I’ve always been a fan of a great at-home bar. I strongly believe it’s a must-learn life skill to mix up classic cocktails, and as an avid host, it’s important to provide an array...
Looking back on Easter as a child, I remember how excited I was to dig through my Easter basket. Full of chocolate bunnies, malt ball Easter eggs, Peeps, golden coins, and my favorite Cadbury...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter...
With cooler temps on the horizon, and having burnt through two pumpkin candles already it’s safe to say I’m officially in the fall mindset. Which along with breaking out the cozy throws, boots and sweaters means I’ll also be trading in my summer spritz with something a bit more savory. Enter my Apple Cinnamon Thyme Sangria.
Easy to make, and even easier to drink this sangria has all the flavors you crave when cooler temps hit, but also gets a fresh note from lemon and thyme and the champagne keeps it light since we know the hot weather isn’t quite done with us yet.
Like many Sangrias this one is better if everything except the champagne, sits overnight so it’s easy to make ahead of time and in large batches for guests. This Sangria gets an extra elevated feel by serving it in our favorite Berry &Thread Goblets topped with a fresh cinnamon stick.
Try it out this season, and pro tip. As the temps do keep dropping feel free to be a bit more heavy-handed with the bourbon. Enjoy! MKR
Apple Cinnamon Thyme Sangria
Ingredients:
apple juice (1 gallon)
lemon slices (2-3 lemons)
lemon juice (1/2 cup)
prosecco / or champagne (1 bottle)
bourbon (1 cup)
fresh thyme
cinnamon sticks
apples (2-3 apples)
Mix together the apple juice/cider, lemons and lemon juices, thyme, cinnamon, apple slices, and bourbon. Let sit for at least 30 minutes, but can be made ahead and sit overnight.
Before serving add a bottle of prosecco and pour over ice. Garnish with additional fresh fruit and thyme if desired.
With Memorial Day weekend behind us, summer is officially here. Break out the white jeans, beach drinks, and long leisurely summer nights. I mean is there any time of year more nostalgic than summer? When I think of summer I have specific smells and feelings that coming rushing in. There’s no season that truly makes me long to be a kid again, or in a kind of a sad way makes me feel how far I am from those carefree days, than summer.
That’s why I’ve decided to take a break from blogging this summer. I’ve never actually taken a break from blogging. I’ve plowed through every holiday, every date, every season, all the time. But lately I’ve been feeling very unbalanced and a bit uninspired. I’ve felt very disconnected from why I started blogging in the first place. It’s almost felt forced. And forced is the opposite of what I want this space to be about.
So that’s why I’m pressing pause and soaking in every magnificent moment of summer I can. I plan on taking bike rides, walking barefoot, eating food on a stick at all the local carnivals, playing put-put golf, taking spontaneous road trips, jumping into the lake, and maybe even being a bit lazy. Yes I am drinking that summer kool-aid (both literally and figuratively as Kool-aid was a major part of my summers in Michigan).
Don’t worry I won’t be totally MIA. I’ll still be sharing all of my adventures over on Instagram and let’s not forget I have a shop that won’t run itself. I hope while I’m on a break you’ll still utilize WOM as a resource for all things home, food, beauty, and entertaining. As I’ve been doing this for five years I’ve built up quite the library of information that still feels rather inspired. And of course don’t forget about the recipe index! So many good recipes to try out!
Which brings me to today’s Salty Dog recipe. This is the easiest, and perfect cocktail for those lazy days of summer. Get the recipe below, and whip up a batch sooner rather than later.
So that’s it. I’m signing off until Labor Day. Here’s to hoping I might just get a glimpse of that inner kid again. Truly, MKR
Named after a famous hoax from 1874, The Tom Collins cocktail has easily become one of the most iconic gin cocktails around. And while I’m not one to often mess with the classics, I think it’s nice to sometimes add a spin. Especially if that spin that doesn’t effect the original version, but only enhances it. That my friends is how I came to know the refreshing Cucumber Collins as shown here. But before I dive into my Minty, Cucumber Collins spin, first lets talk about this Tom Collins hoax.
According to The Gin Foundry, “the story of the hoax goes something like… Tom Collins was a loud and boisterous man who was known to sit in taverns and talk harshly of nearly everyone he’d met, or in many cases, those he hadn’t. Fortunately for those who fell victim to Collins’ wrath, they had good friends who would immediately find their friend and let them know of all the profanity directed towards them. The victim was then encouraged to find Collins and confront him. However, when the victim went to the tavern where Collins was meant to be, he was nowhere to be found (because Tom Collins did not exist). It was then that those desperately looking for their revenge would ask at the bar for Tom Collins, and instead receive the sour cocktail.”
This hoax made it’s way around New York and beyond, with even the newspapers writing all about it. And while I can’t imagine what would happen each time an enraged person was handed a Tom Collins cocktail rather than meeting an actual Tom Collins, I am thankful it produced such a fantastic cocktail.
Your classic Tom Collins consists of gin, lemon, plenty of simple syrup or sugar, and ice. And if I’m being honest reminds me of a boozy lemonade, which I love, but typically has too much sugar for me to have more than one. This led me to thinking of how to make the Tom Collins a bit less sugary, and a bit more refreshing. Easy; insert fresh cucumber, fresh mint, club soda, and you have the Cucumber Collins.
As easy to make as it is beautiful to look at, this refreshing spin on an iconic cocktail will be one I promise you’ll be drinking all summer long. Click through/below to find the recipe, and Cheers! Truly, MKR
P.S. You could also use lemon, mint cucumber gin to enhance the flavor and if you’re going to go that route you definitely need to check out the WOMH infusion kits!
