ideas and inspiration: brunch is the new black! { how to plan a brunch party }

Looking for a refreshing party theme? One that is unconventional without being too over-the-top? Fit for all sorts of parties, guests and venues? Easy to pull off, though exceeding expectations? One that requires low-key hosting and yet sets an upbeat mood? Throw a brunch!

You will find precisely null reasons brunches should be saved for baby showers or limited to sleepy hungover chatting with the girls. I like brunches so badly that I'll sleep in on the weekends just to merge breakfast and lunch together. So badly, that I decided to throw one for my birthday. Booze included - of course!

let me introduce you your new favourite everyday summer treat { watermelon-strawberry slush }

It's 35ºC outside and maybe even way over it inside your house, you're feeling close to fainting, sweating and panting whenever you have to move a finger... so what now? Just whip youself up this all-natural delicious slush. Luscious, with a vibrant red colour, it's pretty perfect. No need to add colourants.

A couple of days ago, so to speak, I decided I could wait no longer to go back to freezing fruit. I started doing it some years ago when I was at my parents' over the summer, mostly to produce creamy banana ice creams, slowly destroying their blender with rock-like pieces of banana, strawberries, blueberries, or whatever crossed my mind that day. However, since I moved to Germany, I haven't had the chance to use a REAL blender, for all I've got is a feeble cheap hand blender that I bought at the supermarket, which main function is actually spilling soup all around my kitchen. Not funny.

morning sips. { sparkling tangerine mash & lady grey chai }

I have been sharing a lot of misty morning pictures and posting a lot of breakfast and brunch suggestions lately. I have, however, noticed that, although there's always something to drink in the depicted scenarios - and to make it even more blatant, they often come in pairs - I've failed to highlight the topic of b&b beverages and to share some of my ideas when it comes to it with you.

Hence, today I decided that, before posting any other recipe, I would make up for it.

soothing my soul { spiced rum irish cream }

i find it utterly fascinating when things line up in life,
caughting me startled in an unexpected sequence of coincidences.

those times i feel that maybe my mind has the same beat as the universe.
it works on randomness and on chaotic thoughts
and it slightly shivers with excitement when it all lines up,
as when i am able to sum up my messy thoughts through precise words.

i'll admit i am a bit of a perfectionist, but i'm definitely not obsessed with order.
i have seen the way some people like to plan and control everything.
i cherish the happenstances of life and i like to wander through life with wide open eyes,
trying to unleash myself from the dogmatic and from soulless certainties.

i am extremely picky with words, those who have worked with me know it,
i spend quite a long time trying to find the perfect words
- and they must absolutely fit together too -
but i've learned to appreciate the purity of raw thoughts.

maybe this attempt to pick up the slightest connections, the smallest details,
makes me feel like i have the power to invent an alternative world,
or maybe it is just further proof that we live in a paradoxal world,
where randomness is the only possible state of order,
for it all fits like a puzzle in some sort of magical way.

maybe i do pick up fortuitous connections, or maybe i just make these things up in my mind,
but i've always been captivated by the allure of chance and happenstances.

cherry booze will make you smile ;) { sparkling cherry sangria }

I confess... I'm on a cherry inebrity these days.

Champanhada de Cereja

750ml de espumante, frio

300ml de sumo de cerejas ácidas, frio

1/2 a 2/3 de chávena de açúcar

1 colher de sopa de sumo de limão

meia dúzia de cubos de gelo

uma dúzia de cerejas doces descaroçadas e cortadas em metades e mirtilhos para decorar

Num jarro, misturar as cerejas, os mirtilhos, o açúcar e o sumo de limão,

Juntar o sumo de cereja, misturar tudo bem,

Por fim, juntar o espumante e o gelo e servir.

Cherry Champanhada

750ml sparkling wine, cold

300ml sour cherry juice, cold

1/2 to 2/3 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

half a dozen ice cubes

a dozen sweet cherries, pitted and cut into halves, and blueberries to garnish

In a jar, mix cherries, blueberries, sugar and lemon juice,

Add cherry juice and stir until dissolved,

Finally, add sparkling wine and ice and serve.

this ain't no jelly for kids. { berry and triple sec jelly terrine }

Today is the birthday of a very dear friend... He is also one of the main contributors and fans of Between Kitchens and since I cannot be there to bake him a proper cake, this recipe is dedicated to him.
Hope you like it!

Terrina de Frutos Vermelhos e Triple Sec

- 250g de morangos, lavados e cortados em metades e quartos

- 100g de mirtilhos, lavados

- 2 chávenas de água

- 1 chávena de sumo de toranja

- 1/3 chávena de Triple Sec

- 2 colheres de sopa de Licor Beirão

- 1 colher de sobremesa de chá verde com morango e laranja Wittards

- 20g de gelatina transparente

- 2 colheres de sopa de açúcar

1) Espalhar os frutos numa terrina de vidro funda,

2) Ferver a água e preparar o chá,

3) Dissolver a gelatina e o açúcar no chá ainda quente,

4) Juntar o sumo e depois o Triple Sec e o Licor Beirão,

5) Verter sobre a fruta e levar ao frigorífico pelo menos três horas,

6) Para desenformar, colocar a terrina em água quente durante um ou dois minutos, passar uma faca a toda a volta e voltar sobre um prato de servir.

