I’ve joined-up with a bunch of fun gals (mommyslittlemonsterblake.com) to help celebrate the end of summer.  The premise is;

“The Details:
Your blogging Tribe is visiting you for ONE NIGHT out on the town. Write a post with a pre-game drink recipe (alcoholic or non) and tell us where you’d take your blogging friends for a good time!”

I learned about it by being a regular reader of vinobaby, if you haven’t checked-out her blog go and do it now…I’ll wait. 

Did you go?  Good.  She’s a hoot isn’t she?

Now onto my perfect night.  I too like to stay in when the girls are around-noone has to worry about driving there’s always extra beds here and belgium waffles for breakfast the next day with lots of espresso and bacon. 

Clear the house of all boys and babies and let the chatting fly.

We’ll start off in the kitchen (doesn’t everyone?) for a platter of spiced nuts and olives.  We’ll also have breadstickes wrapped in prosciutto and then get into the hooch.

Now a number of my friends are going to be blessed with some lovely new beeboos in the next little bit of time so I want to have a drink that is great for both the mom-to-be (and to-be-again’s) and those of us who are not abstaining.  When I was pregnant and afterwards I really didn’t like the sickly sweet drinks that seemed to be available for those not drinking so I came up with this treat.

Start with a pitcher that has six limes that have been quartered, two VERY large handfuls of fresh mint and 3/4 cup of sugar and beat them with a rolling pin (I’ve got a little muddling pin here but don’t go and buy anything special) until the lime juice has come out and you can smell the mint very strongly.

Do this again in a separate pitcher for those that aren’t drinking alcohol. Top the whole pitcher with sparkling water.  Serve in a pretty glass with lots of ice and garnish with more lime and mint.

Delish!

For those who are going to imbibe add a bottle (26 oz. of rum-I like the white)-remember, noone is driving anywhere.

Pour two oz. of this lovely mixture into a glass filled with ice and top with sparkling water.  Garnish with more mint and wedges of lime.

With our drinks in hand we’d go outside and sit beside our wood-burning pizza oven, all the construction would be done and my yard would no longer be filled with a variety of ugly things. 

I would put Miles Davis on the outside speakers and pass around chocolate sea salt truffles.  If it was chilly we’d switch drinks to a really good port and have cozy throws to wrap-up with. 

We would have the outside screen set-up for a movie (by then “The Help” would be out on DVD) but we’d never get around to watching it.  We’d be too busy having one of those epic talks that only good friends can have.  You know, the type that when you haven’t even seen the person for a long while you just seem to pick-up where you left off.

Come to think of it.  I think that I’ll get ahold of some girlfriends and do exactly this.

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