Day 13: Make a herb cocktail

Day 13 and the first day back at work after my hols. The weather matched my mood: it rained most of the day and was starting again as I arrived home. Alcohol was required.

As I turned the key in the front door, I glanced to the side at my rosemary bush. Yes, a herb cocktail!

Mix together in a jug some: rosemary and mint leaves, coconut rum (ours is Cocobay from Aldi), lime juice and 1 teaspoon sugar. Muddle (ie bash) the leaves with a pestle to release the flavour. Add a couple of ice cubes to chill. Pour.

Chickpea pronounced it 'a great success'. As I settled down, glass in hand, to watch Springwatch, I couldn't help but agree. How brilliant is 30 Days Wild! x

Limone

While I was browsing the fruit section of the supermarket the other day, I spotted these yellow beauties. It wasn't just the size of the lemons which drew my attention but the small label showing that they were from Sorrento. I was immediately transported back to May 2003 and the Bay of Naples...

These were pre-blogging and pre-digital camera days so this photo of a photo isn't great but you get the idea. It's one of the best holidays we've ever had - a perfect mixture of sun, sea, scenery, stunning architecture and rich, amazing history. I was in heaven exploring the streets of Sorrento, Pompeii and Herculaneum, and almost literally in heaven at the top of Mt Vesuvius. There are very few places I'd go back to - too many places, too little time - but this is definitely one of them.

The locals are very proud of their lemons and you find them decorating all kinds of souvenirs - I came back with a tile and fridge magnet. We also saw them decorating these children during a school parade.

The lemons are much larger and juicier than standard lemons. Just look at the width of the pith on this one!

Apparently 60% of the harvest is reserved to make limoncello, for which Sorrento is also famous. Mine was made using Sophie Grigson's recipe from Sunshine Foods: lemon peel, vodka, sugar and water.

Of course, I couldn't let those gorgeous lemons go to waste so I made a cake. It's based on the Orange & white chocolate cake by Lynn Hill in the Clandestine Cake Club Cookbook*. You can find the recipe here and where it says use orange juice/zest, substitute lemon. And, instead of Cointreau, I used my homemade limoncello.

Lemon is probably my all-time favourite flavour and the smell as I juiced and grated was just amazing. Summer and sunshine. The cake tasted pretty good too!

All those holiday memories and more still to make. When I arrived home with my Italian lemons, our tickets for Verona had arrived! Fluttery tummies all round. Only 21 sleeps to go. Me, excited? Whatever gave you that impression :)

*If you haven't got this cookbook, I highly recommend it. There are so many interesting sounding recipes, I want to make practically all of them!

Burns Night 2014

Last night I hosted a Burns Night supper for our friends, Sue and Gordon and their son. If you've been reading this blog a while, you'll know I did the same last year. It was a real success and, as Sue has mentioned it several times over the last 12 months, I invited them over again.

I did suggest doing 'Burns Night Lite' but no, it had to be exactly the same. Well, exactly the same would be a bit dull so I kept the traditional running order but changed some of the entertainment.

One of my new elements was the decoration. I bought a metre of tartan fabric to make a tablecloth and added the purple and silver accessories which I already owned.

On arrival, the adults were served my version of a Loch Ness Mystery cocktail (whisky, apricot brandy, lemon juice, orange juice and lime juice).

Then onto the main festivities, starting with the Piping in of the Guests to the sound of bagpipes and a marching band.

The Selkirk Grace

Before the arrival of the food, a short prayer was offered, in best Scottish accent.

Some hae meat and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it,
But we hae meat and we can eat,
And sae the Lord be thankit.

Piping in of the Haggis

The haggis was brought in to the sound of the national anthem, Scotland the Brave, and paraded around the table.

Address to the Haggis

Sue read the Burns poem, Address to a Haggis, and Gordon plunged in the knife at these immortal words,

Cut you up wi' ready sleight,

Trenching your gushing entrails bright

The meal

As well as the haggis, I served the traditional accompaniment of neeps and tatties: potatoes with honey and pepper roasted white turnip and chantenay carrots. There'll be more information about the potato dish in due course as the recipe was part of my Cookery Book Challenge.

Entertainment and Dessert

Before dessert it was time for some entertainment. Of course there had to be a reading of a poem by Burns (John Anderson, my Jo) and music with a Scottish flavour. 

With a 7 year old present, I was really pleased to find Kilts and Stilts from Veggie Tales. And we all laughed and sang along to Ye Canny Shove Yer Granny Aff a Bus before a rousing rendition of the traditional Skye Boat Song, which I remember learning at school. Finally, by popular demand from last year, we finished with Doon in the wee room.

Dessert was another traditional offering, cranachan.

Auld Lang Syne

Last but not least, with words by Robert Burns we held hands and sang along tunelessly to Auld Lang Syne, backed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and chorus.

And thus concluded our Burns Supper. 

The meal over, we headed out to the garden to wave around a few sparklers, before retreating to the living room for the DVD of Brave.

