Are you ready for Cinco de Mayo?

Cinco de Mayo is one of my favorite holidays, probably because I have a soft spot in my heart (er, stomach?) for fresh guacamole and salt-rimmed margaritas. However, it can be hard to dress for this holiday without ending up looking like the flag of Mexico.

For this outfit, I wanted the festive printed top to be the focal point, so I paired it with white jeans and neutral sandals. However, I love the accent details within the outfit, such as the rattan bag and the Aztec-inspired earrings. The only thing that could make this outfit even more fabulous is a margarita in hand!

Get the Look!

One: Electric Kiwi Tank by J.Crew

Two: Delilah Earrings by Kendra Scott

Three: Rattan Tote by Tory Burch

Four: White Cigarette Jeans by Adriano Goldschmied

Five: My favorite margarita!

Six: Lupe Demi Wedge Sandals by Rebecca Minkoff

Cheers to a wonderful Cinco de Mayo!

2 Easy Party Drinks

It’s perfect time to start thinking of spring and summer parties, and for example hosting a party on Cinco de Mayo. I’m featuring several easy party recipes and ideas to make your Mexican themed soiree a success. Today I’m featuring two super easy cocktail recipes, both you can serve from a pitcher or a bowl and have your guests to take their own drinks making it easy for you. I don’t drink beer, but the Sauza-Rita is a perfect drink for those who are equally fan of Margaritas and ice cold Coronas with lime, and my favorite is the very refreshing and not too sweet Lime Sangria in its simplicity. Typically I mix mint with rum for mojitos, but it is perfect also with tequila.

Lime Sangria

1/2 cup Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila*
mint leaves
2 limes
2 cups of white wine
1-2 tablespoons of sugar melted in 1/2 cup of water depending how sweet you like
splash of sparkling water
ice

Add the lime leaves and a few lime slices into the tequila and let the them infuse the tequila by soaking them for over night or at least for 2-3 hours. Remove the mint leaves and add fresh ones when you are ready to serve. Squeeze the lime juice of the reminding lime and mix the lime juice with the tequila. Melt the sugar in about 1/2 cup of water until dissolved. Pour the sugar water, tequila and lime juice mix over ice in a pitcher and add wine and sparkling water. Garnish with additional lime wedges and mint leaves.

*If Sauza® Blue Silver isn’t available, try Sauza® Silver

Sauza-Rita in a Pitcher

1 can Sauza® Blue Silver 100% Agave Tequila*
1 bottle light beer
1 can frozen limeade
1 can water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Pour limeade and beer into a pitcher with ice. Fill limeade can with Sauza® Blue Silver and pour into pitcher. Finally, add a can of water, stir and enjoy.

*If Sauza® Blue Silver isn’t available, try Sauza® Silver

Disclosure: compensation was not provided for this post, but I do have a working relationship with Sauza tequila and they have sponsored other posts. My opinions are my own.

North Carolina Beer Month

 If you love food and spirits then a trip to North Carolina should be on your agenda this April. 2013 marks the first year for the month long celebration of North’s Carolina’s craft brew industry. The Tarheel State boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South, with more than 50 breweries and brewpubs. It is also the most decorated state in the South with more medals from the World Beer Cup® and the Great American Beer Festival than any of its neighboring states.

North Carolina will be celebrating with special craft beer dinners, festivals, and special travel packages. I am a huge craft brew fan, and I’ll be visiting the Heinzelmannchen Brewery in Sylva, NC and will taste their beer for the first time this week. Don’t be surprised if I’m sampling brews all month. I am so proud of the brewery industry in my State that I usually only stock my fridge with NC brews. Here are a few of my favorite breweries. As you can tell, I still have lots more to try.

