It’s Mother’s Day today, and I’ve had a wonderfully busy day. I started out the day with a cup of really good coffee, and got the laundry going. While cleaning the bathrooms, my daughter asked if we could bake brownies today, and I thought that would be a perfect mother-daughter activity. So, I had her help me with taking out all of the ingredients. She took care of taking out the chocolate chips, and in her ever so sweet voice, asked if she could taste them. She always makes me smile when she does that…
Ensure you remove all of the white pith along with the lemon peel to avoid any bitterness in your drink.
When Meat and Tater Man got home from the gym, we took a break on the deck outside, cup of coffee in hand, while my daughter proceeded to tell me how much she loved me on this Mother’s Day. She was especially excited to have me open my gift, Breville’s new Tea Maker, which I had been eyeing enviously ever since I started buying all sorts of teas at Teavana. I quickly made a batch of Peach Tranquility tea, to ice later for lunch, and it was fabulous.
Totally a luxury item, but if you’re a teetotaller, it might quite be worth your investment, because the Tea Maker looks after boiling, steeping, and keeping your tea warm once infused. I’m a lucky mother, indeed, as this will get as much daily use as my Keurig coffee maker currently does.
After a leisurely breakfast of eggs over easy and thickly buttered toast, I got into the dishes and kitchen cleanup after making a batch of brownies. My daughter and husband headed outside for the first weekend of real yard work and gardening (it’s been especially cold this year, and the mercury finally decided to rise highly enough to make it worth spending the whole day outside). Laundry continued, and bed making ensued after the sheets were clean and dry. I got a cardio workout through all of this, and whipped up a batch of my Tomato Onion Jam to serve alongside a wedge of blue cheese and some crackers for an easy lunch.
The drink will turn icy white in the blender while whizzing away. My mouth is watering.
While busy and productive, I did what I set out to do today, just like every Sunday. And, with Meat and Tater Man done with his gardening and errands, and my laundry now neatly folded and put away, it’s time for a cocktail. Something refreshing, with enough tartness to offset the sweetness, and something that makes you feel like you deserve a break. This Lemon Drop is just the ticket. It’s from Nigella Lawson’s Forever Summer book, which I turn to time and again for recipes that remind you of summer, regardless of what time of year you make them. This drink’s lemony twist makes you feel like you’re on vacation at a beach resort. Today the sky is blue, the weather is sunny and warm, and the feeling’s just right for one of these drinks to let me relax until supper time.
Meat and Tater Man, along with his little side kick, are the ones looking after supper tonight, so I’m really going to kick back and enjoy this cocktail. Maybe even continue reading Nigella’s book until supper time. A novel idea, don’t you think?
Citron pressé for grown ups…cold, frosty white, acid sharp and as deeply lemony as you could want, says Nigella. Need I say more?
Happy Mother’s day to all moms out there…and here’s to you! I’ve adapted Nigella’s recipe just slightly by substituting the sugar with some agave nectar.
Look at all of that lemony goodness in there! The Limoncello and Cointreau don’t hurt either…
This refreshing drink recipe is from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer cookbook. She describes it as a citron pressé for grown ups: frosty-white, acid sharp and as deeply lemony as you could want. I couldn't agree more.
I've substituted agave nectar for the sugar that Nigella suggests. I've also used Cointreau instead of Triple Sec.
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, peeled (skin and white pith removed), and quartered
- 1 tbsp agave nectar or sugar or sugar syrup
- 1 1/2 oz (3 tbsp) limoncello or other lemon liqueur
- 1 1/2 oz (3 tbsp) Triple Sec or Cointreau
- handful of ice cubes
Instructions
- Put the lemon pieces into a blender, along with the agave nectar, and blitz away. If you're using sugar, let it steep with the lemon for a few minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve first.
- Pour in the limoncello and Triple Sec, add the ice cubes and whizz away on high speed until everything is combined, thickened and nearly ice white in colour.
- Pour into a large tumbler, and knock back!
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