Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Mint Julep & A Little Kentucky Derby Fun

'Evenin' Darlin's!  (Cue curtsey.)

For those of you who were unaware, the Southern institution that is the Kentucky Derby kicked off the Triple Crown last weekend.  There are many really interesting facts about the Kentucky Derby.  And here are some of them in no particular order:

-The Kentucky Derby was started by Col. Meriweather Lewis Clark, Jr., the grandson of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark exploration team.
-The race is called "The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports" or "The Fastest Two Minutes In Sports" as all the hoopla surrounds a race that is two minutes on average.  It is also referred to as "The Run for the Roses," a reference to the wreath of 554 red roses that is placed around the winning horse's neck.
-The Kentucky Derby has taken place at Churchill Downs in Kentucky every year since 1875 without fail.
-The Kentucky Derby, the Preakness Stakes, and the Belmont Stakes make up the Triple Crown.  Since their inception, all three races have only ever been won by the same horse in one year eleven times, the last time in 1978.
-The 1973 winner, Secretariat, holds the distinction of winning the Kentucky Derby with the fastest time ever, but it is his Belmont Stakes win was ranked #2 behind Wilt Chamberland's 100 point game as being the best sports performance of all time by ESPN in 2005.  Secretariat was also the only non-human athlete on the list.

While I'm not a fan of what happens to these beautiful creatures after they've passed their racing prime, I do love the tradition of the races.  And the Kentucky Derby has the richest tradition of any horse race in the U.S.  My two favorite traditions are listed below.

Tradition #1.  The Fashion.  Specifically the hats.  There are only a few events that still have a dress code and the wardrobe and the hats are still an integral part of the Kentucky Derby experience.  Despite the tradition and the amount of money to be made, the parade of large, over-the-top hats is the biggest draw for many people.

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Tradition #2.  The Mint Julep.  Ah, now we're getting down to the nitty-gritty!  The Mint Julep became the official drink of the Kentucky Derby in 1938.  Because watching horses run may leave one parched, over 120,000 Mint Juleps are served over the course of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks racing weekend.  Since 2006, Churchill Downs has also served a special (read - ridiculous) Mint Julep that supports a charity for retired race horses.  This version sells for $1000 (!?!?) and is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, mint imported from Ireland, ice cubes made from Spring Water imported from the Bavarian Alps, and Sugar from Australia.  Seriously?  Seriously.  Oh, did I also mention that they are served in gold-plated cups with silver straws?  I didn't?  Well, they are.  Oh, the decadence of it all...  With or without the $1000 price tag, the Mint Julep is a fun drink - a strong fun drink.  Which is why it was perfect for this week's Mad Men cocktail!  When I found it on the Mad Men Cocktail Guide, I knew my weekly search was over!

Speaking of tradition, in true cocktail tradition, the Mint Julep has quite a history.  This cocktail appears to have originally been prescribed for the medicinal properties it was believed to possess, which is the reason I had one.  Wasn't that your reason too?  Perhaps its earliest literary mention was in 1784 in Medical Communications - Volume 1, in reference to a patient who was sick to their stomach.  "I then prescribed her an emetic, some opening powders, and a mint julep."  It was also the Virginians' morning drink of choice before coffee came into vogue as the way to function when getting up before dawn.  The Mint Julep made the move from farming fields to the big city when Kentucky senator and future Secretary of State, Henry Clay, made it in the Willard Hotel's Round Robin Bar in Washington, D.C.  While the Mint Julep may appear to have strictly Southern roots, the Julep itself is quite worldly!  The word "julep" stems from the Middle Eastern "julab", which was a drink containing water and rose petals.  Swap mint for the rose petals and add some bourbon and sugar and you've got yourself a mighty tasty cocktail!

It seems that there are as many versions of this cocktail as there are people who make it, I used this one and muddled the mint a bit.  If you want to buck tradition, you can take the unnecessary step of making a mint infusion like they did in this recipe.  I'm betting that this second recipe makes a Mint Julep closer to what most people who have only ever had a virgin Mint Julep in Disneyland's New Orleans Square think they are.  To be honest, I'd never had an actual Mint Julep before now and while I liked it a lot, I have to admit, that Bridget nailed it when she said that people who've never tried one assume that it will taste like mint sweet tea with bourbon.  For those of you who have yet to try this cocktail, it does NOT taste like that, but rest assured, it doesn't matter in the slightest.

So, now that we're sipping on some tasty beverages, let's talk Mad Men.  With or without a Mint Julep in hand, there is such comedic value when it comes to the new fashion styles as we get closer to 1970.  I don't know anyone who watched last week's episode and didn't get a good chuckle out of this shot.  The men's fashion = comedy gold!

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This season's fourth episode is finally back on track with the Mad Men that everyone, including me, has been waiting for.  There was tension and Roger's one liners and me yelling at my TV screen.  And the episode ended with me cheering and it was glorious!

