Oh elections...

It's an election year, and the rhetoric is in full swing. Debating has become a part of our daily life. In the media, online and in real life, we practice that human concept of taking a stand and defending our position. In our family, we are very diverse. Chris and I always taught out children that it wasn't the most important thing to know WHAT you believe, but rather, WHY you believe it. Debate helps us to bring definition to the why. So tonight, we toast to the freedom we have to debate with a concoction called, "Muddled Rebuttal". We toast to those who endeavor to bring this freedom to all humanity. Thomas Watts, this ones for you dear man. Love you! CHEERS FRIENDS!

Recipe for 'Joy's Muddled Rebuttal'1 oz Orange Cointreau
1 oz Raspberry Vodka
Raspberries
Sugar
Cherry Soda
Muddle Raspberries with sugar in the bottom of a large glass.  Add Vodka and crushed ice. Fill glass with Cherry Soda.  Garnish with a lemon and Raspberries.

Being a 'citizen of the world'

Tonight we are thinking about how easy it is to forget that we are a part of a much bigger global community. We live in a nice smallish town, in the Midwest, in a house with a roof that doesn't leak and has a floor without holes. Things we really feel we need work - and they are indoors. We fret that the hot tub isn't hooked up... Wow, it's easy to loose sight of the bigger picture. So we are drinking a south of the border creation - the Margarita - and remembering that it's a big world and that in reality, the 99% exist outside of our borders....CHEERS FRIENDS!

New Year: 2012

It's 2012. Wow. Does this sound strange to anyone else? Perhaps it's the hype that has proceeded it, or just the fact that I was born near the middle of the last century - but at any rate -it feels like it's going to be an interesting year. Tonight, we kick off the Friday Night Cocktails for 2012 with a Perfect Martini, shaken hard. After all, what would life be without some noticeable tremors: Too perfect to enjoy. So here's to all of the adventures of 2012, CHEERS FRIENDS! (Oh, and thanks to our daughter Aubree Henderson for the cool Illini Gnome)
Recipe for 'Joy's Perfect Martini'
2 oz Grey Goose Vodka
1/2 oz of Dry Vermouth
1/2 oz of Sweet Vermouth
Blue Cheese stuffed olives
Fill two glasses with ice. Pour vodka and vermouth's into ice filled shaker.  Pour out ice from glasses. Splash vermouth around side of cold Martini glass.  Pour out excess.  Shake shaker very hard.  Strain into glass, but let some of the ice chips get in.  Garnish with 3 Blue Cheese stuffed olives.