New Orleans Mint Julep Recipe

NEW ORLEANS BOURBON HOUSE MINT JULEP RECIPE

12 mint leaves
1 splash of simple syrup
2 cups crushed ice
2.5 oz Woodford Reserve bourbon
1 splash of soda water
Fresh mint sprig, for garnish

In a glass or silver Julep cup, add mint leaves and simple syrup and slightly muddle. Next, add crushed ice, top with bourbon and a splash of soda water. Stir well and garnish with a mint sprig.

* Traditionally a mint julep consists of four ingredients: mint, bourbon, sugar, and water. Southerners usually use spearmint in lieu of sugar or mint. Very similar to a mojito.

HOLD ON

Blog world is mostly a happy and superficial place where I can escape and concentrate on mundane things such as shopping, tennis, tea, and china patterns. As much as I truly enjoy filling my head of such splendid things the truth of the matter is that life isn’t like that. To be honest life is full of hardship, trials, disappointments, and at times can be downright unfair and ugly. On a flip side it can be promising, full of joy, and really beautiful. I’ve experienced both while walking this big and small world.

I’ve had some fantastic experiences in my lifetime that left me on top of the world but I’ve also been so broken that I’ve felt overwhelmed by circumstances out of my control. I know how it is to lose someone close by a tragic death, I know how it feels to lose your home and all your possessions in a tragic storm, I know how it is to have your family destroyed by a tragic divorce, I know how it feels to lose your fortune do to a tragic career decision, and I know how it feels to be anxious about dealing with a mountain of problems without any solutions. I’ve held the hand of a mother who lost her children, an old man taking his final breath of life, hugged a stranger at the moment of disparity, and cried with those who were deeply hurting.

I don’t have the answers why God allows those who be struck with hardships. But I can tell you that I find great comfort knowing that we do not endure such suffering for absolutely no reason at all. And I believe once you’ve truly suffered you have the ability to encourage, love, and show compassion on others like you’ve never done before. I try to think of people around me and how they are hurting and I try to do what I can in my power to meet their needs. Even if it’s cooking dinner and delivering it to their front door, a kind word, listening to their story. I don’t believe in tearing others down and I refuse to partake with others who do. It’s important when we interact with others to remember who you want to be, what your last words will be remembered, and what you’ll be known for.

I’d like to share with you a secret that helps me to press on while I’m in the midst of the storm. I like to listen to Tye Tribbett’s song, Hold On. I’ll blast it in my car or in my house and sing as loud as I can. Because I know that relief is on its way. Nothing stays positive forever but nothing stays bad either. Life is up and down but it’s your attitude that controls the outcome.

BEFORE LISTENING TO YOUTUBE PAUSE MY MUSIC ON MY MUSIC LIBRARY AT THE BOTTOM OF MY BLOG!!!

Monogram Friday

Ok, so Peeptoe Pumps and Pearls is hosting a fabulous Monogram Friday. You're suppose to show all the lovely monogram things that you absolutely love. Well, if you know me you'll know that I adore monogram ANY & EVERYTHING!!! We are in the process of remodeling our home and I have a ton of boxes stashed in the back room. Frankly, I'm feeling a bit lazy and don't want to rummage through the boxes to find my things. However, here is my list of monogram items I live for...

Monogram Pillows are my favorite to collect. Love them!!!





Who doesn't own monogram stationary? I receive stationary as a Christmas gift annually.

Monogram jewelry is a must have. I've been wanting a Tiffany & Co bracelet with my initial "G" on it. It's very similar to this one.

I adore monogram hand towels for the guest bathroom. I think monogram hand towels along with monogram soaps are a special touch. I should have posted a picture of my soap.

Ok, so I don't have these but I wish I did. They would look fab in my guest bathroom. Our last name starts with a "B" and everything (sigh). It's meant to be mine. :)

Have a wonderful weekend and drop by http://peeptoepumpsandpearls.blogspot.com/ when you get a chance. She's hosting for a friend of hers. She is such a big sweetie and she has a really fun blog.

California Olive Ranch

It's amazing how one little tree can create such a splendid creation such as delicious olive oil. I've often heard olive oil referenced as, "liquid gold." Over the years I've began to truly appreciate this "liquid gold" and recognize it for it's numerous uses beyond cooking.

Many generations before me have placed great value on this golden substance. Dating back 2,000 years before Christ was recorded in history we know that nations and kings considered this oil a true treasure. King David and King Solomon both planted olive trees around the palace. King David placed guards to watch over the olive orchards; and later in history ships were built for the sole purpose of transporting this precious oil from Greece. Olive oil is a magical liquid that represents youth, wealth, and power to other nations. However, Americans do not appreciate its value.

King Solomon

I've been using olive oil for years. I use it for multi purposes and even carry a glass jar in my purse. I've tried many types of brands but I'm excited to share my newest find http://www.californiaoliveranch.com/ It's FABULOUS!!! I truly recommend it to all my friends and family. I take into consideration before I promote a product to those close to me. I tell the 100% truth and stand firm on any product recommendation. Y'all this is a fantastic brand of olive oil. I'm so excited to say that my friend over at http://peeptoepumpsandpearls.blogspot.com/ tried this product and loves it. You can stop over at her blog and read her review.

