Cocktail of the Week!

Being a cocktail connoisseur, I feel it's necessary that I share with you some of my favorite cocktails that I've either tried in bars or that I've concocted at home! As you can already tell I love to try new things and am always out there looking for my signature drink. Follow my cocktail of the week posts to discover these new drinks with me!

Like any young 20-something trying to make her mark in the world, I can admit to binge-watching Sex and the City and wishing I had the life of Carrie Bradshaw (that brownstone come ON). One of the first things I noticed while watching was that the girls always had a pink drink in their hands, and upon watching further episodes I was able to identify that drink with a name -- the Cosmopolitan. The drink is quite simple really: cranberry juice, triple sec, vodka, and lime.  No really...that's it. So if this drink was so easy, why was I constantly disappointed every time I ordered it?

My first drink of legal age was a Cosmo at this quriky bar on Market Street [insert picture of young Lexi with blonde hair and naive ambitions]. The drink was...meh. First of all, I wanted a mojito but the bar didn't have mint (???) and so the Carrie in me thought a Cosmo would be the perfect alternative. It really wasn't that special, but at least I got to wear the honor of having it be my first drink, yeah?

The next Cosmo disaster was for my friend's 21st. I took her out to the streets of Denver (where a mojito was her first drink...UGH) and we went into one of my favorite bars in Larimer Square. The bartender was all over us as soon as we walked in the door and said he could make us the best Cosmo we'd ever had...boy was he WRONG. That drink was literally just straight vodka -- I can still feel it burning my tongue. At this point, I figured my whole life was a lie and that Cosmos were an urban myth. I had lost all hope.

That is, until I found a little black book hiding in my desk drawer. The Skinny Cocktails book is the bible for all things low-cal alcoholic drinks. They had a recipe for a Cosmo and I thought, "now is the time." So I ran on over to the liquor store and picked up some essentials and got to work. But, I didn't have cranberry juice or a lime, so I had to substitute pineapple-pomegranate juice and lemon...it was AMAZING! Not too strong, the perfect amount of sweetness -- I finally realized this was how a Cosmo should taste.

Lexi's Cosmopolitan

1 oz vodka

1 oz triple sec

1 1/2 oz POM Hula juice

Juice of half a lemon

Add all ingredients to cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Pour into a martini and garnish with a lemon wedge.

Any cocktails you love that you want me to try? What's your cocktail of the week? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time my loves x.

Cooking with Duchess: Greek Meatballs

Welcome to my new blog segment: Cooking with Duchess! (I am so full of myself, wow.) If you didn't know this about me, I love to cook and have been for almost my entire life. While I could spend hours browsing Pinterest for new recipes, my favorite thing to do is tweak recipes and make them my own. I don't think I've followed a recipe tit for tat in years! In these posts I will share with you my latest creations so you can try them out for yourself!

Greek Meatballs

We know I'm a sucker for Greek food (gyros and hummus are my LIFE), so when my mom asked me to make something with the ground lamb she accidentally bought (she wasn't wearing her reading glasses) I knew I could come up with something yummy!

Meatballs are great because you can eat them on their own or with something else. I paired these puppies with couscous, tzatziki sauce, and hummus! They were so good my family couldn't stop eating them!

These were so easy to make and would be great leftovers (just a guess since there were none left when I made them!). They are low carb and would be great over sauteed veggies. Switch it up and let me know what you ate them with!

Greek Meatballs Recipe

1 tbsp plain Greek yogurt

2 tbsp crumbled feta cheese

1 egg

1 16-oz package ground lamb

1 tsp dill

1 tsp oregano

2 tbsp plain breadcumbs

1 tbsp red onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Set oven to 375 degrees. Mix together all ingredients with a spoon (or by hand if you're a true Italian comme moi) until meat and ingredients are well blended. Form meatballs sized slightly bigger than a golf ball and place an inch apart on a baking pan lined with foil. Cook for 35 minutes or until edges of meatballs are crisp. Makes 12 meatballs.

Until next time my loves x.

Happy Hour Spot of the Week!

I recently started working downtown (yay!) which means my happy hour options have increased exponentially.  There is nothing more exciting to me than trying new restaurants! My favorite part about happy hour is that you can enjoy a good drink and appetizer for a price that doesn't make you want to cry. Each time I try a new happy hour (which, let's be honest, will be frequent) I will show you some drink options, tell you where to find it, and give it a rating! Cheers!

