fizzy and sweet

Miss K had a sleepover during half term, on halloween in fact.
At 13/14 they are clearly feeling at that inbetweeny age when they're not children any more, and not adults yet either.
Don't want to appear foolish, don't want to miss out.
Not at all sure what we want to do.........
Don't want to play party games, very happy to play with pizza dough. .....
Don't want to decorate the house, but very happy to decorate cookies - ours weren't quite as neat as these
Want to have grown up party food, but not old enough for grown up party drinks, so we started thinking mocktails. Cocktails but without the alcohol. Miss K then proceeded to get carried away with smoothie recipes requiring weird and unusual ingredients (ok so maybe papaya isn't "that" weird, but my shop of choice doesn't stock them.....)
Anyway we were rescued from our dilemma by the offer of a bottle of Shloer berry punch

 

 

describe by Shloer themselves;   The limited edition conjures up the taste of autumn with hints of blackberry combined with grape juices; best served over ice with slices of pear and blackberries for a sparkling and fruity autumnal drink  

We served it with slices of orange and lemon, and ice and put it in fancy wine glasses, and the girls thought it was fantastic. I mean what's not to like really -
pink, fizzy, sweet, looks like a cocktail - recipe for a happy teenager really!

as for the parental view, well I personally found it too sweet *,  but I remember drinking it when I was a teenager (it only came in two flavours then - a "white" and a "red") and it used to be such a treat.  
*9.9g sugar in 100ml drink = 2 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.... but then again there's no caffeine in it, and it's a definite party time drink not an everyday kind of drink, so I can forgive it the sugar levels, and will no doubt be convinced to buy some more for her birthday party.

what's your favourite party drink ? cocktails or mocktails? or do you have a favourite drink from your childhood? I'd love to know.


just for the record, I wasn't paid to write this post, but we did receive a free bottle for review.

 

a week of wishes and thanks

I wish I could work out all the answers to the compounds words.

I'm thankful for Ali and all the photographers, it's been a fun week.

I wish I could see my blog friends more often.

I'm thankful for random excited texts about ukeleles.

I wished my camera was mended (ok maybe this one was more of a moan)

I'm thankful for the message on the phone that says it is! hurray, I have hated it being sick and was ever so slightly fearful it couldn't be fixed. Just need to go to the big city and collect it now.....

I wish my family would stop coming home with every cough, cold and sniffle that is at work/school.

I'm thankful that so far I have resisted them, and am drinking rosehip syrup just in case......

I wish that the entry dates for the Edinburgh moonwalk would be released, I am impatient to enter.

I'm thankful for the scalp cooler that is helping my friend keep her hair during her chemotherapy.

I wish that children came with an instruction manual, so that you didn't take a child to the hospital thinking it had appendicitus when it fact it was "non specific abdominal pain - take calpol and go to bed" .

I'm thankful to the neighbours who drove me and child to and from the hospital when I was busy being a neurotic mother........

I wish you all a very happy weekend.


what are you wishing for, or thankful for today?

confounded by compounds

Starting Today

The Compound Word Project.

created by Domesticali, fun for all to play.

except that I'm stuck already...............


pop over and see how well you can do!

remembering

lest we forget.

trick or treacle

sometimes when you are at the shops you just have to buy something because it makes you smile.

oh and because you still haven't made the gingerbread you've wanting for weeks....

the great cake eating competition.

I had lots of fun baking for Friday's fundraiser, and I chose all your recipes so it felt like you were there with me.

my friend baked these two incredible cakes.

 and it turned from coffee morning into cake eating competition! 

today

today I'm;

Loving the bright autumn sunshine, the crisp frost on the grass and the blue skies

Planning what to do with the 7lbs of blackberries we picked over the weekend.  Well Mr Driftwood and I picked them, Miss K impatiently wanted to know when the crumble would be ready, and J carried around several large sticks.

listing things on folksy and etsy.

sketching thistles and cow parsley and alliums which I want to embroider onto linens for some new designs of cards.

wondering what's for dinner.

what are you doing today? I hope you have some autumn sunshine. x