Happy Hour {Memorial Weekend Edition}
The unofficial start to summer has arrived! We’re scurrying of to create with crêpe paper and metal {and blooms!} for tomorrow’s wedding but are looking forward to kicking back and relaxing for the long holiday. With cocktail in hand, naturally. Here are four of our most popular cocktail recipes of all time on Valley & Co. Lifestyle, just for you! We hope you enjoy, friends!
Photo: Terri Rippee Photography for Valley & Co.
Our Lemonade Sparkler is amazing. Remember this cocktail from two years ago? Yup. It’s the one that’s now been pinned over 500k times! Think we know what will be a go-to cocktail for this weekend. Here’s the recipe:
2 oz. strawberry infused Svedka vodka | 2 oz. simple syrup | 2 oz. fresh lemon juice {or pink lemonade} | sparkling wine
Pour simple syrup and vodka into a shaker and shake with ice and add lemon juice. Top with sparkling wine | Garnish with strawberries and mint
Valley & Co.’s Sangria Three Ways White Wine Sangria:
2/3 cup white sugar | orange slices | lime slices | lemon slices | diced green apples |
½ liter of club soda | 1 bottle Chardonnay
Red Wine Sangria:
1½ cups rum | ½ cup white sugar | 1 cup orange juice | lemon slices | orange slices |
lime slices | 1 bottle dry red wine (try a Spanish rioja)
Rosé Sangria:
½ liter club | soda | sliced nectarines | green apple cubes | lemon slices | lime slices |
orange slices | 1 bottle dry French rosé
Mix each in a carafe, refrigerate overnight, and serve with ice
Our Blood Orange and Mint Sunset {photo by Valley & Co.}
blood oranges || 1 oz. blood orange liqueur || .5 oz. gin || seltzer water || a handful of mint leaves || ice || fine grained sugar
Dampen the rim of a low ball glass and dip in sugar. Muddle a few mint leaves in the bottom the low ball. Add ice, blood orange liqueur and gin. Stir and top with seltzer water. Serve with orange wedges and mint leaves as garnish. Cheers!
Editor’s note: if you want a mocktail version, substitute the liqueur with blood orange juice and omit the gin.
Our Easy Spiked Lemonade recipe is, well, quite easy! It’s very refreshing, too!
a can of Limonata {a fizzy Italian lemonade} | vodka | mint leaves
Pour 1 oz. of vodka into a bistro glass. Top with Limonata and ice and garnish with mint. That’s it. Easy peasy!
…and, if you’re looking to set up shop with a fun picnic or snack board for your party or impromptu entertaining, Kraft paper works wonders! Roll out paper {or a brown paper bag} and write out names for fun cheeses and spreads. Enjoy!
Photo: Elle G. Photography for Valley & Co.
Have a very safe and fun Memorial weekend, all!
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Print 
PDFHappy Hour with Club W
Friends, the weekend is nearly here! Not to mention, it’s a holiday weekend! Any fun plans for Memorial Day? We’re in the thick of our mega wedding and event season {and eternally grateful to play a role in such wonderful celebrations} and we’re always thinking about new and fun gifts to give to our clients for their celebrations. Recently Club W invited us to test out their online wine concierge service and, being the wine lovers we are, we jumped at the chance to check out this fantastic idea {and thought it a great idea to gift to newlyweds!}.
We logged on and took their palate profile test {we were asked about our preferences for spicy foods, and other food loves and dislikes}, and then Club W generated a number of hand-picked wines just for us based on our preferences. We selected three we thought looked especially delicious for these warmer days as we inch closers to summer. Here’s what was shipped to us:
It’s an especially great experience as it takes the guessing out of selecting wines for each occasion and tastes. You’re presented with an abundance of wines that are chosen just for you. How’s that for service? 
Club W’s well-known curators taste hundreds of boutique wines and choose a select group each month for their members – thus far we’ve sampled the delicious Loca Linda rosé.
The Vedict: the Loca Linda was very refreshing and not too sweet. It has a nice balance of a slightly tart flavor while being crisp and very refreshing. We paired it with a light cheese snack and nuts and it was delicious. We can see enjoying Loca Linda on warm summer nights out around the bonfire or on the patio under dreamy globe lights sipping and enjoying this delightful rosé.
Photos: Valley & Co. Lifestyle
The scoop: you can check out Club W by getting started in creating your palate profile. Each month Club W will generate a number of selected bottles based on your tasted and then you choose the three you’d like to experience. The cost is $39 plus a flat rate shipping of $6. What’s even better? Valley & Co. Lifestyle readers have access to the equivalent of one free bottle of wine {you’re welcome!}. Just sign up at Clue W and enter coupon code: 411valley.
Seriously, guys…this is an awesome experience and we’d recommend giving this as a wedding gift or housewarming present. Who wouldn’t love that?
Cheers!
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At Home with CB2 and Novogratz Collection #CB2NovogratzBrasilSweepstakes
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of CB2 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
We’re huge fans of CB2. The clean line products, stylish and comfy everyday wear and seasonal goodness are always fun and we have endless lists of our must-have items for our home and our client events and spaces. Needless to say, we were thrilled to discovered the CB2 and Novogratz Collection. We can see getting our hands on all sorts of Novogratz goodness for summer: we’re in a pattern craze these days! Patterns and vibrant colors are warm and can cozy up a space in a snap and the new collaboration equals vibrancy for days and patterns galore.
Here are a few of our favorite new pieces:
{Aleah adores this funky light!}
The quadrado rug is a must! Wouldn’t it look fantastic on an outdoor patio for a summer bash?
Each season we aim at revamping our 1920s Green Lake area home with fresh and bright pieces that can punch up our living spaces quickly and with ease. We’d love to scoop up these picks to transform our spaces for summertime. Hop on over and follow CB2 to discover your favorite Novogratz pieces and enter the CB2 and Novogratz Brasil Sweepstakes
You can also follow CB2 on Twitter: @CB2Tweets or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cb2
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Book Club: Extra Virginity
Extra Virginity The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, by Tom Mueller, s a good read for anyone who enjoys cooking, appreciates olive oil and loves learning about their food and its origins. While it’s slightly on the drier side and delves deeply into the science of authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil {and fakes}, the crime and corruption behind this liquid gold is quite interesting.
The book provides a glimpse into Italian families that operate centuries-old olive tree groves and harvest olive oil for their livelihood, discusses the political aspects to this trade and piques interest in the history behind this kitchen staple.
You can find the book on Amazon here.
Valley & Co.’s Consensus: a solid read for a rainy day.
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Entertaining at Home: Apricot, Blueberry + Frangipane Crostata
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4 oz (1/2 cup)
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Butter (at room temp)
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½ cup
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Sugar
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¼ tsp
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Salt
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1
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Egg
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1 ¾ cup
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All-Purpose Flour
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½ tsp
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Vanilla Extract
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2 cups
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Almonds toasted and finely ground into fine meal
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½ cup
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Sugar
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4 oz (1/2 cup)
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Butter (room temp)
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¼ tsp
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Salt
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2
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Eggs
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2 Tbs
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Milk
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5
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Apricots (sliced in quarters)
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½ cup
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Blueberries
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½ cup
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Sliced Almonds
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