10 liquid ways to beat the winter chill.

Baby, it’s starting to get cold outside – the perfect excuse to warm up with a little holiday cheer. And by “holiday cheer,” we mean a stiff drink.

Whether your poison is cider, champagne, coffee, or cranberry, this week’s Foodspotting Friday offers plenty of inspiration for imbibing this holiday season.

Champagne Cocktail @ Per Se

Egg Nog @ Saul’s Restaurant & Deli

Mulled Wine @ Christopher Columbus Restaurant & Pub

Absinthe @ Absinthe Brasserie & Bar

Irish Coffee @ Buena Vista Café

Spiced Apple Cider @ Michigan Brewing Co

A Winter’s Holiday @ Frankies Spuntino Restaurant

Spiced Cider Martini @ Douzo Japanese Restaurant

Egg Nog @ Saul’s Restaurant & Deli

Bourbon and Bacon @ The Girl and the Fig

In Foodspotting Friday we highlight one of Foodspotting’s – or our own – top picks from our Foodspotting guides. Be sure to check them out and tip us off to your own favorites in our Readers’ Picks guide. Want to start spotting food on your own? Join Foodspotting and take part in the food spotting revolution. It’s visual, it’s positive, it’s global and we are in love with it.

The post Foodspotting Friday: Holiday Cheer on the Rocks appeared first on EcoSalon.

I’m not much of a holiday decorator. I don’t spend two days unwrapping little chotskies out of bubble wrap (you know, the same ones I spent two days re-wrapping last year) and setting them up all over my home. I don’t hang hundreds of blinking lights from my roof or station large plastic figures on my front lawn. My holidays are a tad less elaborate and adorned. And I like it that way.

First of all, I hate packing and unpacking of any kind. I’d rather stick needles in my eyes. And I don’t like excess stuff sitting around, especially theme-oriented, color coordinated stuff.

Having said that, autumn is upon us and with the changing weather and falling leaves comes a feeling of nostalgia and celebration. But not to worry – there are plenty of simple, subtle ways to express the approach of the holidays without going over the top.

I’ve gathered an idea or two for garnishing your home – from tabletop to mantle to martini. Things that aren’t always exclusive to the holidays but that celebrate the seasons nonetheless. Here’s hoping you’ll see something that tickles your yearning for decoration, in the simplest most sensible sense.

On the top of my list but the farthest from reality, is this platinum and diamond encrusted skull (image above, For The Love of God). It’s the creation of British artist Damien Hirst, who has a morbid fascination with death and dying, and it sold for $100 million dollars in August 2007. No it isn’t simple or sensible. It’s glamorous and shocking, but I couldn’t resist.

Speaking of glamor, I’m a glutton for black. It goes with everything and makes everything look good. Just check out Leigha’s post last week for more details about bringing on the black.

I’m loving these touches of black with the slightest twist of orange or cream or candied apple (images above). And dried anything, from twigs to flowers, placed in a simple vase, turns an ordinary tabletop into interesting, without going gauche (image below).

All things metallic are hip right now, so use your imagination with gold paint and old buttons or beads. Preferably not all at once, just dabbing a little here and there does the trick.

So the table is set, but what’s the point of a party without a flavored martini?

Pumpkin Pie Martini (image above)

1/2 oz Sylk Cream Liqueur
2 oz Vanilla Vodka
1/2 oz Pumpkin Liqueur (or substitute pumpkin spice syrup)
1 tsp (or more) Whipped Cream
1 Cinnamon Stick for garnish

Pour the cream liqueur and vanilla vodka into a shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Add the pumpkin liqueur or syrup and shake again. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Top with the whipped cream, and garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serves 1.

Of course, you can’t have autumn without pumpkins, although I fly on the shy side with these gourd-like squashes. Carving with the kids is great fun, but when it comes to decor for your home, let’s leave the knives in the kitchen.

I’m needing a few of these velvet critters, so soft and snugly (image above). Or try your hand and paint them in plaid or polka dot; winter white or graphic delight (images below).

