Home Brew

 I found a book called DRINKING FRENCH (not an affiliate link. I just love Powell's Bookstore) and it sent me on an exploration of different adult beverages. (and brother, was last year the year for that.) 

My favorite from the book is THE LAST WORD -- ounce of gin, chartreuse, maraschino liquor and lime juice -- (don't plan to do anything after one of those except sit down.) 

Consequently, became aware of drink recipes and started experimenting.

It's quiet at night here in the wilds of Montana absent blizzards and forest fires.

Found a recipe for Brandy Alexander on the New York Times website. Well, that sounds good. Decided to make my own creme de cacao because the store-bought version was --meh--. And it had a recipe that took over a week to complete so I thought, this is better than sourdough. Anybody can make bread. How many bootleggers out there?

Vodka, sugar, water, vanilla, chocolate nibs - which are roasted cacao beans (who knew?) - and time.

 Homemade looks richer and tastes more chocolate.

Pretty too.

 

Brandy Alexander -- ounce of Cognac, ounce of creme de cacao, ounce of half and half, garnish with ground nutmeg.

And, yes, I finished that photo shoot while the drink was still cold* yum.

*in other words, on the day they impeached that fool for the second time, I started drinking at 2 P.M..

365 Lives On

 Guess the reconnection to photography provided by the 365 Project continues. This morning after shoveling the driveway, I took the Nikon for a spin around the creek bottom. 

And it's consistently underexposing (I know - snow) which apparently, is a known complaint about this camera. Fixable in photoshop but a pain. Need to figure that one out.

While we wait for that epiphany ... 

 

Le French Cuisine

Hollandaise Sauce 

Eggs Benedict 

Brandy Alexander.