Modern Moscow Mules with Fresh Lime and Ginger (and BIG life and professional news)

I just announced some huge news over at The Six O’Clock Scramble. Exactly 14 years after I sent out our first weekly menu plan, I have passed the ladle of The Scramble over to a terrific new CEO, Jessica Braider. (Don’t miss The Scramble’s Blowout Friends & Family Sale now through August 16th. Use the promo code FANDF17 for 25% off all memberships, including renewals)

Being the owner and CEO of The Scramble has been the longest, most rewarding, most exhilarating (and at times most draining) job I’ve ever had.

Over the last 14 years, members of The Scramble’s community have often felt more like family and friends than customers. There is something so intimate about raising our kids together and doing our best to nourish them while trying to retain a shred of our sanity and senses of humor.

My goal with The Scramble was to not only create this incredible community of busy parents who care deeply about our family’s physical and emotional wellbeing, but also to make it less stressful and more joyful for families to share mealtime, and give them the tools to do so more often.

I’m proud that between the meal planner and cookbooks I have helped families enjoy close to a million meals together. Some of my favorite moments over the years were hearing about your mealtime successes and your kids’ expanding palates, and nothing makes me quite as happy as when you send me pictures of Scramble recipes your kids have made!

As Andrew and I near a change in life without either of our kids at home (Celia, our youngest, starts college at Vanderbilt in Nashville later this month), I yearn to shift my focus to other personal and professional pursuits. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to sustain The Scramble for 14 years, and to have found the absolute perfect new Chief Mom to take over. Jessica’s calm competence, passion and caring heart, makes me feel comfortable letting go of the day to day operations that have been such a central part of my life since 2003.

What’s Next…

Subscribe to my blog here for updates about what’s next for me and to join me in the journey. In addition to food marketing, food and adventure travel promotion, entrepreneur coaching, private cooking classes, bartending, and writing projects, I’ll continue to develop recipes, including my latest passion, concocting cocktails like this fresh take on Moscow Mules that I created for a Karaoke Rock Star party thrown by my friend Sherri Holdridge (to stay with the rock star theme, that night we called them “Back in the USSR” Mules).

Coming soon: Tuna Poke Bowls with Sesame Lime Peanut Dressing

Coming to this space next week is my family’s new favorite splurge recipe, Tune Poke Quinoa Bowls with Sesame-Lime-Peanut Dressing. I made this delectable salad for Solomon’s last dinner at home before he headed to Melbourne, Australia for his junior semester abroad, and then I coached my 14-year-old nephew Clark as he prepared it all by himself for a family dinner at his house in East Hampton, New York.

I’m pretty sure you’ll want to slurp down this summery recipe for Frozen Peach Basil Daiquiris that I concocted for another party. (Now you know my little secret: I love parties, so if you invite me to one I just might create a new cocktail for YOU!).

Cheers to YOU!

I’m raising a glass to all of you moms, dads, sons and daughters who are doing your best to nourish yourselves and your families, lifting each other up, and remembering to add an ounce or two of joy to whatever you create in the kitchen (and behind the bar).

Modern Moscow Mules with Fresh Lime and Ginger  Modern Moscow Mules with Fresh Lime and Ginger

Makes 64 ounces, 10 servings

2 cups fresh lime juice (from 8 – 10 limes)
6 cups vodka
1/2 cup fresh mint and/or basil
1 Tbsp. fresh grated ginger
1 cup simple syrup (make or use mint simple syrup if possible)
1500 ml. ginger beer (about 8 1/3 cups or 51 oz.)

In a large pitcher, combine the lime juice, vodka and fresh herbs and muddle them vigorously (a potato masher works well). Let sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes if time allows, and up to 24 hours.

Strain and discard the solids and add the simple syrup and ginger beer. Serve immediately, or if not serving immediately, add the ginger beer within an hour of when you will serve it so it doesn’t get too flat. Serve over ice and garnished with thin slices of lime and fresh mint.

Thanks to my longtime colleague and friend, Linda Wolpert, for taking these gorgeous cocktail photos!

Check out the recipe for Frozen Peach Daiquiris, and don’t forget to subscribe to this blog for recipes and other updates.

3 Responses

  1. Congrats Aviva! So happy for you that you have reached this point in your career. I can’t wait to see what you have in store – I already like the looks of it with all these cocktails 😉

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