Champagne may be associated with luxury and wealthy people, but not all sparkling wines were made for the rich. Prosecco is the Italian OG bubbly, and has been a staple of the region for longer than pasta has existed. The likelihood of an affordable prosecco being more delicious than pricey champagnes is often high, especially if you prefer a dry palette.
With its perfect price point, prosecco lends itself to not only flow freely into the glasses of the willing, but as a base for some of the world’s most famous cocktails. It plays well with others, and isn’t so sweet that you can’t add fruits and flavors, as seen in the Venetian Bellini and the Milanese Aperol Spritz.
Being so delicious and refreshing, freezing the stuff is a summer trick of the expert hostess. As a popsicle, the alcohol dose is nice and small, a great place to weed hack, since it’s harder to overdo it when brainfreeze is on the table. Mixing three of the tastiest things in existence ends up being as delicious as you can predict.
Photos by Danielle Guercio
Puff Puff Popsicles
Danielle Guercio, 2017 Makes 4, 10mg THC per popsicle
Photos by Danielle Guercio
1 cup strawberries
¼ cup sugar
1 cup Prosecco
¼ oz cannabis glycerin tincture*
Popsicle molds
Begin by muddling strawberries in a measuring cup with sugar and glycerin tincture. Smash them as much as you can, they infuse their tart yumminess into the bubbly easier this way. Allow to sit for 30 minutes so the sugars can break down the flesh of the berries and everything can get tasty.
Photos by Danielle Guercio
Pour over the prosecco and stir well. Dispense into Popsicle molds. Freeze overnight on a flat surface that won’t get disturbed.
When you take them out, allow to defrost for a minute or two to make it easier to slide out of the mold.
Photos by Danielle Guercio
*Cannabis Glycerin Tincture
In an oven safe container double sealed with foil, decarboxylate 3.5 grams finely ground cannabis at 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Put cannabis in a mason jar or vacuum sealed bag, pour over 2 oz vegetable glycerin and seal tightly. Place in a water bath at just under boiling for 1 hour. Strain and keep contents in a sterilized container. Stores indefinitely in freezer.
Photos by Danielle Guercio
Having popsicle molds in your house is a godsend. You can do this with any extra fruits and wines you have around the house that are about to go bad, since you’re much more likely to eat a popsicle than to eat some bruised fruit and 2 day old wine. Adding weed is just bringing even more fun to the party.
The article you are about to read will not change anything. You might agree with it—I hope you agree with it—but that will only mean we are in this losing battle together. As a writer on the internet, every precedent ever established instructs me to tell you otherwise. To promise you this article matters. To swear and curse until we dissenters are heard. But as an honest human, I cannot promise you any of that. Because it’d be a lie.
Instead then, this article’s aim is to carve a very small space in the internet where reason and sanity reign. Where an article is not written with the goal of your clicks (though, the clicks would be nice) or trying to sell you something; I’m not, unlike the majority of other internet writers, even trying to sell you on myself. Think of the intention here like wearing a pair of Bose noise-cancelling headphones—no music playing, just a buffer between your senses and the outside world currently running an aural assault on them.
To strip away another pretense, this article’s premise could describe or investigate a subject you find more important than mine. Here is where I will promise you something: Whatever ongoing story you think this should be about probably renders as more significant. (That is unless you’re focused on whatever meme-generating comment the Donald Trump administration has made; then your idea is dumber than mine.) As you’ve undoubtedly read the headline, you know this argument revolves around Star Wars because that’s the latest event to piss me off. And I mean really piss me off. Imagine my anguished cries somewhere between Luke Skywalker’s heart aching yelps discovering Darth Vader is his father and Anakin Skywalker whining, as he amusingly rolls into lava at the end of Episode III, like a little bitch.
We’re somewhere on that spectrum, anyways. Because Disney and Lucasfilm decided you, me, and every operating pair of eyeballs wants to know every last detail about Star Wars: The Last Jedi. I should rephrase: Disney, Lucasfilm, and the entire media industrial complex needs to tell you everything that happens in The Last Jedi before you see The Last Jedi. If someone were to leak who The Last Jedi was (that person probably being George Lucas), every blogger would run it through the content mill with outrageous headlines, and earn boatloads of clicks because we all prefer to live in a world without surprises. Even about a fake war of stars involving a fake (angst-y) family who can use fake force powers.
