Instructions...

Mix together rum and sugar in pitcher until sugar is mostly dissolved. Add fruit, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. You can let it sit overnight. Add orange juice and wine and serve over ice. Very potent (huge plus, no?!)! Serves about 4 (depending on how many lushes will be in attendance). And though it looks and tastes divine, it is ok to use cheap red wine and rum in here. Your guests will never even have an inkling...until they wake up the next morning with a horrible hangover. But they can't really blame you at that point now, can they? This recipe is quick to make (minus the time it is marinating it's fruity goodness in the frig when you can be doing other things), looks pretty fancy in a glass pitcher, and is pretty inexpensive, even if you do use decent or even good wine and rum. But trust me, they'll never know the difference. And don't forget to eat the tasty booze-soaked fruit slices when you are done. That is where the magic is!

And now for the best part of the week... booze time.  Since we have had you trying on everything in your wardrobe, painting a new color in your bathroom and making some salsa, isn't it time for a cocktail to calm your nerves and get you ready for the weekend?  Every Friday at Noël Marie is Happy Hour and we plan on sharing drink recipes to help get the party started.  First up is a throw back to my college days and is the beautiful: Tequila Sunrise. You'll Need: 2 oz. Tequila 4 oz. Orange Juice splash of grenadine  Ice Usually you use a highball glass, but I didn't have one - a shame, I know. The trick is to pour the grenadine down the side of the glass so you make it look pretty.  Cheers!