So first, the tension.  After Peggy is given a new account and has Don assigned to her team, the first meeting is SO awkward that Don proceeds to return to his office and throw his typewriter against the window.  I was actually expecting the deathstare that he gave her to lead to a fight in her office.  That fact that it didn't was probably worse.  And it wasn't at all surprising that it prompted him to swipe a bottle of vodka from Roger's office, but when he got tanked at work - breaking one of the explicit rules that the Partners had given him, I was on pins and needles, expecting him to be found out at every turn.  Good thing he had Freddie to save his dumb butt and give him the 'Come to Jesus' talk that he desperately needed!

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There was tension in Manhattan and there was tension outside of Manhattan.  In the season opener, we saw Roger have lunch with his daughter, Margaret.  She told him that she forgave him for everything and I automatically thought 'Cult.'  I wasn't too wrong.  In this episode we learn that she has abandoned her husband and child and has joined an honest-to-goodness hippie commune upstate.  Roger and his ex-wife Mona (whom I LOVE) go to the country to bring her back.  Heaviness and hilarity ensues.  Which means, we have our beloved Roger back.  These were my absolute favorite scenes of this episode!  I mean, who didn't love Roger in his three-piece suit and Mona in her fur at the commune?  If the visuals of the clothing and Mona fixing her makeup before getting out of the car weren't enough to stress the two different lifestyles that are now in play, Mona's line really drove the point home.  "These people are lost and on drugs and have venereal diseases!"  This scene really was fantastic!

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When Mona freaks out after Margaret (who is now calling herself Marigold) tells her that, unlike her, she does not need to lock herself in the bathroom with a pint of gin everyday to be happy, Roger has Mona take the car to go back to the city.  He tells her that he'll have "Cletus drive (him) back to the train" and I about lost it!  While Roger can appreciate Margaret wanting to escape her problems, he ultimately tries to force her to come back.  Unsuccessfully.  And when she throws the fact that he was always working and having affairs during her childhood in his face, I almost threw my Mint Julep at the screen!  How dare she compare Roger's actions to hers?  The fact that he was not around all the time is in no way comparable to her completely abandoning her child!  The fact that he is even there trying to bring her back is evidence enough that he never truly abandoned her.

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Ultimately, after all the ups and downs, the episode ends with Don taking Freddie's advice.  He sits himself down in front of the same typewriter that he unsuccessfully attempted to defenestrate at the beginning of the episode.  And he starts "doing the work."

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The final minutes of the episode made me give a cheer.  It's so on!  And the Partners had better watch themselves because Don Draper is back and he's about to kick some major ass and take some names!  (I'm really hoping that the first one will be Lou's!  I really hate that guy!)

PS - If you didn't catch all the 2001 references in this episode (Monolith), you'll definitely want to give this it another viewing.  It was like an hour-long omage to Kubrick.  It was so brilliantly and seamlessly done, that it never, in any way took away from the storyline.  Oh, Mad Men, how are you this good?!?

Wishing you a fabulous Episode 5!
XOXO!!

Vino Love - Orin Swift's Palermo, 2012

Good Evening, Kittens!  And Happy Tuesday?

I woke up this morning CONVINCED it was Friday.  Imagine the crushing blow when I realized that it was only Tuesday!!  Oh the injustice!

Today was actually a good day at work - busy, but not too crazy.  I may not have been as productive as I would have liked, but I got a lot done and the day flew by.  Regardless of how things turned out, at the end of the day, it was still Tuesday when I wanted it to be Friday.  What to do to boost morale?  A good glass of wine couldn't hurt.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to attend two Orin Swift tastings in two weeks.  (It was a good time to be me!)  If you're new to these parts or you haven't been paying much attention, I will reiterate that Orin Swift is one of my favorite labels.  And they have some of the best looking labels too!

The wine that I chose for this evening just happens to have one of the most amazing labels I've ever seen!  Dave Phinney (the genius behind Orin Swift) is, like me, a minimalist.  A minimalist with a love of the macabre.  Arguably the best example of that is Palermo's label.  The town of Palermo in Sicily is home to the Catacombe dei Cappuccini.  These burial catacombs are located under the Capuchin monastery.  When the monastery outgrew its cemetery, they began to excavate these crypts and interred the first friar, Silverstro of Gubbio, in 1599.  Originally intended only for the brothers of the monastery, being interred here became a symbol of status.

Whether part of the clergy or just someone with a little money to spend, the remains that have lain in these catacombs for centuries can be absolutely stunning.  And it was Vincent J. Musi's photograph for National Geographic that caught Dave Phinney's attention.  This incredible photograph of the remains of a Palermo priest is so beautiful that it could very well have been a painting.  The image resonated so deeply with Phinney that he chose to use it for a blend that he named Palermo.

