CaveLife: Girls Night In (and Skinnygirl Cocktail Review)

I almost couldn't write this post. I wanted to write it, believe me. But I had the kind of day that left me feeling like I'd finished 16 rounds of the Sucker Punch Drill. And I refuse to add to the negativity on the internet. I don't use this forum to complain. I named this blog Silly Little CaveGirl for a reason. I want this space to promote happiness, health and well-being in all forms. But because life isn't always peachy, I'm not always in the right frame-of-mind to uphold the Silly Little CaveGirl moniker.

I was worried when I hit my blogger's block that I was entering into another decidedly un-silly period. But then while I was surfing the internets, whiling away my evening - feeling sorry for myself, I stumbled upon hannahbrencher.com. To say this site is an oasis in the worldwidedesert is an understatement. I feel uplifted. I feel important and beautiful and useful. And now I can happily tell you about the amazing evening I shared with three CrossFit Beauties and three bottles of Skinnygirl ready to serve cocktails (and you only had to suffer two slightly-off-topic paragraphs to get to the good stuff - let's all thank Hannah together).

Girls Night In (and Skinnygirl Cocktail Review)

I hadn't had the girls (or anybody really) over to the Cave since Tiff's Birthday and I was feeling the itch. I like to spend time outside the gym with the CrossFit Beauties. They're amazing people, great cooks, and always up for anything. Who wouldn't want to hang out with a crew like that? With our Whole30 coming to a close, this past weekend presented the perfect opportunity for a Girls Night In. We had our health to celebrate!

I'd also been rolling a party idea around in my head for a while. I'm a Bethenny Frankel fan from way back (OK not all the way back to The Apprentice: Martha Stewart - but that's because I'm not much into contest shows. Back to RHNY Season 1 and the on-screen invention of the Skinnygirl Margarita). So I've kept close tabs on all the new Skinnygirl Cocktail flavors that have been bottled and distributed in recent months.

But, up until this weekend, I hadn't tasted any except the Original Margarita. I'm just one CaveGirl. And I don't really drink that much. What if I bought one and didn't like it? I'd have 75% of a bottle to waste (and nobody wants a partial bottle of an unloved pre-made cocktail in their stocking - I checked). So, my brilliant party idea was to divide and conquer the new flavors. Between the 4 of us, I knew we could consume the better-part of three bottles in an evening.

We chose: Original, White Peach, and Cosmo

I'll get to our review, but first we need to talk about the rest of the party and the food (the most important part).

When I sent out the invite, I made sure to let the Beauties know that this party was casual. Yoga pants casual. I wanted to catch up, hang out, watch a girl movie, and relax. I asked the girls to bring a few snacks, and I chilled the Skinnygirl. I also pulled together a few treats (I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to test new recipes).

Our snacks.

The Beauties brought plantain chips, guacamole, fruit, and veggies. I made a newly-invented paleo snack (recipes coming soon): shredded chicken jalapeño poppers with avocado ranch dip. And because the Whole30 protocol doesn't allow any paleo baking, I made a super-special paleo treat: banana cream cake. 

When the girls arrived, we poured the drinks and made ourselves comfortable around the dining table. We laughed and talked and caught up, and we started the Skinnygirl taste test. I then offered my movie choice for the evening: Sarah Jessica Parker's smash hit Girls Just Want to Have Fun (yes, I own it on DVD, as every good 80s girl should...). Rachel was excited, and Tiff was curious. Unlike Rachel and I - who saw this movie (and all the other amazing 80s dance movies) as children - Tiff was born 4 years after Girls Just Want to Have Fun debuted. 

Despite her youth, Tiff has a deep love for everything awesome. So I knew she'd enjoy the spectacle. I also thought this would be a good educational experience for her. How can she truly enjoy 90s, 00s, and future dance movies if she's never seen the dance movie that set the template for all future dance movies? I was performing a public service, really. 

We started the movie (it was as entertaining as always) and continued the Skinnygirl taste test. When all was said and done, Tiff loved the movie, and we ranked the Skinnygirl flavors. First, as expected, was Original Margarita. It was stronger than the girls anticipated, in a good way. I think they expected a watered-down, overly-sweetened wine cooler-like drink. But the Original Margarita is none of those things. It was refreshing and full of tequila (just like our homemade versions). I recommend a squeeze of orange, but it's just as good straight from the bottle.

Second on our list was the Cosmo. Not everyone tried this one (something about a bad experience with vodka-cranberry back in college...) but those that did enjoyed the flavor. And Linda even ranked it #1 on her list. The Cosmo was tart and strong (just like a good Cosmo should be) and ideal for our SJP-themed evening.

Last of the three was the White Peach Margarita. It wasn't a bad cocktail, but one of them had to be last. It was a little sweeter than I like my drinks to be (I'm a tequila shot girl, after all). I'm sure there is a market for the White Peach Margarita, but it won't make a re-appearance in my Cave. Especially if there is Original Margarita available.

And there you have it. What Skinnygirl flavors have you tried? What did you think?