My First Days In California
It is a warm sunny day here in California, and I wanted to make a quick non-alcoholic beverage and sit outside to enjoy the day.
I found these heart-shaped Linzer cookies at a local shop here in San Luis Obispo (SLO) and had to pick them up. They are my favorite type of cookie, and having raspberry jam in the middle makes them even better!
Most of you who follow me know that I am from Connecticut and have recently moved to California. My company is now located both in Connecticut and California. I will spend some time on both sides of the country throughout the year. For now, I am enjoying the fantastic weather, topography, and people here in SLO. It’s truly a wonderful place to live.
Here in SLO, you have the massive Pacific Ocean just a stone’s throw away and outstanding boutique vineyards even closer. What’s not to love!?
““She stood there bright as the sun on that California coast.” ”
SLO has a huge festive farmers’ market every Thursday evening in their downtown. It is filled with fruits, vegetables, flowers, and other goods that local artisans sell to the public. There is music and shopping along the way. It is a very good time.
As I was shopping for flowers, I found a vendor that told me about Eufloria Flowers and recommended I go there to find beautiful roses. The following day, I traveled to the distributor, and I was not disappointed in the least. I couldn’t be more delighted to see the large varieties of roses they sell, and they will undoubtedly be one of my leading suppliers for MERZE Lifestyle. The bouquet I picked when I visited was an array of large blooms to sweetheart roses.
This tea rose is gorgeous. It is small, but what a statement it has!
The next day, I decided to make a beverage for my husband and me and sit on the patio to enjoy the summer day.
The beverage I made has four ingredients:
Raspberry Lime Rickey
INGREDIENTS
1 cup raspberry simple syrup
1/2 cup lime juice
48 ounces club soda, or you can use Ginger Ale if you want a sweeter drink
Lime wedges or other fruit for garnish.
Mix all in a pitcher and add ice.
That’s it!
Recipe for the raspberry simple sugar
3/4 cup of raspberries (6oz)
3/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups cleaned raspberries
In a small saucepan, add together the sugar, water, and raspberries. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer for about 3 minutes.
Reduce the temperature to low and simmer for another 5 minutes. Take the pan off the burner.
Let cool
Strain the mixture so that you only get the raspberry juice.
Once all the liquid is strained, place the liquid in a container.
You can keep the rest of the simple sugar for one week.
NOTE: You can also freeze the simple syrup in ice cubes to be used later
That’s it!
This is the bouquet I made with the roses I purchased. The array of roses IS just spectacular. This confit pot is an antique, and I didn’t want to add water to it. The trick is to PLACE a smaller vase filled with water into the confit pot. then place the flower stems into the vase that is filled with water.
Note: Ensure the vase inside isn’t too filled with water. I tested it before I placed it in the confit pot. The water can splash into the confit pot and ruin the vase if it is filled too much. Antique confit pots are truly precious and should be treated with care.
““I try to greet my friends with a drink in my hand, a warm smile on my face and great music in the background.”
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As with everything I post on my blogs, please feel free to comment or if you have any questions, please email me through my contact page. I welcome it anytime!
Design with your heart™️
Happy entertaining my friends!
Mary
“May your home be a place where friends meet, family gathers, and love grows. ”
