Wednesday, 31 December 2014

Wishing you lots of laughter and coffee for 2015!


"For I will exult in the gift of coffee, it wakens each human sense with joy. Its aroma is deep, with palpable comfort, its percolation speaks promise. It warms the hands of even those unloved. Without the state of heightened awareness it provides, I might forget to be thankful of a morning."

Here's wishing you lots of laughter and coffee in 2015 and may your new year be filled with LOVE, JOY and INSPIRATION!

Happy New Year!

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Saturday, 6 December 2014

The BEST Spaghetti Bolognaise!


One of my favourite dishes is Spaghetti Bolognaise because of the ease with which it is prepared and also the fact that one can have many variations and come up with something different every time!

Ingredients

  • 500g Fresh Beef Mince.
  • 400g Dried Spaghetti.
  • 4 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon, finely diced.
  • 2 Tins of Plum/Chopped Tomatoes.
  • 6 Fresh Cherry Tomatoes.
  • 2 Medium Onions, peeled and finely diced.
  • 2 Sticks of Celery, trimmed and finely diced.
  • 2 Carrots, trimmed and finely diced.
  • 2 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and finely diced.
  • 1 Medium Chilli (optional), seeded and finely sliced
  • 75g Freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for grating over.
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Puree
  • 1 Beef Stock Cube.
  • Glass of red wine (optional)
  • Herbs:
  • 2-3 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary.
  • Handful of Fresh Basil, plus extra for Garnish.
  • 1 tsp Dried Oregano.
  • 1-2 Fresh Bay Leaves.
  • Olive oil.
  • Sea Salt and Black Pepper.
  • Crusty bread, to serve.

Method

    1. Get yourself a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, and place it on a medium heat. Add a good lug of olive oil and gently fry your bacon until golden and crisp, then reduce the heat slightly and add your onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Next remove the leaves from the Rosemary sprigs and add them to the pot, discarding the sprigs. Move everything around and fry for around 8-10 minutes until the veg has softened.
    2. Next, increase the heat slightly, add the mince and stir until the meat is browned all over.
    3. Stir in your tins of plum/chopped tomatoes, (plum tomatoes are best as they contain less water, but either will turn out great!). Add your remaining herbs, tomato puree, stock cube, chilli and if using, the wine. Slice your cherry tomatoes in half and throw them in aswell.
    4. Give everything a stir with a wooden spoon, breaking up the plum tomatoes as you go and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low-medium, put the lid on and leave it blipping away for about an hour and 15 minutes until the flavours develop into a wonderfully rich tomatoey sauce. Stir occasionally to make sure it doesn't catch.
    5. Just as the sauce is nearly ready, Add the parmesan and season to taste. Meanwhile add salt to a pan of boiling water and cook the spaghetti according the the packet instructions. Once the spaghetti is ready, drain it in a colander and add it to the pan with the sauce. Give it all a good stir, coating the pasta in the lovely tomato sauce. Serve with a little grated parmesan and use the extra basil leaves to make a great little garnish. Beautiful!
This recipe is from Good Food 

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Tuesday, 2 December 2014

Green Tip #8 - Protect your hands


Look at anyone’s hands and you can usually gauge their true age. So why is it that while you can have some success in holding back the years on your face when it comes to hands it is a much harder task?
‘The skin ages faster on the hands because they are exposed daily to chemicals, smoke and, most importantly, UV radiation,’ explains Nina Goad from the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD).

For women, the changes are exacerbated by the fact that levels of oestrogen, the hormone that stimulates collagen production, so helping to keep skin on hands plump and fleshy, start to drop around the time of the menopause.


Develop a good routine and give your hands a helping hand. Good moisturisers can help prevent or treat dry skin on your hands. They hold that needed water in the outer layer of skin, making your hands smoother and softer. They also help your outer skin act as a temporary protective shield.


Always wear garden gloves to protect your nails and hands. I know nothing quite beats the feel of freshly turned earth between your fingers, but wearing gloves out in the garden really makes a lot of sense. Not only can they protect your lovingly-tended nails, but can also prevent unsightly scratches, sore blisters and, as an added bonus, protect your hands from the rays of the sun.