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The wine in the bottles adorned with the image above is just as impressive as the label itself.  In true Orin Swift fashion, this wine is an amazing blend, in this instance it is Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc.  The blend is 15.5% alcohol by volume, so it's a big fruit-forward wine.  A DELICIOUS fruit-forward wine!  With aromas of currant and coffee, the notes of berries and chocolate linger on the palate and make your taste buds incredibly grateful to be included as part of this experience.  No joke, every aspect of the experience is life affirming.  Having to deal with the doldrums of day-to-day responsibilities can wear you down, but this wine will pick you right back up!  It's a respite in a glass!  And, from personal experience, will make the best out of a Tuesday that truly should have been a Friday!

Salud, Kittens!
XOXO!!

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Greyhound

Hello and Happy Sunday My Lovelies!

I know this post is incredibly late, so I'm going to keep it simple.  Sound good?  Good.

While Bridget and I are incredibly happy that Mad Men is finally back so that we can get back to our weekly Mad Men Cocktail Hours and Viewing Parties, we've had to modify slightly this season.  Bridget has to get up very early for work, and since AMC does not offer me an East Coast feed, starting at 10:00 simply isn't feasible.  Which means, we're On Demanding it on Monday nights.  It also means I try to steer clear of any possible spoilers on Mondays...let me tell you, sometimes that's not an easy task!

So last week, I was browsing through the cocktail options on the Mad Men site and the Greyhound jumped out at me (see what I did there?!?).  I decided that simple was good and that a highball was the way to go.  Not a Highball, but a highball - a designation of drinks which are made with a spirit and a mixer.  Simple, tasty, what's not to love?  For some reason, while I knew what a Greyhound was, up until last Monday, I'd never had one.  And let me tell you, now that I've had one, there are more than a few more Greyhounds in my future!

Greyhounds are simple.  Grapefruit juice and vodka over ice (though there are some people who use gin and I can't find that that combination is called by any other name, which is super odd because...) if you choose to salt the rim of the glass, it is called a Salty Dog.  So, a new name with the addition of sprucing up your stemware, but no new name if you use different ingredients.  Makes absolutely NO sense.  Since evidently we can add whatever we want to it and still have it be a Greyhound, we decided to add a little color for the photo by adding a maraschino cherry.  I'm guessing it is because the drink is so simple, that there isn't really much history to find.  The only thing I could find was that the Greyhound was first published in the Savoy Cocktail Book dating back to the 1930's.  The book was written by the barman at the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel in London, who used many original recipes.  It's quite possible it is here that this refreshing little gem got its start.

Now that we've wet our whistle, let's get to the evening's entertainment.  Mad Men.  There was no post for the second episode because we failed to try a new cocktail (I'm ashamed of us too).  And the episode was completely uneventful.  That REALLY got me mad.  How can you only give us a half a season and then give us a whole episode where really nothing happens???  Why Matthew Weiner, why?  Episode 3, well, that made up for the debacle that was the previous episode and has gotten me really excited.  Things are starting to happen.  Big things!

Don gets a call from Megan's agent who asks Don to talk some sense into her and calm her down.  She's lost much of her confidence and has been doing things that could jeopardize her career.  So Don flies out and surprises her.  The joy of the surprise is short lived once Megan realizes that he's talked to her agent and Don tells her to "stop acting like a lunatic."  The argument quickly escalates to his infidelities, which he denies, but he tells her about being placed on leave and tells her that he's cut back on the drinking.  "So with a clear head you got up every day and decided that you didn't want to be with me.  This is how it ends."  And she sends him home.

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While I personally think it's about time, Don goes back to New York and realizes that he does not want that to happen.  Megan, on the other hand, takes his call and his apology, but does not want him to visit and does not tell him that she loves him after he tells her.  Not sure where this leaves them exactly, but not in a great place to be sure.

We hadn't seen much of Betty until this episode and she is still trying to prove that she is a good mother and volunteers to be a chaperon on Bobby's school field trip.  It's pretty comical since they go to a farm, but my favorite part is when you see the old Betty surface.  They sit to have lunch and Betty goes to wash her hands.  When she gets back, she finds that Bobby has finished his sandwich and has given hers to a girl who forgot her lunch.  All the girl had was candy which she gave Bobby and because she wanted to a bitch, Betty forced Bobby to eat all the candy.  Later, she cries to Henry that she's a terrible mother and her children don't love her.  True and true.

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As with the other episodes this season, there is drama at SC&P and I want to defenestrate Lou.  Such a waste of space as Creative Director and really a terrible person!  Peggy may not be a saint, but it seems that he's trying to make things as difficult for her as possible...and mostly at the cost of making really terrible decisions with the campaigns.  The drama escalates when Roger tells Don to come back to work but neglects to mention it to anyone else.  Don gets to the office and no one is expecting him and no one seems to want him there.  I felt absolutely terrible for Don because everyone was just being a jackass.  This man and his ideas built the company and now everyone treats him like a leper.  Really?  Are people worried about their own jobs if Don returns (Lou DEFINITELY should be)?  Maybe.  But that still doesn't excuse their behavior.

