It's My Birthday... Party Time!

Whoo Hoo! It’s my birthday and I am in a par-tay mood. It’s only Wednesday, but I’m not letting that stop me. I’m getting the weekend rolling early and I want all you out there to celebrate with me. I’ve got a couple of recipes for cocktail faves that always put me in a festive mood so you can drink a toast with me. These babies are great for birthday parties, holiday parties and really anytime you want a delicious drink.

I love presents, both giving and receiving, so guess what? I’m going to give away a free download of one of my short stories two lucky celebrants, one from here and one from my publisher’s blog, Amber Heat. Best of all, it’s winners’ choice. If you’re selected, you get to pick which one of my short stories you’d like. You can choose from Michael’s Keeper, Dream On or Love Haight.

The rules are simple, all you have to do is leave a comment (birthday wishes are nicest, of course. *wink,wink*) and I will draw the names of two people. The names of the lucky recipients will be posted at midnight, Central Time tonight both here and at Amber Heat.

My birthday is not the only reason I’m in such a festive mood. Check this out… Maxie Briscoe: Werewolf received an amazing 4 Heart review at The Romance Studio. The reviewer, Michele, says “The sex scenes are intense, violent, unpredictable and creative. The chemistry between Maxie, Noah and Damien is explosive.” Wow! That made my day even more special. You can read the rest of Michele’s awesome review here.

Now, let’s roll out those drinks, shall we?. One of my favorites is a pomegranate martini. Here’s a wicked good recipe from Martini Recipe.net

Pomegranate Martini

Ingredients

1 oz vodka (or citrus vodka, if you have it)
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
3 oz pomegranate juice*
chopped ice
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice, for garnish
lemon slice, for garnish
sugar, for garnish

Directions

Wet the rim of the cocktail glass with the lemon juice.
Place sugar in a saucer and dip the rim of the cocktail glass into the saucer, to produce a ring of sugar stuck to the lemon juice as a decorative rim around the glass.
Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker.
Add ice so that the shaker is about a third full (ice plus ingredients).
Shake for 20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Squeeze a couple of drops from the lemon slice into the glass, then garnish the side of the cocktail glass with the slice of lemon.

Another fave is Emeril’s Poinsettia Cocktail from Foodnetwork.com

Poinsettia Cocktails

Ingredients

1/4 cup vodka
1/4 cup Champagne
1/2 cup cranberry juice
Crushed ice
2 strips orange zest, each about 1/4-inch wide and 2 inches long

Directions

Combine the vodka, Champagne and juice in a large-stemmed red wine glass. Add crushed ice and stir until the mixture is well chilled. Twist the orange strips over the glass, drop them in, and serve.

Oh man, I want to mix these babies right now and start my celebration early. Trust me when I say these are awesome drinks. I also love a good mimosa and anything with tequila. I also love a good beer, something dark and strong. Hey Imaginarians, do you have a fave cocktail or other alcohol concoction you'd love to share with yours truly? I'd love to try 'em.

Thanks for coming out and helping me celebrate today. You all rock!