Dear Santa... I would like a big cannon and a laser and...

Seasons Greetings to all.

Sorry I've been slacking off in my blogging duties. Work has been very busy. Very rewarding, but busy nonetheless.

What to do? What to do when your child asks Santa for a laser and a cannon? :-)

Obviously, export laws restrict certain items from being shipped outside the North Pole area and thus, sad though it may be, Santa will be unable to deliver said items this Christmas. I'm certain he'll find suitable alternatives to bring a smile to the face of a small boy.

I know you're probably asking yourself, "When is he going to tell us more about what he's been up to?". Since you're so insistent, I'll let you in on a few tidbits.

Yoga my friends, Y O G A, yoga. Vinyasa Flow to be more precise. As time is always at a premium these days, I've started my practice at home with a mat and a DVD featuring Seane Corn. (available through http://www.gaiam.com) She is an outstanding teacher and the entire program is filmed unscripted in the first person. You actually feel as though you are in a class with her and she is speaking directly to you. The practice is strenuous and you will likely break a sweat doing it. It is also amazingly relaxing and calming. Who couldn't use something like that these days?

You may also like to try this relaxation technique.
2 scoops Peppermint Stick ice cream
3 shots SKYY vanilla vodka
Blend or shake until smooth.
Pour into chilled martini glass.
Garnish with grated dark chocolate.

If the ice cream is too much for you, you may wish to try one of these.
2 parts SKYY vanilla vodka
1 1/2 parts Apple Pucker
splash of Pineapple juice
Shake and pour into chilled martini glass.

If anyone is interested, besides these homegrown recipes I also have a list of 101 martini recipes from the Inter-Continental hotel in NYC. In fact, I think I'll add it to this blog for your perusal.

Happy Hoildays

One more thing, if you haven't seen Love Actually, see it and remember these words when you do.

I feel it in my fingers,
I feel it in my toes,
Christmas is all around me,
and so the feeling grows

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love Christmas,
C'mon and let it snow

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind's made up
The way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

You gave your presents to me
And I gave mine to you
I need Santa beside me
In everything I do

You know I love Christmas
I always will
My mind's made up
The way that I feel
There's no beginning
There'll be no end
Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

Cuz on Christmas,
You can depend

It's written in the wind,
It's everywhere I go,
So if you really love me,
C'mon and let it show
C'mon and let it show
So if you really love me
C'mon and let it
If you really love me
C'mon and let it
Now if you really love me
C'mon and let it show

Almost forgot, Paris was wonderful as usual. The lighting of the Christmas lights on Regent Street in London was spectacular. The 5 year old puking on the 3 year old in the terminal at Charles De Gaulle 10 minutes before departure to come home was a bit of a surprise, but we cleaned them up and hopped on board without missing a beat. If you haven't been to Paris and/or London, GO. Don't waste your time saying you'd love to do it or one day when we can afford it! Time goes by much too quickly. In the immortal words of Ferris Bueller, "Life moves pretty fast. if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it!" Wise words indeed.

Peace




1) French Martini
2 oz Grey Goose
Orange Vodka
1/4 oz Lillet
1/4 oz Cointreau
Chill, Serve straight up with a
Garnish Orange Twist in a Cocktail Glass
G
2) 24-Karrot
3.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth with a Pickled Carrot

3) Hanky Panky
2.5 oz Stoli Razberi Vodka
1 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
Garnished with Three Fresh Raspberries

4) Catherine Was Great
1.5 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
0.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Amaretto
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Orange Juice

5) The Colombian
1.75 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
1.75 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
Three Coffee Beans

6) Stoli Coffee
1.5 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Kahlua

7) Vanil Creamsickle
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
1.5 oz Bombay Gin
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Orange Juice
Garnish with Cocktail Cherry

8) Cosmopolitan
1.5 oz Stoli Gold
0.5 oz Cointreau, Splash Lime Juice
Fill up with Cranberry Juice
Lime Wedge

9) Limon Blitz
2.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Chambord

10) Citron Drop
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Cointreau, Splash Lemon Juice
Splash 7-UP
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

11) Crantini
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
Fill up with Cranberry Juice
Three Dried Cranberries

12) Tropical Kiss
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
1.5 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Cranberry Juice
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

13) Purple Rain
2.5 oz Tanqueray Sterling Vodka
0.75 oz Cassis

14) Phil's Side Car
2.5 oz Courvoisier VS
0.75 oz Triple Sec
0.5 oz Sweet & Sour
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