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The two biggest surprises were Joan and Peggy who were adamant about not wanting Don to return.  Obviously Cutler and Burt Cooper weren't big surprises, but Joan and Peggy?  Just what has happened since Don's been gone that turned these characters who were so loyal for the last six seasons against him??  In the end, the partners offered Don the opportunity to come back.  With a few RIDICULOUS stipulations.  He will no longer be allowed to be alone with clients, he will not be allowed to go off a pre-approved script in meetings, there will be no drinking in the office, and will be reporting to Lou.  WHAT!!?  If he didn't accept the offer or if he didn't comply with the stipulations, he would be terminated and forfeit all his shares.

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I was absolutely floored when he agreed to the terms!  Does he feel a loyalty to this company that he helped build even after all this?  Does he want an excuse to not consider firms in L.A.?  Or does he have a plan that makes such a ridiculous agreement simply a means to an end?  I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I know it will be good!

Looking forward to the fourth episode!  If you are watching tonight, PLEASE don't spoil it for me!

Hoping you're as optimistic about this season as I am!
XOXO!!

The Cinematic Experience - Sabrina

Sabrina, 1954

Hello Darlings and Happy May!

watch the trailer

While it is technically over, my Audrey April project went swimmingly and I had a marvelous time!  I'm happy that it will last a bit longer as I finish the posts for it, I'm hoping you are as well!  The second Audrey Hepburn film I chose, unbeknownst to me, was also the second film that she made!  What are the odds?  Seriously, while it would have been really cute to chose her first film as the first film I watched and then her second as my second, this worked its way out without any premeditation from me!  Also something that happened without my doing was this film's addition to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 2002.  Just as Hepburn's first Film, Roman Holiday was added to this very important list, her second was as well - it seems that she was a bonafide star from the get-go!

In this classic romantic comedy, we have a love triangle and a predictable plot where one character pretends to get involved with another for a somewhat dubious reason, only to find their feelings develop and end up truly falling in love.  We've seen it so many times before and we will see it many times again, but this film truly does it right!

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The film stars Audrey Hepburn as Sabrina Fairchild, the daughter of the chauffeur to one of the wealthiest families in New York, the Larrabees.  The film opens on the night of the annual Larrabee party.  "It never rained on the Larrabee party, the Larrabees wouldn't have stood for it."  Sabrina has been living in the apartment above the garage with her father since she was a child.  Mr. and Mrs. Larrabee have two sons - Linus, played by Humphrey Bogart was voted the man most likely to "leave his alma mater $50 million", and David, played by William Holden, who "went through several of the best eastern colleges for short periods of time and several marriages for even shorter periods of time."  Translation - David is a definite play boy...and kind of a man-whore.

Linus and David could not be any more different.  While Linus is a serious businessman, David has not a care in the world.  Currently, he plays semi-professional polo, although we have no proof of that.  The only thing we do have proof of is that he likes the ladies.  On the night of the party, he is dancing with a vapid, irritating woman who does nothing but giggle.  Sabrina watches the party from her vantage point in a tree (obviously 'the help' is not invited) and tells her father "I hate girls who giggle all the time."  He responds with, "You hate every girl that David looks at."  And David is probably the only person who is unaware that Sabrina has been in love with him for years.

Sabrina is scheduled to go Paris in the morning, but she is so distraught after watching David play out his tried and true seduction routine with Giggle Girl, that she closes herself up in the garage and starts all eight cars parked inside.  Linus hears all the commotion and, unknowingly, puts an end to her plan to end her life.  And she goes to Paris.  Sabrina's father sends her to culinary school, but the added bonus is to get her away from David in hopes that out of sight truly is out of mind so that she can move on.

Though it is short, one of my favorite parts of the film is when the instructor tells the class that they should execute the eggs quickly, "like with the guillotine.  Tzack!"

While in Paris, Sabrina sends letters back home and it is clear that the distance has not done much to put an end to her feelings for David.  In her cooking class, she befriends an older man who notices her undercooked soufflé.  "Your mind has been elsewhere...A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé.  A woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven."

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It is also this man who gives Sabrina some advice.  He tells her, "You need to stop looking like a horse."  So she cuts off her ponytail.  Which established that Audrey Hepburn does a Hollywood makeover like no one else!  After two years in Paris, Sabrina has a new hairdo, a new wardrobe, a new outlook on life, a newfound confidence, and a new poodle named David.

She returns home and is waiting for her father at the train station when David drives by, spots her, and turns the car around.  It does not take long for us to realize that David has absolutely no idea who Sabrina is, and she has quite a fun time keeping her identity from him.  It is during this ride back to the house that David 'falls in love with her.'  Right.  We all know what this guy is thinking, but Sabrina eats it up like a starving woman at a buffet.  Though it's a bit hard to blame her...she is finally getting the response from him that she's been aching for for years.  He even invites her to the annual Larrabee party that evening.