But why? It’s barely June and I’m burned out by Star Wars. Disney and Lucasfilm are running an old-school marketing approach for The Last Jedi similar to the promotion of The Force Awakens. Months of teasing information and nostalgic interviews with the original cast and slowly introducing us to the new one. Giant glossy magazine features and testimonials from celebrity superfans invited on set like Kevin Smith. Selling limited-edition toys in rounds and partnering with Saturday Night Live for parody screen testing of actors. All fun and warranted as we welcomed Star Wars back into our lives.
But Star Wars the franchise is already part of our lives. We know and love Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Adam Driver, and BB-8. So why is everyone so eager to continue shoving Star Wars down our throats? A week doesn’t pass without Vulture or Birth.Movies.Death or Variety or Buzzfeed or whoever teasing or speculating on another The Last Jedi rumor. That giant Vanity Fair feature included a “definitive preview,” introductions to the new new characters, portraits and photoshoot from Annie Liebovitz, four different magazine covers, and David Kamp, who wrote the story, hosting a Reddit AMA. Secrets and more teasers of Luke Skywalker’s green lightsaber maybe returning and what’s up with Snoke and how did killing his father affect Kylo Ren were revealed.
Again…why? Can’t we watch the movie and figure all this out on our own? Do we require this level of belittling spoonfeeding?
Perhaps I’ve grown too accustomed to our new media way of doing things. For example, I love the Fast and Furious franchise because I like fast cars, stunts that don’t obey the laws of physics, and Vin Diesel grumbling sermons on “family.” But if I had to constantly hear about Fast and Furious plot details, possible teases regarding Brian, and see headlines like “You Won’t Believe The Surprising Turn The Rock’s Character Makes In ‘Fate of The Furious’” six months prior to the movie, I’d swear it off….okay, no I wouldn’t. But know that, like, I’d be really, really upset. Man, I’m probably coming across real pathetic right now.
Okay, here’s what I’m saying. We’re not dumb, Star Wars. I know the country’s actions might suggest otherwise right now, but we’re not a nation of Luddite dunces who need perpetual stimulations of mass-marketing to remain interested in your product. I promise I’ll see your dumb movie. Please, oh please just shut up until at least October. Then shove whatever garbage you want into my eyeballs about how fresh and revelatory your new movie will be. I promise I’ll let you.
But I know this argument is ultimately futile. These are not the articles you’re looking for. The Sith Lords in charge of Star Wars will meticulously maintain our glazed interest in The Last Jedi throughout the year. They will win and I will lose. Please just don’t make me pretend The Force Awakens is a good movie anymore. I’d rather join the Dark Side.
The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t in a good place. They lost Game 2 of the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors 132-113 Sunday night and it never felt like the Cavs were in the driver’s seat. Steph Curry and Kevin Durant evolved into three-point robot assassins over these past two games and don’t plan on malfunctioning anytime soon.
So members of Cleveland’s basketball team might need something to relieve the stress and pressure of the moment. We should emphasize upfront this is strictly speculation and the account of one sole reporter after the game. But according to Mike Wise of The Undefeated, the Cavs’ postgame locker rooms strongly smelled of marijuana.
Wise tweeted the following thread, describing the smells and establishing some marijuana credibility I guess saying he grew up in California and Hawaii. Though he totally loses points for saying “reefer aroma,” here’s what Wise had to say.
Cavs locker room has a strong reefer aroma to it tonight. Hey, it's Cali. You're down 2-0 and it's all about pain control. #NBAFinals
As Wise stated in the tweets, it’s impossible to pinpoint who was or was not possibly smoking marijuana. We can’t know for sure, though players have admitted to marijuana usage in the NBA previously.
Instead take this for what it is: a tantalizing rumor that impacts very little if it were true or not. NBA players consuming cannabis shouldn’t be scandalous, particularly considering the physical pressure they place upon their bodies.
