Spiked Iced Coffee with Bailey’s

I’m a coffee person. In the mornings, I like hot coffee, but in the afternoon, I like to go for something a bit cooler. Whenever I go to a coffee shop, I am usually that freak that orders an iced coffee whether it’s January or July. Buying coffee out can definitely get expensive, so I’ve come to love cold brewed coffee that I can enjoy at home, sans judgement from the baristas. Cold brewed coffee is just what it sounds like — coffee that’s brewed at room temperature for 15 to 24 hours. Because the coffee concentrate is so strong, you must dilute it with milk or water, and it makes an excellent iced coffee.

I loved drinking Slingshot Coffee Company’s coffee concentrate when I lived in Raleigh, but you can also make it yourself. It makes a ton, so it’s really nice if you’re making coffee for a crowd. Anyway, earlier this week, I went to Trader Joe’s and I was so happy to discover that they sell a store-brand version. I was so inspired, I decided to spike my beloved iced coffee with a little Bailey’s for this week’s Friday Night Delight. I want to drink this forever. Happy weekend! // susannah

See the recipe after the jump…

Friday Night Delights // No. 2

When I was stocking up at the grocery store for the snow last week, I picked up a couple of gorgeous pomegranates to snack on. These fruits, to me, are one of the most extraordinary. When you cut one open, the fruit reveals the most exquisite array of sparkling ruby-red seeds. It’s like opening a sack of gems. Mother Nature is so good to us, eh? If you don’t know what I’m talking about, get your paws on a pomegranate and do your own science experiment. I promise the result is delightful!

This weekend I’ll be headed down south to the land of the pines. Tonight is my last night in D.C., and I’m not sure yet what I’ll get into. I’ve had an awesome time catching up with old friends and making new ones, as well as freelancing from a new office for a change, which included lots of hanging out with my brother’s cats. (I’ll share some pictures from my trip next week.) But after two weeks of being away, it will be nice to be home again and really get going with whatever 2014 has in store for me… Anyway, hope you have a great weekend! // susannah

See the recipe after the jump…

Friday Night Delights // No. 1

Note: As I begin this blog, I’ll be toying around with different kinds of posts. For now, Friday Night Delights will be a column about drinks and cocktails to enjoy on the weekend. The name is spin on that of one of my favorite TV shows, NBC’s Friday Night Lights. The show is centered around a small, fictional town in Texas where everyone spends their Friday nights watching high school football. If you’re turning up your nose at the word ‘football’… Please. My dad is still trying to teach me what a ‘touchback’ is. So, watch it! It’s shot beautifully, and the story will reel you in straight away. Anyway, my favorite Friday nights are usually spent drinking cocktails with friends — not watching high school football — so that’s what I’ll aim to do here each week. 

Thanks to Winter Storm Hercules, we got four inches of snow in Washington, D.C. last night, and I hear the New England states got it way worse. However, nothing will get a Southern girl’s hopes up like the prospect of a few snowflakes. (Usually, my heart is broken into a million pieces when the snowstorm somehow swings north and only sends me freezing rain.) But this time, the weather came through for me! Yesterday, we watched snowflakes float down and stick (!) to the ground beginning in the early afternoon. I might have been the only person in the D.C. metro area who was remotely excited about it, but my inner North Carolinian will forever find joy in this lovely white stuff. I woke up this morning to a lovely, serene blanket of soft, white snow. Thankfully, my family was able to get on their way back to North Carolina this morning, but I am staying here for another week to house-sit. Luckily for me, I have a few friends who happen to be visiting D.C. this weekend too, so I have some exciting, snowy adventures ahead of me! It’s supposed to be very cold — for a Southerner, anyway — so I’ll be sure to warm up with one of these cocktails tonight. It’s one of my go-to drinks this time of year! (And all year, let’s be real.) // susannah

See the list after the jump…