If you’ve been hanging around this blog for any amount of time, or you’ve seen any of my social media accounts, you know that I love me a good cocktail. One of my favorite parts of summer is experimenting with new and yummy alcoholic offerings, and Fourth of July is the perfect time to test out some new recipes. Since it is hotter than balls here in So Cal this week, I wanted to make something light and refreshing, and something that really screamed “America”. So I made a watermelon margarita! And they turned out damn good if I do say so myself. Here’s what you need to make these bad boys:
Tequila (obvs), margarita mix, lime juice, and watermelon juice. Plus salt and bluberries for garnishing if you’re into that kind of thing. You can modify the recipe to your taste, but I did one shot of tequila, one shot of margarita mix, one and a half shots of watermelon juice, and a half shot of lime juice. Mix all together in a shaker with ice. I know some people are super into blended margaritas, especially in the hot summer months, but a) I don’t have time for that and b) to me, that dilutes the flavor. So go with on the rocks! For me, this is the perfect blend of light and refreshing, but not overly sweet.
If you want to salt the rim of your glass, take an actual lime wedge and run it around the lip of the glass, then dunk the whole glass into the salt. Pour the entire contents of your shaker into your glass and add the blueberry garnish and you are all set! This is the perfect summer margarita! We served them on Fourth of July and they were a big hit! Cheers!
The other night Matt and I had one of our rare date nights when we went to see The Color Purple at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Since we have had season tickets to the Pantages for a couple of years, we have established some go-to restaurants in the area, but this time, we decided to try something new. So of course, I turned to Yelp, and as soon as I saw The Parker Room, I knew we had to check it out. The Parker Room used to be a jazz club in the 1940’s and hosted the first West Coast show for Charlie Parker (hence the name). My husband is a musician and jazz aficionado so as soon as I mentioned the name, he was on board. The place is super tiny, but it’s super cute, steeped in history, and if you go during happy hour, reasonably priced (for Hollywood).
The food menu at Parker Room is limited, but the cocktails abound, and really, that’s what matters, amirite?
I had an At Last, which was a delightful combo of tequila and strawberry. This is one of those drinks that I want to recreate at home. It was perfect for the summer months in particular, super light and refreshing.
Matt had the Dizzy G Old Fashioned, which is one of his standby drinks. He said it was good, but also just a pretty standard old fashioned (which I don’t think is a bad thing).
We decided to do a bunch of the happy hour appetizers instead of entrees, and while everything was fine, I wouldn’t say anything was spectacular. We had the chicken tacos, which were tiny, but yummy. The chicken was a little lacking in flavor, but the sauce was delish.
The fried calamari was my favorite of the items we tried. It was flavorful, and the aioli dipping sauce was awesome. We also had the fries, which were fine and not eventful enough to photograph.
I’m not sure we would come back to the Parker Room for dinner in the future, but we would definitely come back for happy hour cocktails and Matt for sure wants to come back to hear their live music sets (every Tuesday night). And while we did walk from the bar (on Vine at DeLongpre) I wouldn’t say it’s super convenient to the theater. Check out this bar if you’re into jazz or just want to grab a quick cocktail when strolling around Hollywood, but skip it if you need a real meal.
It’s officially summer, and as much as I am loving it, I’m already complaining about how hot it is. #CaliforniaProblems But in reality, summer is one of my favorite seasons, and I love mostly everything that comes along with it, namely no school (not really a thing for me, but I love having Matt home!) and day drinking. Below is a collection of some of my favorite summer themed posts for you to peruse and soak in the summer spirit!
I recently published my 2018 Los Angeles Summer Bucket List. I suck at these things, but I am trying really hard to make many of these events actually happen!
Summer is not summer without some tasty drinks! During the summer months, my go to beer is a Corona Light, so it’s no surprise that a michelada is one of my favorite beverages to beat the heat!
As much as I love a good beer on a hot day, my alcoholic allegiance will always be to wine. Here’s a collection of perfectly light and refreshing summer wines that are all available for under $10. Score!
Summer wouldn’t be summer without a little crafting, and at least one trip to the beach. I am still obsessed with this pineapple bag I crafted a couple of years ago. It’s my go-to beach bag, and I will for sure be busting it out again this summer!
Just because it’s a million degrees doesn’t mean I can give up my Disney days, and there are plenty of ways to beat the heat in the parks. This post shares some of my favorite ways to stay cool during the warm months at the Disneyland Resort.
I’m so looking forward to creating some more cocktails, making some more crafts, and of course, spending some more hot days at Disneyland this summer. What are your favorite parts of the summer months?
Less than a week remains of the 2018 Food and Wine Festival, and yesterday Brianna and I made our final foray into the depths that is all things food and wine. We also recorded our podcast throughout the day while in the parks, so make sure you check out Drink Talk Fangirl for that totes random episode. We did come to the final conclusion that the food this year was rather unimpressive. The drinks were good, as were the desserts, but the actual food items were either repeats from previous years, or they were just okay. I’m hoping the food offerings at the upcoming Pixar Fest are going to be more enticing. I detailed many of my food and drink samplings in the Part One post, and here are some subsequent items I’ve tried, and of course, my thoughts on all of them.