It’s also worth noting another reporter, Stefan Bondy from the New York Daily News, did not condone the accusation. For now, this story remain pure conjecture and speculation. But we’d be cool if it was true.
The Oscar-winning actress looked stunning in a clinging silver sequinned dress and matching heels and posed for cameras with her hands on her tummy as though protectively cradling her ‘bump’.
It was a food baby! Halle Berry ignited a firestorm of pregnancy chatter when she showed off what appeared to be a baby bump this weekend — but looks may be deceiving. She just posted “Can A girl have some steak and fries!”
Berry, 50, attended the Chrysalis Butterfly Ball in Los Angeles on Sunday clad in a silver sequined fitted dress that clung to her midsection. She cradled her abdomen and smiled as she posed on the purple carpet. However, despite other reports claiming the actress is expecting, Berry’s rep told Page Six Monday, “It is completely untrue. She is not pregnant.”
It Seems Another Woman Is The Reason For Ben Stiller’s Split
“It was Ben who was to blame for the marriage breaking up,” the source said. Recently the couple has been fighting over Stiller’s “close friendship” with a female friend he had met on a movie set, according to Radar’s source.
“Ben became quite taken with her and was often heard bragging about how talented the woman was and he gushed that she was ‘definitely going places!’” the source said.
“His wife Christine was not amused by her husband’s mid-life infatuation and the couple fought constantly about it, especially in recent months—because Ben stayed in touch with the gal and claimed he was only ‘mentoring’ her.”
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That’s what Erika Anderson did in Brooklyn recently, according to WUSA9 reporting out of Brooklyn:
“I would describe it as women saying yes to themselves,” Anderson said. “It means that we are enough, even if we are not partnered with someone else.” In many ways, the 37-year-old bride looked like any other on her wedding day. She wore a white dress and had a bouquet. Anderson looked stunning with the Brooklyn bridge and New York City skyline behind her. Except when she walked down the aisle, no one was waiting for her. That’s just the way she wanted it.
As WUSA9 notes, self-marriage is a business unto itself, with companies providing ceremony services, wedding bands, and vows.
Yep, she said “screw it” to ever setting foot on Tinder again (presumably), going on any more boring dates with strangers, or enduring another disembodied dick pic (again, presumably) in favor of the stability that comes with sologamy.
Or, maybe not? She says even though she’s married to herself, she’s still dating and isn’t ruling out marrying another person.
There aren’t many experiences in the world more pleasurable than tending to a perfect two-zone charcoal fire while the smell of caramelizing vegetables and cooking steak wafts across the back yard on a perfect summer’s afternoon—but we can think of one: Doing all that with a whiskey in your hand.
Barbecues aren’t the time for high-end, expensive whiskeys. All that smoke makes it hard to pick up on olfactory subtleties, and you’re likely to be busy flipping burgers or hosing down kids on the slip-and-slide—not activities that lend themselves to solemn contemplation. Instead, you want something you can pour and share freely, something that doesn’t demand too much, but offers plenty in return. Here are our favorite picks for barbecue-friendly whiskeys, just in time for the golden months of grilling.
Grilling is casual and relaxed, which means you need a low-key, drinkable whiskey to keep you company without requiring you get out your fancy crystal glassware. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean you need to drink bad whiskey.
Jim Beam Black is a more-aged version of the brand’s classic Jim Beam White Label, and it delivers a bigger, bolder flavor without a corresponding big, bold price increase. Just as pleasing neat or over ice as it is floated atop a pour of spicy ginger ale.
Meet smoke with smoke: Johnnie Walker Double Black brings a hefty dose of peat smoke, but it’s balanced by a substantial malty backbone that gives this whisky sweetness and depth, just like a brown sugar-glazed rack of barbecue ribs.
This spicy, chocolaty release from Nashville’s Corsair Distillery cuts through rich foods with ease, making it a great companion to smoked brisket or pulled pork. It’s also bottled at 92 proof, which means it can stand up to an ice cube or two—essential on a hot afternoon.
