I have invented THE summertime beverage of 2009: The Shiny

equal parts good white rum and fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 parts juice of lime and juice of lemon
splash of Monin vanilla syrup to taste

Serve in a punch bowl with lots of ice and fresh strawberries to garnish.

After spending the last week or so at my sister’s place (a couple days of which I was on my tush battling a case of the Clemson crud) I have found a new appreciation for watching pretty people make pretty food on television. I’m talking about Food Network. Oh yeah. You know you’ve watched it. All the cool people are baking now, you know.

I’ve come to realize that the holidays are to bakers what the summer is to surfers. It’s their TIME. Secretly they wring their hands in anticipation of the opportunity to strut their cakepan stuff for their friends, family, and coworkers. Sure, Suzie Officemate may say she only brought in that perfectly presented tin of homemade gingerbread cookies because she “had extra”. But, Suzie’s just being humble. She wants us to tingle from head to toe when we put those confections in our mouths.

And food is an AMAZING option for hostess gifts, office Secret Santa, or that person who’s got everything. Watching Food Network has shown me that it’s really easy to make a tasty treat that looks as good as it eats. So, in these tough times when our pockets are a bit shallow, how about grab some ingredients from the grocery store and gift someone a snack with a handwritten card taped to it? They’ll LOVE it because you made it. For reals.

For you, a homemade link to the fun. Happy making!