Trader Joe’s Espresso Martini Makes a Great Boozy Affogato

The obvious thing to do with Trader Joe's Espresso Martini ($9.99) is chill it and pour it into a glass. It's a mix of "vodka, espresso, and vanilla" (and based on the taste, some simple syrup or other sweetener). It's 40 proof, 20% alcohol by volume, and says it's about 4 drinks. (BTW - great…

ByMichelleOctober 29, 20240Comments

Product Review

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Beverage

We have reached that point in the year where it's literally impossible to keep up with all the holiday goodies hitting shelves at Trader Joe's. That's in a non-COVID year. I'm shopping once a week, so it's sort of luck of the draw on what's in, and I'm mostly focusing on what's new this…

ByMichelleNovember 13, 20200Comments

Recipes

‘The Hot Scot’: A Warming Winter Cocktail Inspired by FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Samantha Young's next release, FIGHT OR FLIGHT, hits shelves today in United States. It's a steamy enemies-to-lovers story that starts in an airport and traps the hero and heroine on a cross country flight. (Full review here). Bickery banter ensues. Hero Caleb Scott defines alpha-hole, and abrasive as he is at the beginning, he sure…

ByMichelleOctober 9, 20180Comments

Events Recipes

Feast Portland’s Brunch Village Delivers the Sweet, the Savory, and the Beer?

Feast Portland's Brunch Village is always an intriguing mix of flavors. You can rely on some Portland favorites showing up, some out-of-towners, and there's free flowing champagne and a Bloody Mary bar. This year's event featured bites from some hometown favorites including Mae, Little T Baker, and Tusk, as well as Austin's Launderette and NYC's…

ByMichelleOctober 1, 20170Comments

Beverages Recipes

Cool off with a Watermelon Cocktail on National Watermelon Day

It's National Watermelon Day and we're in the midst of a heatwave. Other than a cold slice of watermelon, the thing I'll be looking forward to at the end of the day is a watermelon cocktail. This riff on the Americano combines Campari, sweet vermouth, bottled watermelon juice and Dry Sparkling Watermelon. Proportions are dialed back…

ByMichelleAugust 3, 20170Comments

Book Reviews

April Book Deals on Kindle

It may be April, but this month's cookbook deals say there's still time to hunker down with bread and booze. On the romance side, there's a double deal for rom-com lovers with two Christina Lauren books on sale. Our April book deal picks on Kindle: Bourbon: the Rise, Fall and Rebirth of an American Whiskey Once and…

ByMichelleApril 1, 20170Comments

Beverages Recipes

Celebrate Pixie Tangerine Month with a Whixie Sour

April marks the tail end of citrus season and if you live near Ojai, California, it's also Ojai Pixie month. Pixie tangerines are gorgeously sweet, seedless and easy to peel. If you don't live close enough to celebrate with local restaurants and hotels, you can get your Pixies at markets across the US, and shake up…

ByMichelleMarch 31, 20170Comments

Beverages Entertaining Recipes

The A-/B+: Maple Cider Bourbon Smash

Sometimes a cocktail is born of what you have around. Last Sunday as we were settling in to an afternoon of football, I realized we were low on vodka, which put a damper on our Moscow Mule plans. I'm constantly looking for ways to learn to enjoy bourbon and this maple cider cocktail might just be…

ByMichelleNovember 18, 20160Comments

Beverages Events Wine

Feast Portland 2016: 3 New Events Just Added!

The countdown to Feast Portland 2016 is on! If you lagged on getting tickets this year, or can't get away on Thursday or Friday, you're in luck. Three new events were just added on Saturday and Sunday, September 17 and 18. Tickets are available at www.feastportland.com. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: Cocktail Crawl: Drink Like a Pro Join Bon…

ByMichelleJuly 29, 20160Comments

Beverages Recipes

The Cocorano – Coconut Gin Fizz with Dry Sparkling Serrano Pepper

Linger in Denver, Colorado knows how to do brunch. The food is always fantastic, but maybe more importantly they've got a small, but solid selection of brunch drinks. The coconut gin fizz is the kind of brunch cocktail you could lose a Sunday to, so good you can't stop throwing them back. I'm not usually a big…

ByMichelleJune 24, 20160Comments

Trader Joe’s Espresso Martini Makes a Great Boozy Affogato

We Tried Trader Joe’s Sparkling Cranberry Ginger Beverage

‘The Hot Scot’: A Warming Winter Cocktail Inspired by FIGHT OR FLIGHT

Feast Portland’s Brunch Village Delivers the Sweet, the Savory, and the Beer?

Cool off with a Watermelon Cocktail on National Watermelon Day

April Book Deals on Kindle

Celebrate Pixie Tangerine Month with a Whixie Sour

The A-/B+: Maple Cider Bourbon Smash

Feast Portland 2016: 3 New Events Just Added!

The Cocorano – Coconut Gin Fizz with Dry Sparkling Serrano Pepper

Book Review: A Ghastly Catastrophe by Deanna Raybourn

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang

26 New Asian and Pacific Islander Books for your 2026 TBR