I recently gained a new life experience: I had my tonsils taken out. For those of you who have gone through this, you know that it is NOT FUN. Although, I have to admit that I enjoyed the excuse to force myself to slow down and relax while I was recuperating. Sometimes I put a lot of stress on myself because I feel like there are a million things I should be doing, so it was great to take that pressure off and watch hours of television, or read through a cookbook for an hour without feeling guilty about it.

Luckily, I think my recovery went very smoothly compared to the horror stories I've heard. I didn't have to take any emergency trips to the hospital or anything like that (thank goodness). I had a lot of conversations and cuddle sessions with the dog, I wore pajama pants like it was my job, I eventually decided that a brownie with ice cream was my snack of choice (thanks Mom for providing those brownies), I made Carrot Coconut Soup while I was drugged up (and it turned out very well), I read a lot of my book Keys to the Kitchen, and I got obsessed with Lucinda Scala Quinn through her cooking show, Mad Hungry. Despite the pain and discomfort, I guess it was pretty fun.

Since I was getting kind of tipsy off my dose of HALF of a Percocet throughout my recovery, there was absolutely no way I was adding alcohol to that mix. I'm not crazy like that. Therefore, in honor of my tonsillectomy, I bring you this Fancy Lady Mocktail. If you don't drink alcohol normally, or if you're recovering from a tonsillectomy and taking narcotics, or if you just want to feel fancy on a Sunday afternoon but don't want to add alcohol to your life, this could be for you. However, if you WANT alcohol in your life with this drink, I think it would be great with some vodka or spiced rum.

This drink combines two of my favorite things: ginger beer and Bolthouse Farms carrot-orange juice. #vitamins! It gets spiced up with one of my new favorite things: boiled cider syrup. I just recently discovered boiled cider syrup and I hope to have some in my fridge at all times now. It is extremely easy to make, but if you don't want to make it, you could also order some online. BUT, I highly suggest you make some since you get a full mason jar of it for the price of a gallon of apple cider, the process is extremely hands-off, and it makes your house/apartment smell amazing in the meantime. Plus, then you can more easily make this mocktail (or cocktail). From what I've read you can use this boiled cider syrup anywhere you might use honey or maple syrup. Use it in a homemade salad dressing or baked good, pour it over pancakes or waffles, stir some into your tea, or use it to glaze some meat! The possibilities are endless. Oh, and use it in this drink.

Photos by Robert Cornelius.
Prints of my illustration (and other products with my work on them) are available in my Society6 shop.

FANCY LADY MOCKTAIL

Makes 1 drink

INGREDIENTS

2 oz. carrot-orange juice
6 oz. ginger beer
2 tsp. boiled cider syrup (recipe below)
orange slice (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Choose a glass that holds about 12-16 ounces, and fill ⅔ of the way full with ice.
Pour in the carrot juice, and top off with the ginger beer. Add the boiled cider syrup. Stir everything together with a spoon.
Garnish with an obnoxious orange slice and enjoy.

BOILED CIDER SYRUP

Makes about 2⅔ cups

INGREDIENTS

1 gallon apple cider

INSTRUCTIONS

Pour the gallon of apple cider into a large pot and place over medium-high heat on the stove.
Bring the cider to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
Allow the cider to reduce to about a quarter of its original volume, while stirring every 15 minutes or so. This should take about 4-5 hours. It should resemble the consistency of maple syrup, and it will thicken as it cools.
Take it off the heat and let it cool to room temperature. Place in a clean jar and store in the fridge indefinitely. Enjoy a million different ways.