{boozy bevvie} summer shandy

it's no secret amongst my friends that i am not a beer drinker. it all stems from this one time...nevermind. somethings should remain a mystery. ha.

in any event, usually i can find a beverage choice that involves liquor or my standby, hard cider. but as i started to frequent nats games, i began to realize that those alcoholic bevvies added up dollar wise to a range that was not dave ramsey approved. so last summer, thanks to my awesome friend sarah, i started a new beverage relationship: the poor person's summer shandy.

sarah and i boozing at the nats-rockies game. obviously.

yes, they serve the beer 'summer shandy' at nats stadium, but it's still not my cup of tea. so what did i do?! yes- i did the following: half lemonade + half beer. perfecto.

it wasn't until a recent pinterest find Brandy and Shan at prettyplainJanes, that i thought to make it at home. i have yet to have the occassion for it, but had to share their version because it sounds pretty delicious. so check out the amazeballs recipe here. thanks to prettyplainJanes for being an awesome blog and bringing my fave boys of summer drink to the homefront!

image courtesy of www.prettyplainjanes.com

xoxo lauren

{boozy bevvies} drinking on a diet

by the looks of things at my gym, it seems like everyone and their mother has decided to loose weight as part of their new years' resolutions. not knocking it whatsoever- in fact, i think it's great. people getting healthier and feeling better. yay for you!

however, no one wants to disturb their lifestyle and social events- least of all me. i have never been a heavy drinker, but thanks to recent events i have cut back even more. i swear, i'm still fun. ha. so what are you supposed to do when faced with a night out and everyone is throwing back drinks like lindsay lohan? stick with the following rules and criteria- you'll be able to have a fun night out and stay true to your goals.

lauren's drinking on a diet 101

1. stick with clear liquor. don't get me wrong...i love me some bourbon and tequila. but word on the street is that clear liquors have less sugar therefore less calories. who knew.

2. those margs, daqs, and coladas are no bueno. fact of the matter is that any filler in any drink or food isn't gonna be the best bet. try a skinny marg on for size- fresh lime juice, clear tequila, and a splash of citrus liquor. much better...and stronger. ha.

3. no binge drinking. i remember my first year of college they explained that binge drinking was 4 or more drinks in a 2 hour timeframe. i thought they were insane...i was also 17. flash forward to 29 year old me- i'm lucky if i can handle 4 drinks in an evening out. so make sure to keep an eye on how much you are actually consuming, not just for your waist but so you don't get wasted. no one likes a sloppy drunk.

4. keep hydrated. water will always be your friend. fact. there's no harm in taking a breather while out and sipping on some h2o. or, better yet, throw in a gatorade or similar drink. electrolytes are your friend.

5. EAT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! trust- i have made this mistake plenty of times. i think, omg, why would i want to waste calories on food when i can drink them. this is a HUGE mistake. you don't have to eat nachos or a loaf of bread, but eat something. preferably a good mixture of veggies and protein. your stomach will thank you.

6. last but not least- you CAN have fun if you don't drink. i know this is a concept lost on many, however i have been out, ordered water in a mixed drink glass, with water, and a lime. looks like a vodka soda. and no one knows the difference.

now, for those nights when i do need a bevvie in hand, i typically go for a rum and diet soda or a mojito. shockingly, both are low in calories and get the job done. wine is also your friend but keep in mind that at typical serving size for caloric purposes is 4 ounces- and most restaurants serve about 8 ounces at a time. damn restaurants making you gain weight! lol.

if you're desperately trying to watch your intake and make headway on the scale, follow these tips and you'll be good to go. if not, drink a fishbowl margarita for me. and send me a picture. kthanksbye.

xoxo Lauren

{boozy bevvies} official drink of kenny

first let me state fact. when i, or anyone for that matter, refer to kenny, i am not referring to the following: kenny loggins, kenny rogers, kenny from south park, or kenny g. there is only one kenny in my book.

mr. kenny chesney. every year, my best friend and i look forward to girls' weekend where we can 'sit in the sand with a drink in our hands' and enjoy the BEST CONCERT of the year. we seriously make a long weekend out of this concert. since i live in northern virginia and she in charlottesville, we both make our way to virginia beach and relax beachfront. seriously- if you've never taken a trip with your best friend where it's just the two of you, i highly recommend it. it's so rejuvenating and relaxing and SO MUCH FUN.

kenny trip circa 2011

we just found out this week that he's coming back to virginia beach after taking a year off from the venue. why? i do not know. BUT WE ARE SOOO STINKIN' EXCITED!!!

kenny trip circa 2012 - show in dc. found some strangers. ;-)

now back in the day, when we first started attending said concerts, we were young and wild. not saying that we're not wild when we get together now- it's just a little less. ha. here's us one year at buffet.

buffet trip circa 2006

so young, wild, and poor. what do you drink and tailgate with on said concert going excursions?! what my dear friend meghan likes to call, jolly ranchers. yum. yum. yum. can't wait.

jolly rancher

margarita mix

mango rum

mix to your hearts content and enjoy. just don't drink too many or you'll end up like this:

wild lauren circa 2006.

xoxo Lauren

{boozy bevvies} rein-beer

people like to drink- this should not be a shock to anyone. and the holidays are no exception especially with how many holiday parties there are to attend. now what do people bring to holiday parties for their host(s)? a bottle of wine. snooze. yawn. bore. let's mix it up a bit. i give you...

