Tag: alcohol

winter sangria

winter sangria

This post was created in partnership with Dagoba. All opinions are our own.

This year we spent Thanksgiving in Portland, Oregon. It was a treat being in a place that actually experiences rain, and where fall actually feels like fall. Ryan’s parents like to poke fun at us wimpy Californians who overpack our suitcases with thermal underwear, wool socks, and snow hats—ready to brave those bone-chilling 50-degree temperatures. Yes, we may have been the only ones wearing thick arctic coats and heavy ski gloves strolling around downtown Portland in November, but we’re from Southern California where it’s summer year-round, and not used to this strange phenomenon known as “seasons.” Regardless, we had a great trip, enjoyed the crisp Oregon air, and welcomed two new dishes to the holiday table: a simple and sweet carrot soufflé, and a brussels sprout and caramelized leek gratin. Both dishes were an instant hit, and both will be making repeat appearances next year. Much of our time was spent in the kitchen preparing for Thanksgiving, and with the holidays continuing throughout the month, we know how much work goes into throwing a party, so today we are sharing something incredibly easy for all your entertaining needs: a light, bubbly, and refreshing winter cocktail that—like so many things in life—pairs beautifully with a bar of high-quality dark chocolate.

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pumpkin spice martini

pumpkin spice martini

Did you know that our cat Sylvia loves pumpkin? We’ve been feeding it to her as a treat since she was little, and now comes running into the kitchen every time we cook with it. If she consumed alcohol—she quit a few years back after starting a 12-step purr-ogram—she would adore this autumnal potation we are sharing today. It tastes like pumpkin pie in a glass—in fact, we use the exact same spice blend from our classic pumpkin pie recipe to make this deliciously-spiced cocktail, and the results were pumpkin perfect.

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aurora spring catalog shoot

the aurora spring, served in the appropriate glassware

This post was created in partnership with MacKenzie-Childs. All opinions are our own.

Something exciting arrived in the mail today! A thick manilla envelope was peeking out from our mailbox, almost too large to fit inside. Earlier this week we received an email from the publicity team at MacKenzie-Childs, letting us know they would be sending copies of the September catalog which features us! Every day since then, we have been anxiously checking the mail, waiting for the magazine to appear, and today we were finally able to see it in person and hold it in our hands.

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peach & love

peach & love

Guess what we just did? If you guessed purchased plane tickets to Kauai, you are correct! This October we will be flying 2,627 miles over the Pacific Ocean to relax in the sun and explore one of our favorite places on earth. We were invited by The Westin Princeville to stay at their resort and host a live cooking show from the spacious kitchenettes in their villas. Every Friday at noon for the past four months, we have been going live on Instagram, making a new recipe from our kitchen—although technically, we film it in our living room since that has the best lighting—and we can’t tell you how excited we are to host an episode from Hawaii (we just love how that sounds)! With coconut palms and ocean views as our backdrop, we hope you’ll join us on October 20th at 12pm PST as we whip up something deliciously tropical and share stories of our Kauai adventures on a special episode live from the North Shore.

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blue glacier cocktail + Alaska recap

the blue glacier cocktail

We just got back from our very first cruise. Sailing through the Pacific Northwest this time of year was truly spectacular. This was our first time visiting Alaska, and the lush scenery and diverse wildlife this beautiful state had to offer was breathtaking. We felt so lucky to see humpback whales spouting from their blowholes, dolphins jumping from the water by the dozens, and bald eagles soaring overhead with their distinguished white heads, standing apart from the rest of their feathered friends in the region. From the 27-mile bike ride through the hills of Sitka, to a rainforest hike where we picked wild Alaskan berries, it was the perfect way to disconnect and surround ourselves in nature.

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