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While Sabrina was away, David had been seeing a woman named Elizabeth.  Elizabeth is the daughter of a plastics manufacturer and, as Linus is trying to put together a merger, he is pushing for a wedding.  So much so, that he places an engagement announcement in the paper.  Understandably David is upset and marches into Linus' office to confront him.
"I'm supposed to be offered up as a human sacrifice on the alter of industrial progress, is that it?"
"You make it sound so vulgar, David, as if the son of the hot dog dynasty were being offered in marriage to the daughter of the mustard king.  Surely you don't object to Elizabeth just because her father happens to have $20 million?  That's very narrow-minded of you."
David asks Linus why HE doesn't marry Elizabeth and asks, "You want to die an old maid?"
"I was just thinking if I were ever to get married, I'd have to take a Dictaphone, two secretaries, and four corporation counselors along on the Honeymoon.  I'd be unfaithful to my wife every night of my life with vice presidents, boards of directors, slide rule accountants...THIS is my home.  No wife would ever understand it."

So the engagement stands.  And when David sees Sabrina in the now iconic white and black Givenchy dress at the party that evening, he spills a drink on his fiancé to buy some alone time with Sabrina.  While they are dancing cheek to cheek, he murmurs to her, "Sabrina, Sabrina, where have you been all my life?"  To which she responds, "Right over the garage." in classic Audrey fashion.

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David's father gets very upset when he learns that David wants to call off the engagement to Elizabeth. "I'm gelling you Linus, the boy should be thrown out of the family!  I'm not saying that all Larrabees have been saints, there was a Thomas Larrabee that was hung for piracy and there was a Benjamin Larrabee who was a slave trader and there was a Joshua Larrabee who was shot in Indiana while attempting to rob a train, but there never was a Larrabee who behaved as David Larrabee has behaved here tonight!"  David was planning on pulling the whole seduction routine that he used on Giggle Girl on Sabrina.  This routine involved tucking one champagne flute in each of his back pockets, grabbing a bottle of bubbly, and sneaking away from the party out to the tennis court.  Linus is fully aware of this game and, in all the commotion with their father, Linus gets David to sit down which breaks the glasses and embeds his backside with hundreds of shards of glass.

Pretending to be on David's side, Linus takes it upon himself to keep Sabrina occupied while David is recuperating from his injuries.  His goal is to flirt shamelessly with her, get her to fall for him, and prove that Sabrina isn't really in love with David so that he will go through with his wedding to Elizabeth.  Linus establishes that he is aware of how much older he is than she when he takes a look in the mirror after putting on a college sweater and says, "Look at me, Joe College with a touch of arthritis!"  On the first day of 'keeping her entertained,' he takes her sailing.  And that is the first time that they share a connection and she starts to crack through his tough outer shell.  This young woman is definitely NOT what Linus expected!

A few days later, they go for a drive and this drive is very different from when David brought Sabrina home from the train station.  This one is between two people who are trying to feel each other out and who are actually connecting rather than the shameless flirting of two people who only appreciate the way the other one looks.  There's a sadness but a playfulness to this drive, and as much as Linus thinks he's playing a part, the fact that he is softening under her innocent, genuine charm is undeniable.

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Not only does Linus try to deny the feelings he's developed for Sabrina, but she is fighting them as well.  Do they give into temptation?  Does she go running back into David's arms once he's all healed up?  If you've never seen this movie, you will need to watch and find out - you will be left guessing until the VERY end!

A FEW TIDBITS OF TRIVIA:
-While Cary Grant passed on the part of Joe Bradley in Roman Holiday because he felt he was too old to play opposite Audrey Hepburn, he accepted the part of Linus, but dropped out only a week prior to shooting.

-Humphrey Bogart was so unhappy with his decision to take this part that was so unlike the roles he'd been taking that he behaved very badly towards Billy Wilder, the director, and to Audrey Hepburn, who he said was too inexperienced.  Years later, apologized to Wilder for it.

-Audrey Hepburn and William Holden fell in love during the filming.  It was rumored that Hepburn broke it off after learning that Holden could not have children.

-Billy Wilder had already decided on his next project, The Seven Year Itch, which was mentioned twice in this film.

-Edith Head designed Audrey Hepburn's costumes for the scenes prior to going to Paris.  Givenchy designed the ones she wore after she returned.

-Audrey Hepburn personally called Hubert de Givenchy to ask him to design the clothing for this film.  He only took the call because he believed it was Katharine Hepburn, but Audrey charmed him into helping her.  Sabrina was the beginning of a very long relationship between the two.

-The film was nominated for six Academy Awards - Audrey Hepburn for Best Actress, Billy Wilder for Best Director, and Edith Head for Best Costume Design Black and White.  It was also nominated for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Art Direction/Set Direction.  Only Edith Head won and although she was not responsible for all the costumes, she accepted the award.

We have one more movie for Audrey April, I hope you're excited!!

Haven't seen this film?  You may want to remedy that.  And soon!  Happy Viewing Darlings!
XOXO!!

