Great Friday…and a Little Whiskey Business!!

IMG_7262Great Friday!!

Years ago I used to hold an all-women cocktail party for my girlfriends on the Friday following Good Friday. I called it Great Friday. Why? Because while Good Friday is, well, good and all that, Great Friday…is GREAT! I think the last one I hosted was back in 2006. Not sure why I stopped. I was reminiscing about it all last night, and decided it was time for another Great Friday.

I believe I may have mentioned I am a Whiskey Girl…I love my bourbon…and sometimes a wee bit of Scotch…and I’m working on developing my taste for Rye Whiskey (it’s coming along nicely, thank you very much!). I decided to keep tonight’s Great Friday small and low-key. So Instead of fancy cocktails I’m serving up whiskey, specifically the Irish variety. I have a couple of girlfriends who are also whiskey drinkers, and we are gathering tonight to sample several in my collection.

Irish Whiskey – A Few Favorites

As a writer, I am particularly fond of an Irish Whiskey called Writer’s Tears. According to their site, “Many Irish writers suffered from ‘Writer’s Block’ and it was said that when they cried they cried tears of Whiskey. Most, if not all of them, sought comfort and inspiration from “The Water of Life” (Whiskey). The relaxing characteristics of Whiskey helped many of them overcome writers block and produce inspired works of poetry, prose and plays.”

Any writer who is also a whiskey drinker is calling out a loud, “Hell yeah!” right about now. (Or is that only me?)

One of my last visits to Ireland I found myself in a pub (as all of ye should be when in Ireland! No better place to find yerself…), and that’s where I first discovered this whiskey. For some reason I didn’t bring a bottle back with me to the States. Upon arriving back home I decided I needed to add it to my collection. This was a bit of an issue since it seems it is not sold here, or at least it is not sold near me. But I was determined. And obsessed. After a hearty online search I finally found a distributer in Germany who was able to ship it to me. Tonight I will sit here happily enjoying a wee bit o’ th’ stuff w/ me lassies. Life is good, eh?

This is not the only Irish Whiskey in my collection. In fact, there are a couple I prefer over this one, namely “Redbreast” and “Green Spot.” I’ve been known to take a nip of either on a chilly night by the fire. Not that I limit myself solely to those times; however, there is something about a crackling fire that seems especially fitting when partaking of a dram (or two) of whiskey.

I’ll leave you with some whiskey quotes:

  • Love makes the world go round? Not at all. Whiskey makes it go round twice as fast.” ~Compton MacKenzie (I have verified this on a few occasions!)
  • Always carry a flagon of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake.” ~W.C. Fields
  • Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.” ~Mark Twain
  • I’m on a whisky diet. I’ve lost three days already.” ~Tommy Cooper

I’m off to prepare for tonight! Slainte (y’all)!

Avocado or Avocadon’t? That is the Question!


If you have nothing but love for your avocados, and you take joy in turning them into guacamole, all you need is someone to share it with. ~ Jason Mraz


I love avocados. They stay close at hand in my kitchen; they have many uses. Slices garnish my eggs at breakfast (I’m more of a savory-food-for-breakfast gal than sweet); they are often found in my fresh summer salads. Nothing beats homemade guacamole, which I often prepare in my molcajete. Sometimes I just sprinkle on a smidge of salt and scoop it straight out of the skin. Then there is the ‘BLTA’ sandwich: Continue reading

Tapas, Sangria and Paella in St. Thomas: Amalia Café…Best Spanish Fare on Island!

IMG_7212

Amalia Cafe on St. Thomas is a special place for me. It’s a Spanish restaurant and one of my favorites on St. Thomas. I first visited there in the spring of 2014 after meeting the owner, Randolf Maynard (he goes by Maynard), at the Taste of St. Croix where we were both judges. That night was one of my highlights of living in the islands. Pure magic!

A couple of weeks after Continue reading

Cooling Off During These Hot Summer Days

Today is National Hot Fudge Sundae Day…me and ice cream, we go way back. Breyer’s ice cream – the original – was a special treat when I visited my grandparents. When I was little she still had a milk man who delivered milk and ice cream to the metal box that sat outside her door. It wasn’t only a summer treat; we had it year-round. She had special dishes for it, small etched glassware that I only ever saw her use for ice cream. She may have used them for other foods when I wasn’t looking, but to me they will Continue reading