Draw a black raven or bats, use a doily as a stencil or monogram your initials (images below)….

…clothe them in old black stockings or leftover lace.

Let’s move on to flowers and wreaths; mantles and cakes.

Like I’ve said, crafts and such just aren’t my thing – I seek out simple and easy. So these orange calla lilies (image above) do just the trick. I’m loving how they’re arranged leaning to one side – asymmetrical is where it’s at.

I often have an aversion to wreaths – they are so easily overdone and embellished with too much garnish and frill. But these two gems (images above and below) capture the pure and crisp of the changing seasons and upcoming holiday cheer. You might even find one on my front door this year.

I’m crazy about these cheesecloth covered glass vases (images below), in all heights and sizes. Look closely and you’ll notice the black medical stitches down one side. Fill them with dried flowers or twigs and you’ve got a subtle way to share the Halloween gore without going too far. Add a spider if you’re so inclined.

Last but not least, these cakes made the cut. I’m not a pastry chef, nor am I competent in the ways of the kitchen, but I had to include them for the mere fact that they say Halloween at its most simple and sophisticated. Bon appetit and happy holidays.

Images: Better Homes and Gardens, Molly Findlay, this is glamorous, Delia Creates, Shelter Pop, Wise Craft, coco + kelley, green wedding shoes, style me pretty, Michelle Rago Ltd., Pinterest, Martha Stewart, Simply Grove, Country Living, Fina Art & Paper

The post Autumn Inspiration: Just Don’t Say Holiday Decoration appeared first on EcoSalon.

You care deeply about your carbon footprint, your sanity, your cocktails. So when you saddle up to the bar at your favorite watering hole for that much needed Friday libation, why settle for anything less than organic spirits and liquors?

The new bottles on the block are making inroads into bars and eateries according to trend watchers like The Chic Ecologist. Stirred or shaken, it is easy to bond with the benefits, from low-glycemic sugar substitutes, to added fiber and protein to decreased hangover symptoms. Pick your poison – or rather – lack there of it – by shopping some of the cleaner booze boasting pesticide and dye free purity. Many of the brand creators make it a double by not only offering healthier ingredients but also doing their part for good causes.

Coming from a family of vodka enthusiasts, I was intrigued by the introduction of Square One founded by Marin County’s Allison Evanow. Taken in by the upscale hippie environ of her Northern California digs, she says she pondered the new-age, yet old question: “Why not put the ethos of the farmer’s market into a glass?”

Evanow left no stone unturned in the low impact alchemy: The mix called for pristine sprung water from the Teton mountains, organically certified North Dakota rye, and a process that requires single pass distillation to save on energy. The packaging also forgoes the ubiquitous frosted bottle for a distinct, square reusable bottle with a sustainable bamboo, easy-to-peel-off label. Meantime, the rye byproduct of the vodka making process packs a big fiber and protein wallop, allowing it to be sold as feed to an organic dairy farm. “We’re thrilled to be a vital link to the cradle-to cradle process of growing grain feeding cattle and creating the best martinis you’ve ever tried,” says the founder.

Other brands to wet your green whistle:

4 Copas Organic Tequilla

Described as the “king of tequilas” because of the maturity and flavor which appeals to scotch and cognac drinkers as well as tequila connoisseurs. In addition to the great blue agave sweetened with natural nectar, the hand-blown glass from local Jalisco artisans supports the work of Seaturtules.org. I’ll drink to that!

Juniper Green Organic Gin

The first organic dry London gin contains pure water, grains grown without chemical fertilizers and a combo of 100 percent organic botanical herbs rounded up from the best international sources.

Highland Harvest Organic Scotch Whisky

This scotch is distilled from Soil Association certified organic barley blended from the Highland and is an incredibly smooth whiskey – one that has matured in oak barrels for four years before being released. The blend, rather than single malt, melds the flavors of organic malt and grains for young yield with a superior taste.

Image: geishaboy500

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