portland diary: part 1

we originally planned our trip to portland because the boyf's brother was showing some work in an art show.  the show ended up getting pushed back but the idea of a mini holiday sounded too good so we headed south anyway.  luckily for me the weather gods are usually good to me when i go on vaca.  it was in the 70s and 80s when i was in new york last october and snowed less than a week later.  hows that for some luck.  anyway i couldn't have asked for nicer weather.  visited a few of our fav local haunts and discovered some new ones as well.  i had my heart set on eating at pok pok but with a two hour wait it didn't happen.  we ended up at bamboo instead.  IMO don't believe the hype its overpriced and bland.  but on the upside the bro took us to biwa and that was delightful. 

voodoo doughnuts/drinks on the patio at doug fir/treats at barista/dinner at biwa/sleep at the crystal hotel

wearing:

coat ~ asos

sweater ~ j. crew

shirt ~ ralph lauren

shorts ~ ae {similar}

brogues ~ halogen

belt ~ gap

tights ~ drugstore 

sunnies ~ karen walker

bag ~ kate spade

on a side note, i've had these brogues for a few months now.  they began creasing a little where the foot bends but i expected that from patent leather but i wore them on a super rainy day and they start cracking like crazy.  nordstrom won't let you update a review or add to it once its been posted, so beware!  these babies aren't good for a real rainy day.

part two to come in a few days.

xo alicia

brb

BRB.  

the boyf and i are off to portland for a mini vaca.  we'll definitely be enjoying some drinks and smokes in the detention bar again.  see some photos from our last trip here.

hope you have an ab fab weekend.  yeah i just said that....

xo alicia

cocktails: citrus lillet spritzer

i realize its been a while since i posted a cocktail recipe.  my last one was way back in november.  sadly i haven't been enjoying any exciting new cocktails at home.  winter usually brings on the beer, then guilt sets in and i move on to wine or gin and tonics.  now i'm bored with those as well.  so i like to see what i can make at 11pm on a saturday night with the ingredients i have have laying around.  turning to my trusty pinterest cocktail board i can usually find something.  enter the citrus lillet spritzer.  like most recipes i find it has good bones but not exactly what i want.  there was just too much lillet and oj action in this drink.  with a splash of champagne.  sorry martha, you had it all wrong; there always needs to be more champagne.  this is a good example as why you'll never see a baking recipe on this blog.  it would be an utter disaster.  i'm aware baking recipes are an exact science.  

citrus lillet spritzer

adapted from martha stewart's everyday foods

ingredients:

1.5 oz lillet

1.5 oz oj

champagne

orange zest for garnish

directions:

pour lillet and oj into a champagne flute and top with champagne.  

basically a fancilfied mimosa.  now go impress your girlfriends. <3

xo

alicia  

cocktail time: the birthday girl

my birthday has come and gone but i came across this recipe for a birthday cake cocktail, i had to try it. i'm not one for super sweet vodkas that try to mask the alcohol flavor but i gave in to curiosity.  what could cake vodka actually taste like?  well it tastes exactly like you'd think, a little cakey flavor in the beginning and more of a traditional vodka taste at the end.  wow, that's some great descriptive words right there, i wonder why i'm not a paid food writer.  overall, not to sickly sweet.  heck, even the boyf drank it.  but then again he'll drink anything if i put a glass in his hand.  only thing i don't recommend are the sprinkles i used.  they didn't want to stick to the glass too well but they stain your lips.  i would've preferred the crystally kind but when you're at safeway you tend to have limited options.  i don't know how many complaints i've given them about  not carrying sugar cubes, but they'll never listen.  i know, white people problems.

i haven't come across any other decent cake vodka recipes so if you know of some, i'd love to hear them!

the birthday girl cocktail

adapted from mint love social club

ingredients:

.75 oz cake vodka

.5 oz lime juice

champagne

sprinkles

directions:

rim the edge with sprinkles.  pour in vodka and lime juice.  then top with champagne.  

enjoy!

xo

alicia

pimm's cup

finally picked up a bottle of pimm's cup after reading rave reviews about it here.  as you all know too well i'm never prepared for such events so as usual i subjected voss to a taste test.  we i enjoyed it a lot, but voss was soon asking for something a bit stronger. 

pimm's cup cocktail

adapted from the back of the bottle!

ingredients:

.5 oz pimm's no. 1 cup

lemon soda (also know as sprite)

strawberry and lime for garnish

directions:

fill glass with ice, pour in the pimm's and top with soda.  don't forget to add some garnish if you want to impress your guests.  and bob's your uncle.

citrus sea breeze

i originally found this recipe with an ad for chambord vodka.  being that i couldn't be bothered to go to the store for the proper ingredients, i made do with what i  had in the fridge.  i believe the original recipe calls for cranberry juice and lemon perrier.  but i enjoyed my version. 

citrus sea breeze cocktail

adapted from chambord online

ingredients:

1.5 oz chambord flavored vodka

pomegranate blueberry juice

lime perrier

lime wedge

directions:

fill cup with ice.  pour in vodka and top with juice and a splash of perrier.  use the lime wedge for garnish.  stir and sit soak up some sun.