We decided to go a la Martha Stewart and spend these hot summer days doing things that will bring a smile to our face, keep the mind diverted from the heat and keep us indoors.
Did we succeed? We think yes. Did we Martha Stewart like Martha Stewart? We think not. Well no one can, but we definitely are proud of ourselves for trying.
Flowers make everyone happy. First step to deal with summer - we decided to make a floral arrangement. One that brightens up your space and leads you (read disillusion) into thinking your table tops are mini gardens.
When you’re choosing flowers for your arrangement, you’ll need to pick greens for the base, focal flowers, secondary flowers and fillers.
We picked a mix of different sized flowers so that it does not look too set.
We chose Birds of Paradise, pink Gladiolus and some Carnations. We also added some Mexican Tuberose for it’s intoxicating fragrance.
Next, you need to process your blooms. Remove the leaves and cut the stem at an angle. If you’re cutting a branch, you can make a snip in the stem to help it absorb water.
One technique to make your arrangement wild is to add branches. We went with Fish Palm and some wild branches from our home garden. The branches are different lengths and are set in the oasis at different angles.
Allow the flowers to flow in their natural direction and then place them where they fit the shape of your arrangement.
Take a vase or we opted for a ceramic pitcher, fill with water and enjoy your flowers.
This drink combines our two favourite drinks, Moroccan tea and Mojitos.
40 degree weather calls for fresh, cool drinks like these.
2 tablespoons black tea, such as English Breakfast. We suggest you use tea bags
20 cardamom pods, crushed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 cup mint leaves, plus extra for garnish
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup white rum
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons rosewater. Use sparingly, as it has a strong flavour
Lots of ice
Water
Boil tea and crushed cardamom pods and bring the mixture to the 3/4 cup mark. Let it steep 10-20 minutes and let the flavours infuse.
Muddle the mint leaves and sugar together in another measuring cup to bruise the mint. Add the lemon juice, starting with the smaller amounts; stir to dissolve the sugar.
When the tea has steeped, strain it into the mint mixture, squeezing the tea and cardamom pods to extract all the liquid.
Strain the mint/tea mixture into a pitcher, squeezing the leaves to extract all the liquid. Stir in the white and dark rums and the rosewater. Taste, adding additional lime and lemon juice if you like.
The tea, cardamom and rose create a lovely, interesting flavour, while the citrus and mint add freshness and punch to the drink. Don’t skip the dark rum, as that adds light caramel notes to the drink.
Fill tumblers with ice and several mint leaves. Stir, kick back and drink up this yummy tea and rum goodness.
