THINK SPRING

Daffodils at the Morton Arboretum

The splendor of blooming life at the Arboretum

Daffodil close up. A thing of beauty.

Cocktail Of The Week - Cosmopolitan

The drink made famous by Sex In The City. Below is my favorite version of this popular martini. I hope you enjoy it.

1      Oz.    Vodka (Use a good quality vodka such as Ketel One or Grey Goose)
1/2  Oz.    Cointreau (Orange Liqueur-can substitute triple Sec)
1/2  Oz.    Lime Juice (Rose's Make a perfect choice)
1/2  Oz.    Cranberry Juice
1     Wedge  Lime

Mix all ingredients together except the lime wedge in a shaker half filled with ice. Shake vigorously to mix and strain into a martini glass. Garnish with the lime wedge.

There you have it. A delicious choice and a favorite of the women. Enjoy.

The World We Live In

And one small restaurant owners solution.

http://blogs.dailymail.com/donsurber/archives/50594

Cocktail of the Week-Manhattan

Hard to believe this is my third cocktail of the week post. This week we have an old and classic cocktail, the Manhattan. Like most classic cocktails, there are many versions of Manhattans. The choice of whiskey is also subject to disagreement. Some will say you should use a Canadian whiskey, other American Rye. I prefer Bourbon. Whatever you prefer, it's a great cocktail. The recipe for my favorite version is:

2 Oz. Bourbon Whiskey
1 Oz. Sweet Vermouth
4 Dashes Angostura Bitters
2 Tablespoons Maraschino Cherry Juice
Garnish with two Maraschino cherrys.

Mix all ingredients together in an old fashioned or cocktail glass half filled with ice and garnish with the cherries.

Some people call this a sweet Manhattan and it is. But it is also delicious.

There is also a version called the dry Manhattan which substitutes dry vermouth for the sweet vermouth and naturally loses the cherry juice. Some people like. I don't.

I hope you enjoy it whatever your version.

Fifty Year Anniversary of "The Rise & Fall of the Third Reaich"

A seminal book well worth the read and still one of the definitive works on the subject. A great article written by Ron Rosenbaum for the Smithsonian.com discusses the book, its author and its impact on history. It's a little long but well worth the read.

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/Revisiting-The-Rise-and-Fall-of-the-Third-Reich.html?c=y&story=fullstory