15) Nutty Professor
2.0 oz Stoli Vanil
1.5 oz Almond Liqueur
One Floating Almond

16) Sparkling Pear
2.0 oz Pear Liqueur
Fill up with Sparkling Wine
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

17) The Three Italians
1.5 oz Grappa
1.5 oz Campari
1.5 oz Martini and Rossi Sweet Vermouth

18) Scarlet O'Hara
2.5 oz Southern Comfort
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

19) Cajun Queen
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Tabasco Sauce

20) Lady in Red
3.0 oz Absolut Vodka
0.5 oz Grenadine
Lime Wedge

21) Solid Gold
3.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

22) Caribbean Queen
2.5 oz Malibu Rum
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

23) Purple Hooter
2.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Chambord
1.0 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Lime Juice

24) Gibson Goddess
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz Dry Vermouth
Pearl Onion

25) Cong's Blue Skyy
2.5 oz Skyy Vodka
0.75 oz Blue Curaçao
Lemon Twist

26) Chocolate Blossom
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Frangelico
0.5 oz Dark Crème de Cacao

27) Peaches and Cream
2.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Peach Schnapps
0.5 oz Bailey's Irish Cream

28) Starlight
2.5 oz Stoli Kafya Vodka
0.75 oz Sambuca Romana
Three Coffee Beans

29) Skyy Scraper
3.5 oz Skyy Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

30) Melon Ball
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.75 oz Midori
Lemon Twist

31) Fire and Ice
2.5 oz Bacardi Amber
0.75 oz Southern Comfort
Splash Grenadine

32) Hot Tamale
3.0 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Rumplemintz
Splash Tabasco Sauce

33) Dirty Olivia
3.0 oz Bombay Gin
1.0 oz Olive Juice
Three Olives

34) Sushi
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Teaspoon Pickled Ginger

35) Tropitini
1.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Bacardi Limon
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao
Splash Dry Vermouth
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

36) Mardi Gras
1.5 oz Bacardi Limon
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Southern Comfort
0.5 oz Sweet and Sour
Splash Dry Vermouth
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

37) Snowcone
2.5 oz Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
0.5 oz Banana Liqueur
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao

38) Mintini
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.75 oz White Crème de Menthe

39) Acropolis
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Ouzo
Floating Star Anise

40) Smokey
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz J&B Scotch
Splash Sweet Vermouth
Cocktail Cherry

41) Cinnamon Stick
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil
Cinnamon Stick

42) Garden of Eden
1.5 oz Skyy Vodka
0.75 oz Calvados
Apple Cider

43) Decadence
2.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.75 oz Chambord, Amaretto
Fill up with Apple Cider

44) Jackie O
2.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Apricot Brandy
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

45) Michelangelo
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Campari
Fill up with Orange Juice

46) Kentucky
2.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.75 oz Jack Daniel's
Splash Cherry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

47) Bloody Martina
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Fill up with Bloody Mary Mix
Topped with a Tomolive

48) Glamour Sean
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Fill up with Champagne
Cocktail Cherry

49) Golden Nugget
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Cuervo Gold Tequila
Fill up with Orange Juice

50) Cloudy Skyy
3.0 oz Skyy Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Splash Olive Juice

51) Mystique
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Lillet Blanc
Lemon Twist

52) Skyyhound
2.0 oz Skyy Vodka
Fill up with Grapefruit Juice

53) The Surfer
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Malibu Rum
0.5 oz Banana Liqueur
Fill up with Pineapple Juice

54) Fuzzy Wuzzy
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Peach Schnapps
Cocktail Cherry

55) Midnight Run
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
1.0 oz Campari
Splash Orange Juice
Orange Wheel

56) Veggie Garden
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Garnished with Tomolive
Pickled Carrot and Celery Stick

57) Dark Chocolate
2.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Dark Crème de Cacao

58) The Spaniard
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Dry Sherry
Olive or Twist

59) The Aged Italian
3.0 oz Smirnoff Vodka
Splash Balsamic Vinegar
Olive

60) The Mexican
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
1.0 oz El Tesoro Tequila
Tomolive

61) Russian Margarita
1.5 oz Stoli Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Fill up with Sweet and Sour
Served in a Salt-Rimmed Glass

62) Tundra Sunrise
1.5 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
0.5 oz Cuervo 1800 Tequila
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
Splash Grenadine

63) Snickertini
1.5 oz Smirnoff Vodka
0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Frangelico
0.5 oz Bailey's Irish Cream
0.5 oz Amaretto

