!HOLA TEQUILA! by about.com author, colleen graham, gives praise to one of my faves: tequila. i’ve got a soft spot for all things mexican and that definitely includes this underdog of the spirit world.

if you like tequila, you will love this book. and if you don’t like tequila, you’ll still like this book… because 90% of people who think they don’t like tequila have forgotten exactly why they think they don’t like tequila. i can’t tell you how many times i’ve served a tequila based drink to a customer who commenced to joyfully imbibe it… until they found out it was tequila! BUT, after they realized the silliness of their tequila-based fear, they conquered that fear, and continued sipping their tequila-based tipple in confident and pleasant surprise. “this is tequila? no!” so you see, tequila is not who you thought he was. tequila is mr. right for your drink right now!

out of the 90 tequila recipes included in this funky, retro style book, my fave is the CHOCOLATE MARGARITA. who would put those two together? me! i’m a tequila-lovin chocoholic. cinco de mayo is right around the corner, so make sure you are prepared with this handy book. love the colors, love the design, love the vintage look. kudos on the design colleen, and the cocktails too!

CHOCOLATE MARGARITA:

2 oz blanco tequila
1 oz chocolate liqueur
1 oz creamer (i sub coconut milk)
splash fresh oj
splash fresh lime juice
dash chocolate bitters

place the ingredients in a blender and mix well, then add 1 cup of ice and blend until smooth. pour into a margarita glass that has been rimmed iwth a mix of sugar and cocoa.

!HOLA TEQUILA! only $15 hardcover

so, we’ve heard of wine bottles being recycled (GREEN GLASS), and the occasional pop bottle, but now we know where all those empty bottles go… they go to bottle heaven to get transumuted by god’s light into soy candles… THE BOTTLE MILL love love love!

especially love the don julio anejo ash tray!

if this valentine’s day came and went with YOU, celebrating YOU, alone… good! after all, you must love YOU, before you can love someone else TOO. but, according to psychics, 2012 is a kick off year that will ignite the meetings of TWIN FLAMES and MOST COMPATIBLE SOUL MATES the world over. that trend continues on after 2012–casual sex is destined to become a thing of the past. so, if you’re ready to use the new unconditional love energy of 2012, i recommend ASTROLOGYDATING to fast track yourself to coupledom.

ASTROLOGYDATING is a groundbreaking new site that factors in more than JUST your SUN sign (like most sites). the ASTROLOGYDATING precision database calculates your MOST IMPORTANT planetary elements and compares them to prospects in your very own customized COMPATIBILITY REPORT. in short, ASTROLOGYDATING takes you and your prospect’s natal chart, lays them on top of each other, and observes which areas touch which areas, and how they touch. how’s that for zodiac foreplay? that’s just the beginning, baby! imagine…

“dear “pisces X,” your venus touches my sixth house in a way i never dreamed possible… can this horny capricorny buy you a drink?”

so, i put ASTROLOGYDATING to the test, and ordered a COMPATIBILITY REPORT to see how “pisces X” and me matched up romantically. i got tons of different mini-readings describing us sexually, emotionally, ect. this was my fave:

“Although you two have a good time together, there is a hazard of being over-enthusiastic with food and drink as well as with financial resources. You encourage each other, but you may be encouraging each other in the wrong directions. Get a designated driver who’ll also hold your wallet (literally or figuratively) and you’ll be safe.”

dear readers, i’ll keep you posted on how it goes with “pisces X.”

besides dating, ASTROLOGYDATING is AWESOME for self discovery. sign up for FREE and get the most amazing, accurate natal chart reading right off the bat. and on top of that, you’ll receive DAILY SCOPES to your inbox which are some of the best i’ve ever read. (i normally HATE daily scopes, i’m a monthly kind of girl). but since i joined ASTROLOGYDATING, i actually look forward to reading my DAILY SCOPE. miracles never cease–maybe i will find mr. right this year.

joining ASTROLOGYDATING should definitely be on your TO DO LIST for this coming week!!!

