Ginger Ricky & Betsy

In the lead up to my publication day of Cocktails At Kittiwake Cove, I thought I would share some cocktail recipes. 

Early on, whilst writing, I thought it would be fun to name each chapter after a cocktail. Over the next week, I'll be sharing recipes from chapter titles, and possibly some cocktails that ended up on the editing floor... 

The following recipes have been taken from a cocktail book I was given as a gift; Drink Me Now 150 cocktails for any emergency.

These two made it into the book... 

Ginger Ricky 

4 x 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes pineapple

2 lime wedges

1 1/2 measures London dry gin

1/2 measure ginger juice (see tip)

1 teaspoon lime juice

ice cubes

3 1/2 measures ginger ale

pineapple wedge, to decorate

Muddle the pineapple and lime wedges in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Add the gin and ginger and lime juices and shake well.

Strain into a highball glass filled with ice cubes and top up with the ginger ale. Decorate with a pineapple wedge and serve. 

***

Tip: to make ginger juice, peel a large piece of fresh root ginger and blitz in a blender or food processor. Strain the juice before use. 

~

Betsy

2 measures gin or vodka

4 teaspoons lime juice

1 measure sugar syrup

2 strawberries, plus extra to decorate

1 sprig coriander

1 cup ice cubes

Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into 2 old-fashioned glasses, decorate each with a strawberry and serve.

***

Enjoy! 

Remember Cocktails at Kittiwake Cove is out Tuesday 15th June! 

I'm A Bit Pants At Blogging

Have you noticed that I'm a bit pants at blogging? I've not blogged since March and my son's 14th birthday. 

I think when I started blogging, social media was all new and exciting... but now there are sooooo many platforms to update, that I just forget to blog! Newsletters are the new thing... which I mean, is a blog, but just going direct to your email address. 

So then I think what shall I blog about!? 

My latest newsletter is out and is here. Please remember to subscribe! 

I had these marvellous mugs made by Mug Express (a local company), and I have a couple more up for grabs over the coming months. 

I've just realised I've also not told my blog followers that Cocktails at Kittiwake Cove is now available for pre-ordering! 

You can do that HERE! 

So I think that's me covered. I will try harder to blog... I promise. 

Do you know my most visited blog post is this one? It's had nearly 8000 views! It's my most viewed post! I wonder if people are googling kitchen gadgets... 

Happy 14th To This Boy

Seriously, where is the time going? I have two big teenage boys!

And this one is shooting up! Worried he was going to be short, he's now catching his brother up. He's almost the same height Ben was at 14! (I'm so glad I started measuring their height in my new house. Lord knows what I'm going to do if I have to move. But it really put a smile on Kieran's face when he saw this!)

Although he will give me the teenager attitude, he is always thoughtful, buying gifts for either me or his dad when he goes away. He is the tidiest of the two and does help me around the house. (I don't need to nag too much.) For example, he doesn't leave wet towels on his bedroom floor, like his brother! Grrr!

He's a fantastic footballer, and although he hasn't been able to play much this past year, he's been dedicated to his fitness. He does well in school, the teachers always praising how good he is. So I have to be doing something right. He likes his routine, but lacks a little bit of confidence at times, when he really shouldn't! But we'll work on that. 

Although he still has no fear, and will always be my Kamikaze Kieran! 

Happy 14th Birthday, Kieran! 

I'm extremely proud of the handsome, young man you're turning into. Just be a little kinder to your brother, hey? You love him really! 

Enjoy the TV bed! Although now I don't see you so much as you disappear off to your bedroom like a typical teenager. Come and see me occasionally! Please! You'll always be my little buddy and little joker!

Love you to the moon and back x x x 

One of my favourite photos!

My Lockdown Reflection

I did post something on my Facebook about how I was feeling the other day but I thought I would expand on it in a blog post (as I haven't blogged in ages).

On the 8th of March, my kids will return to school. *fingers crossed* And I have mixed feelings about this. 

I'm not worried about them going back to school with regards to safety or anything like that. I really do believe they need to be in school, not just for learning, but for the social element. However, in some mad, deranged and demented way, I'm going to miss the bickering.

What many may not have realised is that, over the course of a year, their last day in school having been the 17th March 2020, my two boys have only attended 2 full terms in a year. TWO out of six. And even then, those two terms had been disrupted with year groups having to go home to self isolate for 10 days.

For pretty much a year, we've been used to the kids being home. This makes it a habit that we've got used to. So, them returning to school is going to feel weird.

I haven't missed getting packed lunches ready, and the mad dash out the door in the evening for the school clubs and trying to fit dinner in as and when. I've enjoyed all of us having lunch together, our evenings in front of the television as neither have after school clubs to attend, and their continual bickering. (I'm lying about that last part... that is sarcasm!)

I am lucky. At nearly-14 and now-16, both of my boys have home-schooled themselves. I have just checked that they are actually doing their school work and not watching YouTube videos, and have made them cups of tea or coffee - another positive, that they've got into drinking hot drinks! 

Although Lockdown (1, 2 and 3) and the past year have not been easy, and I have more grey hairs - mainly due to not being able to see a hairdresser, and the stress of being a keyworker - there are things that I will always be thankful for.

I am grateful that I've had quality (ish) time with my kids. My two boys are growing up and will soon be of an age where they won't want to sit with their dear old mum to re-watch the Marvel Cinematic Universe of the Avenger films in timeline order. Or binge watch The Mandalorian, Shitt's Creek or How I Met Your Mother with me. We've had walks, we've baked cakes, they've helped with the garden, cooking dinner, and during Lockdown 3 helped with the decorating of my kitchen (it was technically half-term). 

And I've discovered my eldest is a dab hand at building flatpack furniture! (Totally forgot when I arranged the delivery of a new kitchen table and chairs that he'll be back at bloody school!) I have my very own handyman about the house now! 

Therefore, from a woman who isn't very maternal at the best of times, I'm going to miss my kids.

But not the bickering. The school can have that one. 

My 3 Positives A Day Advice

Way back in January, or around the beginning of the year, or at some point, I said I'd talk about my 3 positives a day.

Now, I originally blogged here when I first started doing this : Original blog post can be found here. So feel free to read that post too. 

Basically, back in 2017, I found myself with very low self-esteem after a relationship I thought to be healthy ending very suddenly. I took myself off to counselling because I wasn't really sure I could do this on my own and I'm grateful that I did.

Over 3 years on, and I'm still doing the one activity she set me: to write three positives for that day before I went to bed. 

I now find it's easier to have a page to view diary, so I've got plenty of room to journal (because sometimes I have more than 3 things or I want to write about them more deeply) and I can't lose track of the days!

What does this do?

It means I don't dwell on the negatives, and at the end of the year, I only look back and see positive things. EVEN in a year like 2020! (And I think my self-esteem has improved).

So it's not too late. It's the beginning of February! (Sorry I'm late at posting this.) Grab a diary, journal or a notepad. Put it by your bed with a pen... And write three positives a day.

Some days are harder. Some days it might be the sun was shining and at least I got out for a ten minute walk. But do not - and this is very important - do not note or dwell too much on the negatives. Really try hard to only put the positives in, even if you've had the shittiest day on record. Just think about the positives... 

And then come tell me what you think and feel in a year... 

*I've finished reading The Miracle Morning, and Hal Elrod recommends scribing/writing (it's one of his Life SAVERS) in the morning. I've decided that mine can easily wait until the end of the day, as I wouldn't want to stop this process. But Hal is right, it is good to have something to look back on. However, sometimes, I don't even need to do that. I just know my year has been a good year, or has had many positive points to it.