Valentine Cocktail & Our 13 year Anniversary
This Between the Sheets Cocktail was one of our first recipe posts back in 2009, an oldie but goodie. It’s fun to see how our photography and garden has changed over the years! This is a lovely balanced cocktail with cognac, rum and lemon.
Between the Sheets Cocktail Recipe
Gentlemen, Flash Alert! Valentine’s Day is tomorrow! (In some parts of the world, it is already here!) Are you ready to woo your sexy other? If you’ve been a good man and have shown how much you love and appreciate your beau all year, then this little Love Holiday should be old hat for you. However, if you need to make up for some past transgressions or have someone new who you are trying to impress, you may benefit from some advice.
Together Since 1996
Here’s some of the things I’ve learned in the 13 years (Feb. 15th 1996, is our official anniversary!) where I’ve managed to convince my beautiful Diane that I am someone worth hanging on to:
- Personal and passionate best purely purchased any day. Don’t go out and buy and generic bouquet of flowers or some jewelry at the place with the cheesy, annoying commercial and think you are good. Plan a fun evening, hand make a card (make it personal reminding them of how great it is to be spending time together, pictures of you together, or as simple as a heart made of glitter and glue), and make their favorite dessert for them. Fill the day with meaningful personal moments.
- Notice the details and compliment them. Realistically and genuinely and particularly those non-physical.
- A good home-cooked romantic dinner beats any restaurant.
- Share. Give your date some of your dinner, and let them give you some of theirs. Two spoons, one dessert. A passionate couple is one entity, not two individuals.
- The day or morning before, clean the house. Trust me and just do it.
- Be generous and compassionate to everyone. If you take them out to a nice dinner, then leave a crappy tip, you are letting them know you are a cheap-ass. If you open the door for your date then let it swing shut on a little old lady, then you’ve jus declared yourself a pure idiot.
- Have fun. Do what you love doing together and enjoy every minute of it. Sounds simple, but oftentimes we get so wrapped up in making everything perfect, we forget to actually enjoy it. Enjoy this Between the Sheets Cocktail !
13 years later we’ve affected each other psychologically: more madness…
Valentines Day Drink
There’s a little jump start, the rest is up to you, gents. If anyone has more advice as to what makes an unforgettable Valentine’s Day, please share (particularly you ladies, you know us men don’t understand you very well.) As an added bonus, here’s a classic cocktail recipe you can use to start the evening off with, or to invite your date in for a nightcap. Or pull an Esquire tip and put the recipe out on a business card, then hand it to the bartender when out on the town. – Todd
Oh, by the way….we’ll be on KCRW’s (89.9 FM) Good Food show with Evan Kleinman on Saturday, Valentines Day between 11:30am – 12pm. If you can’t get it, they archive all their podcast’s so you can catch it later…alligator! Hope you enjoy this between the sheets cocktail recipe!
Check out our Cocktail Recipes Here and our Complete Whiskey Guide.
Between the Sheets Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1 ounce (30ml) Cognac
- 1 ounce (30ml) Light Rum
- 1 ounce (30ml) fresh Lemon Juice
- 1/2 ounce (15ml) Grand Marnier
- 1/2 ounce (15ml) Simple Syrup , or to taste
- dash Orange Bitters
- optional , sugar for the glass rim
Instructions
- If desired, rub the rim of a chilled cocktail glass with the lime wedge & sugar the rim.
- Put all ingredients (cognac, rum, lemon or lime juice, Grand Marnier, simple syrup, and orange bitters) into a cocktail shaker with ice, then shake it with passion for 15-20 seconds. Strain into your cocktail glass. Garnish if desired.
You are two of my favourite people. Much love to both of you.
Thanks Cynthia!. You are such a sweetheart. -WORC
Congratulations on your 13 years! The photos are adorable. It’s so true that home-cooked meals trump all restaurants meals on V-Day…much more relaxed and intimate, plus you’re not getting ripped off! Here’s to many more years of food and love.
