<p>Our youngest graduates from HS this spring. GaMom and I have pretty much been in the frugal mode for the past 23 years while raising three awesome kids. Now that they’re all late adolescents / early adults, we all ski instead of giving Christmas presents. So I bought myself an early Christmas present last week - four really beautiful, oversized, nicely hefty but elegant martini glasses and a bottle of really good, higher end gin (the one named after an Indian jewel). I never bought pricey gin when we were in the mid-childrearing phase. And I made it really dirty - with a nice glug of olive juice that’s got olive particles floating throughout the martini - which of course I can readily admire through the new glass. They’re great olives too - huge ones, specifically designed to be martini garnishes. Yeah, I’m liking this.</p>
<p>Hmmm . . . I finished it. I think I’m gonna have to fix a second one. :)</p>
<p>MizzBee…vodka for me too. Although, like gadad and his gin, I have graduated to “good” vodka. No more Popov. At this stage in my life, I feel like I’ve earned it! In fact, last week, after I paid both tuition bills (and, DD’s bill was the LAST for her), I drank large amounts of my expensive vodka.</p>
<p>You are two for two with me…skiing and dirty martinis. For my birthday my H always buys me some good gin and some blue cheese stuffed olives and it just can’t be a better day after a couple of those! My mom used to always have a pitcher of them waiting for my dad when he got home from work. Just the smell brings back good childhood memories and…good adult memories.</p>
<p>I’m with you in spirit, GADAD. Darn menopause has done something to my system hormonally and tho I want to drink I simply cannot tolerate the stuff. But your excellent prose captured buzz for me . . . I like my olives stuffed with blue cheese.</p>
<p>I’m not a martini drinker, but just bought some applewood smoked green olives that I think would be an interesting addition to your line up.
Now can I have a bit of that Sapphire with my tonic and lime? Only as a malaria preventative you understand…</p>
<p>Oh, everything was so nice, and then my pet peeve came up.</p>
<p>Back in the day (here in the Parent’s Cafe, you know what I’m talking about) a “Martini” was made with a lot of chilled Gin, a little dry vermouth, (generally speaking, a 4:1 relationship between gin and vermouth was considered a proper “dry” Martini) and an olive. Two olives, if you were risque. Here’s a good description: <a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_(cocktail[/url])”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martini_(cocktail)</a> If you replaced the olive with a pickled onion, it was no longer a Martini - now it was a “Gibson.” </p>
<p>OK, that’s the gospel. But somewhere along the way, those who had strayed from the True Path began calling just about anything served chilled in a triangular glass a “Martini.” I blame James Bond [The</a> James Bond Martini Recipe - Casino Royale - Cocktails](<a href=“BellaOnline - The Voice of Women”>The James Bond Martini Recipe - Casino Royale - Cocktails)</p>
<p>So I get a blank stare from a bartender when I ask for a “Martini” as he waits for whatever godawful concoction I might be referring to. I even try to help, referring to a “classic Martini.” No joy.</p>
<p>Clearly this is where the dumbing down of America began. </p>
<p>All, repeat after me: This is a Martini: 4 parts Gin. 1 part Vermouth. Olive. (Juice is OK. I like a dirty Martini myself.) That’s it!</p>
In fact, last week, after I paid both tuition bills (and, DD’s bill was the LAST for her), I drank large amounts of my expensive vodka.</p>