Au Naturel Gin and Juice

The weekend is upon us friends, and despite the short week, I am as relieved as ever!

Being the weekend, I'm sure one or two of you have intentions of kicking back with an alcoholic beverage of sorts.

I have been known to enjoy the odd G&T – Who am I kidding, we have a very special relationship. So I was quite excited when I discovered this recipe for an All Natural Gin and Tonic, on Minimalist Baker  .

What could make these delicious fermented juniper berries combined with something that has the word water in it, more natural, you may ask. Well it turns out that tonic water has a couple of sneaky ingredients which are not necessarily that healthy for you. I also enjoy the idea of knowing exactly what ingredients are in my drink of choice.

Now we could argue about the benefits of quinine or even about the detrimental effects of alcohol, although gin was once a herbal medicine too…Or you could just try this recipe and enjoy a little something different.

Image Minimalist Baker 

ALL NATURAL GIN AND TONICS

Serves: 1

Ingredients

2-3 kumquats (or other citrus*), thinly sliced

1-2 Tbsp sweetener (such as agave nectar, maple syrup, cane sugar, or honey if not vegan)

2 ounces (4 Tbsp) dry gin

Ice

2-3 ounces (4-6 Tbsp) unflavored sparkling or soda water

Instructions

Add kumquats, sweetener and 1/2 ounce gin to a serving glass and muddle to break down sweetener and release citrus juices. Add remaining gin and stir well to combine.

If you’re not into citrus pulp/skin, scoop out or strain the kumquats from the drink. 

Add ice and top off with sparkling water to achieve desired strength of drink. Add 2-3 ounces for a stronger drink, and 3-5 ounces for a weaker drink.

Taste and adjust sweetness and strength as needed. Optional: Garnish with additional kumquat slices. Serve.

Notes

*If subbing lime for kumquats, add 1/2 lime, juiced to the cocktail when sweetening. Then slice the other half for garnish.

Image source unknown

Have a fabulous weekend friends!

xx

The Cradle of Humankind

Here are some pics from last weekend – a spontaneous mini road trip to The Cradle of Humankind, Maropeng.

We stayed at the Maropeng Boutique Hotel for the night – What a treat. The room was lovely, and the staff were incredibly friendly, and so helpful. The view from the room is incredible, and shortly after we arrived we enjoyed the most magnificent sunset over the mountains.

After a delicious breakfast we headed to the Maropeng Visitor Centre, and enjoyed a world class exhibition of the development of humans and our ancestors. The tour began with an underground boat ride through all the elements, and then a trip through a vortex into the actual exhibition – which was fascinating. Even though the exhibition is geared towards kids, I found it incredibly interesting, and highly enjoyable.

"Human populations appear to be different in terms of colour, body size, limb proportions, hair texture and other physical attributes. Beneath the surface we are all virtually identical. There is no genetic boundary for race. We are one species."

The next leg of the adventure was the Sterkfontein Caves. This is where the fossils of Mrs. Ples and Little Foot were found. Our tour guide, Danny, was great – and so were my knees while squatting through small spaces during the tour of the cave.

What an immense privilege to live in a place filled with so much history, and such incredible beauty.

xx

Kruger Park

A little throw back to a recent trip to The Kruger… 

I was so incredibly lucky to have seen all that I saw – it was truly magical.

xx