I'm Mad About ...

Good morning! I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for the weekend. We don't have anything special planned, but I hope to get in a bike ride and a trip to the farmers market. And as part of my Summer Cocktail Series, I plan to make a Cosmo. I've had plenty of those, so I know what it should taste like!

Last week, I made a Tom Collins. It was strong! Are they supposed to be so strong? It was good, though:

Aren't those the cutest glasses? I've had them forever but hardly get to use them since we really don't drink much.

Anyway, I came across lots of interesting, juicy stuff this week. Enjoy!

• Suffering from Mad Men withdrawal? Me too. This might help.
• Domino is now available in digital versions for the Nook, Android and iPad.
• Interesting dust-up from the pages of Lucky. Are you bothered by the idea of a magazine making up a quote? I am, but I'm also not surprised.
• Are you "Overdressed"? As much as I want to buy quality goods, I can't resist a cheap chic deal.
• Speaking of clothes, I just discovered this LA-based retailer that lets shoppers donate 5% of the purchase price to the charity of their choice. Pretty cool. And the clothes are cute!

Happy Father's Day!

Summer Cocktail Series: Mint Julep

I'm not a big drinker, but when the weather warms up, I usually crave something sweet and fruity. Sangria is my summer drink of choice, but it's not something that can be made on the spur of the moment.

So I thought it would be fun to try making a different cocktail every week and record the results. First up, a mint julep following this recipe. I had all the ingredients, and it seemed simple enough. And it looks good, doesn't it:

I'd never actually had a mint julep, so I don't have anything to compare it with. The recipe seemed a bit strong, so I used a little more simple syrup and a little less whiskey. Erik doesn't care for whiskey, but he's a trooper so he gave it a try. He really liked it, giving it four out of five stars! I rated it a 3.5, only because it wasn't very minty. Next time I'll try steeping the mint in the simple syrup while it's warm.

All in all, though, it was a good effort. Next up: a Tom Collins.