The Perks of Working in Restaurants

Free delicious food, free end of shift drinks, fast easy mad money, exercise built into your job, invitations to other restaurant openings, and contests with wonderful prizes. Why did I quit again? Case in point - the obscenely large bottle of wine on the right was my prize for selling the most Sebastiani Chardonnay over the course of a three month contest. I was presented with this bottle on December 31, 2007. I was so impressed with the size of the bottle and myself for winning it that I haven't had the heart to drink it yet, waiting for the perfect occasion (and enough people gathered together). It's a bad and absurd habit, I do it with new clothing, my favorite vinegar, and certainly with wine. That one on the left is another candidate for Open That Bottle Night this year.

But recently, in a life cleansing type mood, I decided to put an end to that bottle of chardonnay this weekend. At my birthday party. Which is an all out Maryland style crab feed. And there will be plenty of drinkers to help me out.
The wine's probably a year past its peak anyway, and it will go out in style, and I'll try to stop saving my prized possessions.

Tonight Pt. 2: Desperate Measures

When a writer's block absolutely must be gotten through sometimes we revert to cheap white wine and homemade pate (yes! I made that pate! For about 5 hours last night!). I really mean business now.  I better think of nice things to say about the cacophony coming from my speakers before that whole Tupperware container of delicious fattening goodness is gone. 

Tonight...

Drinking locally grown tarragon tea (? and !) that showed up in my CSA bag this week, and trying to write a gracious review about a band that I have nothing good to say about. That's what I get for trying something new. 

July? Really? Not just that, but halfway through July? Well all right then. I don't feel like that's quite fair that all these nice sunny days just rush on by me but how's a girl to slow them?
Ahh, wait, I know.
My front porch. My man. And my sister. And one of these...

Wow, oh wow. Could there BE a more perfect summer drink? Sugar, mint and tangy lime. Welcome, Richmond Gimlet.
When the hot weather hit and I got a hankering for one of these lovelies, my requests were met with blank stares from local bartenders. So I turned to my best friend Google. To my surprise, the links kept pointing me back to dear, old Eugene. If what they claim is true, the drink was created by a brilliant Eugenian named Jeffrey Morgenthaler. Oh, I like that man. But he's not here. And I can't let the West Coast hog something this simply perfect. I'm bringing it East. I'm braving the heat to boil batches of simple syrup. I've got an overflowing planter full of mint on my porch, and the fireflies are just going crazy these nights. And the best way to enjoy both mint and fireflies is, as mentioned, my porch, my man, my sister, and a Richmond Gimlet.

2 oz Tanqueray No. 10 gin
1 oz fresh lime juice
1 oz simple syrup
A few sprigs of mint
Shake ingredients well over ice and strain into a chilled, sugar rimmed cocktail glass.