We had such a good time that Sue is now planning an English evening for St George's Day and I already had in mind something Welsh for an event later in the year. I think this is the start of a trend!

Yesterday I noticed that Shortbread and Ginger is hosting a Big Bloggy Burns Supper so I'm linking up with all those celebrating around the world :)

Twelfth Night

Now, now the mirth comes
With the cake full of chocolate and almonds
Where a piece of macaroni's the sport here.

Begin then to choose
This night as ye use
Who shall for those present's delight,
Be Twelfth-day queen on this night.

Next crown a bowl full
With slices of apple mulled:
Add cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger,
With a bottle of cider too;
And if ye should do
T'will make the wassail a swinger.

And so part I from ye hence
As free from offence
As when we did innocent meet here.

***********************

With sincere apologies to Robert Herrick and his poem, Twelfth Night :)

Recipe for Twelfth Night King Cake from The Great British Bake Off: How to Bake: the Perfect Victoria Sponge and other Baking Secrets.

Hope you enjoyed your weekend. Back soon. x

Off to market

Yesterday we ventured out to the Christmas market in Manchester on a perishingly cold day. Knowing we'd be outside most of the time, we'd wrapped up warm but I still ended up shivering with the cold. I couldn't even have a warming gluhwein as I was driving later :(

However, cold aside, we had a great time browsing all of the goodies on display and soaking up the sounds and smells. A lot of the stalls were similar to last year but many seemed more colourful than ever.

We really drooled over these gorgeous-looking Dutch strawberry pies.

And look at these rows and rows of pastel perfection. A tad pricey at £1 each though, so we limited ourselves to devouring them with our eyes.

Ooh, so much chocolatey goodness! I can't look at cannoli without being reminded of being in New York. One of my colleagues at work is there now, lucky girl!

And did we buy?

Well, not the chocolate, but I did come home with this lovely handmade crochet brooch - the temptation was just too strong! We also managed to buy several Christmas presents for family and friends so it was a satisfyingly productive day. We were definitely women on a mission though as, although I'm visiting the market again in a couple of weeks with some friends, it will be more of a social event than a shopping trip.

It was also a productive evening as I finished my latest jigsaw. I don't think I've ever told you that I like to do jigsaw puzzles but I always have one on the go. My Mum did them while I was growing up but it was my friend Sue who really got me started. I was at her house one day and she was working on a beautiful picture of a fairy and dragonfly: I was hooked.

Today has been an at home day. This morning I bottled up my homemade blackberry liqueur. We're having the booze-soaked blackberries in an eton mess tonight.

I also finally made a start on my latest quilt. I've had the pieces cut out for a couple of weeks but have just felt too tired in the evenings to get out the sewing machine. I've also challenged myself to get the piecing as accurate as possible so will be taking it nice and slow.

And right now, we're enjoying a glass of shandy before I start on our evening meal. I haven't had a shandy in years but we had some brown ale left over from a casserole last week. I really don't like beer but I hate waste even more. Mmm, it's not too bad! It's obviously use-up Sunday as the stir-fry we're having for tea was inspired by the mushrooms and green pepper lurking in the fridge and the duck strips unearthed from the freezer.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. x

Fruits of the forage

Well it's been a week since my last post and time seems to be racing by so so quickly. I still have tales from my August holidays to tell you about and everything we've been up to during September. I'll get around to it all eventually but, for today, I just wanted to take you back to last weekend.

I mentioned last time that I was going foraging and that's just what we did. Chickpea and I gathered our carrier bags and plastic containers and headed off down the fields to see what we could find. Our target was blackberries and elderberries and we found both in abundance. Funnily enough I was watching BBC Breakfast one morning this week and there was a report about what a fantastic berry harvest there's been this year. We picked about 3lbs of blackberries and could have brought home a lot more if we'd taken a larger container.

Elderberries were also plentiful.

We managed 2 carrier bags full and Chickpea spent most of the afternoon sat in the garden stripping the berries. I've already cooked these down and strained the juice and this weekend I'll be transforming it into cordial.

Before we leave the fields though I wanted to show you something else...

A horse in the next field was so curious to see what we were doing that he came over and stood watching us for ages. Such a beauty.

We were also lucky enough to spot this Common Darter and even luckier that it landed long enough for me to whip out the camera.

Back home, some of the blackberries are being turned into liqueur. It's such a simple recipe: part fill a jar/container with berries and then pour over enough vodka (or gin) to cover and a few tablespoons of sugar. Put the lid on and leave for a couple of months. Give it a shake occasionally to help the sugar dissolve.

I've frozen the rest of the berries until later because I simply ran out of time after washing and de-bugging them. The rest of my afternoon was devoted to...

...plum chutney. Well, spiced plum chutney to be exact. 

Plums, apples, dried figs, dried cranberries, ginger and cinnamon. So fruity and colourful, I could have just eaten it at this stage. I'm sure the chutney will be just as good though.

As well as harvesting wild produce, I've also been harvesting from the garden. We've already eaten quite a few of our carrots and they've all been a good size.

