Very Cold, Very Dry

BYE SNOW! Goodbye to putting a chair or an Amazon box (yes, I have seen this firsthand) on the street parking spot we worked so hard to shovel so no one else can stake their claim. Good Riddance to heavy puffer coats and constantly taking our gloves off to look at our phones. Sayonara to being constantly afraid of slipping on sidewalks.

It’s time to uncover that porch furniture, start wearing open toed shoes, put those sunglasses on, and get ready for our favorite Spring pastime – The opening season of the Red Sox.

My favorite, pastime, however, is coming home after a long day at work, and having a very cold, very dry martini on our small deck, hearing the quiet hum of the highway and watching the planes go by.

It makes realize how much I love New England in the Spring. You work so hard to survive winter, it’s almost a reward when the warmer weather arrives. It’s like the weather gods are saying “Yeah, Yeah, here’s your summer! Now go eat a Lobstah roll and cry as the Red Sox lose all season!” (Yankee fans, stay out of it!)

Now let’s fill up our martinis and get into it!

Which goes into my favorite gin or vodka of the week: Froggy B Vodka. I have mentioned this before, but it truly is my favorite vodka brand. It’s smooth, dry, and goes with both a lemon twist AND olives! Truly versatile!

It’s been a long week, so I am giving my favorite recipe that just works.

Recipe:
You’ll need:
A scale (or measuring cup)
Ice
Cocktail stirrer
Cocktail Mixing Glass
Cocktail Strainer
Chilled martini glass
Bleu cheese stuffed olives (Pre-made or Stuffed yourself. I prefer homemade, but up to you!)
130 ml of Froggy B Vodka
Splash of Aglaea Vermouth (or other dry vermouth if you don’t have this brand)

Garnishes:
Lemon Peel
Bleu Cheese Olives (notice how I didn’t put in just classic martini olives. Only bleu cheese or nothing!)

Directions:
While the martini glass is chilling, place the empty cocktail mixing glass (or measuring cup) on the scale. Make sure the scale is set to “Tare” and on the milliliters setting. Tare means it won’t include the weight of the mixing glass, only the contents inside. Pour the Froggy B Vodka into the glass or measuring cup until it reaches 130 ml on the scale. Next, place your thumb over the top of the bottle of vermouth, and carefully let just a splash or two go in. Fill it with ice, then stir constantly for at least 30 seconds.

Take out your martini glass from the freezer, and strain the gin mixture into the glass. Put the olives or lemons in and enjoy!

My favorite martini tool of the week:

Ice from the fridge (the ONLY kind I accept). It keeps my martini nice and cold while I mix it, and I can add a few cubes if I want to dilute it, so it’ll last longer while I am outside, forgetting about time.

Music I’m listening to:

As you know, Samara Joy is one of my all-time favorite artists. Every night, we talk about what we’d like to watch, but one night my husband said he had something programmed on the TV for us. Samara Joy is on PBS, as part of their Great Performances Program. I have always regretted not getting tickets when she was here in Boston a couple of years ago, but this was even better, because we got to enjoy it together. I love Linger Awhile, but her newest album, Portrait, is quite a gem.

My martini icon this week is

I am in a TV watching rut and was flipping through all the streaming services we pay for (but probably don’t need), and decided to watch the 1996 film The Mirror Has Two Faces, with icon Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges. I love this cheesy romance dramedy teaching us a lesson that you should love someone for who they are on the inside, not on the outside, but only until you lose weight, highlight your hair, and learn to put on makeup! Even with the terrible messaging, I still enjoy this movie, especially with Mimi Rogers playing the more “attractive sister” who can’t stand to be married to Pierce Brosnan (what a chore!). I love the scene of her and Barbra in a bar, with her drinking a classic martini with olives.

I just love a great bar shot.

I know this is late, but I hope this brings you a little laughter. Cheers to all your martinis this weekend!