happy valentine’s day to INTOXICATED ZODIAC & ZODIAC VODKA. we’ve been dating for sometime (as you might have read when we first met.) but it has gotten SO serious. We might even get hitched, just a suspicion. There’s been no questions popped just yet… BUT, i know that ZODIAC VODKA is THE ONE. IZ might even have found more than a soul mate, IZ may have found its MOST COMPATIBLE SOULMATE. we all have lots of soul mates, but only one MOST compatible one. that said, INTOXICATED ZODIAC and ZODIAC VODKA are SO SO SO alike, we might even be TWIN FLAMES! woah… like whitney & michael. for those of you who are wondering what i’m talking about, a twin flame is YOU. not your other half, but half of your other self. in other words, an equal sized chunk of YOU. now don’t get all exited about finding your TWIN FLAME over your MOST COMPATIBLE SOULMATE, because having YOU, in YOUR face all the time would get pretty intense, no? but there’s definitely some pretty intense lovin’ going on between IZ & ZODIAC VODKA.

tall, dark & handsome, ZODIAC VODKA, is so divinely delicious in the new BLACK CHERRY flavor… so, deep, so rich, so sweet, so – oh stop! this is good stuff this BLACK CHERRY ZODIAC VODKA… and the best part is that each bottle is SIGN-SPECIFIC! wow, again, make it stop, right? i know, i know! but there’s more… it’s GLUTEN FREE made in potato country idaho… and of course, SMALL BATCH DISTILLED for discerning drinkers. so, if you’re one of those snobs, like myself, who prefer to “infuse” their own vodka with their own flavors, just know that ZODIAC VODKA worked with a master distiller to develop a 100% NATURAL flavor extract specifically for them. also – there is no shelf-life, unlike any and all “infused liquors.” BLACK CHERRY ZODIAC VODKA will keep forever, just like our love. this BLACK CHERRY is different than any black cherries you might have dated before. trust me, this one is a keeper, AND so is each keepsake bottle that it comes in!

INTOXICATED ZODIAC & ZODIAC VODKA = TRUE LOVE ETERNAL

throw a WHAT’S YOUR SIGN WINE GLASS PARTY, complete with tarot card reader, astrologer and numerologist.

UVA SPA & WINE did just that… and it was a hit. why? because astrology is HOT. astrology is what the BEAUTIFUL people are into. it’s what the celebrities like. but you know what i say? celebs, schmelebs. astrology is what REAL people are into! OCCUPY
YOUR
GLASS : )

WHAT’S YOUR SIGN GLASSES are beautiful on the outside, and the inside too. they are brimming over with integrity:

***MADE WITH LOVE IN THE USA!
***PORTION DONATED TO ANIMAL CHARITY!
***LEAD & CADMIUM FREE INK!
***GWEN’S ORIGINAL ASTROLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS!
***CUTE HANDMADE BOTTLE CAP WINE CHARM!
***COLOR UNIQUE TO EACH SIGN’S ENERGY!
***SIGN-SPECIFIC BAROSCOPE READING ON IT!
***ANCIENT QUOTE: “We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born.Astrology does not lay claim to anything more.~Carl Jung”

BOYS like astrology too.

SERIOUS stuff going on here (with an anything but serious sign, aries), pouring the nectar of the gods. something they are excel at, i might ad ; )

leos always LOVE anything INTOXICATED ZODIAC. look at all those orange leo glasses below!

awww, love those sweet little cancers.

gemini, i guess you’re ok too.

the smokiness of the mezcal combined with the depth of the spices and the sweetness of the cider works perfectly together. perfect like virgo, but when you’re freezing anything warm is perfect! seriously though, this is a good one that’s easy peasy to make. and, i add woefully, it was a best seller at the now-defunct mexican gastropub, comida mercado fresco : (

this cider is host to a plethora of ingredients–indeed it has all 12 signs in it! but i’m going to go with virgo here and pick coriander to focus on. why? because so many of us don’t realize that coriander is actually cilantro! yup, that’s right… when cilantro goes to seed, the seeds are then picked and… voila! we have coriander. Those peeps who’ve gone to accredited online colleges for culinary arts will be familiar with this.

and as you know, because you are such good little students, cilantro is ruled by mercury, who is the fast and furious ruler of the most perfectionistic sign in the zodiac: virgo. this is due to its lacy foliage and fragile quality, indicative of Mercury’s quick and wispy nature. Mercury is our fastest orbiting planet. Cilantro’s flower also happens to be “perfect.” of course.

here’s some trivia for ya…. Linda Gilbert states “In literature, coriander is mentioned as an aphrodisiac in The Tales of the Arabian Nights. And those famous sugarplums which fill children’s dreams at Christmas time were originally sugar coated coriander, a treat that offered a sweet start and then a spicy burst of flavor. Later the recipe included small bits of fruit and became the confection we know today.”

