DIY: infusions

I know it's only Wednesday but I've got happy hour on the brain. So for this week's DIY project I am making Ginger Infused Vodka. Okay… I really started the infusing about a month ago but I am choosing to write about it today….

Infusing alcohol is insanely easy, fairly inexpensive, and deliciously rewarding! 

Step one -- What do I want my vodka to taste like? This can be the hardest part of the whole process! I've found it helpful to think about the ingredients that were in cocktails I have enjoyed in the past (in this case a ginger-y Pimm's Cup came to mind). Dry ingredients work best, so if you are choosing a fruit, make sure you pick one that you can find dried or that has a peel (i.e. citrus). 

Step two -- Purchase ingredients. When it comes to choosing the vodka, I am of the opinion that there is no need to splurge on a high quality brand (although I would go for organic or local if you can afford it). There is, however, some argument for getting a higher proof vodka (100 and above instead of 80) for reasons of stronger flavor and faster extraction. I haven't seen much of a difference but it probably depends on what you are infusing. Note: many liquor stores will not have the higher proof vodkas out on the shelves so you will have to ask for them. 

Step three -- Infusing. For a 1.75 liter of vodka I used a medium-sized piece of fresh ginger. Just combine the vodka and sliced ginger (with skin on), give it a quick stir, and store it in a dry, dark location. It's best to do the infusing in a glass container that has a tight seal. You can let it sit for 2 weeks to a month, depending on how strong you want the flavor to be, making sure to shake it every 2-3 days. The infusing time varies greatly depending on what you are using so make sure to do you research (there are recipes for almost any combo you can imagine online). Fresh herbs should only be left in for a few days, where dried fruits, spices, or nuts can infuse for several weeks. 

Step four -- Strain and enjoy. Filter out the ginger with a fine mesh strainer or a paper coffee filter. Store in the freezer or give as a gift!

I've also dabbled with mission fig, basil, cinnamon, anise,  and basmati rice -- all to delicious success.

Winter Ginger Fizz: 

   2oz ginger infused vodka

   2tbsp rosemary simple syrup 

   Club soda

Boil equal parts water and sugar until sugar is dissolved and infuse rosemary sprigs in heated liquid for about 15minutes (with heat off) for rosemary simple syrup. Combine syrup and vodka in a cocktail shaker, shake it up, and serve toped off with some club soda. 

New beginnings

Paperwhites sprout up on my windowsill

The new year is a great excuse to take a look at your day-to-day habits and really think about the longterm lifestyle changes you wish to achieve -- as tacky as new year's resolutions sometimes seem.

This year I am giving myself a list of goals and I resolve to make a real effort to stick to them.

1. Compost -- I resolve to save my food scrapes and bring them to my local greenmarket each week to be recycled. 
2. mEAT local -- I resolve to only eat meat, fish, and dairy products from producers that pasture-raise their animals without all the icky hormones, chemicals, etc. This means no ordering from restaurants unless I know the source!
3. DIY -- I resolve to take on a DIY project once a week. 
4. Cook with friends -- now that I have gotten pretty good at making most of my own meals at home, I resolve to cook more with friends. It's easy to get lazy when we're all together but the few times we have cooked food instead of ordering, it has always been fun, rewarding, and less expensive.  
5.  Go glass -- slowly but surely I resolve to switch almost entirely from plastic to glass, ceramic, or metal. 

Most recently, I acquired a glass water pitcher (with kishu charcoal filter) and a set of glass straws. 

Let's do this 2014!

What are some of your goals?

DIY: Repurposing

Tip of the week: think twice before kickin it to the curb. 

After many months of sitting in the hallway, with its not-the-right-holiday-ness

irking me every time I walked by, I decided to turn this Halloween popcorn tin 

into something I would actually use. 

All it required was a dusting off and a little bit of spray paint and voila I have 

a place to store all my other miscellaneous things I'm not ready to throw out! 

DIY: Valentine's Day

Last weekend, while purging a piled up stack of old New York Magazines, I decided turn the pages into a little art project before they hit the recycling bin. Sometimes, even when you want to fight all  the urges,  just be cool, and pretend you don't care about Valentine's Day at all, it's still fun to be festive.

Other valentine-y things:

I picked up this used (vintage?) valentine's day card from Yesterday's News - one of my favorite stores in the hood to spend hours perusing.