Leigh’s Favorite NC Brews

Red Oak Brewery, Greensboro, NC
Full Steam Brewery, Durham, NC
Highland Brewing Company, Asheville, NC
Mother Earth Brewing Company, Kinston, NC
Duck Rabbit, Farmville, NC
Big Boss Brewing Company, Raleigh, NC
Biltmore Brewing Company, Asheville, NC (Currently only available at Biltmore Estate)

Many NC restaurants are featuring NC beers on the bar menu now, and basically, that is how I became such of a fan of these NC brews.  In the spring, I love to sit outside at Raleigh Times Bar, and have a NC beer.  This may surprise you, but I’ve become a fan of stouts. I adore Highland’s Black Mocha Stout, and the seasonal Thunderstruck Coffee Porter. It’s like having a good cup of coffee, but in a beer.

Visit NC Beer Month for an entire list of events. Hotels and restaurants have joined together to help travelers enjoy this special month. I’m going to love it.

Photo Credit: Hines-Sight Blog

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Iced Tea & Limoncello in harmony

Sometimes you don’t have to go all the way to Rome to do like the Romans do.

Sometimes you can spend a weekend in a nearby hotel decorated in the Italian flair like Leigh just did and spent a weekend at the Siena Hotel in Chapel Hill, North-Carolina, and feel like you are in Italy.

Sometimes you can bring souvenirs home from your travels and enjoy them in your everyday life, like I do with our souvenirs from our trip to Tuscany.

Sometimes only what you have to do is to shop at your local grocery store and discover imported foods or try a new recipe that give you a culinary trip.

Today I am presenting you two cocktails I created with Lipton Iced Tea products. I know what you are thinking: iced tea in a bottle isn’t really what you’d call an exotic culinary trip, but that’s my entire point here! Just like Leigh was able to experience the mix of Southern Hospitality and Italian Romance at Siena Hill, you can experience a mixture of Lipton Iced Tea and Italian Limoncello and feel like you are taking an exciting trip to Italy while staying in the comforts of your home and enjoying the moment. It’s like the Ying and Yang, homey and exotic, expensive and cheap mixed together in a perfect harmony. Mixing things up to form a new blend is the way to bring best of two world together!

Limoncello is a liqueur from Southern Italy, and it is typically served as an digestivo, an after dinner drink from small glasses. It’s pretty potent with around 32% of alcohol, and it’s quite strong in taste with the mixed bitterness and sweetness of the lemons. I recommend keeping your Limoncello bottle in the freezer to keep it nice and cold, ready for serving. The two Lipton Iced Tea drinks used for these cocktails are Lipton 100 Calorie Half & Half (Tea & Lemonade) and Lipton Diet Green Tea Honey Ginseng. I admit, I typically brew my iced tea myself if I make iced tea drinks at home, but Lipton sent me these two to try and these ready made iced teas make these cocktails super easy to make even on a vacation or in a vacation home, or take to a potluck type of gathering like a girls’ night in. The bottom lime: this is all about getting the everyday luxury with a very small effort!

Lipton Palmer

One of the most famous Limoncello cocktails in the US is The Leland Palmer. It’s a cocktail hack of a drink called Arnold Palmer, which consists of iced tea and lemonade, named after American golfer Arnold Palmer. The Leland Palmer on the other hand is named after a character in the Twin Peaks TV show (remember?) and it was invented by Damon Boelte, bar manager at Prime Meats in Brooklyn. In addition to lemonade and iced tea it has Italian Limoncello in it to give it an additional kick. The Leland Palmer calls for freshly brewed jasmine tea and hand squeezed lemon juice, so my Lipton Palmer is quite the easier version!

INGREDIENTS:
1 parts Limoncello
6 parts Lipton 100 Calorie Half & Half (Tea & Lemonade)
ice
3 parts sparkling water
lemon wedges as garnish

Mix Limoncello and Lipton 100 Calorie Half & Half (Tea & Lemonade) on ice and add sparkling water. Garnish with lemon wedges.

Green Tea Ginseng Limoncello

Out of these two drinks this one is my personal favorite! It’s a little less sweet and the fresh mint and the Green Tea Honey Ginseng go perfectly together.

1 parts Limoncello
6 parts Lipton Diet Green Tea Honey Ginseng
fresh mint leaves
ice
lemon wedges as garnish

Muddle mint leaves with crushed ice, mix Limoncello and Lipton Diet Green Tea Honey Ginseng. Serve on ice, garnish with lemon and mint leaves.

