Stacy Hanes: March 2, 2025
Coping with stress? Tired from work? Burning the candle at both ends? Sometimes we just need a break. A little break that doesn't ADD to the chaos. Should you meditate? Yes. Should you work out? Yes. Should you get sleep and drink water? Yes and yes. But should you have a cocktail party, even if it's just for yourself? Yes too. That little something different can break up the monotony and bring a sparkle to what, often, turns into Monday through Friday after work same same drudgery. There is more to life than just Saturday and Sunday! Make it so, my friends!
My ideal weekday cocktail party features an hors d'oeuvre and a cocktail. Both just enough out of the ordinary to make it special but nothing so special I have to think about it too much. And a place to sit that is not in front of the TV. That would so defeat the purpose. Light a candle, dim the lights, go outside if it's nice. Get out grandma's fancy plate that you never use and those crystal glasses you save for the holidays. Sit, look at the world, smell the air, experience where you are, read a book, have a delicious sip and a rich bite. You deserve it.
Weekday Cocktail Party Menu
Olive Cheese Flips and Reworked Classic Martini
Olive Cheese Flips
Based on "Olive Cheese Puffs" recipe by Lea McKenzie in Gaeagle Pre-school Collectable Delectables cook book
1/2 C grated cheddar cheese
1/8 C soft butter
6-8 blue cheese stuffed olives (any olives are fine but be sure there are no pits)
1/16 tsp hot sauce or dash cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp mayonnaise
1/4 C panko bread crumbs
Mix cheese, butter and mayonnaise in bowl. Add hot sauce or pepper, salt, paprika and mix until thoroughly combined. Remove olives from container and thoroughly dry with paper towel. Take about a couple teaspoons of mixture, flatten in palm, place olive in middle and wrap and roll to create a cheese mixture covered olive ball (it doesn't have to be perfect. There's enough stress in the world). Gently place ball in bread crumbs and spoon crumbs over/or roll to cover.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place cheese covered olives on cookie sheet. Place in freezer until firm, about 30 -45 minutes. You can absolutely make these ahead of time to this point and just remove from freezer about thirty minutes before baking.
Bake in 400 degree over for 12 minutes or until hot, melty and browned. Once out of the oven, let set a couple minutes until slightly firm. Fold cheese over olive to make a little taco around olive, let set to firm, remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Classic Vintage Weekday Martini (it's a single but I'm not judging if you double it up!)
1 oz gin
1/4 oz dry vermouth
6 drops cardamom bitters
Stir (or shake, you international scoundrel!)
Pour in to martini glass
Garnish with one olive
Non alcoholic option: Substitute Seedlip "Garden" Distilled Non-Alcoholic Spirit for gin and unsweetened grapefruit juice or Proxies, Blanc Slate non alcoholic wine for dry vermouth.
