Martini Prizes & Caribbean Rice, Oh My!

Last night I fixed a recipe for Caribbean rice I found at Deanna's Corner Cooking, as a side dish to some store bought rotisserie chicken. While Terry didn't love it, I did enjoy it. It called for Jasmine rice which I really love & can eat on its own. While I don't rate it as high as most of the recipes I post, I do feel that one person's 6 is another person's 10. It certainly beats making the same rice dishes all the time & keeps me away from the sodium filled prepared boxes. Plus, it has veggies in it. So, it is worth a try because it's so simple, you have nothing to lose!

Caribbean Rice with Black Beans & Coconut Milk
5-6 cups cooked jasmine rice (2 cups uncooked rice)
1 tsp dried thyme (or one Tblsp fresh)
1-2 Tb canola oil
4-5 small sweet peppers of red, orange and yellow
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of green onions, sliced thinly
4 cans black beans, drained and rinsed1 can coconut milk

While the rice is cooking, saute the peppers & garlic in the oil until soft. Add the thyme to the rice before covering to simmer. Add the green onions & saute 2-3 minutes more. Stir in the black beans and warm through then add the rice and coconut milk. Stir over med-low heat until well combined and heated through. Serve hot.

I halved this recipe & it still can serve at least 4-5 people. However, I still only used 1 can of beans which was more than enough although halving calls for 2 cans. And I still used about 4 small sweet peppers anyway.

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And here's a couple shots of what my account of the most perfect Martini party won me.

I used my new cocktail shaker to mix up some mojitos Monday night. This is where some of the magic happens - blogging that is. Here at home on Terry's Mac. Most of it though is done at work, naturally!

What's in a Name.....

Sure, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. But a martini? Ah, everything lies in the name. Apple Thyme, Vampire Kiss, Chocolate Espresso. It's all about what you're in the mood for, & sometimes when you're not even sure, the name might make the decision for you.

Good golly Ms. Molly over at Rockapoodle Martini Company worked her tush off this past weekend making a Pear Martini & she is now holding a contest to find the perfect name for it. If you read her description on how she made it, it's evident she probably really needed a good martini when finished. Instead of the calm before the storm, I imagine she was feeling quite the opposite once she was done. So, I dub the Pear Martini:

The Pearfect Storm

because the calm will come after!

Swank Martini is giving away these beautiful glasses to the winner:

Wish me luck!

I Throw a Mean Martini Party!

I guess I do since I won Molly's Martini madness competition with my version of the perfect martini party.


I am so excited because this is what I won:



Thanks so much to Molly & to Jerry at MartiniArt.com for providing the wonderful prizes! You might want to visit as Jerry is offering a 10% discount, which is good until August 23rd (use promotion code MG189).

Let's Slip Out of These Wet Clothes.......

And Into a Dry Martini........
(Quote by By Robert Benchley)

Martini Party

It's a beautiful Spring evening in Florida. One of the greatest nights of the year when the breeze is blowing just right & the temperature is perfect. The kind of night outside where when you take a breath in, you think "life is good" and you want to share it with everyone! So......

We're having martinis, poolside, & you are invited. Yes, you, & anyone special you'd like to bring. I don't need Mr. Scientology and Brangelina, and I don't need a fancy locale. My home is just that, my HOME, a place I love, & it gives me the greatest enjoyment to extend an invite whenever I can. So it's you, me, a few of our closest friends, a little Martini Madness, & some delicious nibbles. Poolside, on a beautiful evening. Did I mention that? Can you picture it? Here are the details.

You're dressed classy for the cocktail party of the year. You look stunning. That little black number you had in the back of your closet is not alone anymore!! You both can hardly get yourselves out of the house. Or maybe you're going solo because you never know who you might meet over a martini. You look beautiful nonetheless. And you, you look handsome! The ambience works magic on you, from the moment you step from your car, with luminarias up the walkway & floating in the pool. Fresh flowers wherever you turn. A gentle breeze blowing through your hair & the palm trees just above you.

I have hired Molly at the Rockapoodle Martini Company, the best Martini hostess I know. She just opened up a new company and she knows everything there is to know about martinis. She's enlisted some help from Jerry at a wonderful Martini Gift Shop. This way, I will get to spend my time with you, my friend. They'll be serving up all the Originals from the Classic Gin Martini, Classic Vodka Martini, & the Dirty Martini to something a little more fresh & fruity like the Honey Tangerine Martini. Or maybe something salty like the Creole Garden Martini. Perhaps you're in the mood for a little taste of exotica from a Silver Salmon Martini with a little caviar at the bottom.

Or perhaps you tell the bartender to surprise you and have them make you a martini, as long as it matches what you're wearing!

There you are, standing in the moonlight, and he looks at you adoringly. The evening has inspired him. He asks you to fly off to Miami next weekend. And there you are, you & your husband on your first date night in over a year. You both decide to renew your wedding vows. On another night of course.

Life is happening, over a martini! I am so glad we could all share in it.

We're a bit hungry now after all the laughter & a bit of dancing under the stars. You might nibble on a little of this:














Lobster Martini, Shrimp & Grits Martini Style, Shrimp Cocktail


And for dessert, take your pick from Strawberry Shortcake or Tiramisu Martini Style.

Stay as long as you want. Tonight, mi casa es su casa. But when you do leave, don't forget to take your gift with you. The gift of our friendship. No, I kid.

Here you go. Thank you so much for stopping by.

It meant the world to me!