Berry and Triple Sec Terrine

- 250g strawberries, rinsed and chopped in halves or quarters

- 100g blueberries, rinsed

- 2 cups water

- 1 cup grapefruit juice

- 1/3 cup triple sec

- 2 tbsp Licor Beirão

- 2 tsp Wittards strawberry and orange green tea

- 20g transparent gelatin

- 2 tbsp sugar

1) Spread the fruits inside a deep pyrex,

2) Take the water to a boil and prepare the tea,

3) Solve gelatin and sugar in the still warm tea,

4) Mix the juice and then the alcohol,

5) Pour over the fruit and place in the fridge for at least three hours,

6) To unmould, place the pyrex in hot water for one or two minutes, run a knife around the sides and fold over a serving plate.

sipping summer { alcohol-free strawberry sangria }

I know, I know... I've been away for too long.
Please forgive me, for these last months have mostly been a whiteout when it comes to the kitchen.
From nothing-worth-mentioning lunches in a rush at any small eating place around the uni - or even at the studio whilst staring at models or plans - to going out for dinner or just-a-beer-with-bread-or-fries - because we're all always running out of time but still feel the need to stop and connect with other human beings -, cooking worth blogging about has been aside for a while, and my pans have holded pasta with vegetables around 50% of the time, the remaining share being hold by water for tea. As I've mentioned before, I get way too bored and demotivated cooking and eating by myself. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack time have been mixed up on a wholewheat-bread-with-quark-and-smoked-salmon bliss, which I share with my favourite series' characters, seldom not going for seconds - both on the smoked salmon and on the episodes.
Plus, my Iphone camera is somewhat broken and I have no other camera I can use on a regular basis, which takes blogging to a whole new level of impossibility.
However, this is something very important to me that has been missing in my life, and I think I would like to have it back. So I will anyway try to keep it going - an excuse for having guests more often! -, I still have a few recipes unpublished and I was also able to gather a few brand new ones already... Let's see how it goes (:
Thank you for being there all the time, thank you so much for you support and a special thanks to all the people who, even though not knowing me so well, personally encouraged me to come back.

Sangria de Morangos
(sem álcool)

- 300g de morangos, lavados e sem pé

- sumo de 5 laranjas

- 250ml de água com gás, fresca

- 150ml de água, fresca

- 80g de açúcar

- 20g de açúcar mascavado

- gelo q.b.

- 1/2 laranja, cortada em fatias finas
- folhas de hortelã

Num blender, reduzir os morangos a puré com o açúcar, reservando quatro ou cinco,

Misturar a água e o sumo de laranja com o puré de morango,

Numa jarra de vidro grande, colocar o gelo, os restantes morangos cortados em metades, as fatias de laranja e a hortelã,

Deitar o sumo na jarra, misturar tudo e servir.

Strawberry Sangria
(alcohol-free version)

- 300g strawberries, rinsed and cut tops

- 5 oranges juice

- 250ml sparkling water, cold

- 150ml water, cold

- 80g sugar

- 20g light brown sugar

- ice

- 1/2 orange, thinly sliced
- mint leaves

In a blender, process the strawberries with the sugar, leaving four or five aside,

Mix the water and orange juice in the strawberry puree,

Cut the remaining strawberries in halves and place in a big glass jar with the ice and mint leaves,

Pour the juice over, mix and serve.

Red seduction { sparkling berry sangria }

Nos próximos dias vou publicar algumas receitas que fiz para a festa de Sábado e agradeço desde já todo o carinho, as visitas e os comentários, caso me desleixe a passar pelos vossos blogs! É que acabei de chegar a Munique e os próximos dias não vou estar muito pelo computador ;)

Sangria de Champanhe de Frutos Vermelhos
Ingredientes:

- 3 garrafas de espumante doce e/ou meio-seco

- 1 pacote de sumo de frutos vermelhos

- 1 embalagem de frutos vermelhos congelados

- 3 colheres de sopa de açúcar amarelo

- 3 colheres de sopa de açúcar normal

- folhas de hortelã

- 10 cubos de gelo

- sumo de meio limão (opcional)

Preparação:

1) Numa taça bem grande, dissolver bem o açúcar num pouco de sumo de frutos vermelhos (e sumo de limão) e misturar com os frutos congelados e a hortelã,

2) Deitar as bebidas sobre a mistura,

3) Deitar em dois jarros e servir com gelo.

Berry Sangria

Ingredients:

- 3 bottles of sparkling white wine

- 1 bottle berries juice

- 1 package frozen berries

- 3 tbsp yellow sugar

- 3 tbsp white sugar

- mint leaves

- 10 cubes of ice

- juice of half lemon (optional)

Preparation.

1) In a large bowl, stir sugar into some juice and mix with the frozen berries and mint leaves,

2) Pour drinks over,

3) Divide by two jars and serve with ice.