Mix it up!

Together with Lipton Iced Tea we would like to encourage you to mix it up a little, and perhaps to host a fun girls’ night in and give these recipes a try.

Lipton Iced Tea is mixing it up with Dance Central 3, and together they are hosting the ‘Game On’ sweepstakes. You can enter to win one of four ultimate entertainment room makeovers which include a new Samsung TV, sound system, Xbox 360 Kinect bundle and console, Dance Central 3 and more. Find out how here.

How are you mixing it up? Do you ever combine two opposites to combine a perfect blend?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton Iced Tea. The opinions and text are all mine.

Valentine’s Day Cocktail Recipes

We asked a few of our friends what kind of cocktails are hot this Valentine’s Day and got tips from Hollywood and Las Vegas hotspots, and even from our friends at Nespresso.

Hollywood hot spot cocktails

The two first Valentine’s Day cocktails are courtesy of Hollywood hotspot, Lexington Social House. Celebrity fans of Lexington Social House include Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Christina Milian, Jonah Hill, Lake Bell, and many more. Lexington Social House shared two of their popular recipes. These two light and flavorful cocktails will be a hit for Valentine’s Day and also carry perfectly into the spring.

Honey Bee-Mine

Ingredients:
1 1/2oz Irish honey whiskey
1/2oz Lemon juice
1/2oz Simple syrup
1/4oz Grenadine

Instructions:
Shake over ice, strain into chilled champagne coup. Garnish with a strawberry.

The Tart Heart

Ingredients:
1 1/2oz Pink grapefruit vodka
3/4oz Maraschino liquor
1/2oz Lime juice
1/2oz Simple syrup
Dash of pomegranate bitters

Instructions:
Shake, strain over ice. Float black raspberry liqueur. Garnish with a sprig of Mint.

EFFEN® Chai Love’tini

This cocktail is nice and refreshing!

Ingredients:
1 1⁄2 parts EFFEN® Vodka
Peel of Lemon (use a knife or potato peeler to make a thick strip)
Peel of Orange
1 teaspoon Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Water
4 dashes Fee Brothers Orange Bitters

Instructions:
In a mixing glass place sugar, water, bitters, and citrus peels skin side down. Lightly muddle peels into sugar to release oils and to dissolve sugar into water. Add remaining ingredients over ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass and garnish with lemon peel.

Nespresso Cappuccino a la Rose – For Two

This coffee drink is a perfect non-alcoholic dessert drink, or for the afternoon.

Ingredients:
2 capsules of Dulsão do Brasil
2 pieces of white chocolate
7 oz. of milk
1 oz. of rose-water
Crystallized rose petals

Instructions:
Heat your Cappuccino cups. Add a piece of white chocolate in each cup. Prepare the capsules of Dulsão do Brasil as an espresso and pour in each cup. Combine the milk and the rose-water. Prepare the flavored milk using the steam nozzle of your Nespresso machine or the Aeroccino milk frother. Pour the frothed milk into the cups and decorate with crystallized rose petals.

Toblerone Cocktail

Ingredients:
1/2 oz of hazelnut flavored liqueur for example Frangelico
1/2 oz of coffee flavored liqueur for example Kahlua
1/2 oz of Irish cream for example Baileys
1 tablespoon of honey
1 oz of cream
Chocolate syrup
Almond/pistachio/Toblerone chocolate shavings
Ice cubes

Instructions:
Add the Frangelico, Kahlua, Baileys, honey and cream into a cocktail shaker with the ice. Shake vigorously. Decorate the glass by pouring chocolate syrup into the side of the glass and rotate the glass to create a decorative pattern. Strain and pour the mix into the glass. Decorate with Toblerone or nut shavings.

