slicing it down the core.

Print out shapes (I used stars) and then cut those out of the paper. Lay the paper shapes on top of the pineapple, trying to use as much of the core as possible, as it holds the best shape (the sides get a bit fibrous and mushy).

Use a knife to cut out the shape.

And voila!

I'm seeing stars!