 
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Tuesday, 25 November 2014

Green tip #7 - Glowing skin

Tip for glowing and healthy skin :



Almond can do wonders to your skin, hair and general health.
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This nut is antioxidant rich, high in vitamin E, fat and protein content along with containing many essential nutrients. The daily usage of this wonderful home ingredient can treat many ailments and treats various beauty and hair issues.
Applying almond oil to skin helps in removing itching and moisturises your face. It is an excellent emollient (softening and soothing to the skin) and also helps the skin to balance water loss and absorption of moisture and is suitable for all skin types. If you are looking for a natural solution to get rid of dark under eye circles, almond oil is most suitable. Simply apply the oil before going to bed and allow it to work while you sleep. For optimum results do so regularly for a couple of weeks at least. The treatment will help you get rid of dark circles as well as reduce dark eyelids and crow’s feet.
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Almond oil can be applied neat to the skin, as it acts as a carrier medium when using essential oils. It is an excellent oil to use for both body and facial massage and helps to increase the health and vitality of the skin.
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Almond oil is rich in vitamin A, B and E, which are great for skin health. In fact, most skin care products have these vitamins loaded in them. The oil helps maintaining moisture levels of the skin and gets absorbed in a jiffy without blocking the pores. 



Almonds are one of my favourite nuts. Almonds are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and fibre, and are associated with a number of health benefits. Just a handful of almonds, approximately one ounce, contains one-eighth of our necessary daily protein. The health benefits of almonds have been documented for centuries and modern research is backing up many of the claims - there any many goods reasons why you might want to consider including them in your diet.

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Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Vintages - A touch of lace


The depths of most people's understanding of lace is of the nosy, suburban housewife tweaking the lace curtains aside to see what the neighbours are up to.

Those dust, net horrors are but the sad, machine-made remnants of what, for 300 years, was an extraordinary fashion in the decoration of clothes and household goods. A fashion that saw the creation of some of the most exquisite treasures in the history of textiles. Treasures that, in their time, were prized above jewels or silks. Men were robbed and killed for a lace handkerchief and thieves were as ingenious as any in Gauteng today. They slunk up on coaches, slit open the leather backs and snatched the wigs from women's heads as these were festooned with costly lace. (Women were instructed to sit with their backs to the driver in order to foil criminals.)


Four layers of rouched fabrics were added to cutwork lace panels to make these exquisite window draperies.

The labour that went into making a few centimeters of lace is almost incomprehensible to us in an age of mass-production and rampant consumerism. How could anyone spend a year making a mere 600mm of lace? Yet thousands did, by the light of candles in uncomfortable places such as cow byres, where the moist warmth from the cows below kept the fine flax thread supple and prevented the hands of the lace makers from becoming stiff with cold.


A vanity table dressed in lace with antique dresser accessories arranged around a collector plate and a vintage red-velvet jewelry box.

The glorious era of lace ended with the French Revolution of 17809. Gowns were suddenly simple and untrimmed. Lace was used only for state occasions and people became puritanical about its expense and frivolity. Large collections were cast out by families to their waiting-maids. Fear of death may also have played some part in this destruction, lace being associated with aristocrats - and aristocrats with the guillotine.
 
A glimpse of vintage ladies' fashions ads its old-fashioned charm. Between the dresses is an antique hair-ribbon holder.

Most cast-off lace was wasted by deterioration or by cutting up and wearing out. Old pieces were worn again during the 19th century, when it became fashionable and people began to assemble collections, but the lace soon wore out and there was nothing new, or of equivalent quality, to replace it.

Serious collectors will, of course, keep their lace packed safely away, kept flat between acid-free tissue paper, mostly unseen, but there are many people who buy old lace to decorate their clothes and furnishings, knowing that they will be wearing something old and rare and quite unique.


A bouquet of dried hydrangeas and cockscomb, accented by silk flowers sits high on a wicker plant stand covered with a pink damask throw. Rich drapes of vintage lace adorns the vanity and footstool. The Oriental rug delicately complements the softly muted tones of the room.

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Monday, 10 November 2014

Today is such a day


::

On a day when the wind is perfect,

the sail just needs to open

and the world is full of beauty.

Today is such a day.
- Rumi

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Tuesday, 4 November 2014

Trust the process


When everything seems as if it is hopeless and going nowhere... trust the process. If you trust the process of life, your dreams and the life that you want and deserve is within your reach. Dreaming is great. But take your cue from nature and slow down, calm down, don't worry, don't hurry - just trust the process. As surely as Spring follows Winter, so surely will your dreams come true. Sometimes it’s as simple as saying and believing, “I’ve just got to trust the process. I’ve just got to trust the process. I either believe in what I am asking for or I don’t.” 

