Cocktail of the Week

Vodka, Lime & Soda

2 ounces vodka
soda water, to top
1/4 of a fresh lime

Pour two ounces of quality vodka into a glass filled with ice.

Squeeze in the juice of 1/4 of a lime.

Top with soda, and stir.  Garnish with more lime.

If you like a sweeter drink, use lime cordial or add a bit of sugar syrup or sweetener.

This is more like cocktail of the summer rather than the week.  It’s a very refreshing, lower calorie treat when you haven’t stopped sweating in three straight weeks and no longer remember what it feels like to be dry. 

Weekly Menu

Mon: Cinnamon Flavoured Black-Eyed Peas

Tues: Chili & Mango Salad with Grilled Seafood

Wed: Rack of Lamb with Butternut Terrine & Mustard Cabbage

Thurs: Broiled Salmon with Onion, Tomato & Lemon

Fri: AWAY

Lunch: Tangy Tuna & Sun-dried Tomato Wraps

Predicting The Six Nations

In an effort to cash in on the Rugby movie Invictus, the BBC have recruited Morgan Freeman for promotion of their Six Nations coverage.  You can watch the video here.  It consists of Freeman reading from the poem Invictus by William Ernest Henley, while images of rugby are woven throughout.  It’s an inspiring ad, but what most struck me was the imagery the BBC were using to predict the end result.

• A Welsh Dragon
• A French Cockerel (or rooster)
• An English Knight
• A Italian statue of a Roman warrior
• A Scottish Lion Rampant
• A Field of Irish Shamrocks

or, to put this another way:

• the French are chickens
• the Italians are standing still
• the Welsh will be put to the sword by St. George
• and the Irish were bloody lucky to win last year

That leaves England and Scotland standing alone on top.  That is, of course, until they set the lion on fire!  Pro-English much, BBC?

Och, I Love Beer

Despite the name (not to mention the tartan and piper on the bottle), Highland Brewing Company are actually found in Asheville, North Carolina.  From their offerings (as the final beer of our US trip and as a treat for my return from DC)  Amanda selected the Kashmir IPA.

And what a solid beer it is!  It has quite distinct and enjoyable citrus and vanilla flavours, with a good level of both hops and carbonation.  Good mouth feel, high drinkability … all the things you want from a beer.

You know … writing this is making me realise that I’m quite missing all the craft beers we had while we were away. It’s not that there aren’t any here, they’re just not as common.  Oh for supermarkets that a) sell craft microbrews for $8 a six pack, and b) sell beer at all!

Weekly Menu

Mon: Blackened Clay Pot Chicken

Tues: Muc Nuong Dau Hao (Chargrilled Squid in Oyster Sauce)

Wed: Spaghetti & Kangaroo Meatballs

Thurs: Warm Grilled Peach & Frisee Salad with Goat’s Cheese Dressing

Fri: Glazed Pork with Ginger Sweet Potato & Broccolini

Lunch: Spicy Chickpea, Avocado & Tomato Wraps

Need More Power … Any Power

When we called home this morning, Debi told us that at some point late the previous evening, due to all the snow and ice, their power had gone out.  It didn’t come back on until 7:30 the next morning, but everyone was ok.  It turns out they actually fared pretty well – by early afternoon power had only been restored to 10% of the affected homes.

It was if the world decided that we shouldn’t miss out.  As we returned from an afternoon’s sushi and shopping, we found a crowd milling outside our building.  We guessed from the darkness in the foyer that the power was out – which of course included the lifts.  There wasn’t much we could do, so we took our shopping to the pub for a nice afternoon drink.  After a little while (the fire brigade having rescued all the people stuck) the power was restored to the lifts.

It was another hour or so before the building was fully restored, but at least we were able to go home where the drinks are free. 

Our Top Seasonal Beer

Happy Australia Day everybody. What better way to celebrate than by telling you of our favourite seasonal beer from our recent trip!  We enjoyed some really great American micro-brews while away, but our favourite Christmas/Winter themed tipple was actually Belgian.

From the people that have brought us some of our favourite beers over the years (Delirium Tremens, La Guillotine) comes Delirium Noel: delicious and flavourful, eminently drinkable, and a suitable accompaniment to some outdoor sub-zero grilling action, and at 10% abv, it made the festive season even more festive!

Cocktail of the Week

The Fascinator

1 3/4 oz gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/4 oz pastis

Stir all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice.

Strain into a martini glass.

Garnish with a mint sprig.

Weekly Menu

Mon: Warm Salad of Broccoli, Soy, Ginger & Sesame

Tues: Citrus Seared Tuna with Crispy Noodles, Herbs and Chili

Wed: Miso Chicken

Thurs: Thit Kho Khom (Caramelised Pork with Sweet Pineapple)

Fri: Mushroom & Herbed Ricotta Sandwiches

Brekkie: Vanilla Yogurt Bread with Cherries

Lunch: Cantaloupe & Avocado Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

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