Getting Started...with Grapefruit Martinis!

The dishes are done, laundry is folded, kids are in bed.  It's not exactly tidy, either up here or down in my sewing studio, but life isn't tidy, after all.  It is filled with as many misadventures as adventures, sometimes more questions than answers, and hopefully more smiles than tears.

Today was a good day, mostly smiles and  adventures.  Not much was accomplished outside of the necessities. Homework is completed and tummies are full, but the Etsy shop still needs attention and the studio is still in the reorganizing/transitional/if-I-don't-make-something-soon-I'll-possibly-lose-my-sanity-forever stage. But still, today was a day that left me feeling satisfied and ready to jump in with both feet tomorrow.

One of the things that was important to me in my decision to blog is that there needed to be some truth and substance mixed in with the tutorials and cocktail recipes.  In fact, sometimes those cocktail recipes exist because of the "substance" of daily life with a sweet but large puppy, 4 small children, an awesome but human husband and an increasingly chaotic world.

At first, I thought I'd sit down to blog this evening while the kids relaxed in the living room.  I don't know what kind of fantasy land I was living in. My kids are a 7 year old, 4 1/2 year old twins and a 3 year old. Maybe I was just in denial because I needed a break. Long story short, that was 4 hours ago, and by the time I put all 4 of them to bed and straightened up (using that term loosely!), I was much more in the mood for a refreshing adult beverage than a thoughtful session at the keyboard.  I decided on a tasty Grapefruit Martini.  I got the idea from the Grapefruit Margarita recipe here, and made a few changes to better suit my mood, as well as avoiding the blender which tends to wake up the sleeping kids.

Here's my version, it makes 2 drinks:


1/2 cup ruby red grapefruit juice
1/2 cup triple sec
1/2 cup vodka
juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)
   *don't skimp here, use fresh limes!*
lime wedge and kosher salt, to rim the glass

First rim the glass with the lime wedge and dip it in the salt. Then toss the rest of the ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and take all of your frustrations out on it.  Pour it into the glass, put your feet up, and enjoy.

By the time I gave the cocktail shaker a second beating, I was ready sit down and get started, not to mention having a drink recipe to share!