HOT MEZCAL CIDER:
2 oz mezcal (organic del maguey is recod)
fill with spiced cider
serve in a mug, garnish with an orange bow

SPICED CIDER:
1 gallon cider
10 whole cloves
4 cinnamon sticks
15 coriander seeds
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
(toast spices in skillet, add to cider in sauce pot, simmer for 10 minutes, store in fridge.)

this lovely little book was delivered on january 6th, which happened to have been my birthday. what a nice gift universe, thank you!

chef to the stars, sabra ricci, presents a healthfully refreshing angle on astrology… as we know, each body part is ruled by a specific sign. so, ricci skillfully created recipes that called for ingredients beneficial to particular parts of the body. (for example, capricorn rules the bones and molasses happens to be high in calcium. it apparently also happens to contain copper and manganese for support. in fact, ricci goes on to advise, capricorns who sweeten their cereal and coffee should substitute molasses.) actually, that’s a brainstorm sabra! i love molasses as it is, and i honestly had no idea it was so high in calcium. as a vegetarian-inspired vegan, calcium is probably more important to me than most, so i better get on these cookies, my bones need ‘em!

MOLASSES COOKIES FOR CAPRICORN:
16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves

1. preheat the oven to 350 F
2. in the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the brown sugar on medium high speed. reduce the speed to the medium and add the eggs one at a time. add the molasses and continue to mix. remove the bowl from the mixer and set aside. in a mixing blow, sift together all the dry ingredients except fr the remaining 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. stir the dry mixture into the butter mixture until completely blended. cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
3. using a tablespoon size ice cream scoop, scoop the dough and roll it into balls. roll the balls in the remaining granulated sugar. place the balls onto a greased baking sheet, spacing them 2 inches apart, and bake for 8-10 minutes. remove from the oven and transfer to wire racks to cool.

$16 PAPERBACK ($10 FOR EBOOK)

Additional Resources:
You can find more info on culinary classes from Guide to Career Education.

2012: this is THE year. as in THE one. as in what we’ve been waiting for. as in don’t F*$! it up. use the extraordinary energy of the next 365 days to craft your new life… the soul mate of your dreams. the career of your dreams. the family of your dreams. for there is a spicy kick to this year that will light all that you capable of imagining on fire. (and that’s fire in a good way, for those who know me ; ) just stay away from dark thoughts and work towards the light of the dragon. check out this pic of dragons recorded flying in the sky!

you might think that dragons are mythical creatures living only in games such as dungeon & dragons, books such as harry potter or permanently on the biceps of bikers. but you would be mistaken. i only recently learned this myself: and that is that the dragon realm is as real as any other… take for example the angels. just because you can’t see them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. think of it this way… when you look at a hummingbird, you can’t see its wings, for they are moving so quickly. but, they are there! some things vibrate too rapidly for the human eye to pick up. just like a dog can hear sounds that are inaudible to the human ear… same thing!

i know that when i am very tired and have to stay up late, i will often call on the energy of the dragon realm to help pump me full of their special brand of metaphysical cocaine. and it works! i’m always amazed that i didn’t get tired. so, this 2012, call on the energy of the dragon and fire up your life. how bout a spicy tipple to help get you started?

DRAGON MARGARITA:
3 oz charred pineapple jalapeno infused tequila
1.5 oz triple sec
1.0 oz simple syrup
1.0 oz lime juice

Shake over ice. strain into chili salt rimmed glass. Garnish with a slice of jalapenjo pepper.

PINEAPPLE JALAPENO INFUSION: Slice a ripe pineapple and a jalapeno pepper in half, and grill. Submerge into tequila-filled vessel. Allow to infuse for at least one week.

CHILI SALT: mix chili piquin with kosher salt.

