Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mom’s Day Continues All Month with Spa Giveway


Happy Mother’s Day to all the hardworking mothers out there who sacrifice a lot. Spa Week, Smarter Travel’s SniqueAway and Shoptiques.com  have teamed to help honor moms throughout the month of May with a Shop. Spa. Stay. Giveway.

Throughout the month of May, you can enter for a chance to win this ultimate prize package by visiting the Spa Week website.  The Shop. Spa. Stay. Giveway will continue throughout the month of May.  
The winner will be announced in June and receive a $1,000 shopping spree to Shoptiques to pick up a new wardrobe, $200 in hotel credits from SniqueAway for a well-deserved vacation and 1 $1,000 spa & wellness gift card to use to be pampered all year long at your choice of 7,500 spas.
Complete rules are available on the website and you do not need to purchase anything to win. 

Friday, May 3, 2013

Follow the Spirits to Cinco de Mayo


It’s funny how my favorite holidays seem to be based around food and drink. Cinco de Mayo is no exception. While I am perfectly happy with a shot of tequila or a mango margarita, I also welcome some new uses for the Mexican spirit.

Here’s some recipes to try in celebration of the fifth of May…

To start your day:
Bloody Maria
1 oz Tequila
6 oz Tomato juice
Horseradish, tabasco sauce, worcestershire sauce, lime juice, celery salt and pepper to taste
Celery stick

Pour ingredients into a shaker.
Shake and strain into a tall glass filled with ice.
Garnish with a celery stick instead of a stirrer.

For the afternoon on the porch:
Blue Lagoon Margarita
1 1/2 oz
3/4 oz Blue Curacao
1/2 oz Pineapple juice
Splash of Lemon/lime soda
Splash of Lime juice

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well and strain into a rocks glass.

Before dinner:
Mojito Lamaica
2 oz Casa Noble Crystal Tequila
2 oz Hibiscus simple syrup (see below)
3 Mint leaves
½ oz Lime juice
½ oz Lemon Juice
Lime wheel for garnish

Hibuscus Simple Syrup-
2/3 cup Sugar
2/3 cup Water
¼ Cup Dried hibiscus flowers
In a saucepan, combine water and sugar and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat and stir in dried hibiscus.
Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Strain into a glass jar and cover.
Refrigerate until needed (for up to two weeks).

Fill cocktail shaker and double rocks glass with ice and mint sprigs.
Add tequila, hibiscus syrup, lime juice and lemon juice and shake vigorously.
Strain into glass and garnish with lime.

For dessert:
Brave Bull
2 oz Blanco Tequila
1 oz Kahlua

Pour tequila into an old fashioned glass filled with ice.
Add Kahlua and swirl to mix ingredients.

If for some reason you aren’t a big tequila fan, try this:
South American Margarita
1.5 oz KAPPA Pisco
0.5 oz Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge
0.5 oz Agave nectar
1 oz Lime juice
Lime wheel for garnish

Pour ingredients into a shaker with ice.
Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Garnish with lime.