April Cocktail of the Month: Dark & Stormy

As we roll out of April and look to elevating our quarantine game for May, we turned to a friend, wife, mother, author and mixologist Tara Roscioli.

Tara, a holistic health coach met her co-author Beth Nydick (also a coach) at a bar while attending an industry networking event. That first toast, in good health together, brought a clean-living mindset to craft mixology and now best selling book; “Clean Cocktails; Righteous Recipes for the Modern Mixologist” Available on Amazon this book is one of our top Mother’s Day picks!

The core ingredients focus on 4 naturally low-calorie spirits: vodka, gin, tequila and bourbon paired with flavors loaded with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory spices such as ginger, cayenne pepper, tumeric and cinnamon. In place of refined sugars you will find freshly squeezed fruits, vegetable juices and natural sweeteners, such as honey and dates.

Dark & Stormy
Created by Tara Roscioli

Recipe per drink:

1 lime
Fresh Ginger root
Seltzer
Spiced Rum

• To make honey, ginger and lime syrup: place equal parts water and honey in a pot and bring it to boil. Add slices of lime and ginger to honey syrup and cover, simmering for 20-30 minutes. Allow it to steep for several hours.
• To make clean ginger beer: squeeze half lime and grated ginger to taste in with seltzer.
• Add 2 oz. rum to 2 oz. honey/ginger/lime syrup to taste and ice to a shaker and shake until cold.
• Pour over ice, and then add 2oz clean ginger beer to taste. Add a bit more syrup to taste.
• Enjoy in a chilled copper mug

We have exasperated our evening wine or vodka soda offerings, and are eager to amp up our nightly Zoom Happy Hour while mentally trying to stay fit. This Dark and Stormy, crafted uniquely for us (!!!) and not found in the Clean Cocktail book, is best at the end of a long day but who are we to judge?!? These days, anything goes. Let’s drink to our health and hoping to toast May with a Manhattan in Manhattan.

Amy Shapiro

All is Well with Amy Shapiro MS, RD, CDN. Hockey mom of three boys, founder of Real Nutrition and valued authority in nutrition and healthy living. Amy frequently contributes to the media as both a writer and resource, including Women's Health, Well & Good, Vogue, Cheddar and NBC. We sat down with Amy as we approach day 1287896 of Covid-19 to set up some mother’s day #goals.

How did you get started in nutrition and wellness?

It's a journey that started even before I committed to it! My Dad has been in the health food industry since I was born so nutrition and vitamins were part of my upbringing even before it was "cool". We even at one point owned a few health food stores where I spent many of my high school afternoons and summers working. I guess you can say it was in my blood. So I practiced it but I didn't commit to working in the field until later. I worked in corporate for 8 years before I decided to go back to school to get my Masters and Dietitic License. Now that was a journey and a half but one I'm glad I endured!

Our workout routines have shifted in the last month. What are your tips to keep moving - favorite online workouts?

My first tip is to move every day. It doesn't have to be a workout per say but you can remain active by walking, dancing, standing while WFH, taking conference calls on your feet, cooking and even cleaning. For me weight training has always been my "go to" and luckily my trainer still trains me through zoom calls 2 - 3 times per week (@thelivewellcompany). At home I have some kettle bells, bands, a few weights, a pilates ring and some sliders, we put all of it to good use. Other days I run outside when it's nice and I often use @aaptiv to keep me motivated. It's an app that acts as a trainer in your ear for everything from outdoor/indoor running to the stair climber. Pick your workout, your level and they play the music and tell you what to do. I ALWAYS push harder when I have someone telling me what to do. Finally once a week I'll try a streaming workout such as The Class or Isaac Boots but that really depends on timing. I'm an early morning girl. And don't disregard a nice long walk for fat burning and mind cleaning. I'll usually take an an hour to an hour and a half walk a few days a week while talking to my mom on the phone or listening to a pod cast. For me it's about consistency, it doesn't always have to be hard work but you do have to be consistent.

We are all losing our marbles at some point during the day – what is a unique way you are keeping your sanity in check and and how do you carve out “me time”?

To be honest, I don't have much me time right now like many of us. I have three kids I am homeschooling (twin 8 year old boys and an 11 year old boy) and feeding 3+ times a day, a cute dog, and a job. So I wake up early every day to walk my dog and then have about 15 minutes to just plan out the day. It's OK, it's temporary. I will say, my shower is sacred (even though two minutes in someone is usually yelling for me!).

You are the queen of food hacks – how do you satisfy those picky eaters in the house?