Helpful Site:
OnlineUniversities.net is a resource with information on culinary arts classes.

hey everyone, i’m launching our new INTOXICATED ZODIAC tumbler size zodiac cocktail candles this week at HENRI BENDEL… i’ll be there now through mid jan…. so swing on by and pick up a birthday gift for the cappie in your life ; )

this past holiday i created the cocktails for UNDER THE STARS, an astrology-themed event with famed astrologer SUSAN MILLER and celebrity chef TODD ENGLISH. both of whom, seem to be nice people, which i am glad to report : ) Todd’s head chef was even nice… he shared this culinary tip with me: “gwen, you should toast your spices to bring out the flavor before cooking with them!” oh, says me. DUH, thanks mike the scorpio : ) i have tested this since, and it really does help immensely. SUSAN gave a speech on what 2012 will bring (awesomeness for every sign) and TODD served 4 element-inspired apps, while promoting his latest book. there was a pop-up zodiac shop too, in which IZ glassware was featured. it was a fun night, and hey, now i can say that i’ve been interviewed by the wall street journal. that was cool! read all about it on heydoyou.com.

as promised, i’m putting all the recipes from UNDER THE STARS online, so now all you zodiac junkies can drink your very own sign for some extra christmas cheer this year!

check out IZ the pop-up shop: WHAT’S YOUR SIGN WINES and BAROSCOPE SHOTS and MARRIAGE SIGN SHOTS and BACHELORETTE SHOTS below.

The work of Nicholas Culpeper, the father of western herbalism, serves as a guide when i create astrology-themed drinks. His work may still be referred to in online classes at culinary arts schools today. Culpeper’s books are still in print, 300 years after he wrote detailed descriptions of which plants belong to which signs and how to use them medicinally. In Medieval Herbal Astrology, plants have Zodiac signs, just like people. In the Medieval times only seven planets had been discovered as opposed to nine today. Therefore, since these drinks are based on Medieval Herbal Astrology, the ancient ruling planet for each sign is referenced.

“under the stars” was sponsored by TYKU, perrier and jim beam, the recipes call for these fine products. cheers!

Aries’ Cocktail features CRANBERRY as its star ingredient! Aries is ruled by Mars: The scarlet, fiery, hot planet. Flavors that are very spicy or very tart are often ruled by Mars. The cranberry’s bright crimson color, underscored by its tangy flavor certainly betrays its allegiance to the red planet, and is hence an Aries.

ARIES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 2 oz cranberry syrup, 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice, perrier
(shake over ice and strain pour into an ice packed collins glass. Top with Perrier. Garnish with a floating fresh cranberry)

CRANBERRY SPICE SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 1 c fresh cranberries, peel of half a small orange
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Taurus’ Cocktail features PEPPERMINT as its star ingredient! If its divinely fragrant and tantalizingly tasty, you can bet its ruled by Venus. This beautiful planet rules all fruit, herbs and flowers that are particularly fragrant. Hence, mint falls under the dominion of Venus and may be identified as a Taurus.

TAURUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz peppermint syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(served up with a mini candy cane garnish)

PEPPERMINT MINT SYRUP:
3 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 tsp peppermint extract
(heat until dissolved)

Gemini’s Cocktail features HAZELNUT as its star ingredient! Culpeper lists the hazelnut under Mercury. The tree’s delicate leaves & flowers are indicative of this planet’s fleeting & wispy qualities. After all, Mercury is the fastest orbiting planet in our solar system. hazelnut is a Gemini.

GEMINI XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz hazelnut cocoa syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a few pcs of floating chopped hazelnut garnish)

HAZELNUT COCOA SYRUP:
1 c “NUTELLA” spread,2 c water
(heat lightly and whisk until blended)

Cancer’s Cocktail features EGG as its star ingredient! The egg is ruled by the Moon, as is Cancer. They share the traits of a hard outer shell and a soft, pale, fleshy inside. Cancer is known for its innate creativity, along with a desire to “nest.” What symbolizes those two qualities more than the egg?

CANCER XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz ‘nog anise syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a floating star anise)

‘NOG ANISE SYRUP:
1 c brown sugar, 1 ½ c water, 2 cinnamon sticks, 5 star anise, 4 tsp chopped, fresh ginger, 3 tsp vanilla extract, 10 cardamom pods
(toast spices over medium low in pan first. then simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Leo’s Cocktail features CLEMENTINE as its star ingredient! The bright, round, orange-colored, life-giving star of our solar system, the Sun, rules over Leo. Because the clementine bears a heavy physical resemblance to the sun, it is given ruler ship under it. The clementine is a Leo.