64) Long Island Iced'tini
0.5 oz Absolut Vodka
0.5 oz Tanqueray Gin
0.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz El Tesoro Tequila
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Splash Lemon Juice
Fill up with Coke

65) Electric Lemonade
1.5 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao
1.0 oz Sweet and Sour
Fill up with 7-Up

66) American Pie
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon Vodka
1.5 oz Stoli Vanil Vodka
0.5 oz Calvados

67) Sundowner
2.0 oz Stoli Razberi
1.0 oz Orange Juice
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice
Splash Grenadine

68) Malted Russian
2.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
1.0 oz Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch
Lemon Twist

69) Sangratini
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
1.0 oz Red Wine
1.0 oz Orange Juice
Splash Lime Juice
Fill up with Club Soda

70) The Mellow Yellow
2.0 oz Beefeater's Gin
1.0 oz Lillet Blanc
Splash Angostura Bitter

71) The Russian
3.0 oz Stoli Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

72) Paisley
2.0 oz Bombay Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
0.5 oz Dewar's White Label Scotch
Lemon Twist

73) Razmatazz
2.5 oz Stoli Razberi
0.5 oz Chambord
Three Fresh Raspberries

74) The Red-Hot
1.5 oz Absolut Kurant
1.5 oz Stoli Zinamon
Splash Sweet Vermouth

75) Jeanne d'Arc
2.0 oz Absolut Vodka
1.0 oz Rémy Martin VSOP
Fill up with Cranberry Juice

76) Traditional Gimlet
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Rose's Lime Juice

77) Old Rob Roy
2.5 oz J&B Scotch
0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
Cocktail Cherry

78) Strawberry Gimlet
2.5 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
Splash Rose's Lime Juice
Splash Grenadine
Strawberry Garnish

79) Blue Sapphire
2.5 oz Bombay Sapphire Gin
0.5 oz Blue Curaçao

80) The Swiss
2.5 oz Kirsch
0.5 oz Sweet Vermouth
Splash Cherry Juice
Cocktail Cherry

81) Flying Dutchman
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

82) The Englishman
3.0 oz Tanqueray Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

83) The Carnivore
3.0 oz Beefeater's Gin
Splash Dry Vermouth
Olive or Twist

84) Sweetie
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Sweet Vermouth
Lemon Twist

85) The Irishman
2.0 oz Bushmill's Irish Whiskey
1.0 oz Bailey's Irish Cream

86) Coral Reef
2.0 oz Absolut Citron Vodka
0.5 oz Alize Red Passion
Splash Orange Juice
Fill up with Champagne

87) Lynchburg Lemon Drop
1.5 oz Jack Daniel's Whiskey
1.5 oz Finlandia Vodka
0.5 oz Triple Sec
Served in a Sugar-Rimmed Glass

88) Hank's Comfort Kiss
2.5 oz Southern Comfort
1.0 oz Amaretto
Lime Wedge

89) Jack of Hearts
2.5 oz Jack Daniel's Whiskey
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Cranberry Juice

90) Frenchy
3.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.75 oz Courvoisier VS
Lemon Twist

91) St Tropez
2.0 oz Finlandia Vodka
1.0 oz Peach Schnapps
Splash Grenadine
Fill up with Orange Juice

92) "007"
3.0 oz Stoli Gold Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Two Olives
Shaken, not Stirred !

93) Thom's Orange
2.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Cointreau
0.5 oz Grand Marnier
Orange Wheel

94) Lavish Laura
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
0.5 oz White Chocolate Liqueur
0.5 oz Triple Sec

95) London Sun
2.0 oz Bombay Gin
1.0 oz Dry Sherry
Splash Angostura Bitter
Lemon Twist

96) Berry Delight
1.0 oz Stoli Strazberi Vodka
1.0 oz Stoli Razberi Vodka
1.0 oz Absolut Kurant
1.0 oz Cranberry Juice
Three Fresh Raspberries

97) Dave's Green Hornet
2.0 oz Courvoisier VS
1.0 oz Green Crème de Menthe

98) Decadent Dream
1.5 oz Bacardi Light
0.5 oz Kahlua
0.5 oz Dark Crème De Cacao

99) Red Passion
3.0 oz Stoli Ohranj Vodka
0.5 oz Alize Red Passion

100) Pepper Mill
2.0 oz Ketel One Vodka
1.0 oz Absolut Peppar Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Tomolive

101) The Top of the Mark
3.5 oz Ketel One Vodka
Splash Dry Vermouth
Garnished with a Tomolive