It really is that simple.

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Monday, 27 October 2014

Vintages - What every Guest room needs



Treat your weekend and holiday guests to bedside tables equipped with beautiful, thoughtful accessories, like a carafe of water to quench late-night thirsts; a shallow wicker basket brimming with notepads, pencils, pens, stationery and stamps; and a small vase for flowers - always fragrant, invariably out of season.

Remember to stock your spare room with good books and magazines (biographies, histories, novels, and gardening tomes are always welcomes); a reading lamp with a 40-watt or brighter bulb; an alarm clock with an easy-to-read face and easy-to-set controls; an extra blanket or throw within reach in the middle of the night; plenty of close space, not to mention a dozen empty hangers for guests' clothing.





A perfectly cosy guest room - A mosquito net for peaceful summer sleep, books, cosy scatter cushions, some flowers and a comfortable armchair to while away the hours with an interesting book.

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Monday, 20 October 2014

Yummy ideas for omelettes


Everybody loves an omelette, and it's so easy to make. Cheese and ham remain favourite fillings, but there's so much more you can do to lift this humble egg dish to new egglicious heights.

AMAZING FILLINGS FOR OMELETTES 

Tomato, sweet basil and tzatziki wrapped in prosciutto.
Caramelised onion, brie and spinach
Roast chicken and avocado
Smoked salmon and asparagus
Bacon, mushrooms, onion and cheddar
Smoked ham, cream cheese and rocket
Spinach, ricotta and roasted peppers
Smoked haddock and crême fraïche
Mushrooms and leeks
Chilli, cheese and bacon
Baby spinach and Chavroux

Tips for the perfect omelette:
Always add a few drops of water to the beaten eggs as this will create steam, making the omelette lighter.

Use a non-stick pan and, as the egg cooks, lift up the edges and tilt the pan so that the egg pours underneath and cooks. Beat the eggs moderately and add a dash of milk or cream - about half an eggshell for every two eggs.

Make sure your pan is hot, and don't smother the eggs with too much butter or oil in the pan.

EGGSTRA SPECIAL QUAIL'S EGG OMELETTE



Melt 1 T of butter in a non-stick omelette pan. Remove from heat.
Carefully break 12 - 14 quail eggs into the pan without breaking the yolks.
Place back on heat and cook for two to five minutes.
Carefully slide onto a plate.

SPICY POTATO OMELETTE



Category : Vegetarian / Quick / Breakfast
Prep time : 10 minutes
Cooking time : 15 minutes

Ingredients:
Oil, for frying
3 free-range eggs
1 small tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
6 mushrooms, chopped
1 potato, boiled, diced and lightly fried
1/2 t ground turmeric
1 t masala
1 small chilli, thinly sliced into rings
1 spring onion, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 

Cooking instructions:
Heat the oil in a pan. Mix all the remaining ingredients, then pour into the hot pan.
Stir gently, then cook until set.

Cook’s note: For added flavour and texture, add small blocks of Indian paneer, feta cheese or chopped bacon bits. Serve with chopped coriander or chives and chapatis. 

Recipes from Woolworths TasteMag

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Friday, 17 October 2014

I love...



I love unmade beds.
I love when people are drunk and crying and cannot be anything but honest in that moment.
I love the look in people’s eyes when they realize they’re in love.
I love the way people look when they first wake up and they’ve forgotten their surroundings.
I love the gasp people take when their favorite character dies.
I love when people close their eyes and drift to somewhere in the clouds.
I fall in love with people and their honest moments all the time.
I fall in love with their breakdowns and their smeared makeup and their daydreams. Honesty is just too beautiful to ever put into words.
— Unknown author

*•.¸♥♥¸.•*

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Saturday, 4 October 2014

What every little girl needs

“Now, think of the happiest things. It’s the same as having wings.” 
~Peter Pan

 
Acrylics on Multi-media paper - Maree©

What every girl needs - big or small - a beautiful dreamy dress in the closet, waiting for that special occasion ...

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Little girls are made of daisies and butterflies and soft kitty cat purrs 
And all the precious memories of times that once were. 