LEO XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz sochu, 1 oz clementine rosemary syrup, 1 1/2 oz lemon juice
(served over ice topped with Perrier. Garnish with a slice of clementine)

CLEMENTINE ROSEMARY SYRUP:
2 chopped clementines, ¼ c chopped fresh rosemary, 2 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Virgo’s Cocktail features POMEGRANATE as its star ingredient! The pomegranate is ruled by Mercury due to its astringent qualities. Mercury is the fleet-footed planet and therefore holds ownership over anything that is fast-binding and drying in nature. That is why the pomegranate is a Virgo.

VIRGO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 1/2 oz pomegranate grenadine, 1/2 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with 3 floating pomegranate seeds)

POMEGRANATE GRENADINE:
Equal parts 100% pomegranate juice and water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes)

Libra’s Cocktail features SUGAR PLUM as its star ingredient! Libra is ruled by the Venus, the beautiful planet. Venus holds dominion over things that are sugary sweet, succulent, attractive and delectable in nature. A perfectly ripe, juicy plum would certainly fall under ruler ship of Venus, and may be called a Libra.

LIBRA XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz tyku liqueur, 1 oz plum syrup, 1 oz lemon juice
(serve up and garnish with a sugar rim)

SUGAR PLUM SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 chopped fresh plums
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Scorpio’s Cocktail features CLOVE as its star ingredient! The incredibly pungent and powerful clove is ruled by none other than what many refer to as the planet of war, Mars. Really, it is the planet of passion and the strength to defend and protect. In fact, clove is so strong it can be used to defeat Cancer. Today, Scorpio is considered co-ruled by Mars and Pluto.

SCORPIO XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 1 oz lemon juice, 1 oz clove chili syrup, perrier
(served over ice, topped with perrier, garnished with a floating clove and straw)

CLOVE CHILI SYRUP:
1 c white sugar, 3 c water, 2-3 pinches cloves, 1 small handful or approx 20 dried chili arbols
(toast chilis and clove over medium low in pan first. simmer for 15-20 minutes and strain)

Sagittarius’ Cocktail features FIG as its star ingredient The vast number of seeds in a fig makes it a fruit ruled by Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. This huge planet is the owner of all things Ubiquitous, prolific, abundant and colossal in nature. This is why the fig is listed as a Sagittarius.

SAGITTARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 ¼ oz fig syrup, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice
(shake over ice and strain into glass. Garnish with a dried fig slice)

FIG SYRUP:
1 c fresh chopped figs, 1 c white sugar, 2 c water
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Capricorn’s Cocktail features MOLASSES as its star ingredient! Discarded as a by-product, molasses is the almost black, densely thick, mildly bittersweet syrup that is born from the dregs of the sugar cane plant. Saturn symbolizes frugality, austerity and scarcity. Molasses is ruled by Saturn due to the nature of its genesis.

CAPRICORN XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz gingerbread syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up with a slice of candied ginger garnish)

GINGERBREAD SYRUP: 2 c brown sugar, 2 c water, 1 c molasses, 5 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Aquarius’ Cocktail features CEDAR as its star ingredient! Saturn is the slowest moving planet, symbolizing longevity and resilience. Plants ruled by this constant planet are extremely hardy in nature–take for example the famously pest and weather-resistant cedar tree. Today Aquarius is considered co-ruled by Saturn and Uranus. That’s why cedar is an Aquarius.

AQUARIUS XMAS TIPPLE:
1 oz sochu, 1 oz sake, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1 oz cedar syrup
(served up with a sugar rim)

CEDAR TIP SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c dried cedar tip needles
(toast cedar over medium low in pan first. simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

Pisces’ Cocktail features CHESTNUT as its star ingredient! The chestnut tree’s diameter can be as great as 17 feet, which epitomizes the grandiose qualities of the largest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. Today, Pisces is considered co-ruled by Jupiter and the more recently discovered Neptune. The chestnut is a Pisces and sheer size alone is what determines that.

PISCES XMAS TIPPLE:
2 oz whiskey, 1 oz chestnut syrup, 1 oz creamer
(served up a chestnut slice garnish)

CHESTNUT SYRUP:
2 c white sugar, 2 c water, 1 c chopped and peeled roasted chestnuts
(simmer for 20-30 minutes and strain)

ROAST CHESTNUT GARNISH:
Slice each nut prior to baking with a knife, but try not to penetrate flesh. Then it will be easier to slice them for garniature.