Americans aren’t the only ones who love to grill. In South Africa, cooking out is a way of life. Bain’s Cape Mountain, a particularly quirky world whisky, is a South African single grain made from 100% wheat by a former professional cricket player in the mountains outside Capetown. Sweet and a little bit tropical, it goes wonderfully with grilled shrimp.
These old heritage blended Scotch brands don’t get a lot of love, but there’s a place in every liquor cabinet for Dewar’s. Sweet and simple without being simplistic, it’s an ideal highball Scotch, since a splash of seltzer water brings out its fruity, apple-like notes.
The fight to legalize marijuana in the United States made some significant strides last week. California fired a salvo to protect its marijuana laws against the federal government. New Hampshire will no longer arrest citizens for possessing small amounts of cannabis. In Nevada, the plan to begin recreational sales by July 1 hit a snag in court. Read all about these developments and more in The Fresh Toast’s Legislative Roundup for June 5.
California:
On Friday, the California Assembly passed legislation designed to prevent police from cooperating with any federal law enforcement action against individuals and businesses in compliance with state marijuana law. The so-called “marijuana sanctuary state” bill would prohibit the use of state resources to “investigate, detain, detect, report, or arrest a person for marijuana activity that is authorized by law in the State of California.”
The move comes in response to threats by the Trump administration to crack down on state-legal marijuana industries in the eight states and D.C. where the plant is legal. In November, California voters passed Proposition 64 to legalize recreational cannabis in the state. A similar bill failed to pass in the Colorado House earlier this year.
New Hampshire:
The New Hampshire House of Representatives voted on Thursday to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in the state. The bill will make possession of up to three-quarters of an ounce of cannabis a civil violation punishable by a fine of no more than $300, as opposed to a criminal misdemeanor.
The House had previously passed a decriminalization bill with a one-ounce limit, but this threshold was lowered in the Senate. Governor Chris Sununu has said he will sign the legislation, making New Hampshire the last state in New England to decriminalize adult cannabis possession.
Nevada:
On Tuesday, a state judge issued a restraining order prohibiting the Nevada Department of Taxation from enforcing a filing deadline for recreational marijuana license applications. The judge sided with a group of liquor wholesalers that argued that they, rather than existing medical dispensaries, should get first priority in applying to distribute recreational cannabis.
The judge ruled that the DOT did not follow proper regulatory procedure in determining that insufficient interest existed among liquor wholesalers earlier this year. Nevada’s planned July 1 start date for recreational cannabis sales at medical dispensaries could be delayed as a result of the restraining order.
It has become so difficult for the U.S. Secret Service to find recruits that have never before experimented with marijuana that the agency’s new director, Randolph Alles, has thrown his hands in air on the issue, announcing last week that he has relaxed the drug policy for potential new hires.
During a recent press briefing, Mr. Alles, who has been at the helm of the agency for less than three months, told reporters that it has become necessary for the Secret Service to be a little more lenient when it comes to dealing with job candidates that may have used marijuana at some point in the past.
It is for that reason that, as of last month, the agency’s drug policy has been revamped to not immediately disqualify a candidate with a history of cannabis use. Instead, the Secret Service is now giving consideration to the length of time a person has refrained from using the herb when reviewing his or her application.
For example, applicants younger than 24 are only required to show they haven’t used marijuana for a period of 12-months. Other candidates, 28-years or older, are expected to be pot-free for at least five years.
Although the agency will no longer discount candidates who admit to smoking a little weed, Alles said the agency would still maintain a strict interview process, which includes a polygraph and an extensive background check.
Now that marijuana has become legal in a growing number of states, and attitudes over the dangers associated with the substance have become more relaxed among the majority of civil society, it has become next to impossible for federal agencies, like the Secret Service, to track down qualified applicants that have not at least tried smoking weed.
If the previous drug policy were to continue, Alles said the agency would struggle to fill thousands of positions.
The agency’s new drug policy is expected to facilitate in the placement of nearly 10,000 new employees over the next several years.
“We need more people. The mission has changed,” Alles said, according to CNN. “It’s more dynamic and way more dangerous than it has been in years past.”
