It’s that time of year to bring out the cocktail accessories and enjoy a bit of cheer during these long winter nights.

I recently attended an event that featured some pretty lovely cocktails. The one on the right was my favourite.

Its’ called The Mrs.!
To a flute glass, add:
• 1.5 oz SKYY Vodka
• .75 oz freshly squeezed lemon
• .75 oz simple syrup
• 4–5 mint leaves
Top with Prosecco and garnish with a mint sprig.

I love the story behind SKYY Vodka. It all started with the motivation by one mans’ search for a better martini. The solution was simple: Start with a better vodka. He was not only an entrepreneur but an engineer as well, who set out to create a superior tasting vodka with fewer impurities and unmatched quality.

Another cocktail I enjoyed was this:

Here’s the recipe for this cocktail!

The Wild Turkey Boulevardier
In a mixing glass, stir to chill:
• 1.5 oz Wild Turkey Bourbon
• .75 oz Campari
• .75 oz Cinzano Rosso
Pour over ice in a rocks glass or strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with orange zest

All you need is some friends, some cocktails and some appetizers! Go for it and enjoy the holiday season.

Cheers!

For more information: 

Instagram/Twitter: @WildTurkeyCanada @SKYYCanada

Hashtag: #CampariCanada

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Here’s the ingredients for hosting a pickle party. I have to admit I’ve never thrown a pickle party before but this party was so successful that I’m thinking of hosting another one!!

a) Select a few brands of pickles. For this particular pickle party, I included: Nathan’s Famous Kosher Pickles, Marty’s, and Putters.

b) Invite some pickle enthusiasts! Of course this meant I included some blogger friends (http://safaffect.wordpress.com/ and http://theyumyumfactor.blogspot.ca/) and some friends who weren’t bloggers! It was a great mix.

c) Put together a menu. This wasn’t so easy seeing as my kitchen is dairy. However I put together a menu that included….party sandwiches, cheese and crackers, roasted tomatoes on toasted baguette slices, and nachos and salsa! My table included green flowers and green/white napkins. Yes – I’m normal. LOL

d) Serve Vodka. Naturally we had to compare two brands so we compared Absolut to Skyy Vodka! Pickles and Vodka are a natural combination. LOL

e) Include a new food product to share with your friends! Please welcome www.mexicoboulevard.com! I sincerely want to thank www.brightideascanada.com for introducing me to these products.

Seriously it was a ton of fun to host this party.

PS the full sours were a hit but in all honesty all of the pickles were a hit with my guests. There wasn’t a pickle left!!

Disclosure: Many thanks to Marty’s Pickles and Nathan’s for supplying me with pickles!

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It’s been a year since I moved into my apartment so I thought it would be an ideal time to celebrate that occasion. Here’s a list of key ingredients to hosting a great party.

1) The Invite List: I included some twitter friends and some “real friends”. A perfect mix. Just look how everyone is chatting away in this photo. There were 12 women in total and it was just the right amount given the size of my apartment!!

There were 12 women in total and it was a perfect mix.

2) CREWMEN & Co: I had a (gorgeous) bartender for the evening, courtesy of Crewmen & Co and let’s just say that my guests “loved” the eye candy and the fabulous cocktails that he created. I would hire this company again in a heart beat. Our bartender was engaging, professional and knew his way around the bar.  He was certainly a highlight of the evening!!

Um..hello…can I have a martini please?”

3) The Drinks: I had a great line up of Skyy Vodka, Great Lakes Beer (the Pumpkin Ale was just released, by the way) bottlegreen Sparkling Presses , 3 types of juices, wine, club soda, and tonic water, limes and lemons. Everyone was happy. I was thrilled to find out that Skyy Vodka has the fewest impurities among leading vodkas AND ZERO CARBS. This vodka was perfect for my #nocarb diet!!

Something for everyone!!

4) The Food: I served some amazing nosh that I had been “saving” (no I am not a hoarder) from my trips to Ottawa, Buffalo, Montreal and even Detroit. The black garlic was a hit…that’s for sure. Oh yeah – the Chocolate Chex got a lot of love too.

Black garlic that I bought in Montreal. Hope to find it here in Toronto one day soon

5) Good Music: I finally subscribed to Rdio but there was so much chatter that I’m not sure anyone heard the music.

6) Creating an atmosphere: This is my favorite part. I finally had an excuse to visit my favorite flower shops on Avenue Road and Davenport. Not to mention, I brought out  some pewter serving dishes that hadn’t been used in a while. Here’s what the table looked like:

Seriously….. throwing a party isn’t hard work and I can’t wait to throw another one. Nothing like surrounding yourself with new and old friends on a Saturday nite.

Try it!!

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