Because I love all things garlic, I had to sample the Bloody Mary and the Garlic Mac and Cheese for myself (my sister tried the mac in my previous post, but I didn’t actually get to try it for myself until recently). The Bloody Mary was fine. It tasted like a Bloody Mary, but I wouldn’t say it held many hints of garlic. I enjoyed it because I like Bloody Marys, not because this was a particularly stellar one. The mac and cheese was just okay. The garlic crumble itself was tasty, but the mac and cheese on its own was bland.
I also tried the Salt and Beer Vinegar Parmesan Crusted Wings from the Cluck a Doodle Moo booth. Just the name alone was enough to entice me as I literally love all the things. Salt and beer and vinegar and cheese? Hells to the yes. However, I found the wings to be seriously lacking in flavor, and they did not live up to the name at all. These wings were underwhelming, and I was really bummed about it.
Yesterday I tried the Brie Toast with Fig and Mint from the Nuts About Cheese booth, which is a repeat from last year’s festival. This is one I would try making at home because it was tasty and would make a good appetizer for a dinner party. I mean, I would eat brie on anything so I’m not super hard to please in that category, but I love the combo of the brie with the fig jam. Yums.
Also at Nuts About Cheese is the famous mimosa flight. Again, I’ll drink any kind of mimosa any time, anywhere, so not super picky here. The flavors this year were pineapple, strawberry, and raspberry, and while all of them were quite tasty, they were also a little boring. I thought the flavors last year and at Festival of Holidays were more exciting. I did love the pineapple one, and will definitely be making something similar on my own soon.
Finally, I tried the Bourbon Chocolate Whoopie Pie at the I Heart Artichokes booth. It was delicious, but unremarkable.
I’m not sure if it was the lack of stellar new offerings, or the awesomeness of the recent Festival of Holidays, but something about this year’s Food and Wine Festival left me lacking. Also, I should mention that the night after I had the garlic mac and the wings, I had some serious food poisoning. I can’t say for sure it was from the festival food, but it definitely left me hesitant to sample all the goodies in the future. Overall, kind of a meh year when it comes to Food and Wine. I’m hoping next year they will shake things up and give us lots of new stuff to try.
March 2nd marked the beginning of the 2018 Food and Wine Festival at California Adventure, and it is one of my favorite times of year at the park. I was a little eh when I saw the food offerings for this year, not because they didn’t sound good, but because there weren’t a ton of new items on the menu. However, there are lots of delicious sounding new cocktails on the menu, and I am all about that. And there’s enough new food for me to hit up just about every booth. I haven’t checked everything off my list yet, but I have made some good headway. Here’s what I’ve tried so far:
At the Citrus Grove booth, I tried the Meyer Lemon Macaron. I’m pretty sure this was offered last year, but I didn’t get a chance to try it. The lemon flavor was super tasty, but this is a reeeaaaallly sweet treat. Like you should probably split it with at least two other people because if you ate the whole thing yourself you’d probably go into some kind of sugar coma. Very yummy, but proceed with caution.
Also at the Citrus Grove booth, this is the Crispy Orange Chicken and Rice. I really liked this dish, but it is super salty. I loooooove salt. I salt everything. And it still made me cringe a little. So if you are not a salt fan, this is probably not the one for you. But the flavor of the sauce is good, and the crispy chicken was good. Also, this one was a good portion size, always a bonus.
My sister tried the Mac and Cheese at Garlic Kissed and said it was okay. I am a mac and cheese fan so I always gravitate to the different variations they offer at Food and Wine, and most of the time I am disappointed. They just seem to lack a lot of flavor. But I will probably try this one for myself, just to make sure. You know, for research purposes.
This past week on my second trip to Food and Wine, I hit up the Strawberry Patch booth first. This Watsonville Strawberry Pie was legitimately my breakfast. Pie for breakfast is always a good idea. This was a great mini pie, and I would eat it again and again.
Also at the Strawberry Patch booth is the Strawberry Frose, which is basically a strawberry rose in frozen form. And yes, it is as delicious as it sounds. I could take down about ten of these. And then I would be drunk.
I’m kind of sad the presentation for the Meyer Lemon Ginger Mule isn’t a little prettier because it was so tasty. Like, you could at least throw a lemon wedge or a sugar rim on there. This drink, available at Citrus Grove, was absolutely delicious and I will be making my own version at home over the summer. Yummy.
At the Peppers Cali-Ente booth, I gravitated to the Lime Margarita. I love a spicy marg, and this one was actually better than I thought it would be. Just enough kick, but not too spicy. A lot of ice in that cup though. I see you, Disney. We also tried the Jalapeno Popper Mac and Cheese, which I really liked. The mac and cheese itself is just fine, but when you get a good combo bite with the bacon and jalapenos, it’s a great combo.
I still have quite a few items on my list to try, most importantly, the mimosa flight. Brianna and I will be hitting the parks during her Spring Break so we’ll be getting our drink on then.
