Tag: weekend

Friday Cocktails: The Pimm’s Cup

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, entertaining, Recipes, summer2 Comments
Pimms Cup
The Pimm’s Cup

I think the first time I heard about a Pimm’s Cup was reading about the Royal Family in a magazine, probably featuring Prince William and Kate Middleton at Wimbledon.  Ever since I found out about this refreshing and less boozy cocktail that is so popular in England, I’ve wanted to try one. Last weekend when I was shopping for a new bottle of bourbon for my husband for Father’s Day, I saw that the liquor store carried Pimm’s. At $18 a bottle, I figured I had nothing to lose and that I could check something off my bucket list.

Pimm’s Cup is made with Pimm’s No. 1, a concoction made out of “gin with herbal botanicals, caramelised orange and delicate spices”. Doesn’t it sound just delightful? It’s got an amber color that looks just beautiful in a glass.

Still, I was dubious. I sent my British friend Sally a text from the store that said “Is this gross?” and she immediately responded that it was delicious and then gave me some tips on how to make it authentic (“cucumber and mint a must, and orange slices rather than lemon or lime”). She also said that she likes hers with ginger ale rather than lemon lime soda. Done (except I also opted to use lemon slices too).

I stopped at the market for fresh oranges and cukes, and some Fever-Tree Ginger Ale. I like Fever Tree because it’s made with real ginger and doesn’t have artificial ingredients. The taste is more nuanced than other ginger ales, but any brand will do. I have fresh mint growing in my backyard and there are always lemons in my refrigerator. I eagerly set off for home so I could finally try the cocktail that has piqued my interest for so long.

I was very happy with the result, and can understand why it is so popular. It’s sweet without being cloying, and the delicate bubbles are refreshing. It’s also just a beautiful cocktail to look at. My husband took a sip and promptly said “will you make one for me?” He doesn’t generally like a sweeter cocktail, so I was surprised. I gladly poured him his own Pimm’s Cup and the rest is history.

This cocktail is perfect for your summer BBQ or other gathering, as it is refreshing and light on the booze. It’s celebratory but easy to make. And since it’s British, it feels super fancy.

INGREDIENTS:

2 oranges, sliced into rounds 

2 lemons, sliced into rounds 

About six slices of cucumber

2 cups Pimm’s No. 1 

4 cups ginger ale 

6 to 8 large sprigs mint plus more for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a pitcher, add a layer of orange slices, lemon slices, and cucumber slices. Repeat until gone. Pour in the Pimm’s and ginger ale, and mix with a long-handled spoon, making sure to muddle the fruit a bit to release the flavor.  In each individual glass, place a sprig of mint and muddle with the end of a wooden spoon (more or less, depending on how much mint flavor you want).  Add ice and fill with cocktail mixture, placing some of the fruit slices into each cup. Garnish with mint.

 

Enjoy!

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Pumpkin Waffles

On By Cultivate WellnessIn baking, breakfast, Cooking, diet, disease, eating, health, Health and wellness, Kids, Nutrition, Recipes, wellness4 Comments

The third healthy breakfast recipe I want to feature this week is one you can make ahead of time and keep in the freezer until you are ready. We regularly make extra batches of waffles and pancakes on the weekend to pull out on busy weekday mornings. These waffles are gluten-free and paleo friendly (even though we are neither in our household). To add a bit of extra protein to your breakfast, I would suggest a serving of chicken breakfast sausage. I really like Applegate. Their chicken apple link sausage only contain Chicken, Dried Apples, Water, Honey, Salt, Spices and Parsley. 3 links are 120 calories and will add 9 grams of protein to your meal.  They are pricey, but because I eat mostly vegetarian and my husband does his own thing for breakfast, we use them sparingly.

If you don’t have a waffle iron, you can use this as pancake batter instead.  Enjoy!

pumpkin-waffles

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Healthy Breakfast Recipe: Smoked Salmon Egg Bake

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Healthy Snacks

Cooking? What’s that?

On By Cultivate WellnessIn Cooking, diet, eating, family, Health and wellness, holiday, Kids, Nutrition1 Comment

It occurred to me recently that I have done very little actual cooking. If you know me at all (like, AT ALL) you know I love cooking. I love reading recipes and chopping things and creating something nourishing and delicious for the people in my life.

But it’s December. And it’s hectic. I have one child who isn’t even close to being over scheduled, I work part time from home and go to school part time online, and yet here we are, running around all over the place. If I’m busy, just imagine what most other families are feeling.

Last night we got home from the third event of the day totally wiped out. We had gotten seven inches of snow the night before and during the day, so my husband went outside to start the cleanup. I had a Blue Apron recipe waiting in the fridge for me to make. It looked delicious — General Tso’s chicken. And yet. I was so tired I just couldn’t. So I did the next best thing, which was to open some containers of soup, throw together a salad from a bag, and pop a frozen multi-grain garlic baguette into the toaster oven. I microwaved some edamame that was leftover from God knows when (there was no visible mold so it was good enough for me) and sliced a single yellow bell pepper for the kid who at 12 still hates salad. And that was dinner. And it was good! Just as I was putting everything on the table a good friend texted that she had just enough leftover fruit crisp and vanilla ice cream for our family of three, and would we want it? She was going to take her dog for a walk and would pop over with it. It took me less than a heartbeat to accept her offer, and it was by far the most delicious ending to a meal we’ve had in a long time. It was so tasty, and better yet, it was such a kind gesture and just what we all needed at the end of our day.

So, I have no recipe for you today, no health snippets. I guess all I’m saying is sometimes the best meals are the ones that you throw together with what you have, and that canned soup might just be the perfect dinner when we are all doing the best we can.

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Under Pressure

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Friday Cocktails: The Great Gatsby

On By Cultivate WellnessIn cocktails, Cooking, Recipes6 Comments

Friday Cocktails

Writing this blog is so hard.  I mean, just last night I was sitting in a bar asking the bartender to “Surprise me!” and make me something fun and summery.  All for the sake of this blog.  I know, right?!

I have been wanting to bring you weekly cocktail recipes on Fridays so you can go into your weekend with some fun new ideas.  I absolutely love trying new cocktails.  It’s one of my favorite things to do.  But, it’s challenging to make a new cocktail each week without totally breaking the bank buying all the ingredients.  Orange bitters, Angostura bitters, cointreau, curaçao, simple syrup, not to mention all that actual liquor.  I said as much to my blogging friend and blogging co-conspirator K.C. (her blog Word Savvy is so great) and she recommended I just go out and order the drink.  It’s like the heavens opened up and the angels sang.  The idea was that good.

So back to last night when I asked the bartender to surprise me, and out came something called The Great Gatsby.  Made from three simple ingredients: grapefruit juice, Lillet Blanc, and vodka, it was light and a tad sweet but not overly so.  The flavors were bright thanks to the citrus. It was refreshing and easy to drink after a sweaty round of golf. If you want a sweeter cocktail you could add a few drops of simple syrup or a sugared rim. My bartender served it up in a martini glass, but you could also serve it in a stemless wine glass with ice.

Overall I give it an 8/10 and will probably buy some Lillet Blanc so I can make this easily at home.  It would be a fun alternative to a vodka tonic and just as easy to make. Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 ounce vodka
  • 1 ounce Lillet Blanc
  • 2 1/2 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

METHOD:

Fill cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add vodka, Lillet Blanc, and grapefruit juice. Stir until cold. Strain into ice-filled glass. Garnish with a lemon or lime twist.

So, three cheers for the Great Gatsby!  Happy Weekend!

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