I also want to share with you that California Olive Ranch was kind enough to offer all Midnight Macaroons readers FREE shipping through the month of September. YAY!!! I suggest you take them up on this offer. You will be happy that you did.

* When you purchase a bottle from the website, you'll want to enter MY PEEPS in the coupon section. Let me know if you order a bottle and send me your review. I'm anxious to hear how many blogger friends love this oil.

Auntie Mame

The fall weather hasn't rolled into the region yet but we are starting to see showers once again. I'm not complaining considering it's been a truly dry season. My lawn is enjoying all this heavy rain and hopefully those small ugly brown spots will soon disappear. However, it's not fun to jog in the rain and impossible to play tennis....so what do you do on a rainy evening? Watch a movie of course.

It drives me crazy because we have about a million channels and nothing is ever on. If you are not into "REALITY TV" you are pretty much out of luck. Well, I went through all our DVDs and came across one of my ultimate favorites, Auntie Mame. Does anyone else remember this musical? It's hilarious. Maybe the dysfunctional character reminds me all too well of my own relatives. Cocktail hour, Martini parties, and cigarette smoke fills my childhood memories. Who else at the age of 9 could bartend their own Grandmother's bridge club with Bloody Mary's? When thinking of my own Grandmother and Great Auntie's the first thing that comes to mind is Virginia Slims, leopard print, big gaudy diamond rings, and huge luxury vehicles. It's a wonder how I became so conservative with a family like this one. But it does happen....

The little boy's character, Patrick, has a very familiar upbringing. I believe if you've seen this movie and tears stream off your cheeks from laughter you probably understand the humor of this film. The remodeling scenes get me roaring. I remember my own Grandmother and Auntie's remodeling their houses every year in the most trendiest furniture down to the shag rugs and hideous chandeliers, LOL!

LOOK WHAT I WON!!!

I participated in peeptoepumpsandpearls give away and won!!! It totally blew me away because I'm one of those people who rarely wins anything. I think the last time I won something I was in the 3rd grade and it was lousy puzzle. That's why I shop, take in the shows, and hit the buffets when we go to Vegas.

This afternoon I received the most adorable box and inside was my lovely candle. It's smells scrumptious. Forgive my hotness. I got caught in a storm in the middle of my jog and I'm in the middle of cooking dinner for hubby. Just wanted to say, THANKS, JILL!!!

Tennis anyone?

It's all about the racquet. My husband collects guitars and I collect tennis racquets. I love trying new racquets. I purchased about 6 months ago a HEAD Microgel Extreme. It's fanfreakntastic! I love it!!! The silicon base makes it light but at the same time you feel the firm support when you hit the ball. My tennis instructor recommended it to me and I can really see an improvement in my game. It's a great racquet and only retails about $209.00. However, I've seen deals for about $180.00. Pretty affordable for the quality you're getting. I highly recommend it.




I've had my eye on a Babolat Pure Storm Tour. Has anyone played with this beauty? I would love to hear any reviews.

Our fellow Texan didn't win in Montreal but he played hard. I'm proud of Andy Roddick for playing a good game. Tomorrow he'll be playing in Cincinnati. We'll be cheering him on from the Lone Star state. Good luck in Cincy, Andy!!!

New design

I'm still pondering over interior decor decisions. It's been so hot and humid that we decided to hold off on having any major renovations. Paint fumes are a nightmare when you cannot open your windows/doors. The thick humid air is engulfing our region at about 85% on most days, BLAH!!! The other night I literally felt as if I was stepping into a sauna as I hit the greenbelts for a nice jog. Am I crazy? Well, I've missed too many exercising routines this past summer and instead found myself indulging in Blue Bell ice cream. Not a good idea when training for the fall tennis league.

So, I've spent countless hours searching for the best designs and save them to my blog. It's so much easier to pull up my blog and look them over rather then keeping clipping all around the house. My home office is overwhelmed in samples as is. I came across this one and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IT!!! It's very southern and inviting. I'm not sure what I love more the colors, hanging light fixtures, rug, or furniture accents. I love old things and I want to raise my children to appreciate a comfortable environment full of antiques. This look is sooo us....

I Struck Gold!!!

I've started hunting down silver pieces for my serving collection. It has taken me years and I'm most grateful for what I do have. However, I'm always searching for more. It's a sickness, LOL! I hope to one day have a beautiful collection, along with fabulous table linens, that can be passed down from generation to generation.

So, last Thursday I headed up north to some out of the way country towns. These were not just country towns but RURAL USA. You know the type, "You ain't from around here, are ya?" That's where I was, y'all. Now most people would pull off at the local McDonald's & gas station and get back on the highway without so much taking a second glance. But not me. You see I know that this is a treasure hunt and I have a better opportunity to strike gold in a little hole in the wall rather then Houston, Austin, or Dallas. Those city antique dealer's know exactly what they have and how much to charge for profit. Well, I struck gold!!! I found a serving set for only $6.00!!! I recognized this set from a ritzy hospitality book I was thumbing through last week. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw them laying in a small glass dish. I was floored that they were only charging $6.00 for the set. I turned them over and embossed on the back stated, "Made in England." I wish I knew the company who made them. Excuse the spots. I'm going to be polishing my silver over the weekend. I love acquiring silver but cleaning it, well, that's another story.

