it's PIMM's o'clock, baby

i tend to eat in phases. i have had the weeks of brownies, lasagne, fruit tarts, meringue rolls, days filled with one pastadish after the other - oh and let's not forget my focus on mascarpone-recipes that lasted for months. i blame my job and my greedy nature for this.

that also means: whatever i have to cook for my job i dont want to eat in my private life. currently that is heaps of meat, everything with full fat cheese and double cream or fruit that's been drowned in kirsch. i.dont.want.to.eat.any.of.that. - really, get out of my face fullfat cream!
after a day in the kitchen slathering meat with marinade, arranging a broccoli for a picture just the way you'd want to lick the picture asap and building towers of cupcakes all i want to do is just walk away from it and have - let's say - toast with butter. a pack of cookies (3 packs in 4 days, i call this quite a performance). everything that doesnt require heating up a pan or oven. tear open a package - that's a deal. count me in.
but then where is the fun in that? also i'd like to think you'd have to have at least 5 seconds of fun preparing your food (pack of cookies open in only 2 secs) and there is that thought of things like vitamins. proteins. fibres.

i entered a new phase this summer when i visited my beloved friend T in london. on that very summery sunday afternoon i entered the PIMM's phase in his backyard and i have this feeling it might turn from phase to beloved habit, cuz really: PIMM's is just about the best thing since sliced bread.

i like to think PIMM's is the oscar de la renta among drinks. PIMM's is chic. it's a proper ladies drink that even guys like.

and just like oscar's dresses PIMM's comes with a whole lotta accessories, too. there is a PIMM's sunchair, a PIMM's pitcher - oh hallelujah! - there is even a goddamned PIMM's picnic blanket that i ordered in 1,2,3 and i can-not-wait to finally organize a proper PIMM's picnic. you know, all dressed up & some sandwiches in a basket.

to find out more (and order your own picnic blanket) head over to the PIMM's webpage. in the meantime, here is my current diet

RECIPE

icecubes
PIMM's
homemade lemonade (see recipe below)
orange slices
fresh strawberries or raspberries
sticks of cucumber
fresh peppermint

fill glass halfway up with ice. add orange slice, cucumber, raspberries and some peppermint. fill with two part lemonade and one part PIMM's (you lushs may tweak proportions...). the more PIMM's you add. the more bitter it will taste. i like my PIMM's ladylike with just a dash of that magic stuff.

RECIPE HOMEMADE LEMONADE

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
juice of 6 lemons
2-3 cups of water
icecubes

heat sugar and 1 cup of water in a small pan until sugar has dissolved, let cool.
then mix with lemonjuice, rest of water and fill into jug with icecubes.