Quick & Perfectly Chilled Drinks

A common issue I have is forgetting to put the white wine, beer or other drink that should be chilled in the fridge with plenty of time for it to be the perfect drinking temperature. So I was most pleased to discover that there's a quick and easy way to do this and all it involves is the drink, a paper towel and the freezer.

Wet the paper towel - damp not saturated, wrap it round the bottle, place it in the freezer for 10 - 30 minutes (depending on how big the bottle is and how cool you want it to be) and there you have it!  Simple, quick and tasty!

Perfect for a sunny summer's day in the garden. Lush!

The Perfect Picnic

Hopefully summer is well on its way and one of my favourite things to do when the weather is nice is to take a picnic to the park, countryside or beach. So I thought I would do a top tips checklist of the things to think about when planning for a picnic, so one can enjoy the occasion with ease and style! I find that John Lewis has a great selection of items at great prices, so I have chosen some lovely products from them to give an idea of the best!

First, make sure you have the right bag or bags for all of your items. I like to have a cooler bag to keep everything fresh and chilled and a backpack is the easiest and most convenient to carry.  This Joules picnic backpack is perfect for four people, with plastic and metal cutlery and glasses, a bottle cooler and even a copping board and wine opener! There is loads of space in the second compartment for food. Another top tip is to freeze bottled water, place in the bottle cooler section and this will help keep the food chilled and save on space.  Otherwise, try to find slimline ice packs.

Next, make sure you pack the right food! Keep it simple; anything too fiddly gets a little annoying and difficult to eat (especially if it's a little windy).  I find that finger food works best - sandwiches cut into quarters are always good, but there's sausage rolls, scotch eggs, cold chicken legs - all sorts of goodies that can be just taken out of the packaging and eaten. However, I always pack a few homemade salads, quiches or tarts and fruit and vegetable crudities and transport them in tupperware.  Pudding-wise, I tend to avoid anything chocolate based due to melting, but biscuits and cake always go down a treat!

Returning to packaging, it's definitely worth investing in some good tubs to transport homemade food.  I would be tempted to go the whole mile and get this fabulous tiffin box, which looks stunning, is sturdy and will hold all sorts.

However, for something smaller that will fit in the bag, these Sistema Klip It containers are great. They come in all sizes and colours, clip shut securely and are designed to fit together for space saving perfection.

Next, what to sit on? A great picnic blanket is certainly needed and I love this checked fleece rug. It's soft wool on one side and waterproof on the other and rolls up securely and small for comfort and practicality.

However, blankets aren't for everyone so I also tend to bring some foldable chairs.  This 'House by John Lewis' beach chair is great as it folds up and is lightweight, so can be easily transported.  It's also great value for money at just £15.

Other things to remember are napkins and/or paper towels which keep everyone and everything clean and tidy and also help if there are any spills. I also ensure I have several plastic carrier bags to put all the rubbish in at the end. There's nothing worse than leaving a place in a mess following a picnic. Final top tip, if there is nowhere to place the rubbish, take it home!

Homemade Fruit Vodka

Do you have a surplus of vodka? No? Or do you instead have a surplus of fruit maybe, from a tree in the garden? Or you've bought too much on special offer and it's likely to be binned? That's more likely, I would imagine. One way of preserving fruit and preventing it going to waste is to make fruit flavoured vodka.

Firstly, choose your vodka. The internet recommends a middle of the road one - avoid cheap chemical tasting ones but equally, don't waste money on the high-end ones.

Then choose your fruit. Strawberries, apples, blueberries, watermelon, lemon - whatever you fancy and love! Wash the fruit and remove seeds, pips and stems. For citrus fruits, get rid of the white pith.

Slice the fruit into chunks and place in an airtight jar or bottle and then cover with the vodka. The proportions seem to be a matter of personal preference, so it may be a matter of experimenting until you get the blend that suits you, but a little research seems to point to about half and half, or maybe 2:3 fruit to vodka - the more fruit you use, the stronger the flavour.

And then just wait for about two to five days! If you do want to speed it up, give the jar a little shake each day. And sample after a couple of days, until it tastes how you want.

Once it's ready, strain the mixture into a new bottle for a fabulous fruity drink or a mixer that can be used as the basis for a unique, tasty cocktail - use a coffee filter or some muslin fabric or similar. Another idea is to pour it into nice bottles with pretty labels, and they can be given as gifts. Store out of direct sunlight and it will keep indefinitely.

As an added bonus, the fruit will make the base of a lovely alcoholic fruit salad, so even that is being used again. (Note that this fruit will be laced with vodka - it's not suitable for children and could still make you tipsy so be safe.)

You can also use herbs and spices such as chillis or basil - it doesn't have to be just fruit. You can also combine ingredients; I heard that strawberry and basil is a great combo. I even read that someone has made bacon flavoured vodka with the fat! Basically, experiment with the tastes and flavours you love best and don't let that fruit (or vodka) go to waste.

Protect your wine!

Travelling somewhere with wine and are worried about the bottle smashing in transit?  Why not use an inflated child's swimming armband to protect it?

Perfect for those cheeky weekend getaways!

Helping you through the Holidays!

I do like this top tip - I tend to have an abundance of these over the Christmas holidays!

Here's to a Tip Top Christmas!  

Funny Top Tip!

'Nuff said

Drinking Healthily?

I hope you have had a lovely Monday.  If not, do bear this in mind....

Bug Free Outdoor Drinks

I may have missed the boat season-wise for this one, but you never know, there may still be opportunities to eat and drink outside this year!  A great tip to stop flies and other insects from getting into your juice or precious cocktail is to use cupcake cases upside-down on top of the glass, and stick a straw through them.  Pretty and practical!

Red Wine Stains

One of the best tips I have ever been given is how to clean red wine stains.  Quite simply, pour over some white wine, leave to soak a few minutes and wipe!  That's all!  The white wine somehow dissolves the red, normally leaving no stain at all.  It is fantastic!

Alternatively, just drink the white!

Funny Top Tip

This is so true!

Have a great day!