If you think you need to venture to the bar to find a unique, tasty cocktail, think again. You can easily mix up your own creative cocktails and mocktails in the comfort of your own home. The most important part of a great drink is how long the flavor lingers in your mouth. You want to intrigue your taste buds and mind after the sip goes down. These tips are sure to leave a unique, lasting flavor on your tongue.

• Choose a good quality base liquor or flavor of your cocktail.
• Use a generous amount of the base spirit.
• Mix in a tart or sweet ingredient such as lime juice, simple syrup, or liqueur. Remember to keep it simple and balanced, as this will make the flavors last in your mouth.
• Add a few drops of bitters or a hydrosol, such as rosewater, to add aromatics to your drink.
• A cocktail that contains delicate flavors or ingredients should be stirred. Be sure to shake any cocktail containing juice or egg whites.
• To avoid diluting your drink, use larger ice cubes that will melt at a slower pace. In your glass, the ice should be visible about the alcohol line.
• Take some time to make your cocktail look presentable. A simple lemon twist can add a touch of elegance to your drink.

From A Genius Mixologist: The Only Ratio You Need For Perfect Cocktails [Fast Company]
How to make cocktails: follow these 10 golden rules [The Guardian]
How to Make Perfect Cocktails [Williams-Sonoma Taste]

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr wickenden

Isgro Pastries is an Italian pastry shop nestled in the busy Bella Vista neighborhood. It’s the type of shop that you may pass by without a second look, but once you enter its doors, the sugary-sweet smell of biscotti and ricotta cookies baking in the oven will immediately make you glad that you did.

Isgro Pastries is always adorably decorated for the current season, and the tiny bakery is filled with glass display cases boasting a vast assortment of handmade Italian pastries and other dessert delicacies. Stuffed cannoli, mini tiramisu cups, and buttery sugar cookies are some of the shop’s best sellers, but the specialty cakes and pies are also very popular for birthday parties or other special occasions. While many shoppers purchase baker’s dozens of the sugary confections, you can also enjoy a singular treat for dessert after dinner in the area.

Isgro Pasries is a very popular bakery, so expect to wait in line during peak hours!

Isgro Pastries
1009 Christian Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 923-3092
www.bestcannoli.com
www.yelp.com/biz/isgro-pastries-philadelphia

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/alison fayre

You’ve likely seen stylish terrariums filling the pages of all of your favorite interior design catalogs, but did you know that these unique gardens are also very easy to make at home? Here are just a few simple ways to create your own terrarium and add a bit of greenery to your rental at Lincoln Green!

1. Whether you choose a small, round terrarium that you can hang from the ceiling or a larger, tank-style option for very large creations, you’ll want to choose something in a durable class that will enable you to see the plants through the sides.
2. Add a layer of small stones or pebbles to the bottom of the terrarium for proper water drainage. This should measure about one-inch thick.
3. Add another one-inch layer of activated charcoal on top of that for a finer drainage system.
4. Top it off with a 1.5-inch layer of sphagnum moss to hold the soil in place and prevent it from sliding into the pebbles.
5. Take a soil designed especially for terrariums and pre-moisten it using a spray bottle of water. Add a thick layer of three to four inches on top of everything.
6. Remove pot-bound roots from your plants and add them to the soil. You may need to divide the plant into sections if it’s too big to fit the scale of the terrarium.
7. Decorate with rocks and other accessories.

Terrariums: A Guide to Plants and Care [Better Homes & Gardens]
How To Make Terrariums [About Home]
Make Your Own Terrarium [HGTV]

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr Christopher.Michel