Goodbye to what doesn't serve me....

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

I haven't posted in a while. January is always a hard month for me. I'm not sure if it is the holidays being over or the thought of the long winter ahead but I think it could be more than that. I've been really motivated to make this year a positive one personally and professionally. But, at the same time something has been pulling at me. A few days ago I took a Peloton Bootcamp Class with Callie Gullickson. If any of you have a Peloton and you want to be uplifted, it is impossible not to feel that way after her classes. Her message is BYOE. Bring your own energy. This week she played a Michelle Branch song that I used to listen to often and I haven't heard it in a while. It is called "Goodbye to You." Callie said she added it to the play list because she thought it could represent saying goodbye to everything that doesn't work for you in your life. As soon as she said that the light bulb went off in my head. I think it is why I have been feeling stuck.

January is the month for starting fresh in your personal life and your work life. The rage is different positive and inspiring platforms and different diets which are supposed to transform your life. But when you are a perfectionist like me, and you are bombarded with so many things you can do to change your life and make yourself more productive, and successful and healthy your takeaway may be like mine....I am not enough the way I am and I need to change. The whole point of beginning January in a new way is to start positive habits to be a better, happier and more fulfilled version of who you are. It's not about being a different version of who you are. So, I am going to say goodbye to the negative takeaways, the perfectionism which may serve those around me but no longer serve me and embrace who I am. My son gave me a bracelet for Christmas a few years ago with the words , "All I Need Is Within Me." I forget those words sometimes as I strive to do better and be better. This year I will concentrate on that message and I will follow my own path to a productive, successful and healthy year. Say goodbye to what doesn't serve you too!

Blackberry G&T

I decided to use the Morécello Liqueur that I introduced in last weeks seasonal sipper for another twist on a classic this week. Normally I would not add a liqueur to a Gin and Tonic because I am not a fan of sweet cocktails. But, the addition of the fresh lemon juice balances the Blackberry liquor and keeps the refreshing, bright characteristic of this classic cocktail. I chose Q Tonic water because of the sugar content and the flavor profile. It is less sweet and works well with these flavors. But, you can certainly use any tonic water that you have available.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Hendricks Gin

3/4 oz of Morécello or another blackberry liqueur

1/2-3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Top with Q-tonic water

Sprig of fresh rosemary

Add the gin, blackberry liqueur and the fresh lemon juice to a mixing glass filled with ice. Stir until cold. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice, top with the tonic water and garnish with the sprig of fresh rosemary.

Blackberry Smash

The other day when my sister was visiting she mentioned that she found a blackberry liquor from Drillaud and she tried it with bourbon. It brought me right back to a time when I

Made this cocktail with fresh blackberries in the summer. I haven’t had one in a while. Since it is the winter there were no blackberries at the grocery store so I decided to look for the Moricello liquor that is local to our area. It is a project by a local entrepreneur who happens to be the husband of my dental hygienist. When you live in an area as small as the Lakes Region 6 degrees of separation becomes more like 3.

This is a super easy bourbon or whiskey cocktail that is a perfect Aprés ski or sipping by the fire drink. I recommend using a smooth bourbon like Four Roses Small Batch or Eagle Rare. It would also be great with a heated bourbon like Maker’s Mark or Maker’s 46.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz bourbon

3/4 oz Moricello Blackberry Liquor

1/2 oz lemon juice

Lemon twist

Stir the ingredients with ice in a mixing glass. Strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish with a lemon twist.