Luckily I don't have really picky eaters so eveyone can eat the same thing, sometimes just "modified". So I make one meal but something that can be tweaked easily to make everyone happy. Last night I made raviolli, one kid just didn't have sauce on theirs. I made myself cauliflower gnocchi (maybe I am the pickyone!). All my kids eat fruits and veggies and whole grains so our edits are small. I also keep things fairly simple. Cooking for a family of 5 daily means the fewer arguments the better. We have a rule, fish at least 1x/week (they know it so they don't fight it), if you prepare them, they show up. Also on a night where I am making something a bit "riskier" I'll usually serve it with a "safe" side that I know the kids will enjoy. This way they might not eat too much of one thing but they won't leave the table hungry and looking for sweets.

What are five things on your grocery list every week?

Cauliflower, broccoli, greens of some sort, lemons and dark chocolate!

With three boys – what are your Mother’s Day traditions?

LOL. With three boys we bring a lot of chaos. So I usually host at my apartment so I can cook (something I love to do when given the time, not in quarantine) and so my kids can do whatever they do and I don't have to apologize to anyone or have expectations that may not be met (like sitting for long periods of time at a restaurant). We usually celebrate with my mom and my sister, that makes me very happy.

Best gift ever received?

After I had my twins (fraternal) my husband bought me an eternity bracelet that is made up of three entwined rings made out of three different types of gold. He had each one engraved with one boys name. Three different colors for three different boys. I wear it all the time, it means so much. Also these days, my Higher Dose Sauna Blanket. My husband bought that for me last year b/c I love the sauna so much. I never used it but now I use it daily since I can't go to the sauna!!!!

I would feel a disservice if I didn’t ask about the 5-letter B word… BOOZE! What is your recommendation on keeping it delicious but skinny?

All for booze over here! Limit your wine (I have some on Friday or Saturday) and stick to liquor like vodka or tequila, fewer calories, fewer carbs. Only mix with club soda or flavored seltzer and any herbs and spices you might have on hand. Cheers!

Stacy Bass

In the cozy library of the Mayflower Inn was one of those serendipitous moments, spending the weekend admiring the awe-inspiring gardens in Washington, CT and picking up a copy of Stacy Bass’ book: Gardens At First Light. Stacy, a celebrated landscape photographer and this book has remained a constant piece of inspiration season after season.

The Garden Reference Guide at the end of the Gardens At First Light provides detailed information on each of the properties photographed for the book. Hand-drawn sketches are by landscape designer James Gerrity.

Gardens At First Light is a luxurious coffee table book featuring 12 gardens; a mix of secret, lush and elegant gardens photographed at dawn in a kaleidoscope of colors and styles. Capturing over 200 beautiful images of exuberant landscapes and verdant spaces, her book also features a garden reference guide with visuals while providing planting palettes and invaluable landscaping how-to components. I (virtually) sat down with Stacy to talk gardens, gardening and how the early bird gets the worm in capturing Mother Nature’s beauty.

I am thrilled to have the opportunity to chat as you are one of the women I admire in this space. Can you tell us a bit about your background?

Happy to have the chance to talk and thank you for your interest in my book. My background may seem a bit surprising in that I had a career as an attorney and in the motion picture business before turning to photography full-time. I had worked as a photographer after college—shooting mostly fine art and architectural abstracts—and was anxious to get back to that once my youngest daughter was ready for kindergarten. I had hoped to shoot interior design and architecture for magazines. Shortly after that, I launched a website and was lucky enough that a well-respected and visionary art director, Amy Vischio, saw it and eventually hired me to shoot a garden for Westport magazine. Though I was drawn to botanicals in more of a fine art context, I had no experience photographing gardens and really, from that very first shoot, I was hooked. I am ever grateful to Amy for that first break that really started me down this “garden” path.

This 1928 classic brick Georgian features an elegant entry court created with granite pavers and a boxwood parterre.

This home includes spectacular views and an equally beautiful perennial gardens.

Do you have any tips for capturing your favorite garden or design elements?

I always recommend shooting at dawn or dusk—and in the time just around each- for the most control; lack of shadows and simply beautiful light. And a tripod! It may seem cumbersome but it’s indispensable. I also suggest looking for something in your composition to anchor the shot: a structure in the garden, a path, a stone wall, sculpture, etc.

What is your criteria for selecting your favorite places to shoot? And this may be an impossible question, but do you have a favorite landscape or project that you are most proud of?

I am really open to shooting gardens in almost every season and context but admit that when the garden happens to also be water or seaside, that makes me especially happy. I am very proud of the garden we made at our home in Connecticut—inspired by so much of what moved me in the spaces I have had the good fortune to visit and photograph.

Gardens At First Light leads our Mother's Day gift guide and is available for sale via Amazon. Stacy Bass also photographs lifestyle, interiors, and architecture for regional and national magazines. To see more of her work, please visit her website, Stacy Bass Photography.

Coming to a summer near you.