Cachaça

Candied hibiscus flowers

Dried figs wrapped in prosciutto (easy! cheap!)

Hot sauce. Mouse especially likes Nando's, a peri-peri sauce from South Africa, which you can now get at Whole Foods.

Hello hello, nice mice! I had a lovely weekend. The sun came out in time for Mouse to wear her red polka dot sundress and red espadrilles to the garden party on Saturday night, although the shoes didn't last very long. We had a rollicking good time with twenty-six people squeezed on our little porch and in our teensy backyard. It was a Brazilian garden party, mostly because Boyfriend brought back yummy cachaça and excellent tunes from Rio. Mouse cooked a simplified feijoada,* and everyone had a wonderful time. We had Brazilian beer** and many, many, many caipirinhas. Fun summer party!

Caipirinha:

Muddle one whole lime with 2 teaspoons granulated sugar in a highball glass. Add 2.5 oz. cachaça. Stir. Add crushed ice. Stir. Mmmmmm....

*Feijoada is Portuguese for "incredibly complicated meat and black-bean stew served over white rice and with a slice of orange, which it turns out you CAN make without the pig feet." Mouse will share the recipe if you are interested, but it is LONG.

**Brazilian beer, unlike many Central and South American beers, is REALLY YUMMY.