Amanda Rose Zampelli | the blog: recipes

My dinner last night was pretty much what you see above multiplied by a whole bowl of it, and half a loaf of bread. I looooove tomato salad, and while there are a lot of ways to make tomato salad, my way is the best. ;)

Ingredients:

sliced tomatoes
chopped garlic
oregano
parsley
salt & pepper
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

I put the ingredients into a big bowl, in the order listed above, and mix. That's it! It takes longer to slice the tomatoes and chop the garlic than it does to make and eat this dish. I don't get particular with the amount of each ingredient, because everybody's different. I probably put more chopped garlic than most people prefer. My mom adds too much parsley when she makes it, in my opinion. Therefore, I would suggest adding the ingredients to taste.

I usually pair the tomoato salad with italian bread and eat it like a mock bruscetta.

So good for you, yet so delish. I hope you enjoy!

Muddle? Simple Syrup? Ounces? Sprigs? Puree? Fine-mesh Strainer? Extract? Discard Pulp?

Ain't nobody got time fo' that!

When I started researching different recipes for summer cocktails to serve at my aunt's birthday BBQ on Monday, all the words above were showing up in the directions. Now, if I was strictly incharge of making drinks and only that, then yeah, I might have attempted one of those fancy multi-step concoctions...but I also had to greet, grill, entertain, and generally float around and co-host.

ENTER: my spiked Pink Lemonade!

The only ingredients are what you see above:

a citrus-flavored vodka,
store-bought pink lemonade,
a citrus-flavored seltzer (If you want a more figure-friendly cocktail, use it to cut the amount of sugary lemonade you put in.)
a lemon slice to garnish

It was soooooo simple to make. I just poured the vodka over ice (half-way up the glass if I wanted to make it strong, 1/3 up the glass if I wanted to make it not-as-strong), added the lemonade & seltzer to taste, and garnished with the lemon slice.

It's appropiate for summer because it's lemonade, and it feels tropical and "special" because it's pink. Pink makes things special. Ain't it the truth. Like, oh you're wearing pink? What's the occassion? Oh you're drinking a pink cocktail, you scandalous. ;)

...and this drink was scandalously simple. Ridiculous.

Let me know if you make it!

Have a tipsy & refreshing day!

...and to witness the effects of a STRONGLY spiked Pink Lemonade (& for your viewing pleasure) here are my cousins, my best friend, and I playing Heads Up! while intoxicated. Enjoy!