Eating Clean - Blueberry Banana Spinach Pancakes

Happy Sunday (Brunch Day), Kittens!

For a while now, I've been collecting some really fabulous Brunch recipes.  While there are many wonderful things about living alone, one of the drawbacks is pancakes.  Pretty much any recipe will leave you with 10 or 15 pancakes (and I'm certainly not about to cut the recipe in half and go to a bunch of trouble for 5 pancakes), so I've been trying to host more Brunches at  home so that I can try some of the recipes that I've found and have help eating the yield.

A few weeks ago, I planned a morning of yoga and Brunch for my friend Bridget and myself.  And it was fabulous!  After a lot of stretching and sweating and cursing and somewhat inappropriate groaning (we were working places we didn't even know we had), our relaxed, euphoric selves popped a bottle of bubbly and started making the green pancakes that I've been eyeing for a while.

Fascinated by the idea of a green pancake?  You should be!  I start most days with green smoothies, so I know that the mild flavor of spinach can easily be masked by other ingredients.  I almost thought about this pancake recipe as a green smoothie in fluffy, solid form and was intrigued!  These little babies were so good and I wanted to share the recipe that I found at FitSugar with you.  I deviated from the original recipe slightly (the next time I make them, I'll probably even add more blueberries) and decided to pass on the banana cream sauce from the original recipe as I'm more of a maple syrup kinda girl myself, but if you decide to try these tasty little beauties, do whatever feels right to you.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 cup organic raw baby spinach, tightly packed
-1/2 cup organic blueberries
-1 large (very ripe) banana
-1 cup vanilla almond milk
-1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I might have used a bit more if I'm being honest)
-1 egg
-1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

(I've been eating as clean as possible and incorporate a lot of organic foods for a while now.  While you can make the choice to go that route or not for yourself, the only non-organic ingredients I used in the pancakes were the banana, baking powder, and salt.)

1.  Put the spinach, banana, blueberries, almond milk, and syrup in a blender and puree.

2.  Pour the mixture into a medium bowl and stir in the egg.
3.  In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients and add to the wet mixture a little bit at a time.  (Or you can be a rebel and simply mix in the dry ingredients without combining them beforehand!)

4.  Place a skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray.
5.  Drop 1/4 cup full of batter per pancake onto the skillet and cook as you would a normal pancake (until it starts to bubble and then flip).

 6.  Makes approximately 12 pancakes.

We had a fabulous Brunch with coffee, beautiful mimosas, cheesy scrambled eggs, our fantastic green pancakes, and some fruit!

The pancakes taste a lot like banana bread, so if that sounds appealing, perhaps these super healthy little green babies are for you!  I'm pretty sure that you won't have as fabulous a pancake helper as I did, but you know, Bridget can't come to EVERYONE'S Brunch.  So, you're going to have to find your own helpful friends.

If you're looking for a new pancake to try, you may want to consider this one.  I highly recommend having these with a few mimosas after some really amazing yoga.  It's a fabulous way to spend a Sunday morning!

Namaste, Kittens!
XOXO!!

The Cinematic Experience - Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday, 1953

Oh hello Darlings, it's nice to see you again!

When I first declared that April was to be Audrey April, I knew that the first movie I would watch would be Roman Holiday.  Little did I know how perfect that was...this was the first studio film that Audrey Hepburn was in!  So, if you ask me, it's a pretty great place to start.  In 1999, Roman Holiday was also added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry and holds the 59th slot on AMC's list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.  It's not hard to see why!

watch the trailer

If you've never seen this film, I'm pretty sure you'll love it.  I most certainly did!

The film opens with Princess Ann, played by Audrey Hepburn, who is from an unidentified European country.  Over and over they refer to 'her country' or 'her kingdom,' but which European nation she presides over remains a mystery throughout the film.  Whichever one it is, it is keeping her busy on an extensive European tour.  Princess Ann's itinerary is so jam-packed that even the viewer gets tired.  She makes one personal appearance after another, giving interviews, and attending balls thrown in her honor.  She is sublimely unhappy and it's not difficult to see why.

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The pressure finally becomes too great for Princess Ann to bear as she is getting ready for bed while in Rome.  She can hear music from her window, sees carefree people dancing just outside the palace walls, and has a breakdown - one that no one can fault her for.  The doctor is called and administers a sedative which she is told will take a little time to work.  Not being bothered at all by this 'ineffective' sedative, as soon as everyone leaves her room, she quickly gets dressed and sneaks out.  It does not take much time for the sedative to take effect and she falls asleep on a public bench.  On his way home from a poker game, Joe Bradley, played by Gregory Peck, happens upon her and, believing that she is drunk, ends up taking her back to his apartment when it is obvious that she is unable to tell the taxi driver where she lives.  They're pretty sure she DOESN'T live at the Colosseum!