After being on the inside of the restaurant biz, it just isn’t the best night to be eating out. Even the good restaurants that aren’t out to “rip you off,” are just stressed to the max. We’d much rather go to the restaurants on days where they can be fully appreciated. Plus it’s more fun to feed each other at home. Thanks for the well wishes. -WORC
GORGEOUS cocktail! And congrats on the anniversary 🙂
This is a close second to our favorite, The Sidecar. Thanks on the well wishes! -WORC
Happy anniversary! Great tips … I’ll keep them in mind 😉
Seconding Jen’s invitation. Colorado awaits you!
Time for a blogger buddy gathering in the Rockies. We can’t wait to get together and chat face to face with you, too. Thanks for the well wishes. Love ya, Kitt. -WORC
WOW! Happy anniversary Todd and Diane. Your back-in-the-day pictures are freaking adorable. XO, CD
Thanks, Cathy. Cute as two puppies in love, huh. Well, not really, but we were and are in love. I guess that counts. -WORC
Hope you guys had a great anniversary today! Steve and I are doing 13 wonderful married years come September. It just gets better, doesn’t it?? 😉
You guys were and are adorable. Your words are wonderful Todd and I agree with all of it – except I think that a passionate couple is both one entity and two individuals. I think you know that too, but I also think you know what I’m getting at, in that whole “remain your own person” thing. I especially like the compliment part, especially the non-physical. I feel so lucky that I have a man that tells me that kind of stuff all the time.
I can tell you guys are best friends. And that’s the *best* it gets. Much love to you both!
aww… happy 13th anniversary guys! Also I listened to you on Good Eats! Well done you two.
Thanks. We were almost more nervous to listen to it than we were recording. They were very cool at KCRW. -WORC
Happy anniversary !!! 🙂
Thanks! -WORC
Todd, maybe Steve has started surreptiously reading your blog – he vacuumed the house on Valentine’s Day 🙂
Seriously, Happy Anniversary, you two beautiful people. I am so grateful to have had the chance to know you and I can’t wait to find my way back your direction soon. Smooch!
I think you just have a good man on your hands. Thanks for the well wishes. Can’t wait to get together again. -WORC
i miss miss miss you guys! i feel like the thrown away kitchen sponge! 🙁 Great post Todd! You two remain the sexiest couple on line.. way to go on being together 13 years! I was just talkin’ about how a good friend ended my 11 yr itch yesterday (in that i had a fabulous Vday and hadn’t in that long). I can’t think of anything else you might be able to seduce her. Sounds like you have it down packed. Oh wait, a kick a** pair or shoes that she could wear on your anni would just take it over the top!!!
Awww, you know you are our favorite sexy, chica. Sorry we haven’t had time to visit anyone lately. Glad you had a great V-day. Had to quickly check your post on it, and those rum balls look damn good. Want 10! Miss ya millions. -WORC
Love the cocktail!!!! Wonder what it would be like with Blood Oranges….. off to find out!
Let us know how it turns out. We are still waiting for the fruit on our blood orange tree to ripen. -WORC
Ah, how sweet. Neat to see the old pics of how it all began. Happy Anniversary to you! We’ve got you beat by just one year 🙂
Congratulations on the sustainability of you’re long lasting relationship. Does it get harder the next year? “giggle” Thanks for the well wishes! -WORC
Awww you two look so damn cute! The last 13 years have been kind to you both. Happy Anniversary! I just sat down with a cup of tea and listened to you and Evan. Now I’m hungry for Bahn Mi. Love you guys!
Thanks, Lisa. We had to grab something to eat after listening to her show as well. Almost as bad as cruising our favorite blogs. Love you, too. -WORC
Love that way back then picture. So cute.
Happy Anniversary & Happy Valentine!
Hopefully we haven’t nauseated anyone with our mugs. Thanks for the well wishes. -WORC
You two look just as young and beautiful as you did 13 yrs ago! Happy anniversary!
We’ve grown incredibly more bratty, though. Diane is lucky to have the ageless Asian face. She says her antics keep me young as well. Must be working. -WORC
Beautiful cocktail, and it sounds delicious!
It is a tasty cocktail. Hope you enjoy. -WORC