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simple syrup
There are one or two amazing little liquor shops in my town that sell wondrous bottles of hand-crafted liqueurs and boutique wines. All of them also stock Gomme. Also known as sugar-syrup, or simple syrup, it’s a water and sugar mixture used to sweeten up cocktails. Whenever I pop in to one of these fanciful stores for something tasty, I always seem to briefly consider paying $8 for what is essentailly a bottle of sugar and water. Albeit, all natural organic hand-crafted traditional sugar-syrup. All the same, I am struck by the notion that for less that $2 I could make it at home.
But the thought of labouring over a stove melting sugar and water together and waiting for it to cool just seemed fraught with alchemical difficulties. Not to mention effort and time. Besides, you can get almost the same result with cordial – lemon, raspberry and elderflower have become some of my staples. If you don’t fancy making your own, Monin produce some positively delicious syrups; Kiwi, Cucumber, Green Apple and Lavender for instance!
Then in 2008 I went to a tequila tasting hosted by Brown-Forman where our guide showed us how to make sugar-syrup. It was so fricking simple! People, this is how the professionals do it. You don’t need a stove, or even hot water. For those of you, who like me, had no idea – here’s how:
Now go forth and enjoy all those sweet cocktails your soul has been yearning for!
| Threads from the Web | 6 January 2011 |
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The first ball of threads from the web for 2012!! Delayed because of bandwidth issues…
Coffee Tasting Notes
The Folks over at Hendrick’s Gin decided to feature my Hendrick’s Gin Martini Amuse-Bouche on their website! How grand!
Emma makes cute little terrariums in only four steps!
Get this, Super Kawai Mama quotes herself on her blog.
From Geri, 25 of the most beautiful college libraries in the world.
Finally, a recipe for vegan Baileys Irish Cream!
a unicorn eating a bowl of glitter
And more fabulous photos over at Dark Roasted Blend, this time photographs of the universe.
I’ve been reading about Knitxcore’s foray into detox-land. It’s interesting stuff. Am I game to try the 28 day challenge myself? Nope. I love cheese too much!
Camilla on street harasment;
I’m hopeful about a day when a girl can walk down the street without bare arms, ankles, shoulders, seen as an open invitation, or as Meg so politely puts it, “sweet hetero pussy”. I don’t feel like it’s my job to ensure I don’t get harassed. It shouldn’t be. But for some reason, it is.
Ageliska shares goats as fashion inspiration, and it’s awesome.
Taking self portraits can be daunting. Elyica has some tips to help make taking photos of your self stress-free and cute.
Jenny discovers the wonders of Maidenform.
DIY paper lanters made to look like houses by night. Ahhhh this is too adorable!
Smiling from the inside out – DIY
I have two words for you. Drunk checkers.
Sage advice for young travellers from Hexotica.
Over at Advanced Style, punk rock forever.
These “transformations” over at Regretsy made me cry. Why would anyone do that to antique furniture?
The Honest Girl Scouts campaign. Like Chira says, actually, this makes them sound pretty awesome. After a girl named Taylor uploaded a video calling for a boycott of girl scout cookies because of the inclusion of transgender members, chaos ensued. I think Richard Metzger says it best;
Do you really want to be the Rebecca Black of intolerance? For the rest of your life?
How cute is Catherine hanging out in Trafalgar Square?! And over at This Old Life Nabby looks very dashing in her aviatrix costume.
I love this list from girrrlvirus. I love everything about girrrlvirus.
Happy Friday!
I thought I’d post some of the photos from the rest of our NYE feast!
We started with mini tarts containing caramelised onion and heirloom baby tomatoes. The lovley Elle gave me the hint about using puff pastry with caramelised onions. These cute lil’ tarts went down a treat. (I’ve always wanted to say that!!)
The first course was battered zucchini florets. I stuffed these suckers with roast pumpkin and ricotta. Mmm.
