I am constantly amazed at how busy life can suddenly become. When it seems like you just might have a day to yourself, the calendar fills in the blink of an eye and you find yourself with plans from dawn to dusk. I have to say that this kind of busy schedule makes blogging difficult. Not only does it take away most of my photo-taking time, but sometimes the quality of my posts can be…well…less than ideal. My last post for Project Food Blog, for example; I was not pleased with it. That happens on occasion. And as I suspected, it was not enough. I think most bloggers would agree that it’s hard when you’re given a specific challenge. Inspiration doesn’t have a set schedule. It comes from things like this pretty pink Seussical flower. Just sayin’.
I feel like the last challenge was just the kick-in-the-pants that I needed to realize that my blog is what is it is. With all its imperfections, it is my own creation. And I love it.
OK, enough of that! Last night, I had a fantastic date night with Brad. We went to a restaurant called Crumpets here in Tokyo. It’s an adorable, cozy spot next to a canal in a more residential area. Crumpets allows dogs in their restaurant, which is perfect now that we have our adorable Callie here with us (she’s the big one in the photos). We enjoyed a delicious meal while Callie mingled with the other dogs who were cute on a much smaller scale…
It was a doggy birthday celebration! Although I’m not sure whose birthday it was…
Before we headed out to dinner, we had a little homemade cocktail hour. Cheaper and often times more fun, having cocktail hour at home allows us to relax a bit while experimenting with new cocktail creations. Last night I made what I am calling the Tokyo Manhattan. This twist on the classic Manhattan is made with Bourbon, a touch of honey and a splash of cranberry juice, the flavors are a combination of warm and bright and are reflective of autumn. Pink peppercorns add a beautiful splash of pink and contribute an earthy yet bright nose. The Tokyo Manhattan is just what we needed before being bombarded with teeny tiny fluffy Japanese dogs. Maybe we should have had two…
Tokyo Manhattan
Makes 2
3.5 oz. Bourbon
1 tsp honey
2 oz. cranberry juice
crushed pink peppercorns for garnish (optional but oh-so-pretty!)
Combine all ingredients except peppercorns in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake for about 30 seconds. Pour into two cocktail glasses and serve garnished with peppercorns.
