TrendLife Food

The sun has got his hat on hip, hip, hip, hooray!

I have already seen a mind boggling number of short and flip flopped clad sun lovers roaming around the streets of London. So I imagine they are all off to bathe in the rays in a quaint pub with a pitcher of Pimms and this has prompted me to plan some after work drinks. It's how we do it in Britain, we just become far more pro-active after a bit of vitamin D.

So on my list is some fun and retro straws like these from Dotcomgiftshop, a bright shaker and some quirky glasses, both Drinkstuff. My drink of choice is a refreshing Elderflower and Cucumber Collins.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp chopped  cucumber, plus extra to garnish

• 1 tbsp elderflower cordial

• 35ml London gin (naturally)

• 25ml apple juice

Preparation method

1. Place the cucumber and elderflower cordial into a cocktail shaker and crush.

2. Add the gin, apple juice and a handful of ice and shake hard.

3. Pour the cocktail into a martini glass and garnish with a slice of cucumber.

Whether it be breakfast, builders or earl grey, with one lump or three, we think it's time that tea got the star treatment and brewed with love and care in the best of all vessels, the teapot. But apparently the sales of teapots are down? How can we British, in a year full of such momentous occasion (Olympics and Jubilee), neglect the humble tea pot? We love that #savetheteapot is trending on twitter and have selected some of our favourite tea pots to share with you. Lets ditch the mug and bring back proper tea ettiquette.

Emma Bridgewater £75
Red Candy £75
Sweet William £25
The Contemporary Home £69.99
The Gifted Penguin £19.99
Drift Living £39

I have long been a fan of the pomegranate. For many years now, on home visits, me and my mother sit down together to messily scoop out the jewel coloured fruit and laugh at each others stained faces. But it is a fruit that I have thought for some time had fewer health benefits than it's friends broccoli and asparagus say, but how wrong I was, this sweet fruit has been so modest.

The French for pomegranate is 'pomme-grenade' and when you see how much power is packed into this little lustrous fruit it's obvious that the missile is certainly aptly named. The 100% fruit juice in Organic Village's Pomegranate Juice has a real intensity of flavour and is bursting with goodness. 

Certified-organic by the Soil Association, this juice is not made from concentrate, contains no added water, no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. In fact nothing added or taken away. Just 100% pure fruit juice, as nature intended. 

For the health conscious, this beautiful clear garnet-coloured liquid is a source of powerful antioxidants with vitamins C and E. It has about three times more antioxidants, glass for glass, than red wine or green tea. Pomegranates are also a source of folic acid (needed to produce red blood cells), potassium, iron, calcium, vitamin K - the list reads like a veritable spaghetti-alphabet of nutrients!

Right now, it's also popular with sports enthusiasts. A recent study found that those who drank pomegranate juice experienced less soreness and recovered faster after strenuous workouts - drinking it regularly may help to reduce muscle soreness and prevent a decline in strength after exercise. Several other studies indicate that pomegranate juice may additionally prevent cartilage deterioration.

Is there anything this juice can't do?

RRP £1.39 200ml or £3.99 1litre

www.organicvillage.org

You should never let the word cocktail put you off making them yourself, they are fun, can be as simple as you like (a screwdriver is just vodka & orange!) and don’t have to cost the earth. With a few ingredients and maybe a little imagination you can create a drink to wow and bring in a little Brazilian party spirit with ease.

Cachaça is the base for Caipirinha’s and is a spirit made from sugar cane. There are a number of brands you can buy in supermarkets but I prefer Abelha Cachaça Silver. Not only can you buy it online, but it is made from entirely natural and organic ingredients. Albeha also push to let the ordinary man work less hard and get paid more with their fair labour business ethics, who wouldn’t commend that approach? A little bird told me that drinking organic spirits may give you a less severe hangover too, something to do with the lack of chemicals? It’s science maybe sketchy but it’s good enough for me, Cheers!

Caipirinha’s are the best way to start a weekend or an impressive but simple option to offer guests at a party. Here’s a how to but after making one I think you’ll need never look at it again.

Needed:

Cachaca

White Sugar

Sugar Syrup (so simple to make)

Limes

Lots of Crushed Ice

Old Fashioned Glasses

To create the sugar syrup, take hot water and add sugar. Stir until fully dissolved and the mixture becomes thicker and sticky. Leave to cool.

Cut the lime (6 wedges from 1 lime) and place three into a glass add two teaspoons of sugar to each glass and two splashes of the cooled sugar syrup. Muddle these together so the juice comes from the limes and the sugar mixes. If you don’t have a muddler just use a wooden spoon or the end of a rolling pin. Add crushed ice to the top of the glass and then pour over 50mls (double shot) of Cachaca. Top with more ice and garnish with a lime wedge.

Why not get fruity and add some mango puree or passion fruit before muddling?

www.thedrinkshop.com

I have a sore throat about to rear its ugly head, I can tell, I wake up a little froggy and I feel a gentle swell in my tonsils. In the early days of illness I just can't face the fail safe hot water/honey/lemon to soothe as its smell conjures memories of sicknesses past. However Bottlegreen's new winter-inspired cordials prove to be the comforting cup I need.

With Spiced Berry and Cox Apple and Plum added to their range I was instantly reminded of evenings in front of the fire with loved ones, weekend walks through snow-covered countryside and a whole host of fantastic seasonal parties.

This by no means makes it only suitable for the sickly like me; last weekend I served the Spiced Berry cordial with a stick of cinnamon to my chilly guests after our firework display party. It was akin to a non-alcoholic mulled wine and was greatly received.

Bottlegreen is available in most superstores.

www.bottlegreendrinks.com