The right time for happy hour
Life is made up of little insignificant happinesses, similar to tiny flowers. It’s not just made up of great things, like study, love, weddings, funerals. Little things happen every day, so many that I can’t keep them in mind or count them, and among them are hidden grains of a barely perceptible happiness, which the soul breathes and thanks to which it lives. (Yoshimoto banana)
The days are getting longer and the desire to enjoy a moment of relaxation with the family , especially at the weekend, is often accompanied by the idea of doing so while sipping a good cocktail and eating something delicious. Organizing an aperitif at home, compared to preparing a dinner, is much more practical and simple, especially when there are children among the “guests”. All you need to do is prepare a cheerful buffet , think about drinks – even for the little ones – and set up the table with simple colored paper plates, cutlery, glasses, a few balloons and napkins. Success is guaranteed and even the children will have a lot of fun!
How to improvise a home bartender
It’s not a question of becoming professionals or dedicating entire days to experimenting with cocktails and recipes , acquiring the tools of the trade and practicing this manual art with a shaker or mixing glass… but setting your imagination in motion and spending a few carefree hours with your family.
Mojito is one of the most famous and loved cocktails . Fresh and partly light, thanks to the presence of cane sugar and mint, it is appreciated by many.
Ingredients:
- Cuban white rum 50 ml
- angostura q. b.
- crushed ice cubes
- lime juice
- brown sugar (3 teaspoons)
- mint (8 leaves)
- carbonated water or soda to taste
In a long drink glass (tall tumbler) place the mint leaves and brown sugar; using a pestle, crush the leaves against the side of the glass so as to release the aroma of mint. Add the lime juice (about 1/5 of the drink) and pound again for a few seconds, then fill the glass with ice (cubed or crushed), add the rum, the angostura and lastly a splash of sparkling water (or soda); mix in a circular way and serve decorating with a sprig of mint.
For children and for those who don’t like alcoholic cocktails, just eliminate the rum and angostura from the recipe and prepare a non-alcoholic fruit mojito , just crush some strawberries together with the mint and add tonic water instead of carbonated water. You can also replace strawberries with berries, peaches, watermelon, kiwis, oranges or any fruit you prefer.
A grapefruit and strawberry cocktail is also ideal for the little ones : for each glass it is necessary to blend the juice of a grapefruit with 200 g of strawberries: the sweet taste of strawberries , in fact, goes perfectly with that of grapefruit and even children they will go crazy.
A great American classic is the Cosmopolitan, which has become a well-known protagonist of American cinematography: fans of the TV series “Sex and The City” will surely remember the scenes in which Carrie Bradshaw talks about her life, sipping this cocktail at some social party.
Ingredients:
- vodka 80 ml
- cranberry juice 60 ml
- Cointreau 30 ml
- lime juice 30 ml
Start by pouring ice cubes into a shaker, then add the vodka and Cointreau, lime juice and finally the cranberry juice. Close the shaker and shake , i.e. shake the two jugs of the shaker stuck together by squeezing the ends and shaking vigorously for a few moments. Separate the two pieces of the shaker and apply the strainer, i.e. the special strainer to separate the ice from the cocktail, then pour the contents into a glass.
Recipes and ideas to accompany home-made cocktails
Simple and quick to prepare are the pretzels with puff pastry and smoked salmon . If you don’t like salmon, you can also use ham or speck.
Ingredients:
- puff pastry (2 rolls)
- smoked salmon 180 g
- black sesame seeds
- spreadable cheese 200 g
- 1 egg and 2 tablespoons milk (for brushing)
Remove the puff pastry rolls from the fridge a few minutes before preparation. Turn on the static oven at 190°C. Unroll the first roll and spread the cheese on the surface. Cover all the puff pastry with the salmon . For your convenience, you can use the packaging in long slices. Place the second puff pastry on top of the salmon, matching the edges. With a pizza wheel or a sharp knife, cut the puff pastry with salmon into horizontal and vertical strips . Brush the entire surface of the beaten egg with the milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.Bake in the preheated static oven at 190°C for about 25-30 minutes, on the lowest shelf of the oven for the first 10 minutes, then on the middle shelf.
Perfect on hot days and for those who don’t feel like cooking or turning on the stove, are the raw ham, melon and mozzarella skewers. The ingredients are very few: a melon, 100 gp of raw ham and 250 g of mozzarella bites. First, take the melon and cut it in half. Dig the inside with a spoon and remove all the seeds. With a melon scooper create lots of melon ballsand keep them aside. If you don’t have a melon scoop, you can cut the melon into cubes. Let the children do it too (helping them): it can be a lot of fun for them and make them feel involved in the preparation of your home aperitif. After that, take some skewers and start skewering the various ingredients, alternating them. Then arrange cocktails and appetizers in the living room, in the garden, on the balcony or in your favorite corner of the house and enjoy the evening!
Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.
Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.