A handsome cat, distillery sneak-peaks, Game of Thrones party ideas, and a handful of links in today’s (late) edition of Thymeline!
[Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, and I will earn a commission if you purchase through these links. I recommend products because I find them helpful or interesting. All thoughts and opinions are my own.]
***
Another late Thymeline, this time coming on the tail-end of our trip! We took the red eye yesterday morning from Utah to Philadelphia, and between that, a very active week, and the time difference, I’m feeling the consequences. No time to slow down though, too much to do!
Speaking of Utah, meet Marley, Prince of the Backyard. Marley is technically an indoor cat, but when our family out where we were visiting moved to their new home, he fell in love with lounging in the grass. He now demands to be out there on every nice day, and complains all through winter.
Details of our visit to Utah will warrant a post all of its own once I decompress, but suffice to say we had an amazing time full of some awesome fencing competitions, delicious food and drink, and good times with family. After all the cocktails and rich dinners I ate though, I might need a bit of a detox diet for a few weeks.
Here’s a sneak peak of the fabulous tour and tasting we had at the High West Distillery & Saloon in Park City, Utah. That’s their signature Old Fashioned Old Fashioned in the cover image too!
***
Hosting a Party in Westeros
I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Game of Thrones Season 7 starts on Sunday night – Are you a fan? Are you excited? Suffice to say I am!
While I won’t be hosting one this year, I’ve taken part in my share of season premiere and GoT-themed dinners in the past, so I thought I’d gather up some inspiration for whatever shindig you might be hosting. Recipe-wise, I can personally recommend this Pentoshi Honey Duck with Orange Snap Peppers, but honestly anything from the Inn at the Crossroads blog or the official cookbook, A Feast of Ice & Fire is an excellent bet (the Beef and Bacon Pie in the cookbook is one of my favorites). For dessert, how amazing is this White Walker Ice Cream with black sesame seeds from Let’s Eat Cake? Gorgeous! I’ll shamelessly add these Mini Mixed Mushroom, Pea, & Gruyere Picnic Pies of mine as well. While not specifically from the books or tv show, I think they’d fit right in with your Westerosi menu.
Brit + Co shared some really cute favor and decor suggestions, and for cocktails, you are swimming in options. This The Mountain & The Viper Cocktail is just inspired, and Lauren Zaser shares eight more lovely cocktail suggestions (I’m eyeing the Rogue Dove). Of course, you can always keep it simple: serving some honey mead, hearty ale, and glasses of a dark, full bodied red wines will work for any Game of Thrones party you throw.
If you have more ideas or plans for a party in Westeros, I’d love to hear about them in the comments! And if it’s too close to host one this weekend, who says you can’t host a party for the second episode? Or the last? When I was in Jersey City, we had a span of time where we had a tasty meal with our casual group viewing of (almost) every episode. It was a lot of fun. No one can say that I don’t love any opportunity to sprinkle a little theme on the average get together, that’s for sure!
***
Last but not least, a few random links I love this week:
- This King Prawn Risotto with Peas and Courgettes just looks so beautiful and refined.
- I swear, I can’t get enough of things being s’mores-ified, and these S’mores Macarons and S’mores Mini Cakes are no exception.
- If marshmallow isn’t your thing, what about donuts stuffed with creme brulee stout mascarpone filling?
- I’ll be taking some inspiration from these 9 Bourbon Cocktails for a Lusciously Unproductive Summer.
- I love when articles give me excuses to eat more of things I love – 3 Healthy Reasons to Eat More Pineapple
- And as a final note, here are a few recent cookbook purchases I’m currently enjoying:
- Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes by Peter Meehan
- Cuba!: Recipes and Stories from the Cuban Kitchen by Dan Goldberg, Andrew Kuhn, and Jody Eddy
- Smuggler’s Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki by Martin and Rebecca Cate
Cheers!