Outer Banks Taste of the Beach event

The Outer Banks of North Carolina is a four-island getaway known for natural, gorgeous beaches, outdoor recreation and rich history. This area is a certainly a gem on North Carolina’s coastline. Sure, people flock to the beach for the island’s beauty, but this coastal community has something new to boast about. Coastal Living Magazine named the Outer Banks Taste of the Beach event,  held annually in March, as one of the Top Ten Seafood and Wine Festivals in the U.S.  Organizers are already planning this year’s festival for March 14-17.

With over seventy individual events from Corolla to Manteo, the festival features wine tastings, cooking classes, special menu presentations, tapas crawls, brewery tastings and tours, wine and beer pairing dinners, BBQ throwdowns, cookoffs, and much more.  The hottest ticket in town will be the finale’s OBX Grand Tasting on Sunday, March 17 at Pamlico Jack’s Restaurant, located on the Roanoke Sound waterfront in Nags Head, North Carolina.  More than thirty of the best restaurants and beverages distributors on the Outer Banks will come together under one roof to give food lovers the experience of a lifetime during this event.

The Taste of the Beach event, sponsored by the Dare County Restaurant Association, started thirty years ago when a few restaurateurs  got together to create an event to showcase their restaurants to the local residents during the beach’s  “off season”.  It has grown to become the longest standing annual event on the Outer Banks, and a favorite among many.

Outer Banks Hotels, Inns, and Cottage Rental Companies are offering special Taste of The Beach weekend rates and event ticket packages now.  For a complete list of activities visit The OBX Taste of the Beach, and to order your Outer Banks Visitor’s Guide for 2013, visit http://www.outerbanks.org/

Photo: Outer Banks Visitor’s Bureau

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Gifts for wine lovers

Is there someone on your holiday gift list who has a passion for Pinot? Is crazy for Chianti? Or has zest for Zinfandel?  Instead of tying a bow on a bottle of wine to give them as a gift, why not get creative and surprise your special wine-adoring someone with a unique, practical or indulgent gift! Here are my top choices, in a wide range of prices, for the wine lovers in your life.

1. Reidel Black Tie Bliss Decanter ($189.95)

This Reidel Black Tie Bliss Decanter will be a real conversation starter at your wine lover’s next dinner party. Mouth-blown and formed by hand, each piece is a unique work of art. What better way to say, “I heart wine” than with this functional decanter?

2. Corkcicle ($24.95)
One of the hottest gifts for wine lovers on the market right now is Corkcicle. Oprah named it as one of her “Favorite Things” this season, and since I own a Corkcicle myself, I have to agree with her! Made from food-grade gel and BPA-free plastic, Corkcicles keep your chilled white wine from going warm and quickly cools room temperature reds. Your wine lover will appreciate the convenience of no longer needing an ice bucket or making trips to the refrigerator. Corkcicles make a great stocking-stuffer.

3. Infused Gourmet Classic Gift Set from Round Pond Estate in Napa Valley ($95)

Give your wine-lover a flavorful piece of Napa Valley with this delectable gift set from Round Pond Estate. It includes Sangiovese Blend Red Wine Vinegar, the new Infused Basil Olive Oil, a sweet and vibrant Blood Orange Citrus Syrup, and a bottle of Round Pond Estate’s robust 2009 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon (750ml). Located in Rutherford, in the heart of Napa Valley, Round Pond is family-owned and operated. Their oils, vinegars and syrups are meticulously made on the property. I recently had the pleasure of visiting their olive oil mill where I took a tour and had a sit-down tasting. You can read more about my visit on my blog, The Rich Life (on a budget).

4. Cuisinart 8-Bottle Wine Cellar ($159.00)

Wine lovers know that heat is the enemy of wine. If your wine lover doesn’t yet have her very own wine cave, give her this Cuisinart 8-Bottle Wine Cellar to store her precious bottles. Made to fit on a countertop, this sleek, modern wine refrigerator has a patented electronic touchpad thermostat that ranges from 38 to 68 F, is fingerprint-resistant, uses minimal energy and has soft-interior lighting.