There is speculation that the Secret Service, whose only two jobs are to provide security for the president and his family and investigate financial crimes, is beefing up personnel in an attempt to deal with all of the anti-Trump cases that are expected to emerge over the next four years. It is the duty of the agency to investigate every threat made against the President of the United States, even if the supposed menace comes in the form of Photoshopped image posted by a D-list comedian.
People worry about so many silly things when it comes to good sex, like acrobatic technique and how many orgasms they can produce in the shortest amount of time. But they forget about the most important detail: a positive attitude.
Experts agree that a good attitude is one of the main reasons why we enjoy great sex, and it’s not limited exclusively to the bedroom. In fact, to have great sex you must have a positive attitude that reflects on all aspects of life.
Here are 5 weird factors that predict whether or not you’ll have good sex:
Discussing Sex With Friends
Great sex happens when you like the person you’re having sex with obviously, but your attitude towards sex and how “good” you are at it can be super influenced by the relationship you have with it. If you’re open about sex and you don’t think that it’s a taboo topic, you’ll be willing to explore more things and to let yourself go.
I think talking about sex with your friends can help normalize interests and behaviors and it can also spark your imagination.”
Sarah Watson, sex counselor and therapist, believes that talking about sex with your friends can push you to try out new things and to be educated on the matter.
Laughter
Making your partner laugh and having an easy going relationship with them is always a plus, especially when it’s reflected on all aspects of your dynamic, not only when it comes to sex. Being silly and playful means that you’ll be able to overcome any awkwardness that arises when you’re having sex and you accidentally elbow your partner in the eye.
Chemistry is very hard to define, but if you’re making each other laugh then you’re on the right path.
We know it’s embarrassing to be open about human things that you don’t want to remind your new love interest, like constipation or how much it hurts to shave, but studies have discovered a direct link between honesty and great intimacy. It’s not sexy to discuss a bad day, but in the long run, your honesty will be appreciated and will lead to some great things, re: sex.
Messiness
If you’re a slob that’s amazing, because it means that you won’t be afraid or get skeeved out during sex, which is a messy messy process. If you’re an organized person who likes to maintain a schedule and to have a lot of control, try shaking things up once in a while and to be a little bit less uptight. This “looser” mentality will leave a positive impression on your sex life, allowing you to enjoy the emotional and physical intimacy that comes out of this process instead of the minutia like the fact that the sheets are a little coarse and that you haven’t shaved in three days.
Eye Contact
While it may make some people uncomfortable, eye contact is very important when it comes to romantic relationships, establishing a bond of trust and openness. It’s a good thing when you can’t keep your eyes of each other, don’t lose that.
“This is something that Scott has struggled with for years, and something Kourtney has dealt with since she has known Scott,” the source explains. “When Scott starts partying, he can’t stop. There is no middle ground for Scott — it’s go all in or none at all. This is how he has always been.”
The source claims Disick, who shares three children, Mason, 7, Penelope, 4, and Reign, 2, with Kardashian, “goes into the dark, depressed stages” where he “turns to partying for help.”
Kim Kardashian Calls For Stricter Gun Control Laws
On Friday, the mother of two took to her personal app with an impassioned post calling for stricter gun control laws in the United States. She also announced that she will support the cause by wearing orange for the day, and mentioned previous mass shootings, including Columbine High School, Virginia Tech University and Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida.
“In almost 20 years, our country has made very little progress in enacting laws that would help protect innocent Americans from people who should not have access to firearms,” she writes. “Right now, there are more guns owned by civilians in this country than in any other country in the world.”
“In February of this year, President [Donald] Trump actually signed a bill revoking a regulation recommended by President [Barack] Obama that would have added 75,000 names of people with registered mental illnesses to a national background check database,” she adds. “This is Crazy!”
But as a survivor of an armed robbery, Kardashian West made it clear that she’s not against “people buying guns.”
“After what happened to me in Paris, I know how important it is to be safe and to have armed security,”she explains. “All of my security team is armed, but they also support stricter gun control laws and believe that we should restrict access to firearms for people with mental illness, anyone previously convicted of a misdemeanor, those who have been subject to a temporary restraining order and those at a higher risk of committing gun violence.”
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