Pretty In Pink

We went through two bottles of this last night in no time flat:



So yummy, and who doesn't like a pretty pink champagne? "Raspberry Sparkletini" - back by popular demand, after last year's cookie exchange appearance. I've also seen (but not tried) green apple. Found it at the Northtown MGM Liquor Warehouse, but not the Roseville MGM. Strange but true.

This tastes and looks a little more upscale than the pink Andre I usually grab in the $3 section of the liquor store. It has an easy twist off top, which takes some of the fun out of champagne, but also takes out the mess. I served mine in the Pottery barn decades champagne flutes I've had since college. Yes, I had stemware and dessert plates while I still lived in a dorm. My priorities are all confused. :)

All I want in the world right now is a Cherry Coke...

I'm not sure that I mentioned it, but recently I stopped drinking pop.

I miss it.

Significantly.

I love Cherry Coke. And Dr. Pepper. And the new Cherry Dr. Pepper. And every once in a while, like whenever I'm at McDonald's, a plain regular fountain Coke. Mmmmm....

I'm a caffeine addict. I've known it for a while. I've detoxed several times, usually unwillingly, and I experience full out nausea, double vision, debilitating headaches, and a general lack of will to live. It's actually pretty scary, knowing how totally and physically it controls me. Of course, when you're sick already, as I happened to be a couple weeks ago, dosing Nyquil and Dayquil around the clock, and expecting to feel crappy, you don't necessarily notice these symptoms. Four days later, when you finally decide to get out of bed, you might realize "Hey, I haven't had a Coke in a while..."

And then you're faced with a conundrum: stay on the wagon? Or suck it down?

I know I have a lot worse habits than drinking pop, but it's not one of my better ones either. My teeth have visibly yellowed, and I have nightmares of them falling out. I probably drink 2 cans or 1 X 20 oz a day at my desk, plus whatever I get if I go out for lunch (realistically another 16+ oz). And have you noticed how much restaurants are charging for soda now?!?! $2.50! I'm kind of aghast. But I really do love it...

I haven't had a drink in 2 1/2 weeks. I want one every moment of the day. I really wanted one at lunch when dear old dad took me to Red Lobster - and I strongly considered it, before ordering my water. But I stayed strong. Here are my reasons:

1. Pop has gotten expensive. It adds $3 to a meal, or $1.25 if I buy a bottle at work. I'm broke. I should cut this ridiculous luxury.

2. Pop is not good for you. The acid & sugar destroy your teeth. I only like regular soda, so it has plenty of sugar - also not great for my waistline. Cherry Coke has 312 calories in a 20 oz bottle. In comparison, the Vitamin water I'm substituting has 25 calories in the same serving size. Hmm. Since I know I'm not gonna exercise, cutting calories is my only real hope for shaping my flab to fab. Saving 287 calories + per day can only help me at this point.

3. Lesser known facts, to help motivate me: drinking soda contributes to osteoporosis & diabetes, both of which run in my family. It is also linked to obesity, mineral depletion, and dehydration.

Timing-wise, this probably wasn't the best - with all the stress of throwing a major party, it's sort of like quitting smoking right before a holiday. I half wonder if it's even worth it, but I think I owe it to myself to stick it out for at least a month. Then maybe two. Then we'll see.

I'm rocking another sweet Halloween shirt today:



$9.99 at Target again. Stylin', right? :) I'm still a sucker for silver. I'm also wearing my matching sparkly shoes:



And I'm rounding out the look by slamming a bottle of this:



Think it'll work? This is the "recoup" blend of vitamin water, and I'm counting on it to help me get back up and running - I'm still not quite there after this cold. It tastes pretty good too - mandarin & peach, but not overly sweet. Sort of a healthy version of my beloved Peach Schnapps & 7up :)

Better than a punch in the nose

Here's a picture of my punch from the same event as the carrot cupcakes were from below. This is a variation on a drink I had at Summerhill Farms in Itasca one summer, and it's one I make all the time at home, even in individual batches.

Rainbow Sherbet
Sunkist diet lemonade (alternatively: regular lemonade like Minute Maid + 7-up, but the diet is preferable for taste reasons - we all know I could care less about calories!)
Frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed

Dump it all together in whatever proportions you like, and be sure you use the syrup in with the raspberries too. It's a fizzy berry lemonade with an extra kick of tropical sherbet, I drink it with both a straw and a spoon.