Let's take a break from Paris and London shall we? Fear not! I have more to say(!). Still, if I could use a break writing about it, I figure you guys could sure use a break reading about our travels, yes? And what says "Let's take a break!" better than cocktail hour?

A confluence of events had us making some cocktails Sunday evening. Part of the story was simply that I felt better. I knew I did because the idea of standing in the kitchen was appealing rather than appalling. Part of it was that we'd had some great drinks on our trip, and part of it was that we'd simply been thinking of doing it for some time now. Making some new drinks. Trying some new flavors. Mixing things up, so to speak, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

On Saturday night, my friend Marianne had been given a drink that was light and refreshing and featured blueberry vodka (Shudder) (Where do they come up with these flavors?) (From fresh squeezed blueberries?) and lemonade. On a hot summer night it was surprisingly delightful. And here's the thing. Somehow we'd managed to end up with a bottle of Kurant Vodka and we weren't sure what to do with it.

By Sunday morning, an idea was born.

The Cocktail to Be Named Later
Blackberries
Lemon Thyme Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Absolut Kurant Vodka
Sparkling Lemonade
Club Soda
Thyme Sprigs for garnish

In an old fashioned glass, muddle a handful of blackberries with 1-1.5 teaspoons of the simple syrup. Add 2 measures of Kurant vodka and fill glass with lemonade. Top with a splash of club soda and a sprig of thyme.

I'm always on the lookout for non-alcoholic drinks that feel celebratory and don't taste like fruit punch. For a non-alcoholic version of this, increase the ratio of blackberries, syrup, and lemonade and the eliminate vodka (!) and club soda. This got a thumbs up from both me and Callum!

Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup

If you like to make cocktails, simple syrup is something you really should consider having on hand. It's super easy to make (hence the name), and lends a lightly sweet and yet subtle flavor to your drinks. We have basic simple syrup, but for this cocktail I used Lemon-Thyme Simple Syrup.

1 cup sugar
1 cup water
4-8 springs thyme (We happened to have lemon thyme in the garden, because you know, Neel.)
3-4 thin slices of lemon

In a small saucepan, bring all ingredients to a gentle boil until sugar is dissolved. Allow to cool and store, up to three months in the refrigerator. You can strain the solids out of the liquid, but for a more intense flavor (and a prettier bottle), keep them in. This versatile syrup can be used in place of sweetener in many ways, including iced tea, lemonade or cocktails. Stirred into Pimms (along with some lemonade) added another dimension to our beloved cocktail.

So until our Kurant vodka runs out, we have a refreshing summer drink. All we need is a name. Any thoughts? We're taking suggestions. And f you happen to make yourself a version of it, let me know how it turns out!

I thought I'd do a little (ha!) post about some of the things we ate and some of the places we shopped while we were on our trip. For me, sharing food in lovely cafes and with dear friends was the best part of the trip, by far. On our day in London with Annie, we had lunch at Inn the Park, and I must have said an annoying number of times that it was just what I wanted. Lunch, like that, with my family and my friends. Sitting outside on a beautiful London day, delicious food, a stunning view (Hello? Have you seen the header for Annie's blog? That's what we were looking at!) . Well. Who could ask for more. Add in a shaved asparagus salad, Pimms and lemonade, and Jersey potatoes.

Heaven.

Later that day we got ice cream at the Tower of London, but we still needed cakes for our tea. I'd give just about anything if I could shop in Primrose Village everyday. The colorful buildings are enchanting and the cupcakes at Sweet Things were delightful. Just the treat we needed after walking miles and miles!

Well. What can I say. Dinner at the York and Albany, where Annie and Richard got married was such a treat. Annie says that it's a place that's trying to be a neighborhood pub and is really succeeding. You feel they know you when you walk in the door. Well, that they knew Richard and Annie, not us!

It's a beautiful building. The perfect mix of old world elegance (like the room where Annie and Richard got married) and light colors and sleek modern lines (like the room where we ate dinner. They blended perfectly. It was hands down my best meal (I had a starter, actually, of seared scallops and roasted cauliflower and curry oil. Hello.) My cocktail? The Scarlet Lauren, of course. Their take on the Negroni, and it was perfect. The whole night was perfect. A blur, actually, of meeting Sam and happy laughter. I can barely remember it except for how the scallops melted in my mouth and how much I smiled.

The day we spent in the Festival of Neils, we also got to Liberty and Harrods. I could have spent ages in Liberty, but it's probably good for my wallet that I only got a quick browse! We stocked up on chocolates and tea in Harrods before having tea at Harrods.

Now that was lovely.

If being in France is about enjoying the cafe life, I do think we got that part right. From enjoying a Croque Madame and a lightly dressed salad with a glass of vin rouge at our very first lunch to soupe a l'oignon (soothing to Cal's poor throat) and pistachio crepes filled with Nutella at a cafe outside the Notre Dame, we did okay. We sat, we watched, we ate. Oh, and we shopped a little too. Pain au chocolat or croissant with cafe creme for breakfast, led to omelets for lunch and an array of delights for dinner. Our waiters were patient with our halting French and had the absolute best way of opening bottles of Coke (Behind the back, using a shoulder won, hands down!)

The best though was sitting and watching the people pass us by as we ate in such a leisurely manner. Oh, and feeling guilt-free about ordering dessert after every meal. That was nice too. We rush too much here in the US, don't we? Let's stop doing that.

We had another spectacular meal in London, at the stunning St. Pancras, but I'm saving that story for one last post.

shaken, muddled and stirred {life}

lovely things {life}