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caipirinhas + new year’s intentions

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Happy 2015!!

As I write my first blog post of the new year, I am compelled to revisit and thank this past year for what it gave me. 2014 was a spectacular year, filled with new friends, amazing writing opportunities, much dreaming of the future, breathtaking travel, lots of hard work, necessary goodbyes, and painful growth. I pushed myself to reach new goals, sometimes a little too hard, but I am grateful for the lessons I have learned along the way.

I took some time over the past few days to meditate on what it means to truly learn from both our successes, as well as our perceived failures. It’s a challenge to look at our failures eye-to-eye. But the fear of failing dissipates, when we realize that failure is almost always a prerequisite to success.

I am also learning that there is no such thing as an “overnight success.” Everything that I choose to do is propelling me toward the next goal. I am building upon what I’ve already done, and I am learning from my mistakes. As J. K. Rowling once said, “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.” Pause and let that sink in.

I also recently read the book, Show Your Work, by Austin Kleon. His philosophy of putting yourself out there, failures and inchoate stages and all, really works. People are drawn to someone, who embraces an amateur-like stance, always learning something new and maintaining a teachable attitude. People love to see the actual process and behind-the-scenes photos or documentation of artists, makers, or business owners, for example.

So, I chose three words to conceptualize my goals for 2015. My friend, Kristy Gardner, wrote a post on compiling such a collection of words. I wanted to choose words that were measurable, positive, and conveyed action. I wanted them to resonate with my personal life, creative life, spiritual life, professional life, and physical life. What are my three words?

  • Create. I want to delve into projects that feed me on all levels and to try new techniques and applications.
  • Release. I tend to put a perfectionist slant on almost anything that I do. That’s a plus but also a crippling negative, at times. I want to live freer and write fluidly and even draw or paint or cook with a looser hand.
  • Share. Back to Austin Kleon’s book, I want to openly share my progression. That is VERY challenging to me, for I only want to submit or post the final and best piece. But we lose the opportunity for connection and lose that in-the-moment, on-the-floor feel and liveliness of our work.

What are your three words for 2015?


“Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life.”

– Robin Sharma


Alright. On to that refreshing, mid-winter cocktail I mentioned a few paragraphs back! I’m sure we have all had our fill of bourbon cocktails or ciders or hot toddies. Maybe some of us are still enjoying them. I needed a break. Something that reminded me of summer and let me know that spring is on its way. Enter the caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil.

Cachaça is the base spirit for this drink. It is a Brazilian rum made from fermented sugar cane juice that is distilled. The cachaça is muddled with fresh, quartered limes and raw sugar, yielding a tart and sweet cocktail. It’s simple to make and superbly refreshing. Let’s get our muddling on!


caipirinha cocktail


  • 1 lime, quartered
  • about 2 teaspoons raw sugar
  • 2 ounces cachaça
  1. In a pint glass or mixing tin, muddle the quartered lime with raw sugar until pulverized. {I just love that word!}
  2. Add cachaça and ice. I used about 8 ice cubes, but I’ve seen some caipirinha recipes use crushed ice.
  3. Stir to integrate.
  4. Pour contents into a double old-fashioned glass or “bucket”, and if you have a sugar cane handy, use it as a garnish!
  • If you are unable to find cachaça at your spirits shop, you may substitute rum. I use 10 Cane Rum, when I don’t have any cachaça on hand.
  • What are my favorite cachaças? Boca Loca, Leblon, and Beija.
  • Not a fan of cachaça or rum? Try making a caipiroska, which is a caipirinha made with vodka.


“In the midst of winter I finally learned

that there was in me an invincible summer.”

– Albert Camus


Cheers to a creatively inspired 2015! How are you making your resolutions stick? What is your mantra or three defining words? I’m super excited for all that this upcoming year has for each of us. It’s all about how we plan, react, and hit the ground running, despite the detour of a fall.

XO,

Jayme

  1. Now this is my kind of cocktail! Love how refreshing, citrus-y and delicious it is.. perfect for the summer weather here in Australia!

    • Thanks so much, Thalia! Seriously, the citrus component chases the winter blues away – or, in your case, reminds you how great summer is. I have been Instagram-stalking my Aussie and Southern Hemisphere friends to get my fill of sunshine and bright colors. Happy summer to you!!

  2. Susan says:

    Beautiful post, Jayme. Happy New Year to you.

    • Thanks, Susan! A very Happy New Year to you and your family, as well! Here’s to a great 2015! 🙂 PS – we are adding a CSA membership to our excitement for the year. In addition to our garden, which has limited exposure to the sun, we will have more selection arriving each week! We’ve missed having a good connection to a farm and chose Sprout City Farms here in Denver. They’re a great urban farm. I’ll be excited to deal with the surplus and get my preserving and canning on even further! 😉

      • Susan says:

        Yeah, icy little Sungold marbles are pretty much my favorite thing in the freezer. I use the basic, entry-level VacMaster. Nothing fancy. It did take me a few tries to get used to it. Liquids (or just anything with a lot of moisture) are tough, but it’s genius on things like berries, tomatoes, peaches, etc. that you freeze first and then seal. I do need a better way to organize everything in my freezer, though. That’s a big project, maybe for my next snow day. Sorry about the Broncos. I was rooting for them.

  3. Chick Voice says:

    Drink looks lovely and your photos are wonderful. I usually pick a word each year, but oddly enough this year I picked three!! Mine are; in order; Reorder, Reclaim, Restore.

    2014 being a difficult year, 2015 is in need of all three.

    I enjoy your blog.

    • I especially like your word, Reclaim. Actually, I like all three! I like the concept of evaluating situations, realizing what might be missing or lost, and then reclaiming what’s mine. I’m with you on usually picking one word for the year. I often do the same. My boyfriend just mentioned that he also chose three words with an “R” theme. Not necessarily original, but definitely compelling: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. We are trying to just focus on following that specific order. Kind of like Reclaiming. Giving something a new use or re-purposing, before we just toss something into the recycle bin.

      I wish you the very best on a much more peaceful and less difficult year. I’ll take your word, Reclaim, as my fourth word. …and thank you for enjoying!! 🙂

  4. One of my favourite cocktails of all time.
    Just keep slogging along. Your work is beautiful.

    • Thanks, Jane! They are so easy to make and take me to a tropical place, which is necessary in January! Omg, I have to make your coconut bundt cake. I didn’t even know that bundt cake day was even a thing!!

  5. […] in need of some summer cheer!” trend I’ve been setting in this space!  First it was muddled lime caipirinhas, today it is nasturtium ice-cubes, and tomorrow I’ll be starting some marmalade to can over […]

  6. Allison Dale says:

    They can also be made with Sake! Try different flavors, strawberry, passion fruit, pineapple etc. I currently live in Curitiba Brazil and by far my favorite drink on and off the beach!

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