Restaurant Week in the Poconos

Restaurant week has begun in the Poconos! We will be updating you on more information in the coming days about this, but wanted to share an article with you. It runs until May 6th, so check back with us.

You won’t get stung by this Jelly Fish Martini

Image via Wikipedia

Many people love the beach. You might be planning a trip for your local beach, the Atlantic, Pacific Coast, or the Gulf Coast. Maybe somewhere tropical or beyond. We love the beach like most people. Once, our family was at a beach, enjoying the sunshine. Our toddler played innocently in the water while we soaked in the sun. Suddenly, a crisis hit. No, not a shark.  Jellyfish. He was stung multiple times. We knew nothing of the danger he was in, but a nurse nearby thankfully did. She kept us all calm while removing the stingers, then proceeded with the proper treatment. He was perfectly fine, and ready to go in a few hours.

April is when Jellyfish first begin showing up in waters, & are found in every ocean. Thankfully, not all species are toxic as we found. They did, however, inspire our latest drink.

The Martini Maidens were up one night creating another drink. This drink does not sting, and it sure isn’t toxic! However, when we finished with it, we looked at it and remarked that it looked just like a jellyfish in a martini glass. Hence, the Jellyfish Martini! We heard such comments from some of our taste-testers as ‘Every sip is different!’, ‘You could marinate something in that drink!’, and many more comments. ‘Wow!’ came back a lot. We’ll take that as a compliment!

To make this, you need to do mix the following: (Remember to chill the glass first)

• 2 tbsp Red Pepper Jelly (we used Blue Willow Inn brand)
• Dash of Chipotle Tabasco

Pour these into the bottom of your martini glass.

Then mix together:

• Martini & Rossi Vermouth – 1 part
• Million Vodka – 2 parts

Shake together and pour on top of the jelly/Tabasco mixture.

You can garnish with a jalapeno pepper or cube of cream cheese. Serve an abundance of chips and salsa or guacamole as a side dish, combined with great company, and you have taken the sting out of any rough day. Enjoy!

Mint Julep Martinis for the Derby?

We love following events in all the cities we can possibly catch (an impossible task, but we give it our best). We ‘cuss and discuss regularly what we will have for our next featured drink. So the question arose naturally.  The Kentucky Derby and the classic Mint Julep. Do we dare tempt fate with suggesting this drink as a martini? We do stretch the boundaries with our recipes – and we’re perfectly fine with that. We aren’t sloppy with our drinking, but we can be very laid-back about the ‘rules’ when it comes to what is acceptable for a martini. Oh, the dilemma where we now find ourselves! To stay with tradition. . . or not? (I hear music from ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ playing as I write this.)

So we offer a happy medium for now as we ponder this massive decision before us. Someone else’s musings on a Mint Julep Martini.

Emeril has a recipe as well, which eased our troubled minds much more. . .

We found a third recipe highly rated. . .

So where does that leave us with the Kentucky Derby coming in just a few weeks? The conflict is swelling and stirring even deeper inside now, as you can imagine. (If you don’t get our sense of humor by now, it’s probably time to move to another site about martinis. . . )

We leave you with that, and the Official Site of the Kentucky Derby for now.

Seattle Restaurant Week is here!

If you live in the Sea Tac area or are visiting the Seattle area, there is  still time to catch some of Seattle Restaurant Week. Week Two runs from April 17 – 21.  For a great article on it, here are a few links for you:

• Seattle Times Review
• Open Table List of Participating Restaurants
• Seattle on the Cheap

Boston is Bouncing with Things to Do!

If you are a runner, have ever run in a marathon, or dreamed of it, the Boston Marathon is surely on your radar of marathons to run. Baseball? Of course the Boston Red Sox! This weekend is, of course, the Boston Marathon. There is so much more to this great city that is rich in history, we just had to list some of the reasons to make it one of your places to visit.

• The Boston Marathon Anything you want to know about this event should be answered on this site
• Latest update from Boston.Com on Marathon News
• List of events, sports, and travel information, restaurants to visit, and more
• Nightlife Location Recommendations
• And their tourist site on planning a vacation to Boston
• Popular Nightlife in Boston list by CitySearch
• Frommer’s Top 95 Nightlife Places to Visit
• List of the History of Boston, Things to Do, Getting around, Shopping & Dining, and more
• Lists events throughout the year & places to stay
• Frommer’s Complete Guide to Boston
• Boston Red Sox Official Page
• Boston Celtics Official Page
• The Boston Bruins Last, but definitely not least!

This is just a start, but there is a lot packed into these links. We hope you enjoy visiting Boston. Whatever your interest is, there is something for everyone!