5. BottleWise Duo – Wine Travel Bag ($68.95)

Whenever I travel, I always bring home a couple bottles of wine from my trip. Unfortunately, carrying wine on the plane is no longer allowed. Shipping it separately, which can be pricey and take weeks, or storing it in your baggage, which can be disastrous to your belongings and your luggage, are the only other options. The BottleWise Duo Wine Travel Bag is a soft-sided, two-bottle carrying case with an adjustable shoulder strap and an integrated liquid tight liner. You’ll enjoy your flight knowing your wine is protected from breaks and leaks. BottleWise Duo will also fit most bottles of oils, vinegars, sauces, and perfumes.

6. Oster Inspire Wine Opener and Wine Chiller ($37.99)

The wine lover on your list will like opening wine bottles skillfully and quickly with this Oster Inspire Wine Opener. Cordless and rechargeable, this wine  opener has an ergonomically designed hand-grip, foil cutter and it comes with a thermal stainless-steel wine chiller. No more fumbling with stubborn corks!

7. Harvest Inn’s ‘Tastes and Sips’ Package in Napa Valley (starting at $389 per night)

Your wine lover will be overjoyed with a gift that will indulge and delight his senses. Give him/her a two-night Napa Valley getaway with Harvest Inn’s ‘Tastes and Sips’ Package. Stay in a luxurious room in gorgeous California wine country surroundings, eat irresistible foods, drink spectacular wine and take in all that Napa Valley has to offer. Available starting January, 2013, this generous package includes two nights in a spacious room with a fireplace, a $100 gift certificate to the renown Tra Vigne restaurant, a bottle of wine, a box of handcrafted chocolates, breakfast for two delivered to your room, complimentary tastings at two wineries, and more. Read more about my recent visit to Harvest Inn and Tra Vigne .

Check out all the Holiday Gift Guide posts and stay tuned for more from our writers!

10 Recipes for Holiday Season

Thanksgiving is almost here, and Christmas is only 5 weeks away. Here are 10 recipes that you must try this Holiday season.

Source: tonyastaab.com via Skimbaco on Pinterest

1. Apple tart by Tonya Staab isn’t just pretty and delicious, but super easy, it uses store bought pastry sheets, which I typically have in my freezer, and we usually have apples as well – this is an easy dessert to fix even on last minute with the ingredients you already might have. I’ve made these already twice this fall.

2. Chicken Pot Pie Mini Appetizers at the Lady and the Blog looks like a great recipe for any Holiday parties.

Source: foodiecrush.com via Skimbaco on Pinterest

3. Mascarpone Pumpkin Mousse Cups look ridiculously good, but a little more trickier to make if you haven’t mastered the separating the egg yolks yet.

4. Salted caramel sauce at Inspirations by D is a perfect recipe for desserts and also for edible gift giving.

Source: gourmandeinthekitchen.com via Skimbaco on Pinterest

5. Baked Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Feta, Olives and Sundried Tomatoes is a great alternative for sweet potato casserole and brings a little Mediterranean flavor to Thanksgiving table. I love mixing feta cheese and sweet potatoes.

6. Pear & Brie de Chevre (goat milk Brie) Tart was my recommendation for Mother’s Day, but an excellent brunch recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas brunches. I love the mixture of goat cheese and pears.

Source: betterinbulk.net via Skimbaco on Pinterest

7. Perfect Pumpkin Bread recipe at Better in Bulk sounds… well, perfect. If you haven’t made pumpkin bread yet this fall, try this recipe.

8. Spiced apple cider from Bon Appetit is a perfect hot drink to warm up after a day outdoors or after watching Macy’s Thanksgiving parade in the city streets.

Source: tastykitchen.com via Skimbaco on Pinterest

9. Roasted Sweet Potato & Quinoa Soup sounds like a perfect lighter dinner soup that tastes like the season is supposed to and gives you a lighter meal after you feel stuffed after all of the Thanksgiving food.

10. White Cranberry Apple Cider Cosmo found from The Centsible Life sounds like a perfect drink to celebrate the season. Bonus: you can drink it either cold or hot.

It’s fun to be at Walt Disney World any time of the year, but from Sept. 28 through Nov. 12, food and wine lovers have a little something else to savor. For 46 days, guests can taste their way around the world at the 17th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival.

I’m pea green with envy if you are heading to Walt Disney World this fall for this festival. Truthfully, Epcot is my favorite resort in Walt Disney World. I love strolling around the World Showcase and could spend most of my days at Epcot. Surprisingly, I think my “mini-me” enjoyed the park as much as I did and is already planning what country we will dine in when we take his sister. Right now, Mexico is in the lead.

This year’s festival is the longest ever, and it seems to get better and better. This year’s foodie celebration introduces a new chocolate tasting experience, fresh Florida local flavors and the first marketplace featuring vegan cuisine, TERRA.  The festival also introduces its first Watermelon Patch and brings back for a second year the popular “Discover the Cranberry” Bog experience and weekend HGTV celebrity home-design seminars.

What I Would Not Miss

Super Festival Sips Cocktails are hot this year. At the Hawaii tasting marketplace, guests can pair the Seven Tiki Mai Tai with a Kalua Pork Slider. At the Scandinavia marketplace, the Xante Sunshine cocktail will refresh palates.

Newly crafted beverages are geared toward family dining this festival. Children of all ages can try inventive new sips like the Silk Berry Smoothie and Nesquik Chocolate or Strawberry Foam during the family’s marketplace dine-around. Child-friendly bites to pair will include beef empanadas and cheese fondue.

Sweet Treats at Desserts & Champagne Marketplace — Three new standout sweet tastes are on the menu at the Desserts & Champagne marketplace during the 17th Epcot International Food and Wine Festival: dark chocolate mousse with chili and salted caramel; yogurt panna cotta with orange cake, raspberries and pomegranate; and lemon custard verrine with blueberry compote. (photo above)

When in Italy, sip Italian. An Italian margarita is on the menu at the Italy marketplace.

All I can say is bring your fat pants and don’t step on a scale for quite a long time. Yum! Yum! There is so much to see. For a complete list of things to eat, see, and do while at Epcot, visit this special International Food and Wine Festival web page.

Eat, Drink, and “Beach It”

If you’re thinking of attending the 17th Annual Epcot Food and Wine Festival, then I think Disney’s Beach and Yacht Club Resorts would make the perfect base for your stay. The hotels are less than a ten-minute walk to the World Showcase entrance at Epcot.

The weather is great in Lake Buena Vista in the fall, and these resorts share a fantastic pool. Stormalong Bay features three lagoon areas and a thrilling water slide. We loved the Beach Club during our family stay, and if you are going to spend a lot of time at Epcot for the festival then I think you would be happy checking into the Beach and Yacht Club. Skip the resort restaurants, though, unless it’s a signature dining restaurant, and eat your meals at Epcot while staying there. The Beach Club character breakfast at Cape May was enjoyable, but I felt that the Captain’s Grill restaurant was average. With delicious food being served at Epcot, that’s where I would indulge.

October is considered a peak month at Walt Disney World. Weekend rates for a standard room at the Beach and the Yacht Club begin at $400 for weeknights and $430 for weekends. In the past, I’ve worked with Small World Vacations to book my WDW trips and found great deals.

Photos: Courtesy of Walt Disney World ( Matt Stroshane, photographer)

WDW Beach Club Resort Photos: Leigh Hines

Cocktails & Dreams: Cachaca Samba in Hawaii

Today I’m dreaming of a breeze from the ocean, watching the sailboats on the horizon, and having a cocktail in Orchids, the waterfront restaurant at the Halekulani hotel in Waikiki, and then taking a swim in the resort pool.

Dream responsibly!

Cachaca Samba

1 ½ ounce Cachaca
½ ounce Cedilla Acai Berry Liqueur
3 lime wedges cut in halves
½ ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce rock candy syrup

Place the lime wedges in a mixing glass and muddle briskly with juice and rock candy syrup, then add cachaca and 1 scoop of ice and shake well. Pour into a double old –fashioned glass (do not strain), add more ice if needed and serve with a float of Cedilla.
Garnich with an Orchid.

Photos & cocktail: Halekulani.