now last year i lucked out and target had the antlers already done. at that point it was me, a hot-glue gun, oogly eyes (yes, that's the official name of them), and red felt balls. they were the hit of the party.

this year, unfortunately, the antlers were no where to be found so i'll be heading to michael's for some brown pipe cleaners for a mini diy project care of pinterest and life of a modern mom. but now these easy and simple rein-beer are requested at the davis' annual christmas party. it's a fun little project that gets a lot of praise. my kind of hostess gift. ;-)

xoxo Lauren

{boozy bevvies} it's the holidays. let's drink.

happy belated thanksgiving. merry early christmas. happy early hannukah. whatever holidays you celebrate, pretty sure there are very few people that dislike this time of year. you can gather with those that you love and care for. celebrate the season and all the past year has given you. reflect on any bad choices and move on. it's a season for forgiveness and happiness. it may be due to all the alcohol available, but eh- i'm not here to judge. ha.

last weekend it was a rather quiet thanksgiving break at the riner household. we watched the macy's day parade, cooked a ridiculous amount of ah-may-zing food, and enjoyed each other's company.the traditional turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce were next to the neo-traditional spanakopita- we are greek afterall. but one thing is for certain...there are always a pots of mulled wine and/or spiked cider on the stove to settle in before turning on national lampoon's christmas vacation. yes, we are that family. actually, legitimately, my dad is clark griswald in that movie. love, love, love him for it. :)

so i figured with all the holiday parties coming up, everyone could use an easy recipe for the masses. here's a delicious take on spiked cider care of mrs. meghan munsey and mr. barrett tucker. the real beauty is that there is very little measurement to this bevvie. make it as spicy as you like and drink up!

spiked cider

1 gallon of apple cider

mulling spices

cinnamon sticks

ground cinnamon

oranges

lemons
bourbon or brandy, your choice

pour your cider into the crock-pot. i'm a big fan of using this handy contraption for bevvies at parties. it keeps it warm and you don't have to worry about it. done and done.

you can add in cinnamon sticks to add to the potency.

now spice it up with mulling spices. i have bought some from both trader joe's and williams-sonoma. to each their own, but both have made epic cider.

sprinkle in some ground cinnamon.

cut up some oranges and lemons, juice them a bit, and just throw them on in. now let is simmer for about 30 minutes.

pour into glasses, spike as needed, and guzzle it on down. so stinkin' easy and yummy.

who couldn't go for a glass right now? count me in.

happy holidays everyone!

xoxo Lauren

{bevvies} beer punch

it's football season, and while my team (go 'skins!) is doing less than stellar this year even with RGIII on our side, it's still tailgate time. that means good food, good drinks, and good fun with good friends.

brody and i cheering on the redskins!

back in the day, when yours truly was an admissions rep for GMU, i had the pleasure of traveling all over virginia. we spent months on the road attending college fairs and visiting high schools. now when you're on the road for such a long time, it's just natural to become good friends with the other people traveling along with you. little did i know, but one of them turned out to be my best friend meghan! we bonded quickly over our love for having a good time no matter what the circumstances. that fall season we were even deemed 'the fun group' of the VACRAO tour. this seems to happen to me a lot- i don't know why. ;-)

2005 fun group. those were the good times.

well after the travel season ended, we decided to have one last hoorah and attend a college football game in north carolina. it was here that we were introduced to beer punch.

tailgate time circa 2005.

we all know i am not a beer drinker by any means, but for the first time, i couldn't get enough of it! so here's the super simple and super delicious recipe care of lynette at the it girl project- perfect for your 'skins tailgating adventures!

beer punch

picture c/o lynette at the it girl project.

6 pack of light beer

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate (pink or regular)
vodka

fill your container with ice, pour in beer, add lemonade concentrate and stir. fill the empty lemonade can with vodka and mix. drink to your hearts content.

xoxo Lauren

{bevvies} sarasota lemonade

yesterday i had an awesome time. i know- shocking, right? but seriously, any event where i can shop, drink, eat, and chat it up with friends is a good time no matter which way you cut it. so when my friend / former colleague / fellow blogger, madeline, sent out invites for a stella & dot party i was like- 'umm, duh, i'm in.'

stella & dot is an ah-may-zing jewelry line that i am seriously addicted to. pretty sure i wear a stella & dot piece every time i walk out the door. i'll be covering some of my faves and newfound purchases later this week, so stay tuned!

madeline actually went to her first stella & dot soiree this past summer at my condo. i called it cupcakes and cocktails, where i served, well, cupcakes and cocktails. like usual, in preparation for this event, i scoured pinterest for easy recipes and concotions to eat/drink. i came to the conclusion that nothing is easier in the cupcake department than box mixes (talkin' to you, lemon poppyseed and red velvet). however, i did come across a deliciously boozy bevvie, sarasota lemonade. easy, cheap, and yummy, everyone enjoyed the mixture and immediately re-pinned it while standing in my living room. it's that good.

picture c/o pamperedjes.blogspot.com!

sarasota lemonade

 

2 bottles Moscato
1 pink lemonade concentrate
Sprite to taste (more = less boozy, less = more boozy)
Fresh raspberries

 

i poured all of the ingredients into my williams-sonoma punch bowl and stirred.

then drank. and drank. and drank. yum.

 

special thanks to jes at the pampered jes for coming up with this drink. or finding it. either way, it's awesome! enjoy!

 

xoxo Lauren