Audrey Hepburn is so endearing and effortlessly funny when they return to Joe's small studio apartment.  It quickly becomes even more evident just how out of her element she is.  And in, my opinion, this scene has the best lines!
Ann:  "Is this the elevator?"
Joe:  "This is my room!"

She is asleep on her feet and asks Joe, "Can I have a silk nightgown with rosebuds on it?"
"I'm afraid you'll have to rough it tonight.  In these."
"PAJAMAS!?!"
"Sorry honey, but I haven't worn a nightgown in years."

Once she has her sleep attire, Joe is about to leave and she slips back into princess mode and tells him, "You have my permission to withdraw."  I may have to start using that line myself...

After all the fun from the night before, Joe oversleeps, leaves 'Anya Smith' in his studio, and rushes to the office.  We learn that he is an American reporter for Rome's Daily American and was supposed to interview Princess Ann that morning.  In the wake of her disappearance, the Royal Family had released the statement that she has fallen ill.  Unfortunately, Joe is unaware of this fact and tries lying to his boss, telling him that he is just returning from the interview.  Once he sees Ann's picture in the paper and realizes who wore his pajamas the night before, he tells his boss that he will be able to get an exclusive interview.
"But tell me, Mr. Bradley, if you are sober, just how you are going to obtain this fantastic interview?"
"I plan to enter her sick room disguised as a thermometer."

I LOVE the humor of these old films!

Joe rushes back to his room only to find that Ann is getting ready to leave.  He is unable to convince her to stay, so he follows her when she leaves and is surprised when she starts roaming the city, exercising a bit of freedom and anonymity that she most likely had never experienced before, and ends up at a small barber shop.  She asks to have her hair chopped off and it ends up looking fabulous!  Wouldn't you agree?

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After Ann's transformation, Joe just 'happens' to run into her on the Spanish Steps and, in the interest of getting his story, he proposes that they spend the day doing whatever she wants to do, stating that "Today will be a holiday."  First stop?  A sidewalk cafe where she has a glass of champagne.  On the sly, Joe calls a photographer friend of his, Irving, brilliantly played by Eddie Albert, so that he can get photographs for the story.  

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After leaving the café, they embark on the famous Vespa tour of Rome!

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One of the stops on the Vespa tour, is the iconic Mouth of Truth which, legend has it, will bite off the hand of someone who tells a lie.  The fact that both characters are lying about who they are (Ann neglects to tell Joe that she is a princess and he neglects to tell her that he is a reporter) makes for an entertaining scene.  Little secret?  Gregory Peck's part of the scene was completely improvised, so Audrey Hepburn's reaction is real!

After a day of fun, our three characters go down to the docks for some dancing.  The chemistry between Joe and Ann has been brewing all day, but is never as strong as in this scene.  And then chaos ensues!  This scene is fun and funny and, much like the rest of the film, it's nearly impossible NOT to get caught up in all the excitement! 

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Like Cinderella, Princess Ann must go home at the end of the night, her fairy tale (her day of freedom) is over.  It's heartbreaking for both characters and the audience wants so badly for her to change her mind.  The next day, the princess' press conference is rescheduled and Joe and Irving stand right up front.  Now that everyone's real identities are out in the open, surely there is the chance that Ann will chose a life of love and adventure over her stifling life of privilege and duty.

What does she chose?  If you haven't seen this film, I'm not about to give it away!

A FEW TIDBITS OF TRIVIA:
-The part of Joe Bradley was originally written for Carey Grant, but he felt that he was too old to play Audrey Hepburn's love interest.

-The part of Princess Ann was originally written for Elizabeth Taylor, but she was not available.  Which was lucky for Hepburn, since this film launched her career.

-Gregory Peck originally had solo star billing, but partway through filming, he insisted her name appear above the film title, predicting that she was going to win an Oscar.

-The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, but only won three - Best Actress for Audrey Hepburn, Best Black & White Costume Design for Edith Head, and Best Writing for Ian McLellan Hunter.

-In 1992, The Academy corrected their records to finally credit Dalton Trumbo for the screenplay.  Dalton Trumbo was blacklisted for being part of the Hollywood Ten, a group of people who were cited for contempt of Congress for refusing to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947.  He continued to write while being blacklisted and was fronted by Ian McLellan Hunter.  Dalton's widow accepted his Oscar in 1993.

-Frank Capra was originally supposed to direct this film, but refused when he learned that the screenplay was written by Trumbo.

-Roman Holiday was filmed entirely on location, which was very uncommon for the time.  Wilder, the director, insisted on filming in Rome, and this was supposedly the first film to be shot and processed entirely in Italy.  Wilder's location budget was so high that they were forced to film in black and white instead of color.

-In an example of life imitating art, the film was released during the scandal of Britain's Princess Margaret who was considering marriage to Peter Townsend, a commoner.

Have you seen this film?  It's essential viewing for Audrey April!

Happy Viewing, Darlings!
XOXO!!

Mad Men Cocktail Hour - The Old Fashioned

Good Evening My Lovelies!

