Not S.A.D. After All & A Super Sexy Tequila and Patron Café XO Cocktail

How was your Valentine’s!? Did you indulge yourself in all the best chocolate and bubbly there was to enjoy? Did you eat glamorous food you don’t usually attempt to cook or go out to eat really pricey but worth it cuisine?

Or did you simply relish in the beauty of loving those around you and being loved in return?

I did a bit of both, honestly. In anticipation of the most red and pink decorated day, I mentioned what V’day means for me: A day of self-awareness and appreciation. It’s all about loving me and knowing my worth (and dropping hints to certain people here and there). Nothing selfish or too self-absored; just a bit of super love. That’s all.

And this year was no different. Well, not really.  A good friend took me to see Eric Benet (gasp and faint & wonder what Halle did wrong to end that marriage) and Babyface, who at 52 puts on a hell of a performance! Do you remember Whip Appeal? Ladies, ladies, ladies…this is one artist you must see live. If you’re a fan of his work, and lawd does he have a lot of work out there (Bobby Brown, After 7, Boyz II Men, Whitney Houston, Toni Braxton, Charlie Wilson, Johnny Gill, etc…), you’ll have a complete new outlook on this soulful crooner. I’m totally dating myself here, but I’m starting to embrace my age more and more. Okay, I digress. Either way, the concert which was a categorical “hot mess” kicked off my love-y dove-y weekend.

Here’s a clip of Babyface singing Whip Appeal.

Let it take you way back!

But everything resumed to the regularly scheduled programming around here yesterday. I woke up, did some work, went for a great walk (took pic of the bush above during the stroll) and then decided to invite some of my single friends over for dinner. It was very whimsical and unplanned and very last minute, but since I couldn’t be with my family, 2nd best was to cook for some dear friends.

The menu was uncomplicated but highly tasty. I braised flank steak and sirloin and made what has to be one of the best and heat-driven sauces I’ve ever whipped up…tamarind and ginger with rosé wine. OM! I won’t lie, I swear. The sauce was something you’d want to thin out and make a drink out of it was so good. I don’t have a recipe for it since it just kinda happened, but I think I’ll play with it again and share later. Starch came in the form of yuca con mojo and veggies were Swiss chard in a light champagne butter sauce. We sipped on honey wine (dreamy stuff) and finished off our sena with cheesecake—from Costco—but it was darn good (okay, you know that was not my doing. just had to put that out there!).

The S.A.D. evening was quaint and soulfully delicious with intermittent recounts of past love affairs and broken hearts until my best friend and right-hand man, “A” showed up with a cute little pink bag. And then my evening got better. “A” usually gives me a life-size balloon which lives on steroids and lasts 8 months! It’s kind of scary, actually.  I’ve, nor anyone that’s been to my place has ever  seen such a thing. We’ve all questioned the internal contents of these lovely, but blown out balloons. Surely, whatever it is can’t be too safe, right! And, with that a balloon, he’s always given me the most gorgeous and exotic flowers. So, while this year was no different in the way I celebrate lover’s day, those two annual staples were absent.

(pictures from V-day last year!)

But, when I opened up my little pink bag, I  slid right into my chair and curled my knees up. The scary balloon and flowers were replaced with the most romantic card, pink Moscato (which I LOOOOVE!) and my new perfume obsession–Womanity by Thierry Mugler (you know the French designer that gave us Angel and then designed all of Beyonce’s tour costuming). Ooh, he tickled me red when the little pink bag revealed the chic bottle I’d been lusting over! I had to celebrate–something I never do on V’day. I mean really, perfume! It’s such a common cliché, but I’m a hopeless romantic and I love me some perfume. Just love it! I get that from Mami, who’s a bottle collector.

For a moment, S.A.D ended and we all celebrated Valentine’s Day! I went to my bar and made this for the single crew…. a drink that says “I love you, friend, or part-time lover, or girlfriend or dad (who sent me a text message bright and early to apologize for not sending me flowers this year but that I’m the 2nd & 3rd love of his life..awwww) or mom” (who sent me a box of new glittery earrings she made  me).

This oh-so-luscious and semi-creamy concoction which made me smile from shiny ear to shiny ear, is mixed with Sauza silver tequila which  the brand sent me to taste, Gold Schlagger, café liquor and Bailey’s caramel. Doesn’t it just sound fluffy and insanely sneaky? This was single-handedly inspired by the thought that if I wanted a friend to loosen up a bit, lose their inhibitions and still manage to gracefully embrace tickles of love, this would do the job.

Thanks to the shot(s) of tequila, it has enough punch to knock you right into bedroom…. you know, for the grown and sexy!

Hope you had a romantic, delicious, sexy and love-affair kind of day! No matter who you spent it with. Love is love!

Smooches!

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

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Enjoy

B’s S.A.D. AFFAIR

Ingredients:

• 1 oz. Sauza Silver tequila
• 1/2 oz. Gold Schlagger
• 1/2 oz. Patron Café XO
• 1/3 oz. Bailey’s Caramel
• 1 oz. half & half ( I used 2% milk for foam)
• ice

Method:

Add all spirits to martini shaker and shake well. Garnish your glass’s rim with ground coffee. Strain drink into glass. Add more ice if desired.