My husband and I recently celebrated one year in our house!
The first year has certainly been an adjustment, especially coming from an apartment where we had no yard work and a landlord to call if something went wrong but we’ve loved it. I love having a garden and a kitchen with beautiful natural light. My husband will tell you he loves the gear room, the garage and being able to bike and walk everywhere.
The day we moved in, was a beautiful March day in Denver with blue skies and temperatures close to 70.
And only three weeks later, we were hit with a blizzard! Ah, Denver weather.
The backyard is one of my favorite parts of the house. This last year has been an exploration of the garden; I’ve been trying to figure out what plants we have and trying to find my green thumb (I think it’s there somewhere). There are tons of roses, strawberries, lavender, herbs, and all sort of other things I have yet to figure out. There are also some raised beds for a vegetable garden. I’m looking forward to getting a better harvest this year as I figure out how to tend the soil and take care of the plants.
Come fall, I had no idea one maple tree could make so much work! But being from New England, I wouldn’t give up the maple. It’s a nice reminder of falls growing up in Massachusetts.
To celebrate surviving one year of home-ownership (with no major issues – knock on wood!), we made ourselves a few cocktails and a dinner of beef tenderloin with horseradish and orange crème fraîche, mashed potatoes and roast asparagus. For our cocktail, we made a French 75.
“Named for an innovative piece of French artillery and comprising of just four ingredients — gin, lemon, simple syrup, Champagne — the French 75, when made properly, features nose-tickling bubbly as the gateway to a perfectly integrated combination of floral gin and citrus.” — Saveur
My favorite gin is from a local Colorado distillery called Spirit Hound. It is small batch gin made with freshly-picked juniper berries that come from the banks of the St. Vrain River in Lyons, CO. It is smooth and a little more floral that other gins.
French 75
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 drink
Ingredients
1 lemon
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) gin
1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup
1 cup ice cubes
1/4 cup (2 ounces) dry sparkling wine, such as brut Champagne, chilled
Instructions
Using a zester or paring knife, slice the peel from the lemon in a long, thin spiral. Reserve the lemon for another use and set the peel aside.
In a cocktail shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. Strain into a chilled Champagne flute and top with sparkling wine.
Garnish with lemon peel and serve immediately.
Hey Laura. This was the first I had heard of a French 75 we tried it out last night. It is the kind of refreshing summer drink we like to have outside in the summer, just like you said. However, it was just as good on a cold Friday night in March listening to music, doing a puzzle and looking forward to springtime.
Glad you guys liked it!
How have I never heard of a French 75? Gin + champagne?! Sign me up. Now I know what to do with the gin from our wedding 🙂
I’ll be right over to help you with that gin!