Yes and Yes Book Club: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

BIg Little Lies Cocktail

It's Yes and Yes Book Club time again! This month I read Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty and drink Fizzy Pink Cocktails. This perfect for the beach book takes us deep inside the crazy lives of suburban Australian families with secrets to keep and cocktails to down. 

Head over to Yes and Yes here to read my review and get the recipe! 

If you have any suggestions on new Summer cocktails please share below!



Basil, (Side) Boob, and Baking Box

my cookies, my basil and yes if you google image "milk milk lemonade" you get a side boob of pam from archer

my cookies, my basil and yes if you google image "milk milk lemonade" you get a side boob of pam from archer

About a month or so ago I found myself wandering the farmers market of Minneapolis (not the real one but the fake one that is put on display downtown every Thursday where you can buy the same hummus that is available in the grocery store not to mention the fruit that is clearly coming from the local banana plantations). 

I was in search of creating the ultimate herb garden this Summer. My present living situation allows me access to what basically boils down to a built in greenhouse with a spare twin mattress that may or may not have fungal issues and is part of what I think an effective security system. I was loading up my hands with what I wanted and calculating what my cash situation was that day. When I reached my max I paid and walked away. Only to realize at my desk, 5 mins later, that I had procured what would be the ultimate Basil Herb Garden. With now 5 varieties of basil in my possession I was the master of all things basil. And not a damn other herb to mix in the bunch.

Not sure what the hell I was thinking.  

Weeks later I'm constantly spritzing thai, mammoth, spiced, sweet and purple basil.  I have no plans to use any of it. I have created an army of basil soldiers with no war to fight. I know in the end I will dry it and use it throughout the Winter. But for now they look sad...UNTIL TONIGHT!

You see last week when it was so hot that other people around me who sweat (I don't sweat) couldn't bear the idea to cook dinner, I volunteered to mount my stead (that is not a euphemism - I am still single ladies oops...gentleman) and ride to our local coffee/sandwich/edging on dirty hipster cafe, Anodyne. I had a tasty croque monsieur with chips (because I'm American) and my roommate dined on a curried turkey sandwich. His was just okay. Mine was worth a return trip when the weather turns cold.  

To splurge and further encourage my impending betis I picked up two cookies. One chocolate chip and one lemon glazed sugar. After being a total bee-yotch to the counter maid (I'm sorry I didn't mean to imply that my cookie taste buds were superior) I felt obligated to try the sample platter.  

Sorry Anodyne but the chocolate chip cookie wasn't the best. However the lemon glazed sugar cookie was like Summer's toes curled, head tilted back and landed on my tongue. Do not spit this time ladies. Swallow. And go back for seconds. The lemon glazed sugar cookie was good enough that it had me thinking for the next few days that I needed to get more citrus desserts in my life tout suite.  

Naturally I bought four "minnesota" lemons at last Thursday's farmers market and have been sitting on them since. I was still thinking about them this afternoon as I watered and talked dirty to my basil soldiers. Which is what lead me to search the interwebs for lemon basil cookies. As I mentioned last week there are no more original ideas so I found a crap ton of recipes. Being a label whore for recipes I stopped scrolling when I saw Bon Appetit had one. And being a one upper on desserts I made it better. Well maybe not better but I didn't have a lime so I just subbed in Real Lime. You know the stuff. Used to come in a lime shaped bottle that you grandmother would spritz into a cocktail.  

Here you go - make it your own but know that my way is probably better...


Lemon Lime Cookies -

RECIPE FROM BON APPETITE

I'm am choosing to make a nice lemon glaze to dip the cookies in. You can sprinkle them with sugar before baking if you don't want to get fancy with a glaze. But a classy lady knows when to glaze a ham and when not to.