Limoncello

One of those days that feels like a day when I achieved much, but then here - at the end of the day - when I list them in my head it doesn't sound like so much.

Anyway, the 'what goes around comes around' fairies have rewarded my recent splurge of charity shop/recycling/freecycling with some goodies for Saturday's blipbeach thingy, to the tune of the world's smallest bbq and one of those throw up tents*.

In other exciting developments today, our big sofa thing has gone, and the living room now looks ridiculously bare. And I have nearly finished Katherine's 'farmer's wife' costume needed for a dress rehearsal (aghhhhh) tomorrow. It's made out of an old bias cut skirt of mine, and is nicely full length on her. I now see that all her dresses are designed to make her look like a little girl (she's 9 - it's fair enough) but in bias cut linen... she looks very very grown up. In quite a scarily elegant way for a girl who's happiest in scruffy cut off jeans and a t-shirt.

Oh, and obviously I finally got around to bottling the limoncello that's been happily resting in our larder. I did have some nice in focus shots, but this sums up the spirit of limoncello better for me.

And in a genuinely exciting development, I found out today that Conor's best friend's mum is pregnant. So congratulations for the millionth time L, if you're reading this!


*I don't mean a marquee that you might throw up in at a wedding (and no, I never have) but more those easy 'built with a flick of the wrist' tents for shading kids from the sun. The kind that takes the advertised one second to put up, and an unadvertised four and a half hours of swearing and advanced geometry to get it folded up and into its "handy carry case" again. Actually, I think I'd rather have something that was hard to put together, but easy to put away. Because the last thing you need at the end of a beach day, with two overheated, tired, needing a wee children and two overheated, tired and slightly drunk parents, is a battle with recalcitrant nylon.

Limoncello (Ursula Ferrigno's recipe)

6 unwaxed lemons
75cl (25fl oz) vodka/pure alcohol
225g (8oz) caster sugar
450ml (3/4 pt) pure bottled water

1. Soak lemons in bowl of cold water for one hour. Remove and dry.
2. With vegetable peeler, carefully peel rind, taking care not to get any of the white pith.
3. Put rind in wide-mouthed jar. Pour over vodka and cover. Leave in a dark place for 20 days.
4. Put sugar and water in pan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and leave until cool.
5. When cold, add sugar mixture to lemon mixture. Strain and pour into sterilized bottles and seal. Leave in a cold dark place for seven days before drinking.
6. Serve cold. Once opened, store in fridge. (I keep mine in the larder and it's fine.)

Her suggested aperitif: put 2tbsp limoncello in a big wine glass, add ice, slice of lemon and sprig of mint and top up with prosecco (or any fizzy white wine).

Acronymphomania suggests using it to 'feed' a lemon cake.