Celebrating our Anniversary with a Hugo Spritz #ItalianFWT

This past Saturday was our 34th Wedding Anniversary.  We were busy celebrating Frank's 75th Birthday with a Cinco de Mayo party, so Margaritas and Cervezas were the pours for the night.  The following day, we visited our niece, who is nearly 2 hours away.  We finally had a quiet night alone on the 4th, which is Frank's actual birthday.  We celebrated with a refreshing Italian Cocktail, the Hugo Spritz.

Lavender Bee's Knees Martini #BrunchWeek

The perfect spring cocktail to start off a brunch celebrating all the important women in your life this Mother's Day.  Bee's Knees is an iconic cocktail that is lightened up and made special with the addition of a lavender-infused sparkling wine.

This gorgeous color is perfect for Easter, Mother's Day, or a Kentucky Derby gathering.  Anywhere you are celebrating with a brunch, whether it's just you or a whole gang.

X is for Xanthia Cocktail

This cocktail was invented in the early 1920s and became popular after it was featured in Harry Craddock's The Savoy Cocktail Book in 1930.  Depending on the source, it was either named after the Greek Goddess Xantha or the Xanthia Moth.  Both names are due to the color of the cocktail.

Orange Blossom Cocktail #Movies and Munchies

This cocktail made with freshly squeezed orange juice,  flavorful gin, and a touch of sweet grenadine syrup is the perfect way to welcome in the Spring.

I was inspired to make this cocktail after watching Wild Mountain Thyme, our Movies and Munchies film for this month.....

A Little Hanky Panky and the Weekly Menu #CooktheBooks

The October/November Selection for Cook the Books Club is Cooking with Fernet Branca by James Hamilton Patterson.

Stanley Tucci's Perfect Negroni Up #CooktheBooks

I just finished reading the memoir Taste by Stanley Tucci for our Cook the Books Club.  This memoir had me laughing out loud from the first page.  I so enjoyed getting to know Stanley Tucci and really, really want to join him for dinner, drinks and conversation.

Between the Sheets #LemonWeek

Fresh lemon juice combined with brandy, gin, and triple sec creates this cocktail that originated in Jerusalem.  Date of origin is not certain but it appears to have been in the late 1920s or early 1930s which makest the name very risque at that time.

I'm finishing up Lemon Week with a Friday Cocktail and boy is it a good one.......

Cherry Lime Rickey #ImprovCookingChallenge

 Fresh cherries muddled with sugar and lime and topped with gin served over ice.  This cocktail is a wonderful summer refresher.

It is time to create with Cherries and Lime for this month's Improv Cooking Challenge......

Shrimp Martini #FoodieExtravaganza

Welcome to this month's edition of Foodie Extravaganza.  Our host for this month is Caroline of Caroline's Cooking.  Caroline went over to The Nibble and discovered that June 15th is World Gin Day.  Who knew there was even such a thing?  I certainly didn't and if you are in the same shoes as I.......not to worry.....we are sharing some great recipes containing gin with you today so that on the 15th you can celebrate with ease.  You will find links to all the recipes at the bottom of this post.

I thought this was such a fun theme.  We are not gin drinkers around here, preferring vodka, but I was game to pick up a bottle and give it a try.  My brother will be here soon from CA and he is a gin drinker so I know that it won't go to waste.

I found this great website for Gin and Vodka out of the UK.  This site answers any questions you might have regarding these liquors and offers a great selection of recipes including one for Gin Infused Prawns with Martini Aioli.  

I thought this recipe sounded like so much fun that I took the idea and ran with it, making it my own. I cut down on the measurements, deleted some items, added some items and served it up, Martini Style.  

I loved the presentation and it was met with delight when our friends, Kim and Kurt, joined us for dinner.  I served this as a first course while we enjoyed cocktails....sorry no gin....we had a vodka tasting along with this wonderful appetizer.

I hope you try this easy and fun dish and I hope you share it with good friends and good cheer.  Then your evening will be as pleasant as ours.  Cheers.

Shrimp Martinis for Four

adapted from the Gin and Vodka website

1/4 c. dry vermouth

2 T. gin

3 grinds of black peppercorns

3 grinds of sea salt crystals

15 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/3 c. avocado mayonnaise

1/4 t. garlic paste

zest and juice of 1/8th of a lemon

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 t. dijon mustard

2 drops of hot sauce

1/2 t. gin

2 large olives and 1 pimiento, minced

1 t. finely chopped parsley

1 c. mixed baby greens

Place vermouth, gin, ground peppercorns and sea salt into a medium pan with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil, stir in the shrimp, cover and steam for 1 minute.  Stir and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove from heat and allow the shrimp to finish cooking off heat in the hot liquid.  When liquid has cooled transfer contents of the pan to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve giving enough time for the shrimp to be well chilled.

Whisk together the avocado mayo, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper, gin, mustard, hot sauce, olives and parsley in a small bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, allowing flavors to meld.

When ready to serve, fill 4 martini glasses with the baby greens.  Hang 5 shrimp around the rim of each glass and divide the mayo among the 4 glasses placing a dollop in the center of the greens. Serve immediately.  Print Recipe

See all the other gin-spiration for today's Foodie Extravaganza:

• Bulago Gin Breeze from Food Lust People Love
• Gin-Steamed Bratwurst with Kraut Slaw from Palatable Pastime
• Grapefruit Salty Dog with Fizz from Hardly A Goddess
• Jamuntini from Sneha's Recipes
• Raspberry Collins Cocktail from Caroline's Cooking
• Shrimp Martini from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.