Tattooed Martha

Smoky Blood Orange & Rosemary Margaritas

January 23, 2019 · Leave a Comment

With the wintry weather, I’ve had quite the craving for bright citrus flavors, fresh herbs, and a good strong drink. Heavy emphasis on the “good strong drink” part since I’ve found myself getting towed or pushed out of a ditch twice in the last week. My poor little Corolla that I lovingly refer to as Carol, slid off into a small ditch on our gravel road leaving my tires about a foot from a very steep drop off into a creek. A quick rescue from my dad with his truck and some tow chains saved her, but then it happened again! This time I spun out while getting off on an exit on my way home last Friday. My brother, nephew, and boyfriend were able to push her out. Next challenge was an extremely steep and slick curve. My boyfriend tried using his truck to push my car up hill before we finally deemed it too dangerous and left her parked safely in a mobile home park. It was extremely stressful at the time, but I was able to laugh about it later when the news featured Carol in all of her glory stuck in the ditch in front of the exit sign. Apparently they are reusing that shot over and over again on their recent commercials advising about more of our impending winter storms. My one shot at 15 minutes of fame and my car steals the show… dammit Carol.

Since I was snowed in with no car I set about making the best of the situation and made some thirst quenching and stress relieving margaritas! I’ve been playing around with different ways to use smoked rosemary in cocktails and thought it would make a nice pairing with blood oranges that are currently in season. I would have loved to grill the oranges on the grill, but since it was a sweltering 6 degrees Fahrenheit and the grill was buried under 8 inches of snow I had to settle for a cast iron skillet instead. It lent a mild smoky flavor that complemented the sweet citrusy flavors of the blood orange and tequila.

Even if you didn’t find your car featured on the news or have to brave the snow, do yourself a favor and treat yourself to this margarita regardless!

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Roasted Cauliflower 3 Ways

January 15, 2019

If you haven’t embraced cauliflower into your life yet maybe this will be the post that makes you do it! I never used to be a fan of it myself, but after learning how to make it taste like hot wings.. I was sold! For a good throwback recipe you can see what I’m talking about here.

I decided to challenge myself with THREE new flavor variations and the best part is that they all go into the oven at once. They all come together to make a great snack platter for your next get together or if you like to meal prep it gives you a bit of variety throughout the week. Each flavor has it’s own complimentary sauce to pair with it too. Kicking Cajun is just as it sounds.. packing a punch of spice with my homemade Cajun seasoning mix and paired with a spicy and tangy remoulade. The Parmesan Herb combo has fragrant herbs and baked on Parmesan to give it a nice crunch, served up with a simple marinara sauce. My favorite was the Spicy Turmeric & Ginger. I made a scallion-soy dipping sauce similar to what you would use for dumplings and it was the perfect complement to the spicy ginger flavoring.

After the recipe comment below and let me know which flavor you’re most excited to try or if you have a few of your own favorite ways to make it!

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Roasted Beet & Squash Salad with Balsamic Reduction

January 10, 2019

Beets will forever be on that fine line of you either love them or hate them and if you hate them… this recipe is NOT for you.

I like to channel my inner Dwight Schrute and fully embrace beets and their earthy flavor. This time I went even further by using their greens in this salad and pickled the stems to use in other dishes, putting every bit of them to good use. To balance out the strong beet flavor, I added some roasted butternut squash, candied pecans for a little sweetness and crunch, goat cheese crumbles for tangy richness, and then drizzled a balsamic reduction across the top. This winter salad ended up being as pretty and colorful as it is healthy and filling!

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Daily Life

January 7, 2019

We’re a week into 2019 and things are already off to a great start. We took off this past weekend to get out of town and spend some time at a cabin with family and friends. It was a nice way to blow off some steam after a hectic holiday season and there were plenty of good meals, good laughs, and good times shared. The real highlight of the weekend came right before we left town though, when I received an unexpected and yet very anticipated phone call from my realtor..

After months of waiting, we finally got a yes on an acreage I offered on. It’s not a signed and sealed deal just yet, but it’s moving along at least. I know way more about septic systems than I ever thought I would and I’m sure purchasing a fixer upper as my first home is going to school me on a whole lot of other things I never thought I would possess knowledge of. Like everything in my life, I like to jump in with both feet and couldn’t be more excited to take on this challenge. I see a lot YouTube DIY demos, paint, and wine in my future. Feel free to send me bottles of reinforcement!

Becoming a home owner was my one big goal (aside from Europe) that I wanted to tackle last year, but the right home/price/seller just didn’t allign and it hurt not being able to check that one off the list. I set myself timelines and deadlines for “THE” house to come to fruition and was met with disappointment over and over when things fell through. After reminding myself to look at everything I DID accomplish and also realizing I was standing in my own way, I let go of that timeline and expectation. One week and one day later exactly of releasing my grip on that goal and things are finally becoming a reality.

This is not to say you should just visualize or swing crystals around and your wildest dreams will come true. You absolutely need to prepare, work toward, and get your hands dirty when it comes to accomplishing your goal. Just remember to allow things to happen on their own timeline after you’ve done all that you can on your own.

Push yourself this year, work harder than you ever have, bring about healthy change, and remember to be gracious to yourself. You may feel like you’re running in quicksand most of the time, but I promise that you are moving in the right direction nonetheless.

