Weekend Chill

You know you've been married too long when a Friday night without the kids means staying home. Tonight the boy went to a friend's to play guitar while Jeff and I ate hors d'oeuvres and drank martinis. It sounds glamorous until I mention the nibbles were from Target's freezer section, we had pajamas with fuzzy slippers, and we were watching a Star Trek video. (Yes, we are sci fi nerds.) In all honesty, though, the frozen finger foods make a good little meal. We like to buy the larger cartons, which are cheaper by the serving, and cook only a few of each item to create a miniature smorgasbord, saving the rest for another night. Tonight we had mozzarella sticks, tiny chicken egg rolls, mini crab cakes, two-bite cheese souffles, and an assortment of puff pastry filled with artichoke hearts, asiago cheese with spinach, and pesto with sun dried tomatoes. These were lovely little snacks and the perfect accompaniment to a Friday night martini. In honor of the weekend, here are our favorite cocktail recipes. Enjoy!

Jeff's Chocolate Martini
1.5 measures chocolate liqueur
1.5 measures dark cream de cocoa
.5 measure vodka
2.5 measures chocolate milk

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the container becomes frosty. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry.

Jenny's Dirty Martini
1.5 measures potato vodka
(There are several good brands, and the cheaper ones in the $15 to $16 a bottle range are just as good as the more expensive $30 to $35 bottles.)
1.5 measures Bombay Sapphire gin
(This drink is all about the liquor, so use the good stuff here.)
.5 measure dry vermouth
.5 measure olive juice

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker half full of cracked ice. Shake vigorously until the outside of the container becomes frosty and ice crystals begin to form in the vodka. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a cocktail onion and a garlic stuffed olive. (Olives stuffed with blue cheese or almonds are also excellent.)