Lemon Drop Martini

I have been craving one of these babies for several weeks now! The Limoncello I had in Florence almost satisfied it, but it wasn't quite the same! Here how to make it, in all it's chilled, lemony goodness!

Lemon Drop Martini
makes 2

1.5 ounces Smirnoffs Vodka
1 ounce Stoli Citron Vodka
1/2 oz. triple sec
3/4  ounce lemon juice
1 ounce simple syrup**

Lemon Twist 
Sugar for rimming the glass

Place 2 martini glasses in the freezer for at least 15 minutes. In a cocktail shaker, add Smirnoffs, Stoli, triple sec, lemon juice and simple syrup. Add 5 - 6 ice cubes. Shake well for at least 2 minutes. Rub rims of martini glasses with the lemon twists and dip them into a little sugar to make a rim. Strain martinis into the cold rimmed glasses. Add the lemon twists. Enjoy!

Lemon Drop Martini

** To make simple syrup, add 2 ounces of water and 2 tablespoons of white sugar to a microwave measuring cup. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Cool.

3.14 PI day...What kind of pie are you making?

Friday, March 14, 2015is 3.1415 and PI day or as the way I like t think of it -  PIE day. What kind of PIE are you making? Try one of mine, here are two of our favorites. Both of these pies are old, family recipes. What kind of pie do you like to make? My husbands' family loves desserts, and his dad refused to leave the table without one! Treat your family and try one of mine!

Chocolate Pecan Pie --rich, chocolaty and full of nuts, so good with vanilla ice cream! View the recipe here :

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Or try some lemon chess pie, another family favorite and a recipe that has been in our family for many, many years:

You can check out the recipe and the history HERE

Lemon Chess Pie

Not my greatest picture, the pie is actually dark golden brown on the top and rich yellow underneath. The thing that really matters is that it is absolutely delicious! Very lemony and tart, with just enough sweetness. A favorite family story is one time when my husbands' grandmother, who everyone called Maw, made a mistake and left out the sugar in the recipe. When the pie was served and everyone was choking down the first bite, Maw smiled and said, "I like it tart, don't you?"

Fearless, just like Julia Child! 

Lemon Dill Shrimp Pasta

Here's a quick and easy suggestion that is easy to throw together at the last minute. The dish takes about the same time to make as the pasta does to boil and cook. Lemon and fresh herbs make it an irresistible springtime dinner that's good enough for company!

Yummy Lemon Dill Shrimp Pasta

Lemon Dill Shrimp Pasta

12 oz. frozen shrimp, (medium or large) thawed, peeled and and deveined

Juice of 1/2 of a lemon plus 1 tsp. lemon zest
3 cloves thinly sliced garlic
2 T. olive oil
1/4 c. dry white wine
1/2  tsp. dried basil
4 c. fresh baby spinach
8 oz. fettucine
2 T. chopped fresh dill + 4 whole dill sprigs
1/4 c. crumbled feta cheese
salt and pepper
Put a big pot of water on to boil and heat a large skillet on low. Add in the olive oil and garlic. Let the garlic cook gently for a few minutes, but be sure not to brown it. Rinse the shrimp and pat it dry with some paper towel. Add it into the skillet and with the lemon zest and basil. Cook for about 3 minutes and then add the white wine plus the juice of the half of a lemon. Sprinkle  a little salt and some freshly ground pepper. Bring this to a boil, turn it off and cover the skillet. When the water boils, cook the fettucine according to package directions for al dente. Drain the pasta and return it to the pan. Add in the fresh spinach and dill. Pour the shrimp mixture over all this and toss well. Sprinkle the pasta with the feta cheese, and cover for five minutes. Divide onto 4 plates and place a sprig of dill on top. Enjoy with a salad and some crusty bread.