More surprisingly, I harvested potatoes. The surprise is that I didn't actually plant any potatoes. I had a large pot in the garden into which I'd dumped a pile of old compost meaning to dispose of it. However, during the summer I noticed shoots starting to appear. A few pieces of potato from last year's harvest must have been lurking in the old compost and germinated. Not a bad harvest for no planning or effort whatsoever!

The potatoes weren't the only vegetable lurking in the old compost though. Some of it was spread over the flower beds and, again, I noticed plants growing. At first I thought they were weeds but, as I pulled one out, the leaves smelled suspiciously like tomato. I left the seedlings in and look what appeared! I'm really hoping the lovely weather we've had this week will encourage them to ripen but I think they might have appeared just a little too late in the season.

Last but definitely not least, it wasn't just gardening which occupied me last weekend. I've also made a start on the latest challenge from my quilt group and I'm loving it! Not particularly the challenge but just doing some quilting again. This is only a miniature but I've already cut out all the pieces for a full size quilt too - I'm so excited!

No prizes for guessing what I'll be doing this weekend then. I'm also planning to go to Yarndale on Sunday and hoping not to spend too much - is that even possible? Maybe I'll see some of you there? Have a good weekend whatever you do. x

Cocktail hour

While I was in Stockport visiting Staircase House, I told you I'd treated myself to a little something on the market. You probably hazard a guess it was something crafty, or made of fabric or yarn. Well, for once it wasn't! Instead, the something was a bottle of Rhubarb and Rosehip cordial. Intrigued by all the unusual and delicious-sounding flavours on display, we stopped to have a look at a drinks stall. I'd already pretty much decided to buy a bottle but, what really clinched it for me, was when the owner told us it made a great cocktail.  I just couldn't resist! Ever since the cocktails in Whitby, I've been wanting to have a go at making my own.

Chickpea already had a book on cocktails, so we gathered together all of the bottles of spirits we and my parents had, including the miniatures which I collect to use in cooking, and looked through the recipes to see which we could make. Not many as it turned out, so we substituted some of the ingredients with the nearest equivalent and I did have to buy some rum to give us more variety. The recipes which follow are therefore a mixture of classics, adaptations and some Home Jules originals.

Before we'd tasted all of these different cocktails, I would have said I'd prefer the gin or vodka-based ones whilst Chickpea much prefers rum. After trying them out though, rum has definitely grown on me! Why not give some a try and let me know your favourite? Don't try them all at once though - we made these over several weekends!

All of the cocktail ingredients are for one person. I used the lid of the cocktail shaker as the measure.

Rosy Gin Fizz

1 measure gin
1 measure rhubarb and rosehip cordial

Shake in a cocktail shaker and pour into a cocktail glass. Top up with sparkling water.

Apple and Elderflower Vodka

My own invention using ingredients I happened to have in the cupboard.

1 measure vodka
1 measure apple juice
1/2 measure elderflower cordial
Splash of apple liqueur

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

The ingredients make more than is shown but I'd already had a few sips before I remembered to take a photo!

Bee's Knees

1 measure white rum
1/4 measure dark rum
3/4 measure cream
2 tsp honey

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Chickpea couldn't wait to try this one after seeing it in her cocktails book. Delicious and the cream adds a real silkiness to the flavour.

Sloe Mo Apple Turnover

My version of a Sloe Comfortable Screw. The original uses orange juice but I only had apple.

2 measures Sloe gin
2 measures Southern Comfort
2 measures Apple juice
2 measures Vodka

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake well. Pour into a tumbler and serve with ice.

I'd say this tastes more of the SoCo than the Sloe gin which is a minus in my view. Chickpea commented that you first get the taste of apple and then the alcohol hits you. My least favourite, maybe because it also has the greatest alcohol content.

Honey Bunny

2 measures dark rum
1/2 measure lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

My first reaction was 'whoaaaaa!' as the alcohol hit but, after a couple of sips, I liked this one. The lemon really makes a difference even though it contains a relatively small amount.

Warm and Fuzzy

Another Home Jules original, inspired by having half a lime left over from a recipe.

2 measures of white rum
1 measure peach schnapps
1 measure fresh lime juice

Put all of the ingredients in a cocktail shaker with a couple of cubes of ice. Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Fresh and fruity. It seems I like rum after all!

And last but not least...

Caribbean Kiss

2 measures dark rum

1 measure Amaretto

1 measure Kahlua

2 measures single cream

1 tsp brown sugar

cinnamon

Put all of the ingredients except the cinnamon in a cocktail shaker with some ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Chickpea commented: The flavour is layered - at first you get the alcohol and then the flavour of the almond. At first I wondered what was the point of the cinnamon? But then I realised that you get the aroma of the spice as you take a sip and it stays on your lips as you finish.

If I made this again, I think I'd try shaking some cinnamon in with the rest of the ingredients so that the hint of spice comes through in every sip. This was one of my favourites: truly delicious.