Mr K decided to have lamb and bacon-wrapped tomatoes and mashed potato. He’s a big fan of roast meat of some kind with bacon-wrapped tomatoes and mashed potato. Especially if there’s gravy involved. The boccolini is just a garnish…
I opted to have potato gnocchi in sage butter. Sage leaves fried crispy in butter is the most amazing thing you will ever put in your mouth. I promise. I mashed up some roast pumpkin and added flour till it was workable. But these dumplings ended up being way to chewy. Gnocchi definitely needs potato to work. The sage was lovely though.
Dessert is the reason I get out of bed in the morning. Vegetarians don’t get to have jelly very often and so I thought I’d have a go at making the vegetarian-friendly kind. But it needed to be adult jelly. Not that cheap-tasting raspberry stuff. I mixed a bottle of sparkling white wine with half a cup of sugar, 80ml of Saint Germain, a quarter of a cup of raspberries and one large tablespoon of agar agar powder. The jelly was served chilled with lychees, raspberries and a Saint Germain, vanilla and ginger syrup. Oh yes.
What could be a better finish to our meal than a whisky tasting flight out of Mr K’s quaich? I was giddy by the time midnight rocked around. I wouldn’t spend my New Years Eve any other way!
| Cocktail Hour | Hendrick’s Gin Martini Amuse-Bouche |
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We celebrated New Years with a fancy dinner party for two. I knew that I wanted to serve an Amuse-Bouche that had something to do with cucumber and thought that cute cucumber cups (like the ones made by Monika at Vegetarian Surprises) would do the job. But what would I fill them with? I made a simple chilled cucumber and dill soup that I thought I could serve in the cups. Maybe I could add some honeydew melon somewhere? But then we went to the bottle shop and I saw the miniature bottles of Hendrick’s Gin. I was more excited than any person has a right to be in public. A light bulb went off in my head. Why didn’t I see it before?!
Hendrick’s Martinis in Cucumber Cups
1 Lebanese cucumber
50ml Hendrick’s Gin
Honeydew melon to garnish
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Cut the cucumber into 4cm rounds. Peel skin and scoop out flesh leaving a 1cm layer at the bottom. These keep in the refrigerator for a few hours if you want to make them ahead of time. If you’re using the 50ml Hendrick’s botttles, chill them in the fridge or freezer beforehand. Otherwise, shake or stir the Hendrick’s Gin with ice and pour into the cucumber cups. Add any aromatics, such as cocktail bitters or a dash of rosewater. To garnish, use a melon baller (I used a tiny measuring spoon) to scoop out little globes of honeydew melon and style on a toothpick, like you would with a martini olive. Enjoy!
They ended up being delicious! I served the chilled cucumber soup alongside the martinis. It made for a refreshing start to the meal.
Chilled Cucumber Soup
1 Lebanese cucumber
8 springs of dill
1 cup vegetable stock
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Place everything in a food processor and blend till smooth. Strain through a muslin and serve chilled. Also makes a great base for savoury cocktails!
| Threads from the Web | 30 December 2011 |
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It’s the very last Threads From the Web for 2011!!
Flight of the Conchords
Hair Romance shares her 11 most popular posts from 2011. So many pretty styles! So much NYE inspiration!
I can’t quite believe that Texts From Bennett is real.
Smitten Kitchen shares an amazing recipe for Peppermint Hot Fudge Sauce.
How cute is Sarah pairing the union jack with the stars and stripes?! Meanwhile, Solanah looks stunning in tweed.
New books for your 2012 Kindle reading list.
WoooooooooHappyNewYeeeaarrrrBLAAAARRGGH
Margaret Cho on self-esteem and revolution;
When you don’t have self-esteem you will hesitate before you do anything in your life. You will hesitate to go for the job you really wanna go for, you will hesitate to ask for a raise, you will hesitate to call yourself an American, you will hesitate to report a rape, you will hesitate to defend yourself when you are discriminated against because of your race, your sexuality, your size, your gender. You will hesitate to vote, you will hesitate to dream. For us to have self-esteem is truly an act of revolution and our revolution is long overdue.
