5:00 Fridays

I was first introduced to this drink when I was away for a long overdue girls' weekend. We were nursing pretty vicious hangovers and decided to partake in some hair of the ol' dog after we had eaten a gloriously greasy, Swanson Hungry Man portioned, breakfast and watched an afternoon of girly movies (Princess Diaries 2 and The Sweetest Thing) in our pajamas.

My good friend Christy concocted this cocktail but has not come up with a suitable name for it. Not that we don't keep drinking it. It's akin to dressing up an unnamed child and taking it out for a stroll just hoping a name will strike you while you're out and about. Just a couple weeks ago she drank almost the entire bottle of cranberry vodka by herself when trying to christen the cocktail. Luckily we were having a family sleep over that night so no one was driving and there were others in fine shape to deal with the kids. We're messy and wacky here at Chez Dirt & Noise but one thing we are not is irresponsible. I guess Christy figured that the more she drank the more inspiration she would have. Let's just say that all inspiration went out the door when our boys woke up at 5:00 AM....a mere four hours after we went to bed. Yeah, good times all around. I don't recommend overindulging unless you are absolved of all responsibility. Girls' weekend, anyone?

Anyway, this is the perfect cocktail to savor when you're away from your kids (OK, let's be real, and husbands. Chances are they won't like this drink anyway. Husbands that is, not kids. Definitely not suitable for kids. Unless your kids are 21.). This drink reminds me of a sweet little afternoon nip to catch a happy buzz out on the deck while playing Celebrity Crush with your girlfriends. You know, the game where you gab about all the hot celebs you'd like to mash with? Oh come on, like you don't dream about gettin' your freak on with some hot Penn Badgley action? Ahem, or is that just moi?

This is a lovely summer libation that's great with girlfriends on a hot day. It's meant to evoke girliness. You know, the kind of girl you were before you had children. Harken waaaaayyy back beyond the cobwebs and fish her out. Got her? Now don't let her go.

Yeah, that one. The one with the hot gams and 100+ pairs of shoes. Matching handbags too, natch. The one who had the time to paint her nails, decide she hated the color, and redo it all in one sitting. The one who actually had time to read the paper in bed with a cup of fresh steaming coffee in a mug without a top. Remember her? Now pour her a drink.

I call this drink, Missed Independence, in honor of the 4th of July and those days that I miss my little one bedroom apartment on Excelsior Boulevard in Minneapolis back when I was single and fancy free. And had fabulous nails and shoes Imelda would crave. Note that I don't want that life back; the memories are way sweeter than the reality, of course. I do love my family but there are times that even Calgon doesn't take me away.

Missed Independence
Get yourself a good sized glass. Nothing frou frou and delicate here. Even one of those big red Solo cups will do.

Fill it with ice in any shape or size. Pull out the fancy star shaped ice cube maker for the occasion.

Pour in a shot or so of cranberry vodka. Stoli won't let you down.

Now add some Sprite (not diet, it'll taste gross and less decadent) to fill the glass.

Stir. Garnish with a toothpick of blueberries and strawberries and a sprig of mint for a punch of color. Use a skewer if you want to make it a healthy snack too.

Cheers to my Missed Independence...and yours!