halloween happy hour!

now this week, instead of mixing up the usual pumpkin-infused (which i love) and spooky cocktails, try something a little different. something a little more like this cocktail from yumsugar...

happy apple rum twist

ingredients
1 1/2 ounces light or dark rum
3 ounces apple juice or cider
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1/2 cup crushed ice
apple slice, optional for garnish

Directions
1. combine all ingredients except the slice in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously.
2. strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with an apple slice.

tunes

check out this chill/happy new little diddy from devendra banhart, called "baby." making his first major label release debut next week, this is one of the first singles off the lp. i like it! great for that fall playlist you're putting together.

rainy day diy

photo courtesy of starbucks.com

or at least it's raining in my 'hood. and it is supposed to continue raining all weekend. yuck. i though it would be a good time to share recipe a found a few weeks back on making you own pumpkin spice latte (a la starbucks) at home. 'cause who really wants to go out for coffee when there is a wind chill of 35 degrees and the rain is coming down?

i thought so. here's the breakdown:

pumpkin spice latte

from thekitchn.com

makes 1-2 servings

ingredients:

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons canned pumpkin or 1 teaspoon of torani pumpkin spice syrup (your choice)

2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute - you can halve this amount

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1-2 shots espresso (about 1/4 cup of espresso or 1/2 cup of strong brewed coffee if you don't have an espresso machine.)

directions:

in a saucepan combine milk, pumpkin and sugar and cook on medium heat, stirring, until steaming. remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds until foamy. if you don't have a blender, don't worry about it - just whisk the mixture really well with a wire whisk. pour into a large mug or two mugs. add the espresso on top.

optional: top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

if you don't have the time (or ingredients) for all this, try just sprinkling a little pumpkin pie spice in your everyday morning brew. truly delightful!! (thanks kj in boston for hooking me up with that idea!)

shoppin' fridays

i thought i would let you all in on some online shopping deals while you countdown the hours until the weekend "officially" begins.

today is the last day to enjoy 25% off the ADAM fall '09 collection online. to enjoy the private sale, become a fan of ADAM on facebook and let the shopping commence! you will be sure to find THE perfect piece for your fall wardrobe. their fabrics are simple gorgeous!

also, check out the sweater sale over at martin + osa. there is a chill in the air, so stock up on some basic cozy pieces and enjoy 50% off of all sweaters through this monday.

it's friday - it's payday AND you wanna look good for the weekend! enjoy dahhhhlings!

cinderella would have sipped this on her way to the ball

it's thursday! why not get a little fancy this blustery fall weekend and enjoy a little champagne and pumpkin?? (i got your attention now, right?)

check out this recipe from cocktailtimes.com:

pumpkin french 75
ingredients:
- 1 oz. plymouth gin
- 1 oz. pumpkin puree
- 1 1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz. simple syrup
- champagne

shake all ingredients (except champagne) in a cocktail shaker with ice. strain the mixture into a champagne flute. top with chilled champagne and serve

thirsty thursday

(photo by becca chambers)

my friend over at twisu recently suggested that maybe i should start a weekly cocktail feature over here at delightfully kiki. and since i'm not one who normally denies a cocktail invitation, i thought that would be a fantastic idea! so on thursdays (my favorite day of the week) i'm gonna do my best to post this, that, or other things about some of my favorite libations.

since i have been musing about the approach of autumn as of late, i thought i would use this first post to talk about pumpkin beer. mmmmmmmm, beer. mmmmmmm, pumpkin. one of my favorite pumpkin brews was introduced to me a few years back by a couple who knows good beer and can throw a heck of an octoberfest shingdig! this beer is delaware's own dogfish punkin ale. for me, it's just the right amount of sugar, spice, and all that is fall and nice in a tasty brew. just one or two will do the trick. it's the perfect cocktail for a thursday happy hour this time of year!

fall fashion

there is something you need to know about me. i LOVE fall clothes!!! there is just something about boots, sweaters, jeans, tights, and scarves that make me just lose my mind when i'm out shopping this time of year. ladies, i know you're with me on this one.

what are some of my "must-haves" for fall '09? well, i'm glad you asked! :)

1. over-the-knee-boots (woot! woot!)
2. boyfriend jeans (i know they've been a trend for a while now, but they are weekend-perfect!)
3. a pair of raleigh denim jeans (supportin' nc folks)
4. embellished tees and tanks (i love sassy comfort)
5. a bright, girly cardigan (for those cool evenings in pa)
6. a statement jacket (it can bring a whole look together)
7. a smart hat (timeless)
8. a simple, yet funky necklace (i'm still obsessing over jessica biel's necklace from a few months back)

wow! that's quite the shopping bag! here's to a fabulous and fashionable fall! cheers!

is it really over?

the unofficial end of summer is labor day. i know this. officially, it's september 22nd at 5:18pm est. (also the hubby's birthday.) but i don't feel like summer is quite over.

or maybe it is.

there are many things i adore about fall:

leaves, scarfs, mums, cool breezes, boots, football, going back to school, warm lattes, and of course - pumpkins.

that's right. pumpkins. pumpkins on the porch, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pies, pumpkin candles, pumpkin seeds, frost on the pumpkins, carved pumpkins...you get the idea.

if you start peeking in to some gardens, you can see pumpkins starting to pop up in late august/early september. and that is my unofficial sign that fall is near and summer is on it's last legs.

and i thought since we all might be struggling a little bit with the seasonal transition, we should lighten the mood. with pumpkins, of course.

last year i was lucky enough to stumble upon this little treasure on pbs. and if you like those pumpkins then, you'll LOVE this!

random, i know. but you know you're ready for a visit to the pumpkin patch, aren't you? (more on my fall fascination with pumpkins to come.)

scuppernongs!!!

there are a few ways i can always tell that summer is drawing to a close:

1) a few of the leaves at the top of the trees begin to fade, fall, and drift towards the ground,

2) mums start popping up in the garden centers,

AND...

3) it's scuppernong time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now some of you may ask, "kiki, what's a scuppernong?" well, my friends it is just one of my most favorite things! as a kid, i used to eat 'nongs straight from the vine in my granny's yard. and they always seemed to taste best right before school started. maybe the sweet taste of the 'nong is why i never minded going back to school in the fall? (that, and the fact i'm kinda a nerd.)

not only is the 'nong delicious, but the it is also the state fruit of my home state - north carolina.

the most important thing to know about the 'nong is how to eat a 'nong. or at least, how i eat a 'nong. the most desirable part of the grape is it's sweet juice. so, here we go:

first, find a quart at your grocery store or farmer's market...

next, pick a nice big juicy one...

then, pop the 'nong in your mouth and suck out the middle (photo not available)...

here's the final result!

it may sound a little strange, and heck it may look a little strange when you have several grape hulls lying in a pile, but trust me they are yummy! go ahead, you know you wanna try!