I'll drink to that

One of the many great things about the Portuguese is their output of homemade alcoholic beverages. In our kitchen cabinets you will find several Silva varietals, most notably marucaja and amora. All compliments of my fab mother-in-law and godparents-in-law.

For you Francophiles out there like me, I would like to point out that you can make a sort of Portuguese Kir by adding a little Amora to a nice white wine or champagne. I figured this out this afternoon and am quite enjoying it. I'm going to finish my glass and lay on the sofa and finish my epidemiology book. This is my first weekend to chillax in -- I'm serious -- 8 months.

I must have had 50 Kirs in France last summer. They were cheaper than V's Diet Cokes! Usually about 2-3 Euros.