Blueberry Lemonade

 

I love blueberries.  The contrast of textures, from firm skin to soft squashy flesh; the colour that leaks and stains and I'll eat them in, on anything, as well as by the handful from the fridge.  So when I saw this recipe recently it was a new way to enjoy.  So here's what you need to make a drink that you can sip as the summer days grow shorter...

 

Sparkling Blueberry Lemonade
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh lemon juice (6 to 8 whole lemons)
2/3 cup caster sugar
2 pints blueberries, pureed and strained (use a muslin or just strain through a fine seive)
1/2 cup St Germain (elderflower liqueur)
2 cups sparkling wine
ice
garnish:
fresh blueberries

Directions:
1. Place lemon juice, sugar and 3 cups water into a pitcher and stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Add blueberries, elderflower liqueur and refrigerate.
3. When ready to serve, top with sparkling wine, ice and fresh blueberries. Stir and serve.

 

 

 

Easy huh!  I might serve this with my griddled peach and burrata crostini's..

 

images: here

5 (easy) DIY projects for summertime inspiration

I think we all need a creative outlet now and then, whether it be writing a daily journal, cooking and baking, or creating a beautiful watercolour.  From time to time I get the urge to 'make' something and I often turn to my pinterest page 'crafty' for ideas.  Here are some of my current favs...

1.  Rose petal ice-cubes - how gorgeous are these.  Guaranteed to make your summertime drink extra special.

2. How to illustrate in ten steps. I've always wanted to be able to draw.  People say you can learn, but I promise you, so far I've failed.  Maybe this will help!

3. Gold confetti tumblers  Who wouldn't want to use these for a summer cocktail.  Easy to make and very effective.

4.  I used to love making paper mache bowls as I found it very soothing, so when I saw this project making paper mache teacups I couldn't wait to try it.

5. Tray styling is just a fun thing to do.  I hadn't realised, until I saw this tutorial, that you're meant to divide your space into quadrants.  I guess that would work for other areas too...

Eat your greens

I'm still on a green roll and although I've never really got into making my own smoothies, the January detox decreed that I at least give it a go!  I hadn't been out to shop specially for any ingredients so was limited to what was in my fridge!  Close inspection of the crisper revealed a pear, some spinach and some apple juice. So, in it all went, blended for a minute and what I was left with was reminiscent of something from a horror film; green and frothy.  Hmmmm.   Anyway, I gave it a whirl, and you know what?  It was delicious.  Yes, really.  I couldn't  taste the spinach just the sweet flavour of pear and apple.  I went around all day feeling very virtuous.  Next on the hit list is kale, and you all know how much I love that!

{green and frothy spinach smoothie}

So, here's what you need:
two handfuls of spinach, one pear, 250mls apple juice, ice.  That's it.  Blend and there'll be enough for two servings.

Enjoy!

Making a cheeseboard

 I've always been a bit of a mouse.  I love cheese.  I mean, really, really, love cheese.  When I was little I used to get a block of cheese in my stocking at Christmas.  True.  My tastes have come a long way since that Christmas lump of cheddar and I don't think I can recall a cheese I've tried and haven't liked, although that's not to say I don't have my favourites!  I'll eat cheese with just about anything, on, in and just by itself, which is where the cheeseboard comes in.  In my opinion, you just can't go wrong with a good cheeseboard, but you do need to choose carefully.  I think it's far better to have three or four good sized cheeses than lots of different ones.  I try to choose a semi-hard cheese, a soft cheese, a blue cheese and I also like to put out some charcuterie, nuts and something sweet.

 I really love salted marcona almonds, figs, segments of tangerine would go down well too; maybe some olives, honey or jam.  Have fun playing around with your selection and then of course you have to decide, crackers or bread?

I serve my cheeses on a lovely heart-shaped slate that I bought one year on holiday.  It's great because I can chalk directly on it, letting everyone know what cheese they're eating.

But a rustic board works just as well.

Place your savoury and sweet treats on the board and serve with this fantastic sparkling apple sangria.  Remember to take your cheeses out of the fridge a good hour before you want to eat them, or their flavours will be muted.

Cheers!

Image sources: 1,6,7,11 here; 2-5 Jessica Lorren via here

A Girl's Poison - Lavender Cocktail

I have a thing about Lavender.  I can't quite get the old-lady thing out of my mind if I'm honest, but equally, I see fragrant bushes around pools in Italy, and fields in Provence, and vintage bowls filled with sweet smelling buds; this goes a long way to dispelling the aged connotations!  Anyway, I came across this company - Monin.  They do a lavender syrup!!!!  (They also do every other syrup you could possibly think of a use for, and many you couldn't. but I'm up for the challenge!!)  I ordered it in a happy moment of madness and when it arrived in all it's glory, I thought, what am I going to do with this?

A cocktail.

Of course.

So here it is

You will need:(to make one glass)

1oz Monin lavender syrup
1 measure Hendricks Gin
juice of half a lemon (per glass)
Soda
Ice

Ok, so here's how:

Place your syrup and lemon juice in the bottom of a highball glass (I used tall Moroccan tea glasses).
Add lots of ice and pour your gin over the top.  Top up with soda, stir and sip.

Tasting Notes:
I was expecting a real hit of lavender.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I got the lavender flavour AFTER; a real after-shock.  Not a punch in the mouth, but a gentle caress of flavour on the palette.  I tried it out on a friend for lunch in the sun.  She was won.  It's gentle enough to drink during the day if that's what you're after, subtle enough to be elegantly served on a summer's evening in the garden.

PS apologies for lack of photos.  I'm having a NIGHTMARE with Picasa3.  Won't download, won't save; it's throwing all it's toys out of the pram.  I'm not impressed.