Have you been to Food and Wine yet? What are the can’t miss items on your list?
Festival of Holidays is back at California Adventure, and last week Brianna and I ate our way through a whole bunch of it. We will be discussing the Festival in detail on next week’s podcast, but for now, here are some of my preliminary thoughts.
In general, the Festival is much more appealing to me personally than last year’s. There are more food choices that aren’t quite as adventurous as last year, and the drink options seem to be much better (read stronger, and real alcohol) than the previous Festival. I actually bought the AP Sip and Savor pass this year because I am planning on trying way more items than I did last year. Here’s what I’ve had so far:
This is the pomegranate margarita. I actually bought this at Bayside Brews, but they also have a version at one of the Festival booths. It was yummy, and strong, and didn’t taste like a pre-made margarita, so win.
We sampled both offerings the Winter Sliderland booth. This is the turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing, and it tasted like Thanksgiving on a bun. I am not a huge fan of Thanksgiving turkey, but it was so moist and flavorful. This was Brianna’s fave.
I preferred the ham slider with pineapple relish. This was available last year and I loved it then and I love it now. The ham is so yummy, and the combo of the ham with pineapple is delish.
This might be my favorite new offering this year, the pomegranate mule. It was ah-mazing. Seriously, such a yummy cocktail, and it tasted strong, so bonus. The rosemary is the perfect addition.
We of course tried the mac and cheese from the Holiday Duets booth, and it was just okay. It was a little bland and needed some salt for sure. It would have been vastly improved with a kick of spice like jalapeno, or just something a little more flavorful. But I do think this is a bigger portion than last year so that’s good.
The mac and cheese, pomegranate mule, and these adorable cookies are all at the Holiday Duets booth. I mainly got these cookies because they are so stinking cute, but they also tasted yummy!
And we obviously had to try the mimosa flight from the Making Spirits Bright booth. They were all delicious, but my favorite was the white cranberry. I would drink that all day ery day.
I still have quite a few items to try before the Festival ends. Have you checked out the Festival yet? What should I try next?
It’s been a while since I have shared one of these posts, and I have a ton of new things that I am obsessing over that I want to share with you. From books to booze, these are the things I am seriously crushing on this summer!
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas: If you have listened to Down to Fangirl, or checked my bookstagram, or read any of my What I Read posts, chances are you have seen/heard me talk about ACOTAR. Guys. For real, this is my favorite series since Harry Potter. Book two, A Court of Mist and Fury, is one of the best books I have ever read. Period. If you like to read, or even if you hate to read, this series is a must. Go buy it and thank me later.
Soap and Glory beauty products: I have been using this face wash for most of the summer and I have seen a huge improvement in my skin. Even though I am now mid thirties, I still suffer from acne and I have had a lot of problems finding a cleanser that works consistently for me. This one has been awesome so far and I am loving it. Soap and Glory also has a ton of other great products, my other favorite being their lip glosses.
Rose: I know, I know, I’m basic AF. But nothing beats a yummy rose during the hot summer months. And it goes down so easy I can drink it all day long! (Not that I do that…often.)
Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew: This is my go to summer coffee drink from Starbucks and I have been consuming them almost every day over the past few months. I love them a little too much.
Supergirl: I just finished watching season two of Supergirl, and guys, I legit cried actual tears during the finale. My heart is aching just thinking about it. I have a huge crush on Chris Wood, who plays Supergirl’s boyfriend (and is gay in real life, of course) and I am ride or die with Jeremy Jordan. Plus, Calista Flockheart came back for the last two episodes, and the original Wonder Woman Lynda Carter plays the president. Binge it. And then come cry with me when it’s over.
Making buttons: Okay, this is weird, I know, but I started making some Disney inspired buttons a couple of weeks ago and I got so into it I bought a button maker. I will be posting a tutorial soon, suffice to say I am going to be doing a lot of giveaways because I only have room for so many buttons in my life.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: I finished this book a couple of days ago, on my birthday, and then went to two different bookstores that day to try to find the sequel, Glass Sword. I LOVED this book and have been dying to start number two, but I had to order it online so I’ve had to wait a few days before being able to start it. I have a couple of books I need to review that are next on my list, but I might be diving into Glass Sword instead. Because it’s that good.
Podcasting: If you haven’t listened to Down to Fangirl yet, get on it! Brianna and I have recorded seven episodes now and I am so loving podcasting. Honestly, I’m enjoying the whole process way more than I thought I would, and I am hoping our little show continues to grow!
Champagne and Strawberry Lemonade: I feel like this is self-explanatory, but this combo has become my go to summer alcoholic beverage of choice. It’s a perfect combo and it also makes for a pretty pink drink.
Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout: Okay, so as trepidatious as I was of the ride in the beginning, and as much of an eye sore as it is in the park, it is a damn good ride. Plus, I am loving discovering all of the different versions. I need to ride them all!
What have you been obsessing over this summer? Let me know so I can maybe share in your obsession!