Last Sunday, my beloved Mad Men returned for its seventh and final season.  This show got its hooks into me early on and never let go, so I'm VERY sad to know that it won't be long until I have to say good bye to it.  Last season, my trusty Mad-woman In Crime, Bridget, and I started holding weekly Mad Men Cocktail Hours/viewing parties.  Since we had a little finale party which was pretty epic (read epic hangovers from the French 75's), we thought it only fitting that we had another for the season premiere.  But without the hangovers.

And what better way to channel our Don Drapers than with a few Old Fashioneds.

While doing a little research on the Old Fashioned, it seems like we've finally found the original cocktail!  Imbibing Legend has it that in May of 1806, a man sent an inquiry about the exact definition of the word to The Balance and Columbia Repository.  Their published response defined a cocktail as "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water, and bitters - it is vulgarly called a bittered sling, and is supposed to be an excellent electioneering potion, inasmuch as it renders the heart stout and bold, at the same time that it fuddles the head."  This may be their definition of a cocktail, but it is also that of an Old Fashioned and this publication was definitely not kidding when they say that it fuddles the head!  It definitely has the ability to do that and also put some hair on your chest.  Proceed with caution!

Like most drinks, there are many recipes out there.  While it's not the most traditional recipe, in my opinion, my sister makes the best Old Fashioned, using Rye whiskey and simple syrup (instead of muddling sugar with water).  She also uses more bitters than I've seen in most recipes.  And the result is incredibly delicious!  Like traditional Old Fashioneds, we also use over-sized ice cubes.  So much fun!!

Since there is no mixer, I find it best to give this cocktail a minute or two and let the ice melt a bit, so that the flavors come together and then you'll see why Don Draper is so fond of them!  And to get all dolled up and have an Old Fashioned in a dark smokey bar with Don Draper?  That sounds like a phenomenal night!

So now, how about we talk about the premiere episode, shall we?

The opening sequence with Don coming out to visit Megan, who is now living in L.A.?  Stunning.  The car, Megan's dress, the entire look was simply gorgeous!

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A couple this beautiful should be illegal.

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As a little bit of trivia, the filming of this scene at LAX was shut down after the shooting there last November.

Another bit of trivia, the restaurant that Megan has her business meeting in is none other than the fabulous Dresden Room, which we paid a visit to for my birthday just last month.  How appropriate was that?

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While we only have a few episodes to look forward to right now - the last season is being split in two, the second half will be aired in 2015 - I was surprised that the show stuck to its formula of not revealing too much in the first episode.  There isn't a lot of room to play and there were SO many things that were left unanswered.  First off - ROGER??  What has he gotten himself into now and will this actually be Roger's final downward spiral?  I sure hope not, what would we do without his one-liners?  But seriously, are six other people REALLY necessary for a good time?  I'd rather him dabble with LSD again, that was fun to watch!

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The interesting thing about this first episode is how starkly different the two coasts seem to be.  Things are dark in New York.  Everyone is profoundly unhappy.

And then there is chipper Pete in L.A.  Even his clothing serves as a billboard that he is no longer in New York.

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When he and Don meet for lunch, Pete picks Canter's.  I haven't been there in ages, but will need to pay it a visit again soon.  Best. Latkes. Ever.

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This series has been filming all over Los Angeles for the last six seasons and passing the locations off as New York.  While places like Musso & Frank and the Biltmore are hardly a stretch, I'm excited to see the places that they will be using in season seven since they no longer need to be surreptitious about where these locations actually are.

Am I the only one that's super excited for the next episode?

Until next time, Lovelies!
XOXO!!

Happy Audrey April!

Hello there Darlings!

A little while ago, I was speaking with my friend Bridget and she offhandedly made a comment that stuck with me.  She stated that blondes had Marilyn and brunettes had Audrey.  That may not seem like a big or important statement, but it resonated with me.  Something as seemingly insignificant as your hair color can determine many things and one of those things seems to be who, and perhaps even what, you feel connected to.  Sounds kind of ridiculous, right?  But just think of the women you know that are drawn to Marilyn Monroe.  Chances are, they're blonde.  And those women feel that same draw to Audrey Hepburn, I'll bet money that most of them are brunettes.

While I have always been more of a Marilyn girl, myself, Audrey holds a great fascination for me.  She was always cool and elegant, a little tomboyish while being incredibly feminine.  She had this indescribable quality that just drew people to her, something that made her one of a kind.

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Audrey Hepburn landed the number three spot on the lady's side of the American Film Institute's Top 50 Greatest Film Legends list .  While what made this woman so extraordinary spans far beyond her IMDB page, I realized that the only film I'd seen her in was Breakfast at Tiffany's.  So, I thought I would remedy that in April.  I've already watched two more and while I haven't put those posts together yet, I thought I'd give you a little teaser so that you have an idea as to what I've got in store for you.

Perhaps you'll spend the night in with an Audrey film, Darlings, that's my plan!
XOXO!!