Babyface’s Birthday and Indianapolis Impressions

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds turns 52 today. He is originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. One of the songs he is most well-known for is ‘Change the World’. Notable especially because he said when he was young that he wrote music to express his emotions. In honor of his influence on the music world as a  songwriter, record producer, film producer, and much more, as well as a nod to his birthplace of Indianapolis, we are listing some great things to do in Indianapolis. It’s a great city in the heart of the Midwest full of a vibrant arts community, sporting events, and thrives on tourism. Some great things going on in Indianapolis include:

Wiki’s Most Exhaustive List of Things to Do!

Frommer’s List for Nightlife and Events Nightlife in Indianapolis

Indianapolis Museum of Art

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Children’s Museum of Indianapolis Worth grabbing a niece, nephew, or friend’s child to have an excuse to visit if you don’t have children of your own.

Indianapolis Zoo Lucas Oil Stadium Tours are given during off-season for the Colts; check the site for the schedule

So you haven’t had a Dirty Martini? We have some thoughts for you

We posted a few days ago about the Dirty Martini and its popularity. As mentioned, it was the very first martini I ever had. After some discussion with friends, we discovered that some people haven’t had one, or are interested in a few recipes. There is a standard recipe, but with everything in life, people like to throw in their opinions and make some variations! We are not the IBA, so we are going to throw out some thoughts for you who are interested. (NO disrespect to this fine organization!!)

Our previous article, noted above, lists the ingredients and requirements for a Dirty Martini per the IBA (International Bartenders Association).  Here are some links to others’ versions, which may look strikingly similar. Or not. If you like to be strict with your version of the Dirty Martini, definitely go with the original recipe. Otherwise, enjoy a few options below. No matter what, enjoy a nice Martini this evening. Relax and enjoy your weekend with friends or family. That”s what we have on our agenda!

All Recipes version

About.Com – includes a video

Epicurious.com

Dirty Cajun Martini

Dirty Horniti

Dirty Martini with Bleu Cheese Olives

The Color-Changing Martini

The French Martini

So. . . the Purists of the Dry Martini are offended by now. And that’s okay. We wanted to make some options available that maybe you haven’t found yet for your list. Let us know which one you like best.  You can always email us at MartiniMaidens@yahoo.com, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook. We love hearing from you!

Hungry Tonight? So are a lot of people.

We are departing from our normal topics to share something that is connected to a lot of what we spend time on retweeting on Twitter daily. Food.

We’ve retweeted several times about events related to the Food Bank NYC. Today, we are writing about it because we recognize how fortunate, how blessed we are daily. There is still time to get involved in Food Bank NYC, and we hope it will motivate more people to take the ideas to your own city and make those ideas unique to the needs and culture of what is going on where you live.

So what is the mission statement for Food Bank NYC? Their link, Food Bank NYC states it “works to end hunger and increase access to affordable, nutritious food for low-income New Yorker’s through a comprehensive group of programs that combat hunger and its causes.

What are some ways they are achieving this? They have had some outstanding fundraising events that you can see on the website. They include the Can-Do Awards Dinner and the Varli Food Festival, which we retweeted. (We would love to hear from some of you who were able to attend!)

Some other things they have incorporated can be done in any city, whether you live in a town of 50 or a city of 50 million. Be sure to look at their Pound for Pound Challenge, where donations go to the Food Bank. If you don’t have a food bank in your city, look into starting one or donate to the one nearest to you.

Other things? I translate it into one word: Education. Educating your government. Educating others. Maybe educating yourself. Myself.

One of my favorite people, perhaps the most inspiring of all, said this, “We all have ability. The difference is how we use it.” Stevie Wonder

Chicago is calling your name this weekend!

Image via Wikipedia

And we wanted to mention just a few things going on to keep your eye on. . .

Bars and Nightlife Info

Cubs Schedule

White Sox Schedule

Top Picks of Restaurants, Events, and Things to do by MetroMix

Explore Chicago

Nightlife, Restaurants, Bars and More

Chicago Nightlife Search

The Masters Martini is Here!

Image via Wikipedia

We did our research as promised, and this is what we learned about the favored drink for the Master’s Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. The signature drink is the Azalea. We created our version, Martini-style! Be sure to check our recent post on how to properly shake a martini for details on this important step.

Shake together the following ingredients: 1 part pink lemonade 1 part canned pineapple juice 3 parts  Skyy Pineapple Vodka Enough Grenadine to color pink You can also add  in 2 parts heavy whipping cream for a creamier drink for a variety.

Again, shake with approximately 5 – 6 ice cubes per drink.  Garnish with a pineapple slice and 2 maraschino cherries on an extra-long golf tee – of course!

You can see the results of both martinis below. The martini on the left is without cream, and the martini on the right does contain the cream. You’ve been warned, though. . . This isn’t your mom’s Strawberry Quik!!