sake plum infused green tea.

Today was an exceptionally beautiful day. The sun decided to pay The City a visit again. It was warm, but the breeze carried that faint bite of the autumn chill.

 Since sunny days are a rarity, I decided to spend the day after lectures outside in the garden beneath the shade of a paper umbrella bequeath to me by my late step-grandfather. He was a charming, sweet man who loved me as if I was one of his own. I'll forever be grateful for that. I'd like to think that my grandmother's finally reunited with him up there in that ethereal paradise. She fought so bravely... but I'm going quite off tangent!

I decided to break out my favorite pair of wooden sandals to wear. They always seem to cheer me up when I slip my feet upon its smooth, cold lacquered body.

Of course, one doesn't lounge under the sun without proper refreshments! I brought along a few "wagashi"（和菓子）or Japanese sweets for snacking on. With wagashi, there must be a pot of steaming green tea to stand up to the intense sweetness of the red bean paste that often fills them.

 

And this is what I'll be introducing to you all, my lovely readers and fellow culinary deviants! Green tea infused to sake plums. The family goes through a lot of plum sake and often time we tend to accumulate a lot of plums which we keep in a jar tucked behind the milk in the fridge. So, I decided to see if it works with green tea and surprisingly it pairs quite well as the tea doesn't carry a strong flavor, allowing the aroma of the plum and sake to come through.

sake plum infused green tea

we'll need:

2~3 sake plums (crushed slightly, with the side of a kitchen knife)

2 green tea bags

an assortment of wagashi (Japanese sweets) to serve 

utensils:

tea pot

tea kettle

~Fill a tea kettle with water and bring to a boil. Next, carefully pour the hot water into the tea pot until it's half way full. Let stand for about 10minutes and pour out the water. Place the plums and tea bags into the pot and fill completely with hot water. Let steep for 15minutes.

 

Find a shady spot and enjoy with wagashi!

watermelon refresher.

It's the time of summer where watermelons are just bursting with juice and mind-blowingly sweet. This is one of my favorite ways to enjoy them.

Watermelon Refreshers (I am terrible at coming up with names! ><;): Simple, quick and wonderful for entertaining. Garnish with a sprig of mint for a nice added touch of elegance.

Watermelon Refreshers

We'll need:
2 cups  fresh watermelon, seeded and cubed.
1 cup sparkling water (or club soda)
1-2tbls honey or sugar (optional)
juice of 1/2 medium lemon or 3 limes

ice cubes
sprigs of mint for garnishing

Utensils:
measuring spoons/cups
blender
sieve
a large jug
tumblers or glasses for serving

~Place all ingredients except for the mint into the blender and blend until there are no visible chunks of watermelon. Strain the watermelon mixture into the jug and pour into individual glasses or tumblers filled with ice. Garnish with mint and serve!

limeade coolers.

Finals are over~ though I'm not entirely free yet. I've still a report to write up for Composition. But that doesn't mean we can't celebrate with a drink or two! Er... not of the alcoholic nature. No... not at all. Though in another year... that'll change. ;)

 

Just mineral water, a splash of limeade, mangoes, and nata de coco . Simple, yet refreshing! Perfect for those nice hot days. (hint, hint, summer)

Limeade Coolers

We'll need:

2:1 ratio of limeade to mineral water
diced mangoes
nata de coco

Utensils:

spoon
cup(s)

~Spoon the desired amount of mango and nata de coco in the cup(s).

~Fill the cup(s) first with the limeade followed by the mineral water.

~Decorate with cocktail stirrers or umbrellas if you'd like and serve! =)


Note: This drink is very tweakable. You can adjust the ratios to your own taste preferences.