It's Summer cocktail time!

Blackberry Cocktail



Tell me you don't want one of these! I love a cocktail and a summer cocktail is just the best. So when my cocktail making, other half returned from trader joes today with blackberries, I hatched a plan. True, it was a vague plan but it involved blackberries, ice and some booze. The rest I generally leave up to my husband.

So when we arrived home this evening, somewhat overwhelmed from our first US dance recital experience, a blackberry cocktail was all I could think of. Quickly delegating the task to my husband, I turned to my children whose dinner I'd given no thought whatsoever.

All was not lost, I did make it to the opening day of Suffern Farmers Market today. Despite some light rain (which I'm much less put off by, given my recent trip home!) we had a great time. The girls carried their shopping bags and umbrellas and spent all the cash in my purse. They colored at the kids stand and I listened to the live music and drank a cup of coffee. What pleased me most was that they asked to come back next week.

Anyway, tonight, out rolled a quick standby; whole wheat gnocchi. I paired that with my farmers market pesto, followed by some fresh strawberries, Greek yogurt and honey. So I salvaged my guilt at my selfish, 'me first' cocktail thought, by serving them some farmers market produce.

That done and a goodnight tv show on for the girls, we sampled our blackberry cocktail. Oh my! A perfectly refreshing, totally hit the spot, summer drink. Quite honestly, way too drinkable for a Mummy who needs to get up with a clear head tomorrow morning. But very very yummy.

Try it for yourselves

Blackberry Cocktail

(please excuse the slightly vague recipe, my husband was in full creating mode and not taking notes!)

Ingredients

20 blackberries
1 medium lemon, juiced
1 heaped teaspoon icing sugar
Decent glug vodka
Soda water

Directions

1. Blend the berries, lemon juice, icing sugar and vodka
2. Strain to remove the berry seeds
3. Place into 4 tall glasses
4. Add a generous amount of ice
5. Top up with soda water to your taste
6. Garnish with a slice of lemon

Enjoy!

A little bit of visiting Irish appetizer and an apperitif



Hi everyone, this is kat ate that's cousin and friend, visiting the U S of A all the way from Northern Ireland (best place in the world for anyone who's never visited and that's not just because I'm paid to say that - check it out for yourself http://www.discovernorthernireland.com/). 

Anyway, with a little coercion, I've persuaded kat to allow me to guest blog (am very excited) and share with you all my pre dinner concoctions from last night (a specified pre-trip kat instruction - no such thing as a free holiday anymore). 

I'd also like to take the opportunity to introduce you to Delia Smith - the godmother of British celebrity chefs - all great recipes start with a touch of Delia and in my experience following her recipes you can never go wrong.  My version of Frijolemole is based on one of Delia's recipes; its a variation on a hummus type dip and in the spirit of "kat ate that" I have:

a) tried to be healthy-ish (go easy on the chips); and,
b) improvised (which to be fair wasn't actually by choice; "she" didn't buy me all my ingredients)

So here goes....

My Frijolemole

based on (http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/cuisine/exotic/mexican/frijolemole.html),

Ingredients

1 tin chickpeas/ garbanzo beans (440g)

1 medium white onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

juice of 1 lime

1 fresh chilli

a few drops of tobasco sauce

fresh chopped coriander (cilantro for you American readers)

2 tablespoons soured cream (low fat

salt and pepper

1 red pepper finely diced

Directions

1. Fry the onion and garlic in a little oil for about 10 minutes until soft (do not brown)
2. Drain the tin of chickpeas and put in the food processor with some salt and pepper
3. Add the fried onion and garlic and the juice of the lime and blend to a smoothish paste (yesterday I added a splash of milk and a drizzle of olive oil while blending to soften)
4. Empty the puree into a bowl and add the chilli, tobasco, coriander, sour cream and salt and pepper to taste
5. Finally add the red pepper (the original recipe does not include red pepper but adds a chopped fresh tomato and 3 spring onions - however, as I said kat didn't shop properly so I improvised with a red pepper which actually was very tasty)

Serve with warm pitta bread (for health) and corn chips (for tastiness) - de-licious!

And then flavour with........

Boozeberry Fizz



Last week at home I was introduced to Boozeberries Irish Liquer - I will never look back and therefore feel is my duty to convert as many boozeberries virgins as possible - http://www.boozeberries.com/.

I (kindly) brought a bottle of the wild cranberry flavour with me under my oxter*. Last night we combined it with prosecco to create a (new to me) taste sensation (Joyce, you'd love it!).  Clearly, no recipe required.

Enjoy!

* colloquial Northern Irish for armpit