Cheers to a promising New Year!

Winter Apple Sangria

December 29, 2018

Every holiday season (okay, really any season) I love making sangria for all of the get togethers with friends and family. This year I threw together a quick and simple one using Red Delicious apples, pomegranate seeds, cinnamon sticks, and cloves. It’s a great make-ahead cocktail that you can do several batches and variations with. I top mine off with champagne for added crispness which makes this perfect for a New Year’s Eve celebration!

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DIY Retro Atomic Starburst Ornaments

December 22, 2018

I love vintage Christmas trees and ornaments, but they can often be quite pricey and with curious cats around, it’s just asking for those precious relics to be shattered. Instead I created some DIY mid-century atomic starburst inspired ornaments using foam and toothpicks. They’re fairly simple to construct and you can customize them to fit your color theme. And if you’re a last minute Christmas shopper like me.. they come in handy to give as gifts!

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Krampus Rum Cocktail

December 20, 2018

If you haven’t yet heard the folklore of Krampus, you are totally missing out on one of the best Christmas tales of all time. Krampus is a creature bearing horns, fangs, a long tongue and carries with him chains and a bundle of birch sticks to swat naughty children with. He shows up at the beginning of December and then hauls the bad kids back to the underworld. I must say that as I child I would have been much more likely to behave with the thought that a hooved demon-like creature was going to snap me up in the middle of the night versus the empty threats of getting a lump of coal in my stocking!

To honor Krampus, I created a dark and delicious cocktail for you all to enjoy. Using a mix of black cherry juice, citrus, and spiced rum, this sweet and tart concoction strikes the perfect balance of naughty and nice! I also want to dedicate this cocktail to Layla, my best friend’s daughter, who STILL won’t let me say, “Krampus” in fear that I will somehow summon him like Voldemort or something. I’m telling you parents.. this story is effective! 😉 haha

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My Top 5 Favorite Christmas Posts

December 17, 2018

Working in retail makes it difficult for me to get into the holiday spirit (I’m more like the Grinch this time of year) so I’ve been revisiting some of my top 5 favorite Christmas posts to help revive the magic of this season. And if it doesn’t.. at least 3 out of the 5 involve alcohol! Be sure to leave a comment below and let me know which of these posts you’ve already tried or are looking forward to creating this Christmas!

Hot Chocolate Spoons

These were so much fun to make and easy to customize with an array of milk, dark, and white chocolates. And of course loads of sprinkles and marshmallows! Throw together a batch for some cute and easy DIY gifts. Get the full post here

Gingerbread Rum Balls

These perfect bite sized gingerbread treats come with a hefty kick of Sailor Jerry Rum. They are always a hit at parties so make sure you make a double batch! Get the full post here

Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal Wall Art

Hands down, one of my all time favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone. This wall art quote inspired by the classic is simple to create and makes for a fun and not-so-typical piece of Christmas decor. Get the full post here

Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix

Another great DIY gift is a mason jar full of this decadent homemade hot cocoa mix. You’ll never use store bought again and for the adults you can add a dash of rum to the mix! Get the full post here

White Christmas Tea Hot Toddy

The old fashioned cold cure.. a Hot Toddy. You’ll be faking sick just as an excuse to drink one of these! A mix of spices, citrus, Maker’s Mark, and a Christmas Tea blend.. this is perfect for sipping on those extra chilly winter days! Get the full post here

Happy Holidays everyone!

Chicken Skillet Nachos with Pomegranate Salsa

December 15, 2018

When you think of nachos, you usually picture the version that’s served at a sporting event.. A pile of chips in a plastic container, loaded with liquidy cheese that you pump out of a dispenser, and topped with canned jalapeno rings. I mean, those are still pretty amazing when washed down with a big over priced beer, but if you’re looking for something a little healthier, a little more filling, and elevated enough that you could serve at your next party.. then this is the recipe for you.

Two layers of tortilla chips, pan seared chicken breast strips, roasted butternut squash, green onion, and Monterrey Jack cheese are baked together in a cast iron skillet until they’re perfect equal parts melty and crisp. Then they get a festive layer of sweet and spicy pomegranate salsa that’s just as delicious and addicting by itself as it is on the nachos. The best part is that you can still wash them down with a big glass of beer, because you know I did! 😉

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Exploring Paris

December 11, 2018

Like a lot of people I’ve always dreamed of going to Europe, but it seems to be (at least in American culture) that we talk a lot about the things we would like to do, see, and experience, but put it off to when it’s more “convenient” or until retirement age. I found myself making these same rationalizations, so I made a deal with myself at 27 that I would be spending my 30th birthday outside of the U.S. and started planning and saving for a 3 week long trip.

By the time my 30th birthday was about to hit I had everything booked and ready to go. We fit in 7 cities throughout France and Italy and I filled my phone and memory card with hundreds of photos. Over the next several weeks I’ll be sharing how we explored, wined, and dined in each city. My goal is not to make an online photo album of my vacation, but to inspire someone else to go after that goal they’ve been waiting to start on. This was a life changing experience and the feeling of accomplishment I had knowing I got myself there is unparalleled to anything else I’ve felt. Even if you have zero desire to explore the same cities that we did, I still invite you to read along and hopefully take away some travel tips, tricks, and inspiration.

So let’s start with Paris..

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