Little girls are made of angel's wings and giggles and a firefly's glow 
And all the happy feelings, deep inside, that we all know. 

Little girls are made of cinnamon and bubbles and fancy white pearls 
And snowflakes and rainbows and ballerina twirls. 

Little girls are made of sunshine and cupcakes and fresh morning dew, 
And these are the reasons, little one, why everyone loves you. 
Author: Karen Barnes 

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Sunday, 28 September 2014

Vintages - Simple bath pleasures



"Solitude is not a luxury - it's a right and a necessity."

When last did you spend time in the bath? No, I don't mean bathing to clean yourself - I mean spending time in the bath with flower petals, floating candles (because who can wash while candles are floating around?), candles on the side of the bath and soaking in a luxurious bath crème or bath salts. Even just listening to some soothing music or reading a couple of chapters of a good book.

Spending time by and with ourselves is essential for a healthy mind and outlook on life. It brings things into perspective and allows us to connect with our inner strength that gets scattered by everyday life pressures.



Whenever I use an exquisite flower... whether it's roses, lavender or violas, I simply toss the entire contents into my bath and sit back to watch the gossamer petals float by.



Then I have another question: when last did you look at your bathroom - really look to see what you're surrounding yourself with? Has your bathroom become a sterile room of necessities? Towels (maybe a bit old and frayed because the good linen is for visitors), facecloths and toothbrushes?

Making your bathroom a pleasurable place to visit takes just a little bit of imagination and not much effort. Buy beautiful soaps in stead of the everyday bars. A small vase with some fresh flowers, candles and a beautiful bottle of perfume displayed on the wash basin or vanity goes a long way towards perking yourself up after washing your hands and splashing on some cool cologne. Display your best towels in a basket and have some luxurious scatter pillows nestling in a corner. Hand and body lotions can also be displayed within easy reach.



Hang out your best nightgown, ready to use as you step out of your luxury bathing session, wrapping yourself in soft white towelling or silky satin if you're getting ready for an evening of romance!



Spotless white towels and linens and some white roses make this small bath a pleasure to walk into.

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Friday, 26 September 2014

Healing Lavender and Rosemary soap

Photo by Fotolia/unpict
It's fun making herbal soaps. Gather the herbs needed for your soothing skin-care creations from the garden, the wild, or the apothecary or natural food store.

Lavender and Rosemary Soap

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) each have a mild yet stimulating effect on skin. Both are antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and beneficial for treating wounds, blemishes, boils, dermatitis, fever blisters, and more.

Begin this soap by making an infusion of fresh lavender flowers and rosemary leaves. To make an infusion, pour one cup of steaming hot water over three tablespoons of dried or fresh lavender flowers and rosemary leaves (proportioned as you like) and steep for ten minutes.
Ingredients

• 3 cups glycerin soap base
• 1/4 cup lavender flowers/rosemary leaves infusion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lavender oil
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary oil
• 1 teaspoon pulverized dried rosemary (optional)

Combine melted base and herbal materials. Stir until blended, then pour into molds and cool. This soap is very pleasing—so try not to give it all away! Store some in a linen closet for yourself and your family.

Thursday, 15 May 2014

Green tip #6 - Garlic


To fight pimples apply fresh garlic juice and lemon juice for quick relief. It will pinch but will show results.

Process the garlic cloves in a food processor or blender until pureed. In the absence of a food processor, you can simply crush with a garlic press, over a small bowl.

Pour garlic puree through the mesh strainer into a small bowl. Scrape the sides with a rubber spatula to retrieve all juices. Press the garlic through the strainer with the spatula. Discard pulp left in the strainer.

Refrigerate your homemade garlic juice in a glass container.

Mix some garlic juice with a couple of drops of lemon and apply to affected areas.

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Wednesday, 7 May 2014

Eggs-traordinary ways with eggs


What's more perfect than an egg? These versatile packages of goodness are the magic ingredient in the kitchen.


QUICK AND EASY:

 • Fry eggs in a little good quality olive oil for a different taste sensation

 • Chop a few green olives and fresh dill into scrambled eggs for a great taste and texture comibination

 • To make tartar sauce, stir chopped Italian parsley, spring onions, gherkins, hard-boiled eggs and capers into home-made mayonnaise

 • Simmer hard-boiled eggs in a little green curry paste and add coconut milk. Serve with fragrant rice.

