Emily Villere Dixon

Food + Drink

Personalized Recipe Tins for Mother’s Day

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I wanted to do something special this year for Mother’s Day to celebrate some of the moms in my life, so I looked at two of my go-to brands (Rifle Paper Co. and Anthropologie) to come up with this extra personalized Mother’s Day gift idea. When you grow up in the South, most special events are anchored by a big meal. We have seafood gumbo every Christmas Eve, fish frys and crawfish boils on Fridays during Lent and always picked out our favorite meal for my mom to cook on each of our birthdays.

All of these meals are special to me, and I wanted to think of a way to keep these recipes together. Here are my personalized recipe tins that are perfect for your next Mother’s Day gift – and a great keepsake for yourself!

mothers day gift

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Live Local | My Favorite Cocktails in Baton Rouge

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Who doesn’t enjoy a good cocktail? Now that the weather is getting pretty here in South Louisiana, you can’t get much better than an evening on the porch listening to live music and sipping a signature drink. And when the weather is nice here, you have to take advantage of it.

Don’t worry, I have done all of the grueling research for you and found the best (or at least my favorite) cocktails in the Capital City. Seriously, it’s no big deal. You’re welcome! I was happy to put this post together for you.

MERCHANT MULE

The Overpass Merchant | 2904 Perkins Road

One of my all-time favorite cocktails is a Moscow Mule, and the bartenders at The Overpass Merchant have put their own spin on this classic cocktail. Instead of using vodka, their house drink is made with Irish whiskey – plus it’s frozen. So, it’s pretty much a cocktail in the form of an Icee garnished with some fresh mint in a chilled copper mug. Need any more convincing?

MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIA

Bin 77 Bistro & Wine | 10111 Perkins Rowe

The Mississippi Magnolia at Bin 77 is the perfect cocktail for these hot Louisiana days. It is a light and delicious pairing of honeysuckle vodka with fresh lemon and ginger root. The ginger is my favorite part of this drink. It’s topped off with a splash of soda making it the ultimate refresher.

THE PAINKILLER

The Rum House | 2112 Perkins Palm Avenue

The Painkiller is an original recipe cocktail at the Rum House Caribbean Taqueria. It is a concoction of rum, pineapple juice, a splash of orange juice and cream of coconut. So, basically a dessert on ice. It’s garnished with grated nutmeg, and you pretty much feel like you are on island time. It’s delicious and can be found in Baton Rouge AND New Orleans.

MARGARITA

Superior Grill | 5435 Government Street

If you are a fan of the margarita, you absolutely can’t go wrong at Superior Grill. At most restaurants I can enjoy a couple of margaritas during a long meal, but at Superior you only need one. For real. I typically get my margarita on the rocks everywhere else, but the frozen marg with no salt is my favorite option here. Also, I love a drink in a styrofoam cup for some reason.

FROSE ALL DAY

BRQ Seafood and Barbecue | 10423 Jefferson Highway

If you think rose all day is good, then you will love BRQ’s frose all day. This is basically a grown-up Icee (again!) made with rose wine blended with seasonal fruit and a little kick. The best part is, they are only $5 on Thursdays!

If you are looking for a Happy Hour to try out some of these cocktails, my blogger friend Leslie from Southern Flair Blog started a Happy Hour Club. If there is one club to be a part of, it’s this one and everyone is welcome! Each month she finds a new place around town that offers drink specials for ladies to get together and meet new people. I went to the inaugural Happy Hour Club and had such a fun time getting to know some new people in the city. If you follow her Facebook page or through her newsletter, you can see which spot she sets up at each month. Cheers!

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Friday Favorites | March Things

EVD Favorites, Lifestyle ,

I can’t believe it is already the last day of March! We are already a quarter of the way through this year, and I can’t believe how fast it has flown by. Last week I shared a few of my favorite beauty products from March, and today is a collection of random things that I am loving right now.

SUGARFINA CANDY

Sugarfina is described as a luxury candy boutique, and these candies are just as pretty as they are yummy. They have every flavor, color and type of candy to choose from to create the perfect personalized gift or to satisfy your own sweet tooth. I absolutely love candy, and of course love a good cocktail, so I tried out the champagne gummy bears, rosé gummy roses and peach bellini gummy hearts. Delish!

CORKCICLE

I didn’t realize it at first, but I have put together quite the extensive water bottle collection. Shea gave me this Corkcicle canteen for my birthday, and I love this water bottle. I swear it keeps my water (or wine that one time) colder than when I got it out of the refrigerator. They come in a variety of colors, and this peach color is just so cute and bright! Shea bought mine from Sanctuary Home and Gifts in Baton Rouge, La.

APPLE WATCH

I am not a huge technology person in the sense that I don’t have to have the latest phone or gadget. I only update my phone like once a year, so I am always behind everyone else. I knew I didn’t want the first generation Apple Watch, because I wanted to use the GPS capabilities without having to have my phone on me. I finally decided to buy a second generation, and I can’t believe I waited so long. Even though I probably only use like 1/10th of the features, I really do like it and I like running with it. I thought the rose gold watch with pink band was a unique combo, and I love the way it looks stacked with nice bracelets and even dress wear.

SUNNYLIFE ECO-FRIENDLY LUNCHBOX

One thing I need to get better with is eating lunch during the day. If I don’t grocery shop on the weekend (which happens ALL the time since I am working right now), then I am S.O.L during the week for lunch. I have to prepare in advance, and this little eco-friendly and dishwasher safe lunchbox is the perfect excuse to get my meal prep back in action. I received this in my March PopSugar Must Have box.

S. BYNUM ART WINE GLASSES

These oyster wine glasses just make me want to throw a garden party. I don’t currently have a garden, but you can always have a reason for a party! Y’all know I love Sallie’s hand-painted pieces from glassware to decor, so I knew I had to add this set to our bar. Shea and I love a good glass of white wine during the warmer months (who am I kidding…it’s always a warm month in Louisiana), and these glasses are perfect for the spring and summertime!

We have another busy weekend full of football, but it is the last weekend of work before spring break! I hope everyone has a great couple of days!

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Live Local | Where to Eat During Lent

Live Local

There are a few Fridays left of Lent, which means it is the perfect time to try out some of the best seafood dishes in Baton Rouge. Even though Catholics can’t eat meat on Fridays during Lent, our options are limitless when it comes to figuring out what to eat for lunch and dinner. Here are a few of my favorite spots to eat in the Capitol City during Lent, including one that I can’t wait to try.

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