A 6 Napkin Review

My husband was off from work today so we decided to head downtown for a late lunch. We were dying to try a restaurant that was mentioned on the Zagat's list for Houston. It's a Vietnamese noodle house. It looks fabulous and had so many unique dishes. The restaurant is truly one of those best known secrets (hole in the wall). It's located in sort of a seedy location so I was happy we made it a lunch rather than a dinner date.

However, we ended up pulling up to the restaurant to only find that they were closed. We didn't think about checking the hours (never crossed our minds). Hungry and no idea where we could find some decent grub nearby, we headed back towards the north loop of the city. I noticed a sign from the feeder and pointed it out to my husband (screaming and pointing) "Shrimp Po-Boys!!!" Being married to a NOLA man all you have to say is the word "shrimp" and you've got his undivided attention. He looped around and we landed at a place called, "Antone's Famous Po-Boys." Hesitantly we sat in the parking lot debating if we dare get our hopes up. Too many times we've been let down on advertised Cajun food. We decided to go in and check it out.

Ya'll, the shrimp was delicious (freshly fried from the gulf). They had a fantastic Cajun mayo too (I always get mine fully dressed). When rating a Po-Boy you don't rate it by stars but by how many napkins you used, the messier the better. I give this little chain restaurant a rating of 6 out of 10 napkins. Not bad!

5 Fun Family Facts

One of my friends sent me an e-mail the other day called, "5 Fun Family Facts." You list 5 interesting facts about your family. It's a lot of fun. I learned so much about my friend's family. I had no idea her father owned over 100 Piggly Wiggly's at one time. Now I understand why her parents collect pigs. They have a pig bench by their tennis court, pig statue in the kitchen, two pigs made of iron in the courtyard. I totally get it now. I just thought they REALLY loved pigs, LOL!

If y'all want to play along leave me a comment and I will leave a link to your blog so everyone can learn a little about you and your family.

Here's my 5 Fun Family Facts





I'm related to Clark Gable. He's my Grandfather's first cousin. They look identical too! Everyone always told my Grandpa "you look just like Clark Gable." He would laugh and say, "I hope so, he's my cousin. I'm (his name) Gable." My Grandpa knew Clark and moved out to Southern California back in the 1950's when he returned from the Korean War.

My mom was one of the first Cinderella's at Disneyland (California). She use to ride the floats around the park and wave to all the children. She made a great Cinderella too! This was back in the 1960's.

Both of my Grandpa's were Fire Chiefs. My Grandpa S. was the youngest Fire Chief in the history of California. He got involved in politics after working years at the fire department and finally retired as a cattle rancher in Northern California. He use to have a powerful voice, jet black hair with white around the temples, and smoke a pipe. Grandpa G. was involved in politics and after an early retirement became a Fire Chief. And just retired last year at age 77. He was fighting forest fires in his 70's!!! You would never guess he's as old as he is. The man has more energy than me!

My great great grandfather use to sell horses to Jesse James before he became an outlaw. Story has it that my great great grandfather use to own a large tobacco plantation in Georgia. The Yankee's burned it down during the Civil War. After the Civil War he migrated to Kentucky where he bread horses. Jessee's father use to be a Baptist minister in Kentucky that migrated to Missouri. We are guessing that perhaps he might have been in the area visiting relatives or just passing through. Jesse James might have known him during the Civil War because he took the Confederate side as well. Really not sure how their paths crossed.

Our Ancestors use to live next door to George Washington. George Washington was one of our ancestors "God Father." I think that's pretty cool!

I would love to hear your family's history. It's so important to remember where we came from. Even those crazy things that make our family's unique.

My Golden Little Secret

Saturday night I threw a small dinner party. I served rosemary lamb, two types of pasta dishes, Greek salad, a cheese tray, and french bread with olive oil and vinegar. However, it wasn't just any olive oil.... Remember my post on olive oil?

Last week I was so delighted to find a package from California Olive Oil on my doorstep. I ripped open the box as a child on Christmas morning and found a bottle of Arbosana. It's delish! I've already used it at least half a dozen times since I received it in the mail last week. I poured the oil in a small dipping dish and allowed my dinner guests to taste it. They completely finished it off and asked for a second round. My husband loved it on his salad last night. And tonight I'm going to use it on my fish. I highly recommend this oil to all my friends and family.

The bottles are so beautiful that I'm thinking of purchasing them for my friends, neighbors, and husband's work associates as Christmas gifts this year. What a unique and tasty gift!!! Here is their website http://www.californiaoliveranch.com/ They have the most amazing recipes posted on their blog. http://chefs.californiaoliveranch.com/ I suggest stopping by their site when you get an opportunity. You won't be disappointed!!!

Thank you, Kirsten!!!