Valentinis

Well, the snow has done more than enough to derail my Field Trip Fridays! Last week, we weren't quite plowed out, so I stayed put and got ready for a little Valentine party I was putting together. I was looking for some kind of martini to make. I remembered that my friend Greg had served me a delicious "Flirtini" once at his restaurant Yellowfin in Cheshire, CT. So I did a little search of Flirtini (found several variations), doctored it up a bit and it was a big hit. Be careful with this one! It made shy people extremely talkative and maybe even the blind man see.
Valentinis - - -
1 1/2 oz. lemon flavored vodka
1/2 oz. orange flavored liqueur
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. pineapple juice
1/2 tsp. sugar
Shake it up in a cocktail shaker with some ice. Strain into a martini glass. Top with a splash of champagne and start TALKIN'!!
Of course, to make it for a crowd, I changed the ounces to cups!
Remember, do not even THINK about drinking and driving!! And you better be 21 if you are making this.

Valentine Puppies

As my favorite holiday fast approaches I keep finding new ways to create fun foods and decorations. And thanks to being snowbound for days now, I have had more time on my hands. Pictured here is the reason I was looking for little edible heart decorations the other day. I have only been out once since last Friday, but I found some hearts mixed in with some sprinkles I had in my baking supplies.
My dog, Clarence, is a Westie and at Christmas I make little Westie spritz cookies, covered in white sugar with silver French Dragees for the eyes. Then my daughter & I found this Westie cookie cutter at Sur La Table and I used that for cutout sugar cookies. I added his cute little heart, practically glowing with love. I feel a theme coming on! I'm sure I can parlay this thing for any holiday. Green sugar for St. Patrick's Day, eggs or jelly beans for Easter, little flags for Fourth of July. You get the picture. When I bought the cookie cutter, I noticed a couple of other doggie cutters, so go looking for your breed.

Field Trip Friday - uh oh

With the impending Snowpocalypse, as they call it, I had to change my plans for field trip Friday. I only ventured about a mile away to the craft store, which in my case was a Michael's. It was just as crowded as the grocery store, next door!! I don't know if people were picking up craft projects to do when they couldn't go anywhere for the next 3 days, or if they were getting ready for Valentine's Day. I saw a lot of moms and kids together, since school was cancelled.
I was there looking in the cake decorating section, trying to find some little heart shaped, edible decorations. No luck with that but I found all KINDS of cute stuff in the clearance isle. As soon as I can shovel out of here I will try to find some of those cinnamon hearts. Then I'll show you what I needed them for.

Admire it All You Want

Here's my tray, the prize from the last Field Trip Friday.
By the way, here is the contact info for Bella Villa:
39478 John Mosby Hwy
Aldie, VA 20105
703-327-5313
www.bellavillashop.com
Any suggestions for my next Field Trip Friday??