 • Fry some onions in butter and balsamic vinegar until slightly caramelised. Use as a filling for omelettes.

 • Heat cream in a pan with chopped chives and garlic and cool. Break an egg each in small ovenproof dishes. Pour over the cream and bake for 6 minutes at 180 degrees C.

 • A pinch of nutmeg makes delicious scrambled eggs

 • Fry some drained butter beans and sliced chorizo before pouring on your eggs for a great omelette.

 • Add a dollop of wholegrain mustard to creamy scrambled eggs and serve with hot, buttered toast.

 • Next time you fancy egg on toast, pop a cookie cutter into a nonstick frying pan. Heat up and gently creack an egg inside. Cook over low heat until just right.

 • For Spanish picnic eggs, shell 4 large boiled eggs and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Slice the chorizo in diagonal slices and serve with the boiled eggs, black olive pesto and breadsticks.

 • Make the best-ever egg roll by mixing 1/3 cup of mayonnaise with 4 hard-boiled eggs, grated, and spoon onto a buttered fresh roll with some rocket. Top with a dollop of mango chutney

Info from Woolworths TasteMag

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Thursday, 17 April 2014

Green Tip #5 - Make a frozen flower block


Winter is setting in here in South Africa now, but for my Northern Hemisphere friends who are just going into summer, here's a lovely idea of how to keep cool in the heat of summer.

Fill an ice tray halfway with cold water. Place a flower, slice of lemon/orange, a small block of chocolate or herb of your choice in the centre of the container and fill to the top. Place in the freezer and serve the ice cubes with sodas, iced coffee and fruit juices.


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Sunday, 30 March 2014

Make an ever-green Ivy heart


You’ll need:

Ivy plant (choose small-leaved ivy for the best effect)
Terracotta pot
Wire coat hanger
Thin garden wire
Potting soil

How to:

1. Straighten out the hook of the coat hanger and stretch out the triangular shape. Create a V-shaped notch in the bottom and bend the wire into a heart shape.

2. Plant the ivy in the terracotta pot and wind the ivy stems around the frame. Use short lengths of thin wire to secure the stems as necessary. Water well.

For a different look, a circle-shaped wire works equally well. Years ago, when I made my first little ivy plant with a circular wire, I sketched it and it was one of the first paintings I sold on-line, much to my utter delight!


An ivy wound round a heart-shaped wire, standing in my bathroom 

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Sunday, 16 February 2014

Preserve the taste of summer


Winter is on our doorstep here in South Africa and although most perennial herbs will go through Winter, their growth slows down, which means that you may not have enough of the fresh stuff to meet both your culinary and medicinal needs. This is particularly true of herbs like, Thyme, Sage and Peppermint that are particularly good for relieving coughs, colds and sore throats.

There are other herbs like Oregano and Bay that are better when dried. Bay leaf is much more palatable and less bitter in the dried form. The stronger and sharper flavour derived from drying Oregano is well-suited to Italian dishes, marinades and roasts.

Sweet Basil and the various Mints are also coming to the end of their season and they need to be preserved if you want to keep the taste of Summer going through Winter. Because they lose most of their flavour when dried, it is better to chop the leaves, put them in ice trays with water and freeze. The ice cubes are then stored in a plastic bag and used when cooking.

DRYING HERBS
Drying your own herbs is very easy and there is simply no comparison between home-dried herbs and those bought from a supermarket.

You will need a sharp pair of pruning shears, a sharp knife or a sharp pair of small scissors and a basket or similar container to carry your harvest in.

DRYING METHODS
The main aim of the drying process is to remove the moisture as quickly as possible, while losing as little colour, taste and aroma as possible.

Air drying is the most satisfactory method and a dark, dry place is best for this. Drying the herbs in sunlight will cause the colour, taste and aroma to face.

The herbs can be formed into small bunches, tied with a piece of string and hung up in a cool place. Alternately you can use a table or other flat surface and lay them out on an oven rack, a looking rock or something similar to dry.

Drying times can range from a few days to a few weeks, depending on the drying method and moisture content of the herbs at the time of harvesting. the easiest way to check whether the herbs are dried, is to rub them between your fingers. If the herbs crumble and break, they are dry enough.