Clocktower Grill

Located at Lincoln Station in Lone Tree, CO

Happy Hour: 11:00AM-7:00PM Mon-Fri

Website

My mom and I hit up this bar (conveniently located at the light rail station) to cheer on the US Women's National Team in the 2015 World Cup (yes, this post is late SORRY). There is nothing better than alcohol, bar food, and a big screen to make watching the game even better! Look how long their happy hour is...that's such a deal! This includes $3.50 well drinks and wines, $1 off beers, and $5 food specials from 4:00-7:00PM. No cocktail specials, but the variety is still nice!

Cocktails

Juicy Fruit and Cherry Limeade

Nothing better than a cocktail served in a full-size glass! My mom ordered the Juicy Fruit (on the left) which was coconut rum, peach schnapps, melon liquor, and pineapple juice. So yummy!  I went with the Cherry Limeade (I'm addicted to the Sonic version) which had Pucker cherry vodka, muddled limes, triple sec, sprite, and sweet and sour! These drinks went perfect with the loaded cheese fries we ordered (TRY THEM) and were the perfect size so we didn't feel the need to order another. 

Rating: 9/10

The only thing missing was that there are no specials for cocktails during happy hour. Other than that, the food was delicious and the drinks the same! There was plenty of variety at super reasonable prices. I also liked that it wasn't too packed, even during a huge sports event, so there's actually room to breathe.




Until next time my loves x.

June Favorites!

It's finally starting to feel like summer here in Colorado and I hate it. Don't get me wrong -- I love warmer weather but what I don't love is sweating and having my hair and makeup ruined in just a short 15 minute walk. Comes with the season I suppose! All that being said, June really flew by. I got my first job after graduation and I'm excited to see what's in store for the rest of the year! The end of the month can only mean one thing...monthly favorites! And trust me this month I have some good ones.

June Favorites

Beauty Favorites

Too Faced Better than Sex Mascara ($23) -- This mascara is God sent. It makes my lashes look long, thick, and luscious without clumping or smearing all over my eye. The brush is unique in that it is thick on the ends and slimmer in the middle, almost an hourglass shape. This gives it the ability to hit your lashes at all the right angles and make them pop. The name says it all and I will definitely repurchase this once I'm all out! Purchase here.

butter LONDON Nail Polish in Cotton Buds ($15) -- White nails are all the rage this summer and this nail polish is perfect! Since I was in middle school I have been looking for a nice opaque white but I felt like everything I bought was too sheer. Low and behold I find this one at Sephora and fell in love! You only need two coats to make your nails white and chic. Buy yours here.

Food Favorites

Yoplait Light Watermelon Yogurt -- Honestly, this yogurt takes like summer. Watermelon is my favorite flavor for anything (ironically I hate the actual fruit) and this yogurt holds up to all my standards. It's only 100 calories and is the perfect cool treat on a hot day. Be on the look out, though, because it's only for a limited time!

Gyros -- There is a wonderful Polish woman who owns a street cart right outside my job downtown and I swear to God she makes the best gyro of your life. It's so simple -- gyro meat, feta, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce -- but it's so FREAKING GOOD! And the kicker? She only charges $5 a sandwich. I want her to adopt me.

Shopping Favorites

Etsy -- I have been on an Etsy-kick lately and I'm just falling in love with all the little shops. I bought a gorgeous bewitched crystal necklace in May and loved how sweet and personal the owner was. Then my mother ordered an American flag sweater and the owner of that shop was also so sweet and included a personalized thank you note and free pair of earrings (shout-out to thehartcollection)! If you're in the market for a thoughtful gift for someone close to you, I suggest you browse Etsy first (and you will most likely be on there for hours).

Music Favorites

Feeling Myself by Nicki Minaj ft. Beyoncé -- Could Nicki and Bey ever do wrong? I've been playing this song on repeat ever since the music video came out. These women are so badass that you can't help but feel like a tough bitch while listening. If I was ever a professional MLB player this would HANDS DOWN be my walk-out song...aside from N*Sync. Listen here.





What are your favorite things this month? Anything I should try? Let me know in the comments below!


Until next time my loves x.