Hendrick's Gin

BzzAgent sent me an invite to review Hendrick's Gin and I was like, "whaaaa... drink booze for half price?" and I instantly signed up even though I didn't think I liked gin.

Last time I drank the clear liquid I fell asleep on a Jersey City toilet, forehead on the seat. But that's another story for another time.

When I received the paperwork I was intrigued with their Victorian vibe, their use of the word "curiousitorium" (isn't it a great word?), and the rose and cucumber flavorings.
I instantly ran out and purchased a bottle, popped it open and took a huge whiff, thinking to myself, "EW, I DON'T LIKE GIN FOR SURE."

I waited for a few gal pals to come over to "suffer through" the cocktails with me... and then it happened. The cocktails were amazing. HEY WAIT A MINUTE, I LIKE GIN. We all like gin. At least Hendrick's gin, anyway. I suppose it's a more "grown up" flavor. I was not ready for Hendrick's gin in my 20s, but at the wise ol' age of 32 it is absolutely delish.

My wise ol' gut told me to stick with simple recipes. Let the gin shine, folks. This is not an alcohol that needs to be covered up with sweet juices and sodas. Keep it basic with a bit of soda water and light flavorings that compliment, not detract.

Breaking Bad - The Scientific Kitchen

Breaking Bad Season 5 premieres tomorrow, July 15th on AMC and THIS girl is excited! I'd celebrate by cooking some meth in my kitchen... but uh... I'll stick to blue rock candy recipes, instead.
I'm all about using science in the kitchen, so let's explore some options, shall we?

Beakers are great for measuring, mixing, and drinking out of! Try this 6 piece set of beakers on Amazon for only $19.95:

True Blood Premiere Party

Party time! Whoreders loves any excuse for a party, but we're especially excited that it's True Blood premiere week. After waiting for too many agonizing months, it's time to head back to Bon Temps for more fang bangin' and shifter shenanigans. It's not too late to plan a viewing party, and you don't have to spend a crazy amount of money either. We've put together a few ideas that are easy to do yourself, and won't break the blood bank.



Party Favors/Decorations

Party favors aren't just for kid's parties, big kids like goofy little goodies too. You don't have to go too crazy, because our fabulous friend Marie at Agent Lover already came up with a genius crafty idea we love. These were originally for Valentine's Day, but it would be a snap to turn them into True Blood party favors for your party (or any party, really). Click on the picture or link below and get ready to laugh and fall in love with Marie. And I'm not just saying that because she made me (Vanessa) an Anderson Cooper valentine!

Marie's Valentines For Your Boo

You can either make a bunch of these with different characters ahead of time, or just have all the supplies at the party and let everyone make their own. Go wild, and make an extra Eric Northman brooch for me! 

Fangs a lot.

Corona & Lime Cupcakes

Picture & recipe directly from LaurenConrad.com 

Corona & Lime cupcakes, yum. I originally got this idea & recipe from Lauren Conrad...yes, the girl from Laguna Beach and The Hills. And yes I'm pregnant and baking with beer, don't judge me. I didn't eat any of the cupcakes because no one would let me. However, I would like to point at that according to certain sources, only 35% of alcohol in this specific recipe is retained after baking. I'm not a math wizard by any means, but 35% of a beer that is 4.5% alcohol level (of which I only used 1/2 a bottle) probably equals close to nothing. Bottom line, I didn't have any but I really wanted to.

Anyways, I digress...where was I? Oh yeah, cupcakes. I made these cupcakes for a Cinco de Mayo fiesta and they were a hit. The cake is almost corn bread like in texture, and still retains a hint of the Corona taste, and the frosting is amazing! I read that LC (yeah, we are on a nickname basis), didn't care too much for the frosting as it was too rich and sweet, so I cut down on the powdered sugar and what came out was a cream cheese frosting with a hint of lime, SO good! I realized these cupcakes aren't only fun for Cinco de Mayo, but for BBQ's and other summer time gatherings! 

Makes 24 cupcakes
*All of these ingredients I already had in the house except for the limes so my total for this recipe was $1.23!*

Stained Salt

I had a Cinco de Mayo gathering of the tacos on, well... you guessed it - the fifth of May. My friends and I wanted margaritas (to go with our copious amount of tacos) and I decided to have some fun with it. Why not dye the rimming salt the colors of the Mexican flag?

I am a brilliant idea maker.

It's incredibly easy:

Dope Jello Poke Cupcakes

I threw a 1990s party on Saturday. I know you're jealous and you should be. I've been busy for weeks but I really wanted to make some homemade cupcakes for the event, so I picked up a box of lemon cake mix, a jar of Pillsbury Pink Lemonade frosting, and... a box of cherry Jell-O.

Say whaaaa?

They ended up being so tasty I have to tell you about them so you can make some of your own and have a party in your mouth.