Microwave drying is not suited to large quantities and aroma and taste of herbs dried in this manner is not as good as those that are air dried. Most herbs should dry within 2 to 3 minutes in a microwave. Test your herbs every 30 seconds.

Oven drying is also a popular method, but once again the quality is not as good as air drying. the exception to this is cut roots, which dry very well in the oven

STORING DRIED HERBS
As soon as the herbs are dry, store them in air tight containers in a cool, dark spot. rub the leaves off the ranches, but try not to crumble them unnecessarily. It is better to crumble the herbs just before you use them

Remember to label the container with the name of the herb and the date they were dried.


WHEN TO HARVEST
Herbs for drying or other processing should be harvested early in the morning, once the dew has evaporated.

Never harvest more than you can process quickly. Try to avoid harvesting many different herbs in one basket. Discard any leaves that are diseased or yellowing.

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Sunday, 2 February 2014

Summer! Home-made Iced teas



Forget Lipton's in the tin - how about making your own iced tea this summer? There is nothing more refreshing than a glass of ice cold tea prepared the old-fashioned way.

First of all, here's the BASIC RECIPE for iced tea :

- Brew your tea in the teacup so that it is slightly stronger than what you usually drink.
- Add sugar or honey if you prefer a sweet tea.
- Pour the tea into the glass of ice and stir it with a spoon until it is chilled.
- Add more ice if the cubes melt completely.
- Add a slice of lemon or sprig of mint to the glass.

APPLE & HONEY ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 3 cups water, boiling
• 4 tea bags
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3 cups apple juice
Preparation:
Steep tea bags in hot water for 5 minutes. Strain out tea bags, and stir in honey and juice. Mix until honey is dissolved. Chill and serve over ice.
Serves 6-8



Iced tea with lemon

BOSTON ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 4 quarts water
• 1 cup sugar
• 15 tea bags
• 12 oz frozen cranberry juice concentrate
Preparation:
Heat water to boiling, and add sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add tea bags, remove from heat and let steep for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, and add cranberry juice concentrate.
Stir until melted and mixed, then allow to cool to room temperate before refrigerating. Serve over ice.
Serves 14

And just to add a bit of spice to life, here's a

COGNAC ICED TEA
Ingredients:
• 4 oz cold tea
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 dashes aromatic bitters
• 1 tsp sugar syrup (see below for recipe)
• 1 1/2 oz cognac
Preparation:
Mix ingredients and serve over ice, with a lemon slice.

And for those Latté lovers amongst us.... !

ICED CAFFE LATTÉ
Ingredients:
• 2 1/4 cups coffee, cold
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups crushed ice
Preparation:
Blend all ingredients until frothy. Serve over ice.




Lipton Iced Tea from the liquid kitchen mini book of Lipton


What you'll need:

(Makes 1.5 L or approximately 8 drinks)
4 bags of Lipton Quality Black Tea
1 tablespoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons sugar
1 lime, juice
2L boiling hot water

What to do:
1. Add dry ingredients to jug.
2. Poor in hot water and allow ingredients to infuse for five to ten minutes. Stir occasionally to help dissolve sugar.
3. Remove tea bags and lime wheels before chilling.
4. Before serving add ice and garnish with fresh lemon wheels.

And for something really special -

ICED TEA LATTÉ
What you'll need:

(Serves 1)
3 quality Tea bags
6 ice cubes
Fresh boiling water
100ml cold milk
2 teaspoons raw sugar
Cinnamon sugar

What to do:
1. Place tea bags in a heatproof measuring jug and pour
in fresh boiling water to measure 75mL. Allow to infuse
for 2 minutes. Remove tea bags.
2. Add sugar. Sit until sugar is dissolved.
3. Add ice cubes and the milk. Strain tea into a glass and
sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
4. ENJOY!

Hint: Leave ice cubes in the tea for a really icy drink.

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Thursday, 30 January 2014

Coffee prayer

Coffee prayer
W&N watercolour on Amedeo 200gsm watercolour paper

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Caffeine is my shepherd;
I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures,
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses.
It restoreth my buzz,
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness
for it's name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of
the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal
for thou art with me;
Thy cream and thy sugar
they comfort me.
Thou preparest a carafe before me
in the presence of Thy Starbucks,
Thou anointest my day with pep;
My cup runneth over.
Surely richness and taste
shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of Mocha forever.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
- Author Unknown


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