Via girrrlvirus
Eeee! Polka dot love!
Ariel Maccarone and Jennifer Popperl were at the opening of Mr Brainwash’s new exhibition Life is Beautiful for Chinashop;
Crowds from both sides began pushing their way forward as though it was Black Friday and the prints inside were discounted waffle irons. A visibly pregnant woman was pushed about multiple times until someone started yelling for people to back up. Another woman in her seventies—-a woman I had spoken with only moments before, who expressed to me her love of street art—was bounced around like a blow up doll. “THIS IS WHO WE ARE,” I thought. “This is the cultured people we have become.”
I recently made a whole bunch of labels for the handmade Giftmas presents I whipped up earlier this month. I must admit I could have used these packaging tips from Amanda of Here’s Looking at Me Kid.
Look! A Vintage Bar Guide! How handy!
I’ve been watching a lot of Daria recently, and the Sick Sad World tumblr is feeding my addiction between episodes.
Octopus Love
Sweeteeth chocolate looks delicious. Check out their “About” section for mouth watering videos.
One Teacher’s Approach to Preventing Gender Bullying in the Classroom. An amazing read. I am so glad that professionals are starting to incorporate measures like this in the classroom.
Amber Humprey on Rookie; Literally The Best Thing Ever: Forts. Amen.
How to have a tea party for very tiny people.
Olivine shares 10 Crucial Questions to Ask Before 2012 Begins. This would make an awsome poster don’t ya think?
1. What accomplishments am I proud of from 2011?
2. What brave chances did I take?
3. When did I impress myself?
4. What challenges did I overcome?
5. Which relationships did I strengthen?
6. What did I create?
7. How did I nurture my relationship with my body?
8. What setbacks did I greet with grace and courage?
9. What were some fun ways I pampered myself?
10. What promises did I keep with myself and others?
Sal of Already Pretty discusses Age Appropriate Dressing.
Deaf Muslim Punx rocks my world. Super inspiring.
Seth Godin preaches about Lazy Journalism. We could apply this philosophy to so many areas of or lives.
Does Your Cat Know About The Feminist Movement?
How amazing are these Memento Mori wrist watches. A subtle reminder that time is running out…
I don’t know if I should be enamoured or alarmed with the recent trend in slaughtering innocent books for craft projects;
Slicing up old Readers Digests
20 Ways to Decorate With Book Pages
Oooh, I’d forgotten about these: Literary Action Figures. I wish I had the Brontë Sisters Power Dolls when growing up.
Sign painting is a profession that is experiencing it’s twilight years. I am looking forward to this lovely documentary The Sign Painter.
Happy Friday everyone!
| Cocktail Hour | Champagne Cocktail |
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My Grandfather used to work on a cruise ship. He said that when they made fancy Champagne cocktails for the first class passengers in the ship’s bar they would use cider instead of Champagne and no one could tell the difference! The traditional Champagne cocktail was garnished with a cherry or twist of lemon, but the orange works well, especially if you want to be fancy and add a dash of Cointreau or Grand Marnier.
I love Champagne cocktails, they’re the perfect way to spice up a bottle of cheap sparkling white wine. Here’s my no fuss four step recipe.
| Today’s Threads | 25 December 2011 |
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Like our famous Jacarandas, Brisbane’s Poincianas are a naturalised flowering tree from Africa. They come into bloom just as the Jacaranda blossoms are starting to wither. As things heat up in November, the whole city moves from pretty lilac to vibrant orange-red. Hello summer!
Just as Poinsettias herald the onset of Christmas in the northern hemisphere, so too do Poincianas in the southern hemisphere. They’re red and green; how festive! The flowers are also star shaped, so you know, they get bonus Christmas points or something.
Flame trees bloom at about the same time. So they get an honourary mention. The shape of the flowers has always reminded me of coral.
What better way to celebrate this time of year then to wear the colours of the Poinciana?! I picked up this little number at the Brisbane Vintage Fair several months ago. My obsession with polka dots continues. It had broken cream buttons so I replaced them with pretty purple ones. It also had these amazing full length secretary sleeves. But in deference to the Australian summer, they had to go.
That bruise on my leg is from walking into a coffee table. But I’ve been telling people that I joined the local roller derby league.
Dress: Vintage
Belt: eBay
Shoes: Vivienne Westwood for Melissa
Bag: Vintage
Sunglasses: eBay
Beaded Bacelet: Gift
Tiny pink ring: Christmas cracker find
Heart-shaped sunglasses make everything in life ten times better. I highly recommend them!
What a year it’s been. Wherever you are, and however you choose to (or choose not to) celebrate today, I wish you joy.
oxox
| Blend Your Own Masala Chai |
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Mmm. Chai tea. What’s not to love? On cold rainy days I get the urge to brew a big pot of chai tea and wear fluffy socks. Ya know? There are some amazing chai blends out there, but making your own can be really fun. It’s also easy, and you probably have one or two of the spices in your cupboard right now.
Traditionally, masala chai is made with ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pepper and black tea blended with milk and honey. I like to add a bit more spice with nutmeg, star anise and sweeten it all with a touch of vanilla. It’s also traditionally brewed over a stove, but this blend is just perfect for a tea pot or press.
There isn’t any hard or fast rule when it comes to the proportion in which you use your spices, or even which ones you choose to use. If you’re not a big fan of cardamom, leave it out. I will say that with spices, the fresher, the better. But if you can’t find cinnamon quills or fresh ginger, use cinnamon powder or dried ginger powder. Add dried apple, orange peel or cranberries to make Christmas tea. Mmmm.
Masala Chai Blend
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons black tea
1 tablespoon ginger
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
the tiniest amount of star anise possible!
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Mix it all up and add to a pot of freshy boiled water. Let steep for three to four minutes. Serve with warm milk and honey. You can scale up this recipe and keep it in an airtight jar, away form direct sunlight. If your willpower is strong enough, it should last for several months.
I like to start by breaking up a couple of cinnamon quills. You could use a mortar and pestle for this, but I’m tough and macho and like splitting them open with my fingers.
Add ginger. I’m making this masala mix to use later, so I decided to opt for dried ginger chips. You can use fresh ginger, or the powdered kind. Or, you know, whatever.
Cardamom smells lovely. You can use the whole pods, or the tiny black seeds inside. Grocery stores will sometimes sell both kinds. I like the pods because they’re a pretty shade of pistachio green.
Cloves can be overpowering, so beware of using too much.
Like cloves, star anise can be really overpowering. Break off bits of the star a piece at a time. A little goes a long way!
Grate your nutmeg using a microplane, or just use the powdered kind. It has such a spicy sweet smell.
I used a black tea that had bits of vanilla through it. Then I mixed up a big bowl and scooped it into cute paper bags to give away as gifts. Now my friends can have something warm to drink the next time it’s cold and rainy!
Are you a fan of masala chai?
| Kitsch Christmas Carols from the Land Down Under |
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Christmas in Australia is a funny thing. Our weather is weirdly out of sync with the way this holiday is supposed to be celebrated. Most of us spend the day wearing ridiculous paper hats, stuffing our faces with tropical fruit and ice cold seafood, followed by swimming or playing backyard cricket. I mean, is a birthday party right? Actually, it ends up being a really secular affair. We’ll just take any excuse we can to get a day off work. As well as all the fun and games, in our isolation Australians have developed some sinister versions of classic Christmas carols. I can remember very clearly my kindegarden Christmas party, where we performed the 12 days of Christmas, and I got to be the lucky midget who shouted “and a kookaburra in a gum tree!” at the end of every line. Awesome!
So I present to you, eight of the very finest in bogan Christmas carols.
