Reminiscent Rumminess.

I like to use Google to search for really important things, for example: Long Island Iced Tea, Electric Iced Tea, Bahama Mamas, Rum Runner drinks. Today, when I sat down at my computer those were the screens that popped up before me. We took a sneak vacation a few weeks ago, surprising our kids day-of that we were taking them to Disneyland. We had been so restless and so craving sun, that we decided to disappear from our regular lives for a few days. We planned and deliberated and kept a very large, very juicy secret from our boys: four days of sun, fun and roller coasters were in their near future (It was very hard not to tell)!

It was great through and through. We spent mornings cavorting around the parks and afternoons laying lazily by a sun-blasted pool. Drinks were allowed. We imbibed, swam, and soaked up some much-needed Vitamin D rays. Two drinks topped our list (somehow 'foo-foo drinks'---those that boast the umbrella cherry pineapple garnish---seemed appropriate): Rum Runner and Bahama Mama. Sweet, fruity, pineapple, coconut yumminess. "Oh, can you move that umbrella over here? That's great, thanks. Sure.... goggles are in the bag." Sigh, sip, drift...

Now it has been a few weeks, and the sun is showing up a bit more here at home. But who wouldn't want to recapture those moments of relaxation and rumminess? Kindof sounds like reminisce. Rummy Remmies. Reminiscent Rumminess. Running Rummy Reminiscing (yes, done with the word play: but if you have had a few of these drinks in a row, you would think they were very funny tongue twisters).

So here is a version I concocted this weekend to bring a bit of relaxation and fun to guests:

Bahama Mamas 1 1/2 ounce coconut rum 1 ounce triple sec 4 oz orange juice 4 oz pineapple juice 1/2 ounce grenadine

For the record: I never measured. Tropical mentality, I presume. And I made one round in just a glass, and another time I poured a whole pitcher (one for you, four for me). The truth is I do mental fractions while pouring (or my boys might say I measure in "gluggs"; when I ask them to pour olive oil in a skillet I tell them: one glugg or two gluggs. Same goes for alcohol: one glugg or more. I think one glugg is a very rough 1 ounce). So when I pour a glass it is two small gluggs coconut rum, one large glugg triple sec, a few gluggs of orange juice and pineapple juice--I usually err on the side of more orange juice---and a half glugg, splash-like amount of grenadine. Sounds complicated? The